1
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Diwan R, Gaytan SL, Bhatt HN, Pena-Zacarias J, Nurunnabi M. Liver fibrosis pathologies and potentials of RNA based therapeutics modalities. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024:10.1007/s13346-024-01551-8. [PMID: 38446352 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-024-01551-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis (LF) occurs when the liver tissue responds to injury or inflammation by producing excessive amounts of scar tissue, known as the extracellular matrix. This buildup stiffens the liver tissue, hinders blood flow, and ultimately impairs liver function. Various factors can trigger this process, including bloodborne pathogens, genetic predisposition, alcohol abuse, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. While some existing small-molecule therapies offer limited benefits, there is a pressing need for more effective treatments that can truly cure LF. RNA therapeutics have emerged as a promising approach, as they can potentially downregulate cytokine levels in cells responsible for liver fibrosis. Researchers are actively exploring various RNA-based therapeutics, such as mRNA, siRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and oligonucleotides, to assess their efficacy in animal models. Furthermore, targeted drug delivery systems hold immense potential in this field. By utilizing lipid nanoparticles, exosomes, nanocomplexes, micelles, and polymeric nanoparticles, researchers aim to deliver therapeutic agents directly to specific biomarkers or cytokines within the fibrotic liver, increasing their effectiveness and reducing side effects. In conclusion, this review highlights the complex nature of liver fibrosis, its underlying causes, and the promising potential of RNA-based therapeutics and targeted delivery systems. Continued research in these areas could lead to the development of more effective and personalized treatment options for LF patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimpy Diwan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79902, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | - Samantha Lynn Gaytan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79902, USA
- Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas, 79968, USA
| | - Himanshu Narendrakumar Bhatt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79902, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | - Jacqueline Pena-Zacarias
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79902, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas, 79968, USA
| | - Md Nurunnabi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79902, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA.
- Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas, 79968, USA.
- Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA.
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2
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Pita-Juarez Y, Karagkouni D, Kalavros N, Melms JC, Niezen S, Delorey TM, Essene AL, Brook OR, Pant D, Skelton-Badlani D, Naderi P, Huang P, Pan L, Hether T, Andrews TS, Ziegler CGK, Reeves J, Myloserdnyy A, Chen R, Nam A, Phelan S, Liang Y, Amin AD, Biermann J, Hibshoosh H, Veregge M, Kramer Z, Jacobs C, Yalcin Y, Phillips D, Slyper M, Subramanian A, Ashenberg O, Bloom-Ackermann Z, Tran VM, Gomez J, Sturm A, Zhang S, Fleming SJ, Warren S, Beechem J, Hung D, Babadi M, Padera RF, MacParland SA, Bader GD, Imad N, Solomon IH, Miller E, Riedel S, Porter CBM, Villani AC, Tsai LTY, Hide W, Szabo G, Hecht J, Rozenblatt-Rosen O, Shalek AK, Izar B, Regev A, Popov Y, Jiang ZG, Vlachos IS. A single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomic atlas of the COVID-19 liver reveals topological, functional, and regenerative organ disruption in patients. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.10.27.514070. [PMID: 36324805 PMCID: PMC9628199 DOI: 10.1101/2022.10.27.514070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The molecular underpinnings of organ dysfunction in acute COVID-19 and its potential long-term sequelae are under intense investigation. To shed light on these in the context of liver function, we performed single-nucleus RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic profiling of livers from 17 COVID-19 decedents. We identified hepatocytes positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA with an expression phenotype resembling infected lung epithelial cells. Integrated analysis and comparisons with healthy controls revealed extensive changes in the cellular composition and expression states in COVID-19 liver, reflecting hepatocellular injury, ductular reaction, pathologic vascular expansion, and fibrogenesis. We also observed Kupffer cell proliferation and erythrocyte progenitors for the first time in a human liver single-cell atlas, resembling similar responses in liver injury in mice and in sepsis, respectively. Despite the absence of a clinical acute liver injury phenotype, endothelial cell composition was dramatically impacted in COVID-19, concomitantly with extensive alterations and profibrogenic activation of reactive cholangiocytes and mesenchymal cells. Our atlas provides novel insights into liver physiology and pathology in COVID-19 and forms a foundational resource for its investigation and understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yered Pita-Juarez
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dimitra Karagkouni
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nikolaos Kalavros
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Spatial Technologies Unit, HMS Initiative for RNA Medicine / Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Johannes C Melms
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sebastian Niezen
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
| | - Toni M Delorey
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Adam L Essene
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston Nutrition and Obesity Research Center Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Olga R Brook
- Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deepti Pant
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston Nutrition and Obesity Research Center Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Disha Skelton-Badlani
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
| | - Pourya Naderi
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pinzhu Huang
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
| | - Liuliu Pan
- NanoString Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Tallulah S Andrews
- Ajmera Transplant Centre, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carly G K Ziegler
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Computational & Systems Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Andriy Myloserdnyy
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
| | - Rachel Chen
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
| | - Andy Nam
- NanoString Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Yan Liang
- NanoString Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Amit Dipak Amin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jana Biermann
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hanina Hibshoosh
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Molly Veregge
