Beyond fibroblast activation: expanding the role of the AREG–EGFR axis in keloid pathogenesis

We comment on the recent study by Dong et al., which identified the AREG–EGFR axis as a key driver of fibroblast activation and extracellular matrix deposition in keloids. We expand their findings by discussing the potential roles of immune–stromal interactions, EGFR downstream signalling complexity, extracellular matrix mechanobiology, and ligand-specific targeting within the EGFR network. These perspectives may help refine the mechanistic understanding of AREG signalling and guide the development of more precise therapeutic strategies for keloids.