Twist1 in Infiltrating Macrophages Attenuates Kidney Fibrosis via Matrix Metallopeptidase 13–Mediated Matrix Degradation

Significance Statement Studies have shown profibrotic actions of the transcription factor Twist1 in intrinsic renal parenchymal cells. However, Twist1 expressed by immune cells can suppress inflammatory responses, and the role of macrophage-expressed Twist1 in kidney fibrosis has not been described. To study this, the authors used two conditional knockout mouse models in which Twist1 was specifically deleted from either infiltrating or resident...