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston Nutrition and Obesity Research Center Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zachary Kramer
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher Jacobs
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston Nutrition and Obesity Research Center Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yusuf Yalcin
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
| | - Devan Phillips
- Current address: Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michal Slyper
- Current address: Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Orr Ashenberg
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zohar Bloom-Ackermann
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Victoria M Tran
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James Gomez
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Sturm
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shuting Zhang
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stephen J Fleming
- Data Sciences Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Precision Cardiology Laboratory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Deborah Hung
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mehrtash Babadi
- Data Sciences Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Precision Cardiology Laboratory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Robert F Padera
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sonya A MacParland
- Ajmera Transplant Centre, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gary D Bader
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nasser Imad
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Isaac H Solomon
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric Miller
- NanoString Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stefan Riedel
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caroline B M Porter
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra-Chloé Villani
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Linus T-Y Tsai
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston Nutrition and Obesity Research Center Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Winston Hide
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gyongyi Szabo
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan Hecht
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Orit Rozenblatt-Rosen
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Current address: Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alex K Shalek
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Computational & Systems Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin Izar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Program for Mathematical Genomics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Current address: Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yury Popov
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Z Gordon Jiang
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA, USA
| | - Ioannis S Vlachos
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Spatial Technologies Unit, HMS Initiative for RNA Medicine / Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School Initiative for RNA Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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3
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Pita-Juarez Y, Karagkouni D, Kalavros N, Melms JC, Niezen S, Delorey TM, Essene AL, Brook OR, Pant D, Skelton-Badlani D, Naderi P, Huang P, Pan L, Hether T, Andrews TS, Ziegler CGK, Reeves J, Myloserdnyy A, Chen R, Nam A, Phelan S, Liang Y, Amin AD, Biermann J, Hibshoosh H, Veregge M, Kramer Z, Jacobs C, Yalcin Y, Phillips D, Slyper M, Subramanian A, Ashenberg O, Bloom-Ackermann Z, Tran VM, Gomez J, Sturm A, Zhang S, Fleming SJ, Warren S, Beechem J, Hung D, Babadi M, Padera RF, MacParland SA, Bader GD, Imad N, Solomon IH, Miller E, Riedel S, Porter CBM, Villani AC, Tsai LTY, Hide W, Szabo G, Hecht J, Rozenblatt-Rosen O, Shalek AK, Izar B, Regev A, Popov Y, Jiang ZG, Vlachos IS. A single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomic atlas of the COVID-19 liver reveals topological, functional, and regenerative organ disruption in patients. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022. [PMID: 36324805 DOI: 10.1101/2022.08.06.503037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The molecular underpinnings of organ dysfunction in acute COVID-19 and its potential long-term sequelae are under intense investigation. To shed light on these in the context of liver function, we performed single-nucleus RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic profiling of livers from 17 COVID-19 decedents. We identified hepatocytes positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA with an expression phenotype resembling infected lung epithelial cells. Integrated analysis and comparisons with healthy controls revealed extensive changes in the cellular composition and expression states in COVID-19 liver, reflecting hepatocellular injury, ductular reaction, pathologic vascular expansion, and fibrogenesis. We also observed Kupffer cell proliferation and erythrocyte progenitors for the first time in a human liver single-cell atlas, resembling similar responses in liver injury in mice and in sepsis, respectively. Despite the absence of a clinical acute liver injury phenotype, endothelial cell composition was dramatically impacted in COVID-19, concomitantly with extensive alterations and profibrogenic activation of reactive cholangiocytes and mesenchymal cells. Our atlas provides novel insights into liver physiology and pathology in COVID-19 and forms a foundational resource for its investigation and understanding.
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4
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Expression of Fibrosis-Related Genes in Liver and Kidney Fibrosis in Comparison to Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030314. [PMID: 35159124 PMCID: PMC8834113 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrosis is an important feature of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), but its pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Our aim was to identify genes important for fibrosis in IBD by comparison with kidney and liver fibrosis. First, we performed bioinformatics analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus datasets of liver and kidney fibrosis and identified CXCL9, THBS2, MGP, PTPRC, CD52, GZMA, DPT and DCN as potentially important genes with altered expression in fibrosis. We then performed qPCR analysis of the selected genes’ expression on samples of fibrotic kidney, liver, Crohn’s disease (CD) with and without fibrosis and ulcerative colitis (UC), in comparison to corresponding normal tissue. We found significantly altered expression in fibrosis for all selected genes. A significant difference for some genes was observed in CD with fibrosis in comparison to CD without fibrosis and UC. We conclude that similar changes in the expression of selected genes in liver, kidney fibrosis and IBD provide further evidence that fibrosis in IBD might share common mechanisms with other organs, supporting the hypothesis that fibrosis is the common pathway in diseases of various organs. Some genes were already active in IBD with inflammation without fibrosis, suggesting the early activation of profibrotic pathways or overlapping function in fibrosis and inflammation.
