Conjunctival Fibroblasts (CJVF)

Fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells derived from the embryonic mesoderm. They have been extensively used for a wide range of cellular and molecular studies as they are one of the easiest types of cells to grow in culture. Their durability also makes them amenable to a wide variety of manipulations ranging from studies employing gene transfection to microinjection. Fibroblasts are the most common cells of connective tissue in animals. Fibroblasts in various parts of the body are intrinsically different. Fibroblasts secrete a non-rigid extracellular matrix that is rich in type I and/or type III collagen. They are responsible for much of the synthesis of extracellular matrix in connective tissues and play major roles in wound healing. Many diseases are associated with fibroblasts, either because fibroblasts are implicated in their etiology or because of the fibrosis that accompanies damage to other cell types.Some researchers use human conjunctival fibroblasts (CJVF) cultures to investigate the effects of inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-1βon the secretions of VEGF and chemokines.