Human Gastric Fibroblasts

Gastric fibroblasts (GF), which are located in the stomach, are mesenchymal cells derived from the embryonic mesoderm. Fibroblasts secrete a non-rigid extracellular matrix that is both rich in type I and/or type III collagen. They are responsible for much of the synthesis of extracellular matrix in connective tissues and play a central role in wound healing. Studies in vitro and in vivo show that GF can regulate epithelial regeneration by influencing epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation. In addition to their role in wound healing, human GF (HGF) have been shown to be key contributors in the development and progression of gastric carcinoma. HGF are a useful model for examining the underlying mechanisms that cause gastric carcinoma and may provide novel insights for developing new cancer drug therapies.