PKM2 mediates the glycolytic response to matrix stiffness in lung fibroblasts (opens in new tab)

IntroductionMatrix stiffening during idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) creates a mechanically altered microenvironment that promotes fibroblast activation, yet the metabolic consequences of these mechanical cues remain incompletely defined. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of glycolysis, but whether it serves as a mechanosensitive link coupling matrix stiffness to fibroblast activation has not been clarified. This study examined whether substrate stiffness drives g...