Identification of Pathways That Drive Myofibroblast Transformation in Hypertrophic Scars
Alice R. Lapthorn
1
Melissa Nelson
1,2
Sheryaar Khan
1,2
Kieran M. Feltham
1
Peter Dziewulski
1,3
Selim Cellek
1,*
Melissa Nelson
1,2
Sheryaar Khan
1,2
Kieran M. Feltham
1
Peter Dziewulski
1,3
Selim Cellek
1,*
Author Information
Other Information
1
Fibrosis Research Group, Medical Technology Research Centre, School of Allied Health and Social Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine & Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford CM1 1SQ, UK
2
School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Medicine & Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford CM1 1SQ, UK
3
St. Andrew’s Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns, Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford CM1 7ET, UK
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 28 August 2025 Accepted: 28 September 2025 Published: 09 October 2025
© 2025 The authors. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Fibrosis
2025,
3(4), 10011;
DOI: 10.70322/fibrosis.2025.10011
ABSTRACT:
Hypertrophic scars (HTS) are a common complication
of burn injuries and are characterized by excessive dermal fibrosis driven by the
transformation of resident dermal fibroblasts to profibrotic myofibroblasts. Although
single cell and bulk RNA transcriptomics analysis of HTS and normal skin tissue
samples were performed previously, transcriptomics of the transformation of
fibroblasts to myofibroblasts has not been studied. Here, we report the data
obtained from RNA sequencing of fibroblasts before and after exposure to
transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and highlight the pathways that are
up- and down-regulated during myofibroblast transformation. Our results suggest
increased cellular signalling and rewiring, proliferative surge, immune-like
and metabolic reprogramming, and delayed structural remodelling as four groups
of events during the transformation of human primary dermal fibroblasts to
myofibroblasts.
Keywords:
Fibrosis; Hypertrophic scar; Fibroblast; Myofibroblast;
Transforming growth factor beta 1; Skin; Burns
