Cardiac fibrosis is a pathological condition that occurs after injury and during aging. Currently, there are limited means to effectively reduce or reverse fibrosis. Key to identifying methods for curbing excess deposition of extracellular matrix is a better understanding of the cardiac fibroblast, the cell responsible for collagen production. In recent years, the diversity and functions of these enigmatic cells have been gradually revealed. In this review, I outline current approaches for identifying and classifying cardiac fibroblasts. An emphasis is placed on new insights into the heterogeneity of these cells as determined by lineage tracing and single-cell sequencing in development, adult, and disease states. These recent advances in our understanding of the fibroblast provide a platform for future development of novel therapeutics to combat cardiac fibrosis.

中文翻译：

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心脏成纤维细胞多样性。

心脏纤维化是一种在受伤后和衰老期间发生的病理状况。当前，有效减少或逆转纤维化的手段有限。识别用于抑制细胞外基质过多沉积的方法的关键是更好地了解心脏成纤维细胞，即负责胶原生成的细胞。近年来，这些神秘细胞的多样性和功能已逐渐被揭示。在这篇综述中，我概述了目前用于鉴定和分类心脏成纤维细胞的方法。重点放在对这些细胞异质性的新见解上，这些异质性是由发育，成年和疾病状态中的谱系追踪和单细胞测序确定的。