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5
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Li L, Luo R, Yang Y, Cheng Y, Ge S, Xu G. Tamibarotene inhibit the accumulation of fibrocyte and alleviate renal fibrosis by IL-17A. Ren Fail 2021; 42:1173-1183. [PMID: 33213229 PMCID: PMC7737677 DOI: 10.1080/0886022x.2020.1847145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Renal fibrosis is a common pathological process in the progression of chronic kidney disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that interleukin-17A (IL‐17A) and fibrocytes play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. However, the role of IL-17A in the regulation of renal fibrocytes in renal fibrosis has rarely been reported. Here, we report that the plasma IL-17A level is increased in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) patients and is correlated with clinical parameters. Using a mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), we found that both IL-17A expression and fibrocyte infiltration were increased in the kidneys of UUO mice. Besides, IL-17A enhanced fibrosis and fibrocyte-associated chemokine and activator expression in vitro. Furthermore, inhibition of IL-17A using Am80 (Tamibarotene) decreased fibrocytes and fibrocyte-associated chemokine and activator expression and significantly attenuated renal fibrosis in the UUO mice. Our findings suggest that Am80, which inhibits the accumulation of fibrocytes and alleviates renal fibrosis mediated by IL-17A, maybe a novel therapeutic drug for renal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixi Li
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ran Luo
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yichun Cheng
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuwang Ge
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Gang Xu
- Department of Nephrology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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6
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Jiao B, An C, Tran M, Du H, Wang P, Zhou D, Wang Y. Pharmacological Inhibition of STAT6 Ameliorates Myeloid Fibroblast Activation and Alternative Macrophage Polarization in Renal Fibrosis. Front Immunol 2021; 12:735014. [PMID: 34512669 PMCID: PMC8426438 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.735014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A hallmark of chronic kidney disease is renal fibrosis, which can result in progressive loss of kidney function. Currently, there is no effective therapy for renal fibrosis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify potential drug targets for renal fibrosis. In this study, we examined the effect of a selective STAT6 inhibitor, AS1517499, on myeloid fibroblast activation, macrophage polarization, and development of renal fibrosis in two experimental murine models. To investigate the effect of STAT6 inhibition on myeloid fibroblast activation, macrophage polarization, and kidney fibrosis, wild-type mice were subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction or folic acid administration and treated with AS1517499. Mice treated with vehicle were used as control. At the end of experiments, kidneys were harvested for analysis of myeloid fibroblast activation, macrophage polarization, and renal fibrosis and function. Unilateral ureteral obstruction or folic acid administration induced STAT6 activation in interstitial cells of the kidney, which was significantly abolished by AS1517499 treatment. Mice treated with AS1517499 accumulated fewer myeloid fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the kidney with ureteral obstruction or folic acid nephropathy compared with vehicle-treated mice. Moreover, AS1517499 significantly suppressed M2 macrophage polarization in the injured kidney. Furthermore, AS1517499 markedly reduced the expression levels of extracellular matrix proteins, and development of kidney fibrosis and dysfunction. These findings suggest that AS1517499 inhibits STAT6 activation, suppresses myeloid fibroblast activation, reduces M2 macrophage polarization, attenuates extracellular matrix protein production, and preserves kidney function. Therefore, targeting STAT6 with AS1517499 is a novel therapeutic approach for chronic kidney disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baihai Jiao
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Changlong An
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Melanie Tran
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Hao Du
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Penghua Wang
- Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Dong Zhou
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Yanlin Wang
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
- Renal Section, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States
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7
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Guillot A, Guerri L, Feng D, Kim SJ, Ahmed YA, Paloczi J, He Y, Schuebel K, Dai S, Liu F, Pacher P, Kisseleva T, Qin X, Goldman D, Tacke F, Gao B. Bile acid-activated macrophages promote biliary epithelial cell proliferation through integrin αvβ6 upregulation following liver injury. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:132305. [PMID: 33724957 DOI: 10.1172/jci132305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholangiopathies caused by biliary epithelial cell (BEC) injury represent a leading cause of liver failure. No effective pharmacologic therapies exist, and the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. We aimed to explore the mechanisms of bile duct repair after targeted BEC injury. Injection of intermedilysin into BEC-specific human CD59 (hCD59) transgenic mice induced acute and specific BEC death, representing a model to study the early signals that drive bile duct repair. Acute BEC injury induced cholestasis followed by CCR2+ monocyte recruitment and BEC proliferation. Using microdissection and next-generation RNA-Seq, we identified 5 genes, including Mapk8ip2, Cdkn1a, Itgb6, Rgs4, and Ccl2, that were most upregulated in proliferating BECs after acute injury. Immunohistochemical analyses confirmed robust upregulation of integrin αvβ6 (ITGβ6) expression in this BEC injury model, after bile duct ligation, and in patients with chronic cholangiopathies. Deletion of the Itgb6 gene attenuated BEC proliferation after acute bile duct injury. Macrophage depletion or Ccr2 deficiency impaired ITGβ6 expression and BEC proliferation. In vitro experiments revealed that bile acid-activated monocytes promoted BEC proliferation through ITGβ6. Our data suggest that BEC injury induces cholestasis, monocyte recruitment, and induction of ITGβ6, which work together to promote BEC proliferation and therefore represent potential therapeutic targets for cholangiopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Guillot
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Dechun Feng
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Seung-Jin Kim
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yeni Ait Ahmed
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Janos Paloczi
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Physiology and Tissue Injury, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yong He
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Shen Dai
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | - Fengming Liu
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | - Pal Pacher
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Physiology and Tissue Injury, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Xuebin Qin
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | | | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bin Gao
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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8
