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Cholon DM, Greenwald MA, Higgs MG, Quinney NL, Boyles SE, Meinig SL, Minges JT, Chaubal A, Tarran R, Ribeiro CMP, Wolfgang MC, Gentzsch M. A Novel Co-Culture Model Reveals Enhanced CFTR Rescue in Primary Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Cultures with Persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection. Cells 2023; 12:2618. [PMID: 37998353 PMCID: PMC10670530 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
People with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) suffer from chronic and recurring bacterial lung infections that begin very early in life and contribute to progressive lung failure. CF is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which encodes an ion channel important for maintaining the proper hydration of pulmonary surfaces. When CFTR function is ablated or impaired, airways develop thickened, adherent mucus that contributes to a vicious cycle of infection and inflammation. Therapeutics for pwCF, called CFTR modulators, target the CFTR defect directly, restoring airway surface hydration and mucociliary clearance. However, even with CFTR modulator therapy, bacterial infections persist. To develop a relevant model of diseased airway epithelium, we established a primary human airway epithelium culture system with persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. We used this model to examine the effects of CFTR modulators on CFTR maturation, CFTR function, and bacterial persistence. We found that the presence of P. aeruginosa increased CFTR mRNA, protein, and function. We also found that CFTR modulators caused a decrease in P. aeruginosa burden. These results demonstrate the importance of including live bacteria to accurately model the CF lung, and that understanding the effects of infection on CFTR rescue by CFTR modulators is critical to evaluating and optimizing drug therapies for all pwCF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah M. Cholon
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Matthew A. Greenwald
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Matthew G. Higgs
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Nancy L. Quinney
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Susan E. Boyles
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Suzanne L. Meinig
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Morrisville, NC 27560, USA
| | - John T. Minges
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Ashlesha Chaubal
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Robert Tarran
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Division of Genetic, Department of Internal Medicine, Environmental and Inhalational Disease, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Carla M. P. Ribeiro
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Matthew C. Wolfgang
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Martina Gentzsch
- Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (D.M.C.); (M.A.G.)
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Mall MA, Mayer-Hamblett N, Rowe SM. Cystic Fibrosis: Emergence of Highly Effective Targeted Therapeutics and Potential Clinical Implications. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020; 201:1193-1208. [PMID: 31860331 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201910-1943so] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) remains the most common life-shortening hereditary disease in white populations, with high morbidity and mortality related to chronic airway mucus obstruction, inflammation, infection, and progressive lung damage. In 1989, the discovery that CF is caused by mutations in the CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) gene that encodes a cAMP-dependent anion channel vital for proper Cl- and HCO3- transport across epithelial surfaces provided a solid foundation for unraveling underlying disease mechanisms and the development of therapeutics targeting the basic defect in people with CF. In this review, we focus on recent advances in our understanding of the molecular defects caused by different classes of CFTR mutations, implications for pharmacological rescue of mutant CFTR, and insights into how CFTR dysfunction impairs key host defense mechanisms, such as mucociliary clearance and bacterial killing in CF airways. Furthermore, we review the path that led to the recent breakthrough in the development of highly effective CFTR-directed therapeutics, now applicable for up to 90% of people with CF who carry responsive CFTR mutations, including those with just a single copy of the most common F508del mutation. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges and strategies to develop highly effective targeted therapies for all patients and the unprecedented potential of these novel therapies to transform CF from a fatal to a treatable chronic condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus A Mall
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Immunology, and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicole Mayer-Hamblett
- Department of Pediatrics and.,Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington
| | - Steven M Rowe
- Department of Medicine.,Department of Pediatrics, and.,Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Gregory Fleming James Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenic autosomal recessive disorder that affects about 70,000 people worldwide. The clinical manifestations of the disease are caused by defects in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The discovery of the CFTR gene in 1989 has led to a sophisticated understanding of how thousands of mutations in the CFTR gene affect the structure and function of the CFTR protein. Much progress has been made over the past decade with the development of orally bioavailable small molecule drugs that target defective CFTR proteins caused by specific mutations. Furthermore, there is considerable optimism about the prospect of gene replacement or editing therapies to correct all mutations in cystic fibrosis. The recent approvals of ivacaftor and lumacaftor represent the genesis of a new era of precision medicine in the treatment of this condition. These drugs are having a positive impact on the lives of people with cystic fibrosis and are potentially disease modifying. This review provides an update on advances in our understanding of the structure and function of the CFTR, with a focus on state of the art targeted drugs that are in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley S Quon
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation and Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6
| | - Steven M Rowe
- Gregory Fleming James Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Department of Medicine, Pediatrics and Cell Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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