Sulf1 regulates inflammation via modulation of TGF-β dependent epicardial activation.

Sulf1 modulates TGF-β signaling to regulate epicardial activation and inflammation, affecting heart regeneration in zebrafish.

• Why it matters: Understanding how epicardial cells influence immune responses is crucial for developing regenerative therapies, as the mechanisms linking epicardial activation and inflammation are not well understood.
• What they did: The study used gain- and loss-of-function tools to analyze Sulf1 expression in the zebrafish epicardium after injury, combined with scRNA-seq to examine immune cell recruitment and signaling pathways.
• The result: Sulf1 controls TGF-β-dependent epicardial activation, with its disruption impairing regeneration and increasing inflammation, while overexpression restores proper signaling and reduces inflammatory responses.