During fibrotic diseases, functional tissue parenchyma progressively transforms into stiff, disorganized and non-functional tissue causing organ failure. The underlying multitude of interconnected changes in the cellular microenvironment can be investigated using bioengineered fibrosis models.
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Acknowledgements
W.Y.W. and D.L.M. acknowledge financial support from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (DGE1256260). B.M.B. acknowledges financial support from an NIH Pathway to Independence Award (HL124322) and the University of Michigan MCubed Program.
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Matera, D.L., Wang, W.Y. & Baker, B.M. New directions and dimensions for bioengineered models of fibrosis. Nat Rev Mater 6, 192–195 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-021-00288-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-021-00288-x
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