Remodeling and homeostasis of the extracellular matrix: implications for fibrotic diseases and cancer

By T. Cox, J. Erler. Disease Models & Mechanisms, 2011

1,502 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Dynamic remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential for development, wound healing and normal organ homeostasis. Life-threatening pathological conditions arise when ECM remodeling becomes excessive or uncontrolled. In this Perspective, we focus on how ECM remodeling contributes to fibrotic diseases and cancer, which both present challenging obstacles with respect to clinical treatment, to illustrate the importance and complexity of cell-ECM interactions in the pathogenesis of these conditions. Fibrotic diseases, which include pulmonary fibrosis, systemic sclerosis, liver cirrhosis and cardiovascular disease, account for over 45% of deaths in the developed world. ECM remodeling is also crucial for tumor malignancy and metastatic progression, which ultimately cause over 90% of deaths from cancer. Here, we discuss current methodologies and models for understanding and quantifying the impact of environmental cues provided by the ECM on disease progression, and how improving our understanding of ECM remodeling in these pathological conditions is crucial for uncovering novel therapeutic targets and treatment strategies. This can only be achieved through the use of appropriate in vitro and in vivo models to mimic disease, and with technologies that enable accurate monitoring, imaging and quantification of the ECM.

Subfields: Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine, Surgery

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/ce72dfe61389f341164204f29ad97e6162991652

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Citations in the corpus

• Extracellular matrix: a dynamic niche component during cancer progression (2012, neutral): “Indeed, abnormal ECM dy namics are one of the most ostensible clinical outcomes in dis eases such as tissue fibrosis and cancer (Cox and Erler, 2011).”
• Role of Extracellular Matrix in Development and Cancer Progression (2018, background): “Due to increased interstitial pressure, unresolved loss of tissue homeostasis has been linked to an elevated risk of various conditions, such as osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer [11].”
• The myofibroblast matrix: implications for tissue repair and fibrosis (2013, neutral): “Initial studies targeting LOX using the inhibitor β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) reduced collagen cross-linking and scarring but did not proceed to clinical trials due to drug toxicity [224].”
• Tissue Stiffness Dictates Development, Homeostasis, and Disease Progression (2015, neutral): “).(98) TISSUE STIFFNESS DICTATES DEVELOPMENT 3”
• Transformative Approaches in Breast Cancer Detection: Integrating Transformers into Computer-Aided Diagnosis for Histopathological Classification (2025, unknown): “Breast cancer (BC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide [1,2].”