The Mechanosensitive Ion Channel Piezo 1 in Fibrotic Diseases

Piezo1 is a newly discovered mechanosensitive ion channel in mammals, which plays important functions in different tissues and organs, including bone, urinary tract, eyeball, and artery. However, abnormal Piezo1 mechanical transmission can cause a variety of diseases and promote the course of disease. Fibrotic disease can occur in almost any tissue and organ, and its main feature is excessive cross-linking and accumulation of collagen and other extracellular matrix components, which eventually leads to increased stiffness of tissues and organs and affected physiological functions. At present, more and more studies have shown that Piezo1 plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence and development of fibrotic diseases, which is closely related to the change of matrix mechanical state. This paper describes the structure and activation mechanism of Piezo1, and systematically summarizes the research progress of Piezo1 in fibrotic diseases of the heart, kidney, pancreas, liver and other organs, in order to provide a new perspective and strategy for the treatment of fibrotic diseases.