Profibrotic mediators in tendon disease: a systematic review

Background Tendon disease is characterized by the development of fibrosis. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) are key mediators in the pathogenesis of fibrotic disorders. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the evidence for the expression of TGF-β, BMPs and CTGF along tendon disease progression and the response of tendon cells to these growth factors accordingly. Method We conducted a systematic screen of the scientific literature using the Medline database. The search terms used were "tendon AND... Mehr ...