Dihydroartemisinin targets fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) to inhibit interleukin 17A (IL-17A)-induced hyperproliferation and inflammation of keratinocytes

Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics Analysis Unveils PTPRS Inhibits Proliferation and Inflammatory Response of Keratinocytes in Psoriasis

In this study, we used data-independent acquisition-mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) to analyze the serum proteome in psoriasis vulgaris (PsO). The serum proteomes of seven healthy controls and eight patients with PsO were analyzed using DIA-MS. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was used to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) that were closely related to PsO. Hub proteins of PsO were also identified. The Proteomics Drug Atlas 2023 was used to predict candidate hub protein drugs. To confirm the expression of the candidate factor, protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor S (PTPRS), in psoriatic lesions and the psoriatic keratinocyte model, immunohistochemical staining, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting were performed. A total of 129 DEPs were found to be closely related to PsO. The hub proteins for PsO were PVRL1, FGFR1, PTPRS, CDH2, CDH1, MCAM, and THY1. Five candidate hub protein drugs were identified: encorafenib, leupeptin, fedratinib, UNC 0631, and SCH 530348. PTPRS was identified as a common pharmacological target for these five drugs. PTPRS knockdown in keratinocytes promoted the proliferation and expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-23A, TNF-α, MMP9, CXCL8, and S100A9. PTPRS expression was decreased in PsO, and PTPRS negatively regulated PsO. PTPRS may be involved in PsO pathogenesis through the inhibition of keratinocyte proliferation and inflammatory responses and is a potential treatment target for PsO.

Advances in the study of artemisinin and its derivatives for the treatment of rheumatic skeletal disorders, autoimmune inflammatory diseases, and autoimmune disorders: a comprehensive review

Artemisinin and its derivatives are widely recognized as first-line treatments for malaria worldwide. Recent studies have demonstrated that artemisinin-based antimalarial drugs, such as artesunate, dihydroartemisinin, and artemether, not only possess excellent antimalarial properties but also exhibit antitumor, antifungal, and immunomodulatory effects. Researchers globally have synthesized artemisinin derivatives like SM735, SM905, and SM934, which offer advantages such as low toxicity, high bioavailability, and potential immunosuppressive properties. These compounds induce immunosuppression by inhibiting the activation of pathogenic T cells, suppressing B cell activation and antibody production, and enhancing the differentiation of regulatory T cells. This review summarized the mechanisms by which artemisinin and its analogs modulate excessive inflammation and immune responses in rheumatic and skeletal diseases, autoimmune inflammatory diseases, and autoimmune disorders, through pathways including TNF, Toll-like receptors, IL-6, RANKL, MAPK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, JAK/STAT, and NRF2/GPX4. Notably, in the context of the NF-κB pathway, artemisinin not only inhibits NF-κB expression by disrupting upstream cascades and/or directly binding to NF-κB but also downregulates multiple downstream genes controlled by NF-κB, including inflammatory chemokines and their receptors. These downstream targets regulate various immune cell functions, apoptosis, proliferation, signal transduction, and antioxidant responses, ultimately intervening in systemic autoimmune diseases and autoimmune responses in organs such as the kidneys, nervous system, skin, liver, and biliary system by modulating immune dysregulation and inflammatory responses. Ongoing multicenter randomized clinical trials are investigating the effects of these compounds on rheumatic, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases, with the aim of translating promising preclinical data into clinical applications.

Artemisinins: Promising drug candidates for the treatment of autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the immune system's attack on one's own tissues which are highly diverse and diseases differ in severity, causing damage in virtually all human systems including connective tissue (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), neurological system (e.g., multiple sclerosis) and digestive system (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease). Historically, treatments normally include pain-killing medication, anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressant drugs. However, given the above characteristics, treatment of autoimmune diseases has always been a challenge. Artemisinin is a natural sesquiterpene lactone initially extracted and separated from Chinese medicine Artemisia annua L., which has a long history of curing malaria. Artemisinin's derivatives such as artesunate, dihydroartemisinin, artemether, artemisitene, and so forth, are a family of artemisinins with antimalarial activity. Over the past decades, accumulating evidence have indicated the promising therapeutic potential of artemisinins in autoimmune diseases. Herein, we systematically summarized the research regarding the immunoregulatory properties of artemisinins including artemisinin and its derivatives, discussing their potential therapeutic viability toward major autoimmune diseases and the underlying mechanisms. This review will provide new directions for basic research and clinical translational medicine of artemisinins.

Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Biomarkers for the Diagnosis and Management of Psoriasis Complicated with Depression

Purpose

Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease, and the mechanism that links psoriasis to depression is still elusive. Hence, this study aimed to elucidate the potential pathogenesis of psoriasis and depression comorbidity.

Methods

The gene expression profiles of psoriasis (GSE34248, GSE78097 and GSE161683) and depression (GSE39653) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) DataSets. Functional annotation, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and module construction, and hub gene identification and co-expression analysis were performed, following identification of the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of psoriasis and depression.

Results

A total of 115 common DEGs (55 up-regulated and 60 down-regulated) were identified between psoriasis and depression. Functional analysis indicated that T cell activation and differentiation were predominantly implicated in the potential pathogenesis of these two diseases. In addition, Th17 cell differentiation and cytokines is closely related to both. Finally, 17 hub genes were screened, including CTLA4, LCK, ITK, IL7R, CD3D, SOCS1, IL4R, PRKCQ, SOCS3, IL23A, PDGFB, PAG1, TGFA, FGFR1, RELN, ITGB5 and TNXB, which re-emphasized the importance of the immune system in psoriasis and depression.

Conclusion

Our study reveals the common pathogenesis of psoriasis and depression. These common pathways and hub genes may apply to a molecular screening tool for depression in psoriasis patients, which could help dermatologists optimize patient management in routine care.

Isoalantolactone protects against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer via alleviating inflammation through regulation of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and Th17 cell differentiation

Gastric ulcer (GU) is one of the most prevalent digestive system diseases in humans, and it has been linked to inflammation. Previous studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory potential of isoalantolactone (IAL), a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Radix Inulae. However, the pharmacological effects of IAL on GU and its mechanism of action are still unclear. Hence, the present study is aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential of IAL on GU. Firstly, we assessed the effect of IAL on ethanol-induced injury of human gastric epithelial cells and the levels of inflammatory cytokines in cell culture supernatants. Then, the anti-inflammatory effects of IAL were confirmed in vivo using zebrafish inflammation models. Furthermore, the mechanism of IAL against GU was preliminarily discussed through network pharmacology and molecular docking studies. Quantitative real-time PCR assays were also used to confirm the mechanism of IAL action. ALB, EGFR, SRC, HSP90AA1, and CASP3 were found for the first time as the key targets of the IAL anti-GU. PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and Th17 cell differentiation were identified to play a crucial role in the anti-GU effects of IAL. In conclusion, we found that IAL has anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo, and showed potential protective effects against ethanol-induced GU.

Effects of natural products on skin inflammation caused by abnormal hormones secreted by the adrenal gland

The cortex of adrenal gland produces glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoid, and androgen. The medulla of adrenal gland secrets catecholamines. These hormones play an important role in regulating blood pressure, metabolism, and homeostasis of glucose or electrolytes. Hypersecretion or hyposecretion by the adrenal gland will cause a complex cascade of hormone effects and lead to diseases, including Addison's disease, Cushing's syndrome, and congenital adrenal cortical hyperplasia. Skin is the largest organ of body. It provides protection and acts as a barrier against external damage factors like infectious organisms, chemicals, and allergens. Endocrinologic disorders often induce cutaneous abnormalities. According to the previous evidences, natural products have the potential properties for attenuating skin disorders and improving dermatologic symptoms by inhibiting inflammation through MAPK or PI3K/AKT-dependent NF-κB pathways. The natural products may also promote skin wound healing by inhibiting the production of matrix metalloproteinase-9. We systematically searched the relevant articles from databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases, to review the effects of natural products on skin disorders. This article summarized the effects of natural products on skin inflammation caused by abnormal hormone secreted by adrenal gland. And the published papers indicated that natural products might be a potential source for treating skin diseases.

