Myocardial injury, mechanical stress, neurohormonal activation, inflammation, and/or aging
all lead to cardiac remodeling, which is responsible for cardiac dysfunction and
arrhythmogenesis. Of the key histological components of cardiac remodeling, fibrosis either
in the form of interstitial, patchy, or dense scars, constitutes a key histological substrate of
arrhythmias. Here we discuss current research findings focusing on the role of fibrosis, in
arrhythmogenesis. Numerous studies have convincingly shown that patchy or interstitial …

In the healthy heart, cardiac myocytes form an electrical syncytium embedded in a
supportive fibroblast-rich extracellular matrix designed to optimize the electromechanical
coupling for maximal contractile efficiency of the heart. In the injured heart, however,
fibroblasts are activated and differentiate into myofibroblasts that proliferate and generate
fibrosis as a component of the wound-healing response. This review discusses how
fibroblasts and fibrosis, while essential for maintaining the structural integrity of the heart …