Fig. 2

Summary of the key effector cells in the initiation of PF. Following profibrotic factors stimulus, macrophages respond and produce inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines attract more immune cells, such as monocytes and neutrophils, which in turn produce more cytokines, creating a cycle of inflammation that damages the lung cells. In addition, activated fibroblasts (including those that originated from EMT and EndoMT ) stimulate the production of myofibroblasts as well as excessive ECM deposition which undergoes pathologic remodeling. Image Created in https://BioRender.com