Project 461612

There are many diseases that result in an increase in the amount of extracellular matrix, making the skin hard and inelastic. Among these diseases, scleroderma and hypertrophic scars are two disabling conditions that currently receive little effective treatment. We have determined that a molecule called PlGF stimulates the production of the extracellular matrix and is greatly increased in patients with this disease. Our study aims to understand the link between PlGF and fibrosis. We will use biopsies of pathological skins, cells cultured in 2D and 3D and an animal model of the pathology. This research will allow us to be the first to position PlGF as a potential therapeutic target in fibrotic diseases. The obtained results will validate in vitro findings, predict the impact in humans, and provide critical information on the modulation of fibrosis, which is essential to substantiate the use of the PlGF antibody as a promising therapeutic target.