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Kisseleva T, Brenner D. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of liver fibrosis and its regression. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 18:151-166. [PMID: 33128017 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-020-00372-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 700] [Impact Index Per Article: 233.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Chronic liver injury leads to liver inflammation and fibrosis, through which activated myofibroblasts in the liver secrete extracellular matrix proteins that generate the fibrous scar. The primary source of these myofibroblasts are the resident hepatic stellate cells. Clinical and experimental liver fibrosis regresses when the causative agent is removed, which is associated with the elimination of these activated myofibroblasts and resorption of the fibrous scar. Understanding the mechanisms of liver fibrosis regression could identify new therapeutic targets to treat liver fibrosis. This Review summarizes studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying the reversibility of liver fibrosis, including apoptosis and the inactivation of hepatic stellate cells, the crosstalk between the liver and the systems that orchestrate the recruitment of bone marrow-derived macrophages (and other inflammatory cells) driving fibrosis resolution, and the interactions between various cell types that lead to the intracellular signalling that induces fibrosis or its regression. We also discuss strategies to target hepatic myofibroblasts (for example, via apoptosis or inactivation) and the myeloid cells that degrade the matrix (for example, via their recruitment to fibrotic liver) to facilitate fibrosis resolution and liver regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Kisseleva
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - David Brenner
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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9
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Systems biology predicts that fibrosis in tuberculous granulomas may arise through macrophage-to-myofibroblast transformation. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1008520. [PMID: 33370784 PMCID: PMC7793262 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection causes tuberculosis (TB), a disease characterized by development of granulomas. Granulomas consist of activated immune cells that cluster together to limit bacterial growth and restrict dissemination. Control of the TB epidemic has been limited by lengthy drug regimens, antibiotic resistance, and lack of a robustly efficacious vaccine. Fibrosis commonly occurs during treatment and is associated with both positive and negative disease outcomes in TB but little is known about the processes that initiate fibrosis in granulomas. Human and nonhuman primate granulomas undergoing fibrosis can have spindle-shaped macrophages with fibroblast-like morphologies suggesting a relationship between macrophages, fibroblasts, and granuloma fibrosis. This relationship has been difficult to investigate because of the limited availability of human pathology samples, the time scale involved in human TB, and overlap between fibroblast and myeloid cell markers in tissues. To better understand the origins of fibrosis in TB, we used a computational model of TB granuloma biology to identify factors that drive fibrosis over the course of local disease progression. We validated the model with granulomas from nonhuman primates to delineate myeloid cells and lung-resident fibroblasts. Our results suggest that peripheral granuloma fibrosis, which is commonly observed, can arise through macrophage-to-myofibroblast transformation (MMT). Further, we hypothesize that MMT is induced in M1 macrophages through a sequential combination of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signaling in granuloma macrophages. We predict that MMT may be a mechanism underlying granuloma-associated fibrosis and warrants further investigation into myeloid cells as drivers of fibrotic disease. Tuberculosis is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), a bacterium that infects over a third of the world’s population. The only available vaccine for TB has limited efficacy and drug treatment involves several antibiotics that are taken for several months. These drugs can have significant side-effects and a lack of compliance can lead to drug resistance in Mtb. A hallmark of Mtb infection is the development of clusters of cells that form around infected macrophages to contain the infection called granulomas. Older granulomas, or granulomas in patients treated with antibiotic, often become fibrotic and this can cause chronic lung problems long after the Mtb infection has cleared. The process that drives a fibrotic outcome has been difficult to assess in vivo. Herein we combined wet-lab and computational experimentation to identify a novel mechanism leading to peripheral fibrosis in granulomas. We find that macrophages transforming into myofibroblast-like cells, may be a key pathway to granuloma-associated fibrosis, a phenomena that has not been well characterized in vivo. Further we identified factors that can inhibit fibrosis development during TB that could be therapeutic targets during TB treatment to limit the risk of long-term tissue damage in TB.
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Huang D, Gibeley SB, Xu C, Xiao Y, Celik O, Ginsberg HN, Leong KW. Engineering liver microtissues for disease modeling and regenerative medicine. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS 2020; 30:1909553. [PMID: 33390875 PMCID: PMC7774671 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201909553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The burden of liver diseases is increasing worldwide, accounting for two million deaths annually. In the past decade, tremendous progress has been made in the basic and translational research of liver tissue engineering. Liver microtissues are small, three-dimensional hepatocyte cultures that recapitulate liver physiology and have been used in biomedical research and regenerative medicine. This review summarizes recent advances, challenges, and future directions in liver microtissue research. Cellular engineering approaches are used to sustain primary hepatocytes or produce hepatocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells and other adult tissues. Three-dimensional microtissues are generated by scaffold-free assembly or scaffold-assisted methods such as macroencapsulation, droplet microfluidics, and bioprinting. Optimization of the hepatic microenvironment entails incorporating the appropriate cell composition for enhanced cell-cell interactions and niche-specific signals, and creating scaffolds with desired chemical, mechanical and physical properties. Perfusion-based culture systems such as bioreactors and microfluidic systems are used to achieve efficient exchange of nutrients and soluble factors. Taken together, systematic optimization of liver microtissues is a multidisciplinary effort focused on creating liver cultures and on-chip models with greater structural complexity and physiological relevance for use in liver disease research, therapeutic development, and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dantong Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Sarah B. Gibeley
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Cong Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Yang Xiao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Ozgenur Celik
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Henry N. Ginsberg
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kam W. Leong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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11
