A cross-tissue POSTN+ fibroblast atlas links periodontal, tumor, and fibrotic stromal niches (opens in new tab)

Cross-tissue single-cell atlases have re-framed fibroblasts as a continuum of activation states, with universal Pi16+ progenitors giving rise to tissue-restricted activated populations[1] and shared pathological states recurring across inflammatory diseases[2]. Periostin (POSTN), a matricellular protein of injured, fibrotic, and tumor stroma, has been independently linked to activated fibroblasts in liver fibrosis[3], colorectal cancer[4], head-and-neck cancer[5], and dental contexts[6, 7], b...