Pathological cardiac fibrosis is a common coexisting condition in cardiovascular diseases. There are currently no therapies that can directly reverse fibrosis. The team of scientists has shown that the transcription factor Sox9 plays a crucial role in scar formation after a heart attack. However, the exact mechanisms by which it regulates cardiac fibrosis are still unclear. Cardiac fibroblasts produce extracellular matrix (ECM) after injury, and an excessive deposition of ECM leads to pathological fibrosis. Thus, controlling the number and/or function of fibroblasts could represent a therapeutic strategy to restore cardiac function. In this project, the scientists aim to elucidate the role of Sox9 in ECM production. Another goal is to identify a potential therapeutic time frame in which fibrosis remains reversible.