ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Fibrosis and Tissue Repair: From
Molecules and Mechanics to Therapeutic Approaches, organized by Drs. Shannon J. Turley and Thomas A.
Wynn. The conference will be held in British Columbia Canada from February 19-23, 2020.
Fibrosis or scarring leads to destruction of organ architecture with loss of function and is an important cause of
morbidity and mortality worldwide. Fibrosis affects nearly all tissues and organ systems and is a major
pathogenic feature of many chronic inflammatory diseases including interstitial lung disease, nonalcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH), glomerulonephritis, heart disease, Crohn’s disease, and systemic sclerosis. Fibrotic
tissue remodeling also influences cancer metastasis and cancer therapy. Recent advances have provided a
deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of fibrosis and have revealed novel drug targets that are at various
stages of clinical development. This conference is the 7th Keystone Symposium on Fibrosis, which was
established in 2007 and is intended to be the premier international meeting for anyone with an interest in
fibrosis. The conference brings together researchers from a broad range of interests including epithelial
biology, vascular biology, cancer, stem and tissue progenitor cell biology, tissue repair and regeneration, as
well as those with disease-specific interests. Finally, this conference is being paired with another Keystone
Symposia conference on Stromal Cells in Immunity and Disease. Hosting these two conferences together will
bring together academic, clinical, and translational researchers to discuss core mechanisms driving
inflammation and fibrosis, and to compare and contrast fibrotic diseases of different organs, discuss the best
preclinical models, and debate emerging therapies.