Adipocytic Progenitor Cells Give Rise to Pathogenic Myofibroblasts: Adipocyte-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Its Emerging Role in Fibrosis in Multiple Organs

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Adipocytes have recently been shown to be able to reprogram to a myofibroblastic phenotype in a process termed adipocyte mesenchymal transition (AMT). This review seeks to discuss the relevance of this process to disease and explore its mechanisms. RECENT FINDINGS: AMT occurs in multiple organs and diseases, transdifferentiation goes through a precursor cell and there is a reversible process that can be influenced by metabolic stress, myeloid cells, immune dysregulation, and pharmacological intervention. SUMMARY: AMT is a newly appreciated and highly relevant process in multiple forms of fibrosis. Targeting AMT may serve as a novel method of treating fibrosis.