Collagen fibril formation. A new target to limit fibrosis.

We present a concept for reducing formation of fibrotic deposits by inhibiting self-assembly of collagen molecules into fibrils, a main component of fibrotic lesions. Employing monoclonal antibodies that bind to the telopeptide region of a collagen molecule, we found that blocking telopeptide-mediated collagen/collagen interactions reduces the amount of collagen fibrils accumulated in vitro and in keloid-like organotypic constructs. We conclude that inhibiting extracellular steps of the fibrotic process provides a novel approach to limit fibrosis in a number of tissues and organs.