The role of positional information in determining dermal fibroblast diversity

The largest mammalian organ, skin, consisting of a dermal connective tissue layer that underlies and supports the epidermis, acts as a protective barrier that excludes external pathogens and disseminates sensory signals emanating from the local microenvironment. Dermal connective tissue is comprised of a collagen-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) that is produced by connective tissue fibroblasts resident within the dermis. When wounded, a tissue repair program is induced whereby fibroblasts, in response to alterations in the microenvironment, produce new ECM components, resulting in the formation of a scar. Failure to terminate the normal tissue repair program causes fibrotic conditions including: hypertrophic scars, keloids, and the systemic autoimmune connective tissue disease scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc). Histological and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) studies have revealed that fibroblasts are heterogeneous and highly plastic. Understanding how this diversity contributes to dermal homeostasis, wounding, fibrosis, and cancer may ultimately result in novel anti-fibrotic therapies and personalized medicine. This review summarizes studies supporting this concept.