REVIEW article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biomaterials
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1679625
The Role of Collagen and Collagen I/III Ratio in Pathological Conditions: Insights into Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches
Provisionally accepted
- 1Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, United States
- 2Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, United States
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Collagen is the predominant structural protein, contributing to 25-30% of total body protein. It is vital for maintaining the strength, flexibility, and structural integrity of connective tissues throughout the human body. Of the 28 identified collagen types, collagen I and collagen III are especially critical - collagen I imparts tensile strength, while collagen III enhances matrix flexibility. Disruptions in collagen structure and composition are frequently associated with aberrant collagen I and collagen III ratio that compromises tissue functions and contributes to pathological conditions affecting bone (osteoporosis), oral tissues (periodontal disease), wound healing (diabetic complications), reproductive organs (ovarian cancer), and pelvic support structures (pelvic organ prolapse), among others. These alterations arise from aging, genetic polymorphisms, and disease factors that disrupt collagen synthesis, assembly, and degradation. This review highlights recent advances in understanding the role of collagen and collagen I/III ratio in pathophysiological processes and deliberates emerging therapeutic interventions designed to restore collagen equilibrium, encompassing biomaterials, stem cell therapies, gene editing techniques, and biophysical stimulation modalities. Future directions in tissue-engineered extracellular matrix development, precision medicine applications, and combined therapeutic strategies are discussed as transformative approaches for managing collagen-associated disorders and improving patient outcomes.
Keywords: Collagen, Collagen I/III ratio, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, ovarian cancer, Periodontal disease, Osteoporosis, Wound Healing
Received: 04 Aug 2025; Accepted: 24 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Hemalatha Kanniyappan, Rathnayake, Osamor and Islam. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Rong R. Wang, rwang16@wpi.edu
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.