fibrocyte

Fibrocyte cells normally secrete collagen, and function to provide structural support for the heart.

This novel circulating cell, termed a fibrocyte, has both mesenchymal and hematopoietic features.

The term fibrocyte contrasts with the term fibroblast.

Recently, the term "fibrocyte" has also been applied to a bloodborne cell able to leave the blood, enter tissue and become a fibroblast.

If fibrocytes are stimulated by damage to the surrounding tissue, the fibrocyte is altered into a fibroblast.

This can be achieved by the use of a layer of feeder fibrocyte cells or supplement medium such as briclone.

It is thus active wherever platelets bind in damaged tissue, as a vasoconstrictor to stop bleeding, and also as a fibrocyte mitotic (growth factor), to aid healing.

A fibrocyte is an inactive mesenchymal cell, that is, a cell showing minimal cytoplasm, limited amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum and lacks biochemical evidence of protein synthesis.

When tissue is injured, the predominant mesenchymal cells, the fibroblast, have been believed to be derived from the fibrocyte or possibly from smooth muscle cells lining vessels and glands.

Now, Dr Furness and his PhD student Jacqueline Tickle have begun the next phase of the research, which will explore whether replacement fibrocytes and fibrocyte stem cells can be successfully grown and implanted into the ear.