Distinct origin and region-dependent contribution of stromal fibroblasts to fibrosis following traumatic injury in mice

Fibrotic scar tissue formation impairs tissue regeneration and functional recovery after injuries like spinal cord injury (SCI). This study investigates the origin of scar-forming fibroblasts in mice after SCI. The researchers found that stromal fibroblasts, which form the fibrotic scar, come from two populations of perivascular cells: pericytes and perivascular fibroblasts. The contribution of these cell populations to scar tissue depends on the location of the injury, with pericytes primarily contributing to lesions in the gray matter and perivascular fibroblasts contributing more to white matter lesions.

• 1
  Stromal fibroblasts forming fibrotic scars after SCI in mice originate from two distinct perivascular cell populations: pericytes and perivascular fibroblasts.
• 2
  The contribution of pericytes and perivascular fibroblasts to fibrotic scar tissue is region-dependent; pericytes contribute more to gray matter lesions, while perivascular fibroblasts contribute more to white matter lesions.
• 3
  Upon injury, both pericytes and perivascular fibroblasts transcriptionally converge on the generation of stromal myofibroblasts, which are key contributors to fibrotic ECM deposition.