Exploring organ-specific features of fibrogenesis using murine precision-cut tissue slices

Fibrosis is the hallmark of pathologic tissue remodelling in most chronic diseases. Despite advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of fibrosis, it remains uncured. Fibrogenic processes share conserved core cellular and molecular pathways across organs. In this study, we aimed to elucidate shared and organ-specific features of fibrosis using murine precision-cut tissue slices (PCTS) prepared from small intestine, liver and kidneys. PCTS displayed substantial differences in their baseline gene expression profiles: 70% of the extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes were differentially expressed across the organs. Culture for 48 h induced significant changes in ECM regulation and trig…