Deletion of Shp2 in bronchial epithelial cells impairs IL-25 production in vitro, but has minor influence on asthmatic inflammation in vivo

Inhibition of SHP2 by the Small Molecule Drug SHP099 Prevents Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice

Excessive pulmonary inflammation in acute lung injury (ALI) causes high patient mortality. Anti-inflammatory therapy, combined with infection resistance, can help to prevent ALI and save lives. The expression of Src homology-2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) was found to be significantly higher in macrophages and lung tissues with ALI, and SHP2-associated MAPK pathways were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The knockdown of the SHP2 gene suppressed the LPS-induced release of inflammatory factors and the phosphorylation of regulators in the NF-κB pathways in macrophages. Our findings showed crosstalk between the LPS-induced inflammatory pathway and the SHP2-associated MAPK pathways. SHP2 inhibition could be a valuable therapeutic approach for inhibiting excessive inflammation in ALI. We discovered that giving SHP099, a specific allosteric inhibitor of SHP2, to mice with ALI and sepsis relieves ALI and significantly increases animal survival. Our study highlights the important role of SHP2 in ALI development and demonstrates the potential application of SHP099 for treating ALI.

Targeting protein phosphatases for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases: From signaling to therapy

Inflammation is the common pathological basis of autoimmune diseases, metabolic diseases, malignant tumors, and other major chronic diseases. Inflammation plays an important role in tissue homeostasis. On one hand, inflammation can sense changes in the tissue environment, induce imbalance of tissue homeostasis, and cause tissue damage. On the other hand, inflammation can also initiate tissue damage repair and maintain normal tissue function by resolving injury and restoring homeostasis. These opposing functions emphasize the significance of accurate regulation of inflammatory homeostasis to ameliorate inflammation-related diseases. Potential mechanisms involve protein phosphorylation modifications by kinases and phosphatases, which have a crucial role in inflammatory homeostasis. The mechanisms by which many kinases resolve inflammation have been well reviewed, whereas a systematic summary of the functions of protein phosphatases in regulating inflammatory homeostasis is lacking. The molecular knowledge of protein phosphatases, and especially the unique biochemical traits of each family member, will be of critical importance for developing drugs that target phosphatases. Here, we provide a comprehensive summary of the structure, the "double-edged sword" function, and the extensive signaling pathways of all protein phosphatases in inflammation-related diseases, as well as their potential inhibitors or activators that can be used in therapeutic interventions in preclinical or clinical trials. We provide an integrated perspective on the current understanding of all the protein phosphatases associated with inflammation-related diseases, with the aim of facilitating the development of drugs that target protein phosphatases for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases.

Phosphatases in toll-like receptors signaling: the unfairly-forgotten

Over the past 2 decades, pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) have been shown to be on the front line of many illnesses such as autoimmune, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative diseases as well as allergies and cancer. Among PRRs, toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the most studied family. Dissecting TLRs signaling turned out to be advantageous to elaborate efficient treatments to cure autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorders. However, a broad understanding of TLR effectors is required to propose a better range of cures. In addition to kinases and E3 ubiquitin ligases, phosphatases emerge as important regulators of TLRs signaling mediated by NF-κB, type I interferons (IFN I) and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases signaling pathways. Here, we review recent knowledge on TLRs signaling modulation by different classes and subclasses of phosphatases. Thus, it becomes more and more evident that phosphatases could represent novel therapeutic targets to control pathogenic TLRs signaling. Video Abstract.