Fibroblasts and their responses to chronic injury in pulmonary fibrosis

The field of pulmonary fibrosis is rapidly expanding as new insights highlight novel mechanisms that influence fibroblast biology and likely promote aberrant and chronic activation of the tissue repair response. Current paradigms suggest repeated epithelial microinjury as a driver for pathology; however, the rapid expansion of pulmonary fibrosis research calls for an overview on how fibroblasts respond to both neighbouring cells and the injury microenvironment. This review seeks to highlight recent discoveries and identify areas that require further research regarding fibroblasts, and their role in pulmonary fibrosis.