Understanding the roles of distinct fibroblast subpopulations in skin homeostasis and disease

Fibroblasts synthesise the extracellular matrix (ECM) of connective tissue. Chronic injury and inflammation in combination with a genetic predisposition can trigger fibroblasts to exhibit excessive proliferation and ECM production, resulting in fibrosis. One clinical manifestation is keloid scar formation in skin.
We have previously shown that mouse skin connective tissue, the dermis, is comprised of functionally distinct fibroblast lineages that play different roles in skin repair following injury (Driskell et al., 2013). Until recently, the extent of fibroblast heterogeneity in human skin was unknown. However, by single cell transcriptional profiling, we have identified several distinct fibroblast populations in adult human skin. The goal of the PhD project is to discover whether targeting one specific subpopulation might have therapeutic benefit in treating keloid scars.