Cardiac fibroblasts: Form and function

The formation and structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that makes up the cardiac interstitum is well known yet the underlying mechanisms that regulate the interstitum are pearly known. This review focuses on the role of the cardiac fibroblast in the formation and regulation of the ECM components during cardiac development and in response to physiologic and pathological stimulation. The role of ECM receptors (integrins), cellular phenotype, and chemical and mechanical signaling by cardiac fibroblasts are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.