LAUSR

Changes in cell phenotype underlie many of the body's responses to altered environmental conditions, stress, or damage, resulting in both physiological and pathophysiological alterations to tissue function. Transcriptional regulators play a critical role in reprogramming cell identity and behavior. Emerging evidence has implicated the transcription factor scleraxis as a novel and powerful determiner of cell phenotype in cells that produce large quantities of extracellular matrix, including tenocytes and cardiac fibroblasts. In this review, we examine the role of scleraxis in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and in altering cell phenotype, and discuss the implications of this role in tissue repair and pathology. This specialized role for scleraxis makes it a potential target for therapies aimed at improving wound healing or attenuating tissue fibrosis.