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Poole LG, Pant A, Cline‐Fedewa HM, Williams KJ, Copple BL, Palumbo JS, Luyendyk JP. Liver fibrosis is driven by protease-activated receptor-1 expressed by hepatic stellate cells in experimental chronic liver injury. Res Pract Thromb Haemost 2020; 4:906-917. [PMID: 32685902 PMCID: PMC7354391 DOI: 10.1002/rth2.12403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blood coagulation protease activity is proposed to drive hepatic fibrosis through activation of protease-activated receptors (PARs). Whole-body PAR-1 deficiency reduces experimental hepatic fibrosis, and in vitro studies suggest a potential contribution by PAR-1 expressed by hepatic stellate cells. However, owing to a lack of specific tools, the cell-specific role of PAR-1 in experimental hepatic fibrosis has never been formally investigated. Using a novel mouse expressing a conditional PAR-1 allele, we tested the hypothesis that PAR-1 expressed by hepatic stellate cells contributes to hepatic fibrosis. METHODS PAR-1flox/flox mice were crossed with mice expressing Cre recombinase controlled by the lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) promoter, which induces recombination in hepatic stellate cells. Male PAR-1flox/flox/LRATCre and PAR-1flox/flox mice were challenged twice weekly with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 1 mL/kg i.p.) for 6 weeks to induce liver fibrosis. RESULTS PAR-1 mRNA levels were reduced (>95%) in hepatic stellate cells isolated from PAR-1flox/flox/LRATCre mice. Hepatic stellate cell activation was evident in CCl4-challenged PAR-1flox/flox mice, indicated by increased α-smooth muscle actin labeling and induction of several profibrogenic genes. CCl4-challenged PAR-1flox/flox mice displayed robust hepatic collagen deposition, indicated by picrosirius red staining and type I collagen immunolabeling. Notably, stellate cell activation and collagen deposition were significantly reduced (>30%) in PAR-1flox/flox/LRATCre mice. Importantly, the reduction in liver fibrosis was not a consequence of reduced acute CCl4 hepatotoxicity in PAR-1flox/flox/LRATCre mice. CONCLUSIONS The results constitute the first direct experimental evidence that PAR-1 expressed by stellate cells directly promotes their profibrogenic phenotype and hepatic fibrosis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren G. Poole
- Institute for Integrative ToxicologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
- Department of Pathobiology & Diagnostic InvestigationMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
| | - Asmita Pant
- Department of Pathobiology & Diagnostic InvestigationMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
| | - Holly M. Cline‐Fedewa
- Department of Pathobiology & Diagnostic InvestigationMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
| | - Kurt J. Williams
- Department of Pathobiology & Diagnostic InvestigationMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
| | - Bryan L. Copple
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
| | - Joseph S. Palumbo
- Cancer and Blood Diseases InstituteCincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiOHUSA
| | - James P. Luyendyk
- Institute for Integrative ToxicologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
- Department of Pathobiology & Diagnostic InvestigationMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
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12
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The Vascular Involvement in Soft Tissue Fibrosis-Lessons Learned from Pathological Scarring. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072542. [PMID: 32268503 PMCID: PMC7177855 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Soft tissue fibrosis in important organs such as the heart, liver, lung, and kidney is a serious pathological process that is characterized by excessive connective tissue deposition. It is the result of chronic but progressive accumulation of fibroblasts and their production of extracellular matrix components such as collagens. Research on pathological scars, namely, hypertrophic scars and keloids, may provide important clues about the mechanisms that drive soft tissue fibrosis, in particular the vascular involvement. This is because these dermal fibrotic lesions bear all of the fibrotic characteristics seen in soft tissue fibrosis. Moreover, their location on the skin surface means they are readily observable and directly treatable and therefore more accessible to research. We will focus here on the roles that blood vessel-associated cells play in cutaneous scar pathology and assess from the literature whether these cells also contribute to other soft tissue fibroses. These cells include endothelial cells, which not only exhibit aberrant functions but also differentiate into mesenchymal cells in pathological scars. They also include pericytes, hepatic stellate cells, fibrocytes, and myofibroblasts. This article will review with broad strokes the roles that these cells play in the pathophysiology of different soft tissue fibroses. We hope that this brief but wide-ranging overview of the vascular involvement in fibrosis pathophysiology will aid research into the mechanisms underlying fibrosis and that this will eventually lead to the development of interventions that can prevent, reduce, or even reverse fibrosis formation and/or progression.
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13
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Origin and role of hepatic myofibroblasts in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2020; 11:1186-1201. [PMID: 32284794 PMCID: PMC7138168 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Fibrosis and cirrhosis are important risk factors for the development of HCC. Hepatic myofibroblasts are the cells responsible for extracellular matrix deposition, which is the hallmark of liver fibrosis. It is believed that myofibroblasts are predominantly derived from hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), also known as Ito cells. Nevertheless, depending on the nature of insult to the liver, it is thought that myofibroblasts may also originate from a variety of other cell types such as the portal fibroblasts (PFs), fibrocytes, hepatocytes, hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), and mesothelial cells. Liver myofibroblasts are believed to transform into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) while HCC is developing. There is substantial evidence suggesting that activated HSCs (aHSCs)/cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) may play an important role in HCC initiation and progression. In this paper, we aim to review current literature on cellular origins of myofibroblasts with a focus on hepatitis B virus (HBV)- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced hepatic fibrosis. We also address the role of aHSCs/CAFs in HCC progression through the regulation of immune cells as well as mechanisms of evolvement of drug resistance.
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14
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Fibrosis and cirrhosis are important risk factors for the development of HCC. Hepatic myofibroblasts are the cells responsible for extracellular matrix deposition, which is the hallmark of liver fibrosis. It is believed that myofibroblasts are predominantly derived from hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), also known as Ito cells. Nevertheless, depending on the nature of insult to the liver, it is thought that myofibroblasts may also originate from a variety of other cell types such as the portal fibroblasts (PFs), fibrocytes, hepatocytes, hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), and mesothelial cells. Liver myofibroblasts are believed to transform into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) while HCC is developing. There is substantial evidence suggesting that activated HSCs (aHSCs)/cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) may play an important role in HCC initiation and progression. In this paper, we aim to review current literature on cellular origins of myofibroblasts with a focus on hepatitis B virus (HBV)- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced hepatic fibrosis. We also address the role of aHSCs/CAFs in HCC progression through the regulation of immune cells as well as mechanisms of evolvement of drug resistance.
