Elucidating the Biology and Role of Synovial Fibroblasts in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Synovial fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells in the synovium that regulate tissue homeostasis in healthy joints. However, in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), synovial fibroblasts assume pathological functions as they recruit infiltrating immune cells that degrade cartilage and bone, leading to joint damage. Therapies aimed at synovial fibroblasts in RA have the theoretical potential to prevent joint damage while sparing side-effects from immunosuppression. However, incomplete understanding of synovial fibroblast heterogeneity and the pathways that regulate their identity pose major challenges to the therapeutic targeting of these cells. We sought to attack this problem by applying cutting-edge single cell technology to examine the biology of synovial fibroblasts in RA.
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