REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Disorders : Autoimmune Disorders
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1529564
This article is part of the Research TopicImmunological Aspects of Fibrosis Pathogenesis: Novel Mechanisms and Therapeutic StrategiesView all 20 articles
The regulatory role of immune microenvironment-related cells and pathways in the pathogenesis of keloids
Provisionally accepted
- Department of Plastic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Keloids are skin lesions caused by excessive fibrotic reactions, and their pathogenesis is not yet fully understood. Recent studies have shown that the immune microenvironment plays a significant role in the development of keloids. This article reviews the distribution and functions of immune microenvironment-related cells in keloids, including keratinocytes, fibroblasts, mast cells, macrophages, T cells, and stem cells, as well as the interactions between these cells and local cells. The article also explores the impact of several signaling pathways within the immune microenvironment on keloid formation, including the transforming growth factor β pathway (TGF-β ), PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, Wnt/ β-catenin signaling pathway, and Notch signaling pathway. These pathways recruit more immune cells by secreting various cytokines and inflammatory mediators, stimulate fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis, ultimately leading to the formation of keloids. By deeply analyzing the roles of cells and their signaling pathways within the immune microenvironment, we can provide potential new targets for the treatment of keloids.
Keywords: Keloids, immune microenvironment, Cytokines, Signaling Pathways, Regulatory
Received: 17 Nov 2024; Accepted: 20 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Dong, Gao, Guo, Wang, Zhang, shang and wang. 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: qiying wang, Department of Plastic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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