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Wang X, Li X, Zhao J, Li Y, Shin SR, Ligresti G, Ng AHM, Bromberg JS, Church G, Lemos DR, Abdi R. Rapid Generation of hPSC-Derived High Endothelial Venule Organoids with In Vivo Ectopic Lymphoid Tissue Capabilities. Adv Mater 2024; 36:e2308760. [PMID: 38306610 PMCID: PMC11009051 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202308760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Bioengineering strategies for the fabrication of implantable lymphoid structures mimicking lymph nodes (LNs) and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) could amplify the adaptive immune response for therapeutic applications such as cancer immunotherapy. No method to date has resulted in the consistent formation of high endothelial venules (HEVs), which is the specialized vasculature responsible for naïve T cell recruitment and education in both LNs and TLS. Here orthogonal induced differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells carrying a regulatable ETV2 allele is used to rapidly and efficiently induce endothelial differentiation. Assembly of embryoid bodies combining primitive inducible endothelial cells and primary human LN fibroblastic reticular cells results in the formation of HEV-like structures that can aggregate into 3D organoids (HEVOs). Upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice, HEVOs successfully engraft and form lymphatic structures that recruit both antigen-presenting cells and adoptively-transferred lymphocytes, therefore displaying basic TLS capabilities. The results further show that functionally, HEVOs can organize an immune response and promote anti-tumor activity by adoptively-transferred T lymphocytes. Collectively, the experimental approaches represent an innovative and scalable proof-of-concept strategy for the fabrication of bioengineered TLS that can be deployed in vivo to enhance adaptive immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xichi Wang
- Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Xiaofei Li
- Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jing Zhao
- Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Yi Li
- Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Su Ryon Shin
- Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Alex H M Ng
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Jonathan S Bromberg
- Department of Surgery and Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - George Church
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Dario R Lemos
- Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Reza Abdi
- Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Transplantation Research Center, Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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2
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Chakraborty A, Kim A, AlAbdullatif S, Campbell JD, Alekseyev YO, Kaplan U, Dambal V, Ligresti G, Trojanowska M. Endothelial Erg Regulates Expression of Pulmonary Lymphatic Junctional and Inflammation Genes in Mouse Lungs Impacting Lymphatic Transport. Res Sq 2024:rs.3.rs-3808970. [PMID: 38343832 PMCID: PMC10854286 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3808970/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
The ETS transcription factor ERG is a master regulator of endothelial gene specificity and highly enriched in the capillary, vein, and arterial endothelial cells. ERG expression is critical for endothelial barrier function, permeability, and vascular inflammation. A dysfunctional vascular endothelial ERG has been shown to impair lung capillary homeostasis, contributing to pulmonary fibrosis as previously observed in IPF lungs. Our preliminary observations indicate that lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) in the human IPF lung also lack ERG. To understand the role of ERG in pulmonary LECs, we developed LEC-specific inducible Erg-CKO and Erg-GFP-CKO conditional knockout (CKO) mice under Prox1 promoter. Whole lung microarray analysis, flow cytometry, and qPCR confirmed an inflammatory and pro-lymphvasculogenic predisposition in Erg-CKO lung. FITC-Dextran tracing analysis showed an increased pulmonary interstitial lymphatic fluid transport from the lung to the axial lymph node. Single-cell transcriptomics confirmed that genes associated with cell junction integrity were downregulated in Erg-CKO pre-collector and collector LECs. Integrating Single-cell transcriptomics and CellChatDB helped identify LEC specific communication pathways contributing to pulmonary inflammation, trans-endothelial migration, inflammation, and Endo-MT in Erg-CKO lung. Our findings suggest that downregulation of lymphatic Erg crucially affects LEC function, LEC permeability, pulmonary LEC communication pathways and lymphatic transcriptomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adri Chakraborty
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alex Kim
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Salam AlAbdullatif
- Division of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua D Campbell
- Division of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yuriy O Alekseyev
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ulas Kaplan
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vrinda Dambal
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Trojanowska
- Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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3
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Banerji R, Grifno GN, Shi L, Smolen D, LeBourdais R, Muhvich J, Eberman C, Hiller BE, Lee J, Regan K, Zheng S, Zhang S, Jiang J, Raslan AA, Breda JC, Pihl R, Traber K, Mazzilli S, Ligresti G, Mizgerd JP, Suki B, Nia HT. Crystal ribcage: a platform for probing real-time lung function at cellular resolution. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1790-1801. [PMID: 37710017 PMCID: PMC10860663 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-02004-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the dynamic pathogenesis and treatment response in pulmonary diseases requires probing the lung at cellular resolution in real time. Despite advances in intravital imaging, optical imaging of the lung during active respiration and circulation has remained challenging. Here, we introduce the crystal ribcage: a transparent ribcage that allows multiscale optical imaging of the functioning lung from whole-organ to single-cell level. It enables the modulation of lung biophysics and immunity through intravascular, intrapulmonary, intraparenchymal and optogenetic interventions, and it preserves the three-dimensional architecture, air-liquid interface, cellular diversity and respiratory-circulatory functions of the lung. Utilizing these capabilities on murine models of pulmonary pathologies we probed remodeling of respiratory-circulatory functions at the single-alveolus and capillary levels during disease progression. The crystal ribcage and its broad applications presented here will facilitate further studies of nearly any pulmonary disease as well as lead to the identification of new targets for treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohin Banerji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gabrielle N Grifno
