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Eapen MS, Sharma P, Gaikwad AV, Lu W, Myers S, Hansbro PM, Sohal SS. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition is driven by transcriptional and post transcriptional modulations in COPD: implications for disease progression and new therapeutics. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2019; 14:1603-1610. [PMID: 31409985 PMCID: PMC6645357 DOI: 10.2147/copd.s208428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
COPD is a common and highly destructive disease with huge impacts on people and health services throughout the world. It is mainly caused by cigarette smoking though environmental pollution is also significant. There are no current treatments that affect the overall course of COPD; current drugs focus on symptomatic relief and to some extent reducing exacerbation rates. There is an urgent need for in-depth studies of the fundamental pathogenic mechanisms that underpin COPD. This is vital, given the fact that nearly 40%-60% of the small airway and alveolar damage occurs in COPD well before the first measurable changes in lung function are detected. These individuals are also at a high risk of lung cancer. Current COPD research is mostly centered around late disease and/or innate immune activation within the airway lumen, but the actual damage to the airway wall has early onset. COPD is the end result of complex mechanisms, possibly triggered through initial epithelial activation. To change the disease trajectory, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms in the epithelium that are switched on early in smokers. One such mechanism we believe is the process of epithelial to mesenchymal transition. This article highlights the importance of this profound epithelial cell plasticity in COPD and also its regulation. We consider that understanding early changes in COPD will open new windows for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew Suji Eapen
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7248, Australia
| | - Pawan Sharma
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7248, Australia.,Medical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.,Woolcock Emphysema Centre, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2037, Australia
| | - Archana Vijay Gaikwad
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7248, Australia
| | - Wenying Lu
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7248, Australia
| | - Stephen Myers
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7248, Australia
| | - Philip M Hansbro
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia.,Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Sukhwinder Singh Sohal
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7248, Australia
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Doherty DF, Nath S, Poon J, Foronjy RF, Ohlmeyer M, Dabo AJ, Salathe M, Birrell M, Belvisi M, Baumlin N, Kim MD, Weldon S, Taggart C, Geraghty P. Protein Phosphatase 2A Reduces Cigarette Smoke-induced Cathepsin S and Loss of Lung Function. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2019; 200:51-62. [PMID: 30641028 PMCID: PMC6603057 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201808-1518oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: CTSS (cathepsin S) is a cysteine protease that is observed at higher concentrations in BAL fluid and plasma of subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Objectives: To investigate whether CTSS is involved in the pathogenesis of cigarette smoke-induced COPD and determine whether targeting upstream signaling could prevent the disease. Methods: CTSS expression was investigated in animal and human tissue and cell models of COPD. Ctss-/- mice were exposed to long-term cigarette smoke and forced oscillation and expiratory measurements were recorded. Animals were administered chemical modulators of PP2A (protein phosphatase 2A) activity. Measurements and Main Results: Here we observed enhanced CTSS expression and activity in mouse lungs after exposure to cigarette smoke. Ctss-/- mice were resistant to cigarette smoke-induced inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness, airspace enlargements, and loss of lung function. CTSS expression was negatively regulated by PP2A in human bronchial epithelial cells isolated from healthy nonsmokers and COPD donors and in monocyte-derived macrophages. Modulating PP2A expression or activity, with silencer siRNA or a chemical inhibitor or activator, during acute smoke exposure in mice altered inflammatory responses and CTSS expression and activity in the lung. Enhancement of PP2A activity prevented chronic smoke-induced COPD in mice. Conclusions: Our study indicates that the decrease in PP2A activity that occurs in COPD contributes to elevated CTSS expression in the lungs and results in impaired lung function. Enhancing PP2A activity represents a feasible therapeutic approach to reduce CTSS activity and counter smoke-induced lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Declan F. Doherty
- Airway Innate Immunity Research Group, Centre for Experimental Medicine, Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Sridesh Nath
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Justin Poon
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Robert F. Foronjy
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Centre, Brooklyn, New York
| | - Michael Ohlmeyer
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Atux Iskay LLC, Plainsboro, New Jersey
| | - Abdoulaye J. Dabo
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Centre, Brooklyn, New York
| | - Matthias Salathe
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Mark Birrell
- Respiratory Pharmacology Group, Airway Disease Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom; and
- Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Belvisi
- Respiratory Pharmacology Group, Airway Disease Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom; and
- Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nathalie Baumlin
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Michael D. Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Sinéad Weldon
- Airway Innate Immunity Research Group, Centre for Experimental Medicine, Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Clifford Taggart
- Airway Innate Immunity Research Group, Centre for Experimental Medicine, Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Geraghty
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Centre, Brooklyn, New York
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