Sox9-coordinated cellular neighborhoods generate fibrosis

Poorly regenerative organs deposit scar tissue to mend damage. Aggarwal et al. establish that transient Sox9 activity is necessary for early proximal tubule epithelial regeneration, while Trogisch et al. and Aggarwal et al. show that persistent Sox9 activity in epithelial and endothelial cells activates fibroblasts creating fibrotic microdomains in multiple organs.