Fibrosis

How Does the Body’s Normal Repair Process Go Awry?

Fibroblasts are the most common cell found in connective tissues throughout the body. They secrete collagen proteins that the body uses to create and maintain structural frameworks as needed. During chronic lung injury, the body’s uncontrolled repair process leads to the formation of scar tissue. In diseases like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the over-formation of scar tissue results in fibrosis, or excessive stiffness in the lungs’ extracellular matrix.