Co-expression of fibrotic genes in inflammatory bowel disease; A localized event?

INTRODUCTION

Extracellular matrix turnover, a ubiquitous dynamic biological process, can be diverted to fibrosis. The latter can affect the intestine as a serious complication of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and is resistant to current pharmacological interventions. It embosses the need for out-of-the-box approaches to identify and target molecular mechanisms of fibrosis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this study, a novel mRNA sequencing dataset of 22 pairs of intestinal biopsies from the terminal ileum (TI) and the sigmoid of 7 patients with Crohn's disease, 6 with ulcerative colitis and 9 control individuals (CI) served as a validation cohort of a core fibrotic transcriptomic signature (FIBSig), This signature, which was identified in publicly available data (839 samples from patients and healthy individuals) of 5 fibrotic disorders affecting different organs (GI tract, lung, skin, liver, kidney), encompasses 241 genes and the functional pathways which derive from their interactome. These genes were used in further bioinformatics co-expression analyses to elucidate the site-specific molecular background of intestinal fibrosis highlighting their involvement, particularly in the terminal ileum. We also confirmed different transcriptomic profiles of the sigmoid and terminal ileum in our validation cohort. Combining the results of these analyses we highlight 21 core hub genes within a larger single co-expression module, highly enriched in the terminal ileum of CD patients. Further pathway analysis revealed known and novel inflammation-regulated, fibrogenic pathways operating in the TI, such as IL-13 signaling and pyroptosis, respectively.

DISCUSSION

These findings provide a rationale for the increased incidence of fibrosis at the terminal ileum of CD patients and highlight operating pathways in intestinal fibrosis for future evaluation with mechanistic and translational studies.

miR-124-3p Delivered Using Exosomes Attenuates the Keratinocyte Response to IL-17A Stimulation in Psoriasis

Methods

NHEKs, HaCaT cells, and HEK 293T cells were treated with IL-17A. CCK-8 assays were performed to detect cell activity, and immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting were performed to detect the protein expression of STAT3. After isolation of exosomes via ultracentrifugation, the contents of miR-124-3p and oxidative stress markers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in keratinocytes were measured. Subsequently, transcriptomic analysis was performed using RNA-seq. Data were analysed by using the “edgeR” package within R. After verifying the abnormally expressed genes stimulated by IL-17A, a dual luciferase reporter assay was used to determine the interaction between miR-124-3p and STAT3. Finally, BALB/c mice were used to establish a psoriasis model for analysis. The effect of elevated miR-124-3p on the psoriasis mouse model was determined by exosomal delivery of miR-124-3p.

Results

IL-17 intervention enhanced the cell activity of keratinocytes (P < 0.05). miR-124-3p was identified by RNA-seq as one of the differentially expressed miRNAs stimulated by IL-17A. miR-124-3p overexpression induced decreased STAT3 and MDA levels, increased SOD and GSH-Px levels in keratinocytes, and alleviated emergency responses of sclerosis damage (P < 0.05). The dual luciferase reporter assay results confirmed that STAT3 was regulated by miR-124-3p in a targeted manner (P < 0.05). Finally, miR-124-3p delivered by exosomes effectively alleviated the pathological manifestations and oxidative stress responses of psoriatic mice.

Conclusions

miR-124-3p regulates keratinocyte activity via STAT3 in response to IL-17A stimulation. The ectopic expression of miR-124-3p in psoriatic skin reduces IL-17A-induced inflammation and inhibits the STAT3 pathway, thus alleviating the symptoms of psoriasis. The findings of this study suggest that exosomes can be used to therapeutically deliver miR-124-3p to keratinocytes and psoriatic lesions, which may provide novel insight for psoriasis treatment.