A mouse model for evaluating the contribution of fibrocytes and myofibroblasts to airway remodeling in allergic asthma.

Airway remodeling is a term used to collectively indicate bronchial structural changes that may lead to irreversible airflow obstruction and progressive decline in lung function in asthmatic patients. Bronchial myofibroblasts contribute to airway remodeling by producing collagenous proteins in the subepithelial zone and by increasing the density of contractile cells in the bronchial wall. A substantial proportion of bronchial myofibroblasts in asthma differentiate from circulating mesenchymal progenitor cells known as fibrocytes. Here, we describe a mouse model of allergic asthma for evaluating the functional role of fibrocytes and myofibroblasts in this disease and the inhibitory effects of novel therapeutic candidates.