Joerg Heyer

Fibrosis begins through different organ-specific injuries, but many pathways may 

converge around fibroblast activation, immune-stromal crosstalk, mechanotransduction, 

ECM remodeling, and failed repair. This workshop will compare fibrogenic cascades 

across lung, liver, kidney, gut, and skin to determine where fibrosis becomes targetable, 

when intervention is most likely to succeed, and whether mechanisms support panfibrotic or indication-specific strategies.

Discussion Topics Include:

• Mapping common downstream fibrotic pathways involving fibroblast activation, ECM deposition, and mechanotransduction across organs
• Understanding organ-specific inciting injuries, epithelial responses, and immune microenvironments that drive early disease
• How spatial omics, niche-specific activation cues, and cross-organ learnings are enabling more precise, safer antifibrotic strategies
• Determining at which disease stage cross-indication therapeutic approaches become most viable versus requiring tissue-specific targeting