The fibrotic scar in neurological disorders

Francisco Fernández-Klett, Josef Priller

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Tissue fibrosis, or scar formation, is a common response to damage in most organs of the body. The central nervous system (CNS) is special in that fibrogenic cells are restricted to vascular and meningeal niches. However, disruption of the blood-brain barrier and inflammation can unleash stromal cells and trigger scar formation. Astroglia segregate from the inflammatory lesion core, and the so-called "glial scar" composed of hypertrophic astrocytes seals off the intact neural tissue from damage. In the lesion core, a second type of "fibrotic scar" develops, which is sensitive to inflammatory mediators. Genetic fate mapping studies suggest that pericytes and perivascular fibroblasts are activated, but other precursor cells may also be involved in generating a transient fibrous extracellular matrix in the CNS. The stromal cells sense inflammation and attract immune cells, which in turn drive myofibroblast transdifferentiation. We believe that the fibrotic scar represents a major barrier to CNS regeneration. Targeting of fibrosis may therefore prove to be a valuable therapeutic strategy for neurological disorders such as stroke, spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)404-13
Number of pages10
JournalBrain Pathology
Volume24
Issue number4
Early online date19 Jun 2014
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 19 Jun 2014

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Animals
  • Astrocytes
  • Central Nervous System
  • Central Nervous System Diseases
  • Cicatrix
  • Humans
  • Neuroimmunomodulation
  • Pericytes
  • Stromal Cells
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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