Spatial and Single-Cell Transcriptional Profiling Identifies Functionally Distinct Human Dermal Fibroblast Subpopulations

January 2018 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”

Christina Philippeos, Stéphanie B. Telerman, Bénédicte Oulès, Angela Oliveira Pisco, Tanya J. Shaw, Raúl Elgueta, Giovanna Lombardi, Ryan R. Driskell, Mark Soldin, Magnus Lynch, Fiona M. Watt

fibroblast Wnt signaling IFN-γ epidermal reconstitution wound healing fibrotic diseases interferon gamma

TLDR Researchers found four distinct fibroblast types in human skin, which could help in treating wounds and fibrotic diseases.

The study identified at least four distinct fibroblast populations in adult human skin through spatial and single-cell transcriptional profiling. These fibroblast subpopulations, which were not all spatially segregated, retained distinct functionalities related to Wnt signaling, IFN-γ responsiveness, and support for human epidermal reconstitution, despite losing marker expression in culture. The findings suggested potential therapeutic applications in wound healing and fibrotic diseases by targeting specific fibroblast subpopulations for ex vivo expansion or in vivo ablation.

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