Intervention of Inflammatory Monocyte Activity Limits Dermal Fibrosis

Monocytes and monocyte-derived cells are important players in the initiation, progression and resolution of inflammatory skin reactions. As inflammation is a pre-requisite for fibrosis development, we focused on the role of monocytes in cutaneous fibrosis, the clinical hallmark of patients suffering from systemic sclerosis. Investigating the function of monocytes in ROS-induced dermal fibrosis, we observed that early monocyte depletion partially reduced disease severity. Low numbers of inflammatory Ly6Chigh monocytes as well as CCR2/CCL2 inhibition in WT animals by a specific L-RNA aptamer mitigated disease parameters, indicating a pivotal role for CCR2+ inflammatory monocytes and the CCR2/CCL2 axis in fibrosis development.
Source: Journal of Investigative Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research