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15
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Hempel F, Roderfeld M, Savai R, Sydykov A, Irungbam K, Schermuly R, Voswinckel R, Köhler K, Churin Y, Kiss L, Bier J, Pons-Kühnemann J, Roeb E. Depletion of Bone Marrow-Derived Fibrocytes Attenuates TAA-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Mice. Cells 2019; 8:cells8101210. [PMID: 31591328 PMCID: PMC6829877 DOI: 10.3390/cells8101210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone marrow-derived fibrocytes (FC) represent a unique cell type, sharing features of both mesenchymal and hematopoietic cells. FC were shown to specifically infiltrate the injured liver and participate in fibrogenesis. Moreover, FC exert a variety of paracrine functions, thus possibly influencing the disease progression. However, the overall contribution of FC to liver fibrosis remains unclear. We aimed to study the effect of a specific FC depletion, utilizing a herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK)/Valganciclovir suicide gene strategy. Fibrosis was induced by oral thioacetamide (TAA) administration in C57BL/6J mice. Hepatic hydroxyproline content was assessed for the primary readout. The HSV-TK model enabled the specific depletion of fibrocytes. Hepatic hydroxyproline content was significantly reduced as a result of the fibrocyte ablation (−7.8%; 95% CI: 0.7–14.8%; p = 0.033), denoting a reduced deposition of fibrillar collagens. Lower serum alanine transaminase levels (−20.9%; 95% CI: 0.4–36.9%; p = 0.049) indicate a mitigation of liver-specific cellular damage. A detailed mode of action, however, remains yet to be identified. The present study demonstrates a relevant functional contribution of fibrocytes to chronic toxic liver fibrosis, contradicting recent reports. Our results emphasize the need to thoroughly study the biology of fibrocytes in order to understand their importance for hepatic fibrogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Hempel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Martin Roderfeld
- Department of Gastroenterology, Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Rajkumar Savai
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Member of the Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), D-61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany.
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Akylbek Sydykov
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Karuna Irungbam
- Department of Gastroenterology, Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Ralph Schermuly
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Robert Voswinckel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Bürgerhospital, D-61169 Friedberg, Germany.
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hochwaldkrankenhaus, D-61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany.
| | - Kernt Köhler
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Yury Churin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Ladislau Kiss
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Jens Bier
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Jörn Pons-Kühnemann
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Elke Roeb
- Department of Gastroenterology, Justus Liebig University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
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16
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Bozhkov AI, Ohiienko SL, Bondar AY, Klimova EM, Ivanov EG. Induced Liver Fibrosis Is Accompanied in Young and Old Animals by Age-Dependent Changes in Bone Marrow Cells. ADVANCES IN GERONTOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s2079057019030032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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17
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Lassance L, Marino GK, Medeiros CS, Thangavadivel S, Wilson SE. Fibrocyte migration, differentiation and apoptosis during the corneal wound healing response to injury. Exp Eye Res 2018; 170:177-187. [PMID: 29481786 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2018.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether bone marrow-derived fibrocytes migrate into the cornea after stromal scar-producing injury and differentiate into alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) + myofibroblasts. Chimeric mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) bone marrow cells had fibrosis (haze)-generating irregular phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). Multiplex immunohistochemistry (IHC) for GFP and fibrocyte markers (CD34, CD45, and vimentin) was used to detect fibrocyte infiltration into the corneal stroma and the development of GFP+ αSMA+ myofibroblasts. IHC for activated caspase-3, GFP and CD45 was used to detect fibrocyte and other hematopoietic cells undergoing apoptosis. Moderate haze developed in PTK-treated mouse corneas at 14 days after surgery and worsened, and persisted, at 21 days after surgery. GFP+ CD34+ CD45+ fibrocytes, likely in addition to other CD34+ and/or CD45+ hematopoietic and stem/progenitor cells, infiltrated the cornea and were present in the stroma in high numbers by one day after PTK. The fibrocytes and other bone marrow-derived cells progressively decreased at four days and seven days after surgery. At four days after PTK, 5% of the GFP+ cells expressed activated caspase-3. At 14 days after PTK, more than 50% of GFP+ CD45+ cells were also αSMA+ myofibroblasts. At 21 days after PTK, few GFP+ αSMA+ cells persisted in the stroma and more than 95% of those remaining expressed activated caspase-3, indicating they were undergoing apoptosis. GFP+ CD45+ SMA+ cells that developed from 4 to 21 days after irregular PTK were likely developed from fibrocytes. After irregular PTK in the strain of C57BL/6-C57/BL/6-Tg(UBC-GFP)30Scha/J chimeric mice, however, more than 95% of fibrocytes and other hematopoietic cells underwent apoptosis prior to the development of mature αSMA+ myofibroblasts. Most GFP+ CD45+ αSMA+ myofibroblasts that did develop subsequently underwent apoptosis-likely due to epithelial basement membrane regeneration and deprivation of epithelium-derived TGFβ requisite for myofibroblast survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Lassance
- Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | | | - Carla S Medeiros
- Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States; University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Steven E Wilson
- Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States.
