Hypoxia-sensitive pathways in inflammation-driven fibrosis

Abstract

Tissue injury can occur for a variety of reasons, including physical damage, infection, and ischemia. The ability of tissues to effectively recover from injury is a cornerstone of human health. The healing response in tissues is conserved across organs and typically involves distinct but overlapping inflammatory, proliferative, and maturation/resolution phases. If the inflammatory phase is not successfully controlled and appropriately resolved, an excessive healing response characterized by scar formation can lead to tissue fibrosis, a major clinical complication in disorders such as Crohn's disease (CD). As a result of enhanced metabolic and inflammatory processes during chronic inflammation, profound changes in tissue oxygen levels occur leading to localized tissue hypoxia. Therefore, inflammation, fibrosis, and hypoxia are coincidental events during inflammation-driven fibrosis. Our current understanding of the mechanism(s) underpinning fibrosis is limited as are the therapeutic options available. In this review, we discuss what is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning inflammation-driven fibrosis and how hypoxia may play a role in shaping this process.

Keywords: NF-κB; Smad; fibrosis; hypoxia; inflammation.