part of part of fibroblast cardiocyte fibroblast of cardiac tissue 2011-02-28T04:57:44Z A fibroblast that is part of the heart. cardiac fibroblast Fibroblasts of cardiac tissue, or cardiac fibroblasts, are critical cells involved in the normal function and repair of the heart. They are essentially a type of non-muscle cell that are integral to the connective tissue and structural integrity of the heart. The primary role of cardiac fibroblasts is the synthesis and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. They synthesize a variety of ECM proteins, such as collagen, fibronectin, and elastin, forming a distinctive three-dimensional network that provides both mechanical and biochemical support for the cardiomyocytes. Cardiac fibroblasts also participate in crucial cellular communication within the myocardium - the muscular tissue of the heart responsible for pumping blood. They engage in intense cross-talk with cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells, influencing cell survival, growth, differentiation, and tissue repair processes. Particularly notable is their role in cardiac response to injury, such as myocardial infarction, where they proliferate intensely, and subsequently differentiate into myofibroblasts, contributing to scar formation and remodeling of cardiac tissue post-injury. Moreover, during pathological conditions of the heart, including cardiac fibrosis and heart failure, these fibroblasts can undergo phenotypic transformation into myofibroblasts, leading to an overproduction of ECM components and resulting in stiffening of the cardiac tissue. Over time, this diminishes the heart's ability to pump efficiently, sometimes leading to heart failure. Recent studies have also implicated abnormal behavior of cardiac fibroblasts in arrhythmogenesis. (This extended description was generated by ChatGPT and reviewed by the CellGuide team, who added references, and by the CL editors, who approved it for inclusion in CL. It may contain information that applies only to some subtypes and species, and so should not be considered definitional.) https://cellxgene.cziscience.com/cellguide/CL_0002548 heart