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O'Dwyer DN, Moore BB. The role of periostin in lung fibrosis and airway remodeling. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:4305-4314. [PMID: 28918442 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2649-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Periostin is a protein that plays a key role in development and repair within the biological matrix of the lung. As a matricellular protein that does not contribute to extracellular matrix structure, periostin interacts with other extracellular matrix proteins to regulate the composition of the matrix in the lung and other organs. In this review, we discuss the studies exploring the role of periostin to date in chronic respiratory diseases, namely asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Asthma is a major health problem globally affecting millions of people worldwide with significant associated morbidity and mortality. Periostin is highly expressed in the lungs of asthmatic patients, contributes to mucus secretion, airway fibrosis and remodeling and is recognized as a biomarker of Th2 high inflammation. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a fatal interstitial lung disease characterized by progressive aberrant fibrosis of the lung matrix and respiratory failure. It predominantly affects adults over 50 years of age and its incidence is increasing worldwide. Periostin is also highly expressed in the lungs of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients. Serum levels of periostin may predict clinical progression in this disease and periostin promotes myofibroblast differentiation and type 1 collagen production to contribute to aberrant lung fibrosis. Studies to date suggest that periostin is a key player in several pathogenic mechanisms within the lung and may provide us with a useful biomarker of clinical progression in both asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N O'Dwyer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan, 4053 BSRB, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2200, USA
| | - Bethany B Moore
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan, 4053 BSRB, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2200, USA. .,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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19
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Periostin regulates fibrocyte function to promote myofibroblast differentiation and lung fibrosis. Mucosal Immunol 2017; 10:341-351. [PMID: 27435108 PMCID: PMC5250615 DOI: 10.1038/mi.2016.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Fibrocytes are circulating mesenchymal precursors (CD45+, col 1+) recruited to fibrotic areas. Fibrocytes secrete profibrotic mediators including periostin; a matricellular protein that regulates cellular interactions with extracellular matrix (ECM) components. In bleomycin-induced fibrosis, periostin deficiency in structural or hematopoietic cells limits development of pulmonary fibrosis. To determine if hematopoietic-derived fibrocytes might secrete soluble factors to activate structural myofibroblast differentiation, wild-type (WT) fibroblasts were treated with conditioned medium from fibrocytes isolated from bleomycin-treated WT or periostin-/- mice. After 24 h we saw less α-smooth muscle actin expression in cells treated with conditioned medium from periostin-/- fibrocytes. Adoptive transfer of WT fibrocytes augmented lung fibrosis to a greater extent than transfer of fibrocytes from periostin-/- mice. In vitro analysis of fibrocytes and fibroblasts isolated from WT and periostin-/- mice treated with TGFβ1 or periostin demonstrated co-regulation of mesenchymal activation and beta 1 integrin as a potential receptor for periostin on fibrocytes. Additionally, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mRNA expression was increased in fibrocytes treated with periostin whereas CTGF and lysl oxidase (LOX) mRNA expression was low in bleomycin-treated periostin-/- fibrocytes. These data suggest fibrocytes may augment bleomycin-induced fibrosis via secretion of periostin and other soluble factors that promote myofibroblast differentiation.
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Wang X, Zhao W, Ransohoff RM, Zhou L. Identification and Function of Fibrocytes in Skeletal Muscle Injury Repair and Muscular Dystrophy. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 197:4750-4761. [PMID: 27913649 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
We identified and characterized the function of CD45+/collagen I+ fibrocytes in acutely injured skeletal muscle of wild-type (WT) and Ccr2-/- mice, and in quadriceps and diaphragm muscles of mdx5cv mice, a mouse model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Fibrocytes were not detected in peripheral blood of WT mice after acute muscle injury or mdx5cv mice. Fibrocytes were detected in acutely injured muscles and in mdx5cv quadriceps and diaphragm muscles. These cells expressed F4/80 and CCR2, and they were mostly Ly6Clo They expressed a low level of collagens but a high level of profibrotic growth factors as compared with i.m. fibroblasts. Fibrocyte expression of collagens and profibrotic growth factors was not increased in Ccr2-/- mice as compared with WT controls. Fibrocyte expression of both proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokines was significantly higher in mdx5cv diaphragm than in mdx5cv quadriceps. In cocultures, fibrocytes from the mdx5cv diaphragm stimulated a higher level of fibroblast expression of extracellular matrix genes than did those from the mdx5cv quadriceps. Our findings suggest that i.m. fibrocytes most likely originate from infiltrating monocytes/macrophages and differentiate within injured muscles. They likely contribute to the normal muscle injury repair by producing growth factors. They do not appear to contribute to the persistent muscle fibrosis associated with poor injury repair in Ccr2-/- mice. However, they likely contribute to the persistent inflammation and progressive fibrosis in the mdx5cv diaphragm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Wang
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029; and
| | - Wanming Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029; and
| | | | - Lan Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029; and
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Fernandez MC, Rayes R, Ham B, Wang N, Bourdeau F, Milette S, Lllemann M, Bird N, Majeed A, Xu J, Kisselova T, Brodt P. The type I insulin-like growth factor regulates the liver stromal response to metastatic colon carcinoma cells. Oncotarget 2016; 8:52281-52293. [PMID: 28881729 PMCID: PMC5581028 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.12595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) play a major role in initiating the liver fibrogenic (wounding) response of the liver and can also orchestrate a pro-metastatic microenvironment in the liver in response to invading cancer cells. Here we explored the role of the hepatic stellate cells in colon carcinoma liver metastasis with emphasis on the contribution of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis to their activation and function. To this end, we used mice with a Tamoxifen inducible liver IGF-I deficiency. We found that in mice with a sustained IGF-I deficiency, recruitment and activation of HSC into tumor-infiltrated areas of the liver were markedly diminished, resulting in decreased collagen deposition and reduced tumor expansion. In addition, IGF-I could rescue HSC from apoptosis induced by pro-inflammatory factors such as TNF-α known to be upregulated in the early stages of liver metastasis. Moreover, in surgical specimens, activated IGF-IR was observed on HSC-like stromal cells surrounding colorectal carcinoma liver metastases. Finally, IGF-targeting in vivo using an IGF-Trap caused a significant reduction in HSC activation in response to metastatic colon cancer cells. Therefore, our data identify IGF as a survival factor for HSC and thereby, a promoter of the pro-metastatic microenvironment in the liver. IGF-targeting could therefore provide a strategy for curtailing the pro-metastatic host response of the liver during the early stages of liver metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Celia Fernandez
