Primary bovine embryonic #fibroblasts demonstrate variable #fitness following #infection with avian influenza #H5N1 strains and are susceptible to a recently circulating human #H1N1pdm09 strain

Primary #bovine embryonic #fibroblasts support seasonal #influenza A virus #infection and demonstrate variable #fitness of #HPAI #H5N1

New perspectives for wound healing and the treatment of chronic diseases

Fibroblasts play a central role in maintaining healthy tissue structures, as well as in the development and progression of diseases. For a long time, these specialised connective tissue cells were thought to represent a single, uniform cell type. A recent publication by researchers at the University of Leipzig Medical Center shows that fibroblasts in human tissue actually consist of distinct populations with specialised functions. This heterogeneity is key to developing targeted therapies in regenerative medicine and in the treatment of diseases. The findings have been published in the renowned journal Nature Cell Biology.

Mitochondria are flinging their DNA into our brain cells, study shows

As direct descendants of ancient bacteria, mitochondria have always been a little alien. Now a study shows that mitochondria are possibly even stranger than we thought.

Cancer Cells Give Orders

Cancer-supporting cells control their neighbors’ behavior using an often-overlooked protein delivery system. 

Regular Erections May Be Vital For Erectile Function

Cars should be taken out for a spin every now and then to keep them in tip-top working order.

Viagra alternatives? Study of mouse erections hints at new ways to treat erectile dysfunction

A new study reveals the importance of specific cells in triggering erections in mice, and the finding could someday help treat erectile dysfunction in people.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts actively compress cancer cells and modulate mechanotransduction - Nature Communications

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can produce ECM and form a physical barrier around the tumour. Here, the authors show in transgenic mouse models and in vitro systems that CAFs are able to actively compress cancer cells using actomyosin contractility and this leads to a modulation of cancer cell mechanosensing and tumour reorganisation.

Researchers uncover critical clues about the origin of heart arrhythmias

Study answers decades-old question: Do non-excitable heart cells in the heart directly affect the excitability of the heart?

Single-cell analysis of lizard blastema fibroblasts reveals phagocyte-dependent activation of Hedgehog-responsive chondrogenesis - Nature Communications

Lizards are the closest known relatives of mammals capable of epimorphic tail regrowth. Here, single-cell analysis of regenerating lizard tails reveals a phagocyte-induced fibroblast population contributing to blastema formation and chondrogenesis.