ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Tissue Fibrosis and Repair: Mechanisms,
Human Disease and Therapies, organized by Drs. Shelia Violette, Neil Henderson, Benjamin Humphreys and
Melanie Koenigshoff. The conference will be held in Keystone, Colorado from June 12-16, 2022.
Fibrosis is a final common pathway in many forms of organ failure and a major cause of morbidity and mortality
worldwide. Classically, fibrosis is characterized by aberrant fibroblast activation and inadequate tissue repair.
While advances have been made in the understanding of molecular mechanisms driving tissue injury and
fibrosis, there remains a need to identify targets/pathways that are relevant to human disease and can be
leveraged to promote repair and regeneration, as well as to develop translational strategies to facilitate clinical
development of novel therapies. Therefore, this conference is designed to highlight the recent advances in
the understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms driving tissue injury and fibrosis and their potential to
be leveraged to promote tissue repair and regeneration. The program will explore the interface between
aging, senescence, tissue injury and fibrosis. Participants will also learn how single-cell genomics has
informed cellular heterogeneity, mechanisms driving tissue injury and fibrosis, and cells/pathways that can be
reprogrammed to promote repair and regeneration. Other topics that will be covered include translational
advances that support the understanding of fibrotic disease and facilitating drug development, such as models
of human disease; prognostic markers of disease susceptibility; biomarkers of disease activity; and non-
invasive technologies to diagnose, prognosticate, and monitor therapeutic intervention. The program will also
emphasize recent advances toward developing novel fibrosis therapies. This renowned conference will
provide an interactive forum for early and established international investigators, illuminate novel discoveries
and facilitate fruitful collaboration. Moreover, it will be held jointly with another Keystone Symposia conference
on Resolution of Inflammation. The opportunity for networking and scientific collaboration between these
synergistic fields will occur during shared sessions and meals for attendees at both conferences.