- Departments of Surgery, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Roni Rayes
- Departments of Surgery, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Boram Ham
- Departments of Surgery, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ni Wang
- Departments of Surgery, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - France Bourdeau
- Departments of Surgery, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Simon Milette
- Medicine, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Martin Lllemann
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nigel Bird
- Liver Research Group, Clinical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK
| | - Ali Majeed
- Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Yorkshire, UK
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tatiana Kisselova
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pnina Brodt
- Departments of Surgery, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Medicine, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Oncology, McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Kalluri R. The biology and function of fibroblasts in cancer. NATURE REVIEWS. CANCER 2016. [PMID: 27550820 DOI: 10.1038/nrc.2016.73.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Among all cells, fibroblasts could be considered the cockroaches of the human body. They survive severe stress that is usually lethal to all other cells, and they are the only normal cell type that can be live-cultured from post-mortem and decaying tissue. Their resilient adaptation may reside in their intrinsic survival programmes and cellular plasticity. Cancer is associated with fibroblasts at all stages of disease progression, including metastasis, and they are a considerable component of the general host response to tissue damage caused by cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) become synthetic machines that produce many different tumour components. CAFs have a role in creating extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and metabolic and immune reprogramming of the tumour microenvironment with an impact on adaptive resistance to chemotherapy. The pleiotropic actions of CAFs on tumour cells are probably reflective of them being a heterogeneous and plastic population with context-dependent influence on cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, USA
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Abstract
Among all cells, fibroblasts could be considered the cockroaches of the human body. They survive severe stress that is usually lethal to all other cells, and they are the only normal cell type that can be live-cultured from post-mortem and decaying tissue. Their resilient adaptation may reside in their intrinsic survival programmes and cellular plasticity. Cancer is associated with fibroblasts at all stages of disease progression, including metastasis, and they are a considerable component of the general host response to tissue damage caused by cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) become synthetic machines that produce many different tumour components. CAFs have a role in creating extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and metabolic and immune reprogramming of the tumour microenvironment with an impact on adaptive resistance to chemotherapy. The pleiotropic actions of CAFs on tumour cells are probably reflective of them being a heterogeneous and plastic population with context-dependent influence on cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, USA
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Nwosu ZC, Alborzinia H, Wölfl S, Dooley S, Liu Y. Evolving Insights on Metabolism, Autophagy, and Epigenetics in Liver Myofibroblasts. Front Physiol 2016; 7:191. [PMID: 27313533 PMCID: PMC4887492 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver myofibroblasts (MFB) are crucial mediators of extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in liver fibrosis. They arise mainly from hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) upon a process termed “activation.” To a lesser extent, and depending on the cause of liver damage, portal fibroblasts, mesothelial cells, and fibrocytes may also contribute to the MFB population. Targeting MFB to reduce liver fibrosis is currently an area of intense research. Unfortunately, a clog in the wheel of antifibrotic therapies is the fact that although MFB are known to mediate scar formation, and participate in liver inflammatory response, many of their molecular portraits are currently unknown. In this review, we discuss recent understanding of MFB in health and diseases, focusing specifically on three evolving research fields: metabolism, autophagy, and epigenetics. We have emphasized on therapeutic prospects where applicable and mentioned techniques for use in MFB studies. Subsequently, we highlighted uncharted territories in MFB research to help direct future efforts aimed at bridging gaps in current knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeribe C Nwosu
- Molecular Hepatology Section, Department of Medicine II, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg Mannheim, Germany
| | - Hamed Alborzinia
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Heidelberg Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Wölfl
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Heidelberg Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Steven Dooley
- Molecular Hepatology Section, Department of Medicine II, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg Mannheim, Germany
| | - Yan Liu
- Molecular Hepatology Section, Department of Medicine II, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg Mannheim, Germany
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Tanshinone IIA Attenuates Renal Fibrosis after Acute Kidney Injury in a Mouse Model through Inhibition of Fibrocytes Recruitment. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:867140. [PMID: 26885500 PMCID: PMC4739267 DOI: 10.1155/2015/867140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with an increased risk of developing advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Yet, effective interventions to prevent this conversion are unavailable for clinical practice. In this study, we examined the beneficial effects of Tanshinone IIA on renal fibrosis in a mouse model of folic acid induced AKI. We found that Tanshinone IIA treatment significantly attenuated the folic acid elicited kidney dysfunction on days 3, 14, and 28. This effect was concomitant with a much lessened accumulation of fibronectin and collagen in tubulointerstitium 28 days after folic acid injury, denoting an ameliorated renal fibrosis. The kidney protective and antifibrotic effect of Tanshinone IIA was likely attributable to an early inhibition of renal recruitment of fibrocytes positive for both CD45 and collagen I. Mechanistically, Tanshinone IIA treatment not only markedly diminished renal expression of chemoattractants for fibrocytes such as TGFβ1 and MCP-1, but also significantly reduced circulating fibrocytes at the acute phase of kidney injury. These data suggested that Tanshinone IIA might be a novel therapy for preventing progression of CKD after AKI.
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