Chen et al. publishes paper in Cell

Congratulations to Kellen Chen (co-first author), Michelle Griffin (co-first author), Dayan Li (co-first author), Jennifer Parker, Jason Guo, Seungsoo Kim, Katerina Kraft, Mauricio Downer, Annah Morgan, Maxwell Kuhnert, Serena Jing, Hanqi Yao, Caleb Valencia, Asha Cotterell, Michael Januszyk, Geoffrey Gurtner, Howard Chang, Joanna Wysocka, Derrick Wan, and Michael Longaker on their recent publication in Cell titled Fibroblasts of Disparate Developmental Origins Harbor Anatomically Variant Scarring Potential. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.12.014

Using mouse wound models and advanced single-cell and spatial analyses, this study shows that facial fibroblasts derived from the neural crest heal with much less scarring than dorsal fibroblasts derived from mesoderm. The authors identify a SLIT2–ROBO2–EID1 signaling pathway that limits fibrosis by suppressing pro-scarring gene activity through inhibition of EP300, a key regulator of gene expression.

By genetically and pharmacologically targeting this pathway, the authors were able to make typically scar-prone dorsal wounds heal more like facial wounds, revealing fibroblast plasticity and positioning EP300 as a potential therapeutic target for scar reduction.