Contribution of inflammation-associated bone-marrow-derived cells to kidney fibrosis

Abstract

Chronic inflammation-associated kidney fibrosis leads to progressive kidney dysfunction. Cell sources of matrix-producing cells in diseased kidneys include activated resident stromal cells (e.g., fibroblasts and pericytes), cells derived from epithelial-mesenchymal transition/endothelial-mesenchymal transition, and infiltrating bone-marrow-derived cells (e.g., fibrocytes, T cells, and monocytes/macrophages). Recent studies show that bone-marrow-derived cells are recruited to diseased kidneys, interact with renal resident cells, and produce chemokines/cytokines, growth factors, and collagens, thereby promoting and escalating chronic inflammatory processes and eventually leading to kidney fibrosis.