Role in Asthmatic Lung Disease

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by structural and functional alterations of the bronchial epithelium and remodeling of the normal bronchial architecture. Bronchial myofibroblasts are thought to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of subepithelial fibrosis, which represents a prominent feature of the remodeling process. Although it has been postulated for many years that myofibroblasts derive from tissue fibroblasts, recent studies have indicated that bone marrow-derived fibrocytes may contribute to the bronchial myofibroblast population in asthma and may be responsible for the excessive collagen deposition below the epithelial basement membrane. Investigating how fibrocytes emerge in asthmatic airways and what their fate is, may uncover key mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of airway remodeling and may help clarify the functional role of the remodeling process in asthma.