Distinct extracellular matrix states uncouple collagen accumulation from pathological fibrosis in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Pranav Kannan, Daniel Helzer, Ekaterina I. Mokhonova, George R. Marcotte, Tess S. Fleser, Mohammad Hossein Afsharinia, Joseph C. Reynolds, Jackson Walker, Wenbin Guo, Christina Y. Deng, Philip K. Farahat, Maxwell C. McCabe, Hannah Tamura, Dongping Qi, Thomas M. Vondriska, , Rachelle H. Crosbie
The paper shows that collagen abundance alone does not define fibrosis in DMD, as distinct matrix states with different biological activities and mechanosignaling exist.
bioRxiv · Aug 19, 2026 · PreprintPhysiology