The fibrous proteins and ground substance produced by fibroblasts are what constitute the extracellular matrix (ECM), which makes up the bulk of connective tissue. The ECM has many roles within ...

University researchers have developed a new connective tissue model to study disorders like fibrosis, a type of scarring that occurs when damage to the body causes normal tissue to be replaced by hard ...

The central nervous system (CNS) consists of several types of cells having varied specialized functions. While many of these cell types have been studied, fibroblast cells in the CNS remain ...

Fibroblasts play a central role in maintaining healthy tissue structures, as well as in the development and progression of diseases. For a long time, these specialized connective tissue cells were ...

Why are pancreatic tumors so resistant to treatment? One reason is that the 'wound'-like tissue that surrounds the tumors, called stroma, is so dense, likely preventing cancer-killing drugs from ...

Senescent fibroblasts are aging cells in connective tissue that no longer divide and protect against tumor development. Yet, these same cells can promote cancer growth in a laboratory setting. Until ...