Association between CFD and Col1a1 expression in inflammatory and proliferative 
inflammation
PROLIFERATION, INFLAMMATION
After tendon injury, inflammation is the first phase of tissue repair, subsequently followed by the proliferation phase. To confirm and investigate the effect of CFD on Col1a1 expression during healing, inflammation-induced and unchallenged fibroblast injury models based on human primary fibroblasts and a fibroblast cell line were assessed. After gene silencing treatment, Col1a1 production was significantly lower when CFD was knocked down in the inflammatory fibroblast model. In contrast, knockdown of CFD in the unchallenged model led to an increased Col1a1 synthesis, indicating that the lower expression of CFD during the proliferation stage potentially improves tendon healing by up-regulation of Col1a1 production. The findings were confirmed both in the primary fibroblasts (CFD regulation of Col1a1 expression in 