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Linzheng Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dylan Smolen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rob LeBourdais
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Johnathan Muhvich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cate Eberman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bradley E Hiller
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jisu Lee
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn Regan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Siyi Zheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sue Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ahmed A Raslan
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Julia C Breda
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Riley Pihl
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katrina Traber
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Mazzilli
- Section of Computational Biomedicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph P Mizgerd
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Béla Suki
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hadi T Nia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Liang J, Ligresti G. Aging Delays Lung Repair: Insights from Omics Analysis in Mice with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2023; 69:376-377. [PMID: 37437301 PMCID: PMC10557920 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2023-0171ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jiurong Liang
- Department of Medicine and Women's Guild Lung Institute Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, California
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine Boston University School of Medicine Boston, Massachusetts
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Caporarello N, Ligresti G. Vascular Contribution to Lung Repair and Fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2023; 69:135-146. [PMID: 37126595 PMCID: PMC10399144 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2022-0431tr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Lungs are constantly exposed to environmental perturbations and therefore have remarkable capacity to regenerate in response to injury. Sustained lung injuries, aging, and increased genomic instability, however, make lungs particularly susceptible to disrepair and fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis constitutes a major cause of morbidity and is often relentlessly progressive, leading to death from respiratory failure. The pulmonary vasculature, which is critical for gas exchanges and plays a key role during lung development, repair, and regeneration, becomes aberrantly remodeled in patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis. Although capillary rarefaction and increased vascular permeability are recognized as distinctive features of fibrotic lungs, the role of vasculature dysfunction in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis has only recently emerged as an important contributor to the progression of this disease. This review summarizes current findings related to lung vascular repair and regeneration and provides recent insights into the vascular abnormalities associated with the development of persistent lung fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Medicine, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
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Ligresti G, Raslan AA, Hong J, Caporarello N, Confalonieri M, Huang SK. Mesenchymal cells in the Lung: Evolving concepts and their role in fibrosis. Gene 2023; 859:147142. [PMID: 36603696 PMCID: PMC10068350 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.147142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Mesenchymal cells in the lung are crucial during development, but also contribute to the pathogenesis of fibrotic disorders, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the most common and deadly form of fibrotic interstitial lung diseases. Originally thought to behave as supporting cells for the lung epithelium and endothelium with a singular function of producing basement membrane, mesenchymal cells encompass a variety of cell types, including resident fibroblasts, lipofibroblasts, myofibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and pericytes, which all occupy different anatomic locations and exhibit diverse homeostatic functions in the lung. During injury, each of these subtypes demonstrate remarkable plasticity and undergo varying capacity to proliferate and differentiate into activated myofibroblasts. Therefore, these cells secrete high levels of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and inflammatory cytokines, which contribute to tissue repair, or in pathologic situations, scarring and fibrosis. Whereas epithelial damage is considered the initial trigger that leads to lung injury, lung mesenchymal cells are recognized as the ultimate effector of fibrosis and attempts to better understand the different functions and actions of each mesenchymal cell subtype will lead to a better understanding of why fibrosis develops and how to better target it for future therapy. This review summarizes current findings related to various lung mesenchymal cells as well as signaling pathways, and their contribution to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, US.
| | - Ahmed A Raslan
- Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, US
| | - Jeongmin Hong
- Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston MA, US
| | - Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, US
| | - Marco Confalonieri
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Steven K Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, US
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7
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Ruaro B, Tavano S, Confalonieri P, Pozzan R, Hughes M, Braga L, Volpe MC, Ligresti G, Andrisano AG, Lerda S, Geri P, Biolo M, Baratella E, Confalonieri M, Salton F. Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy and pulmonary fibrosis: A never-ending story? Heliyon 2023; 9:e14768. [PMID: 37025914 PMCID: PMC10070648 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The diagnostic process of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is often challenging, requires a collaborative effort of several experts, and often requires bioptic material, which can be difficult to obtain, both in terms of quality and technique. The main procedures available to obtain such samples are transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) and surgical lung biopsy (SLB). Objective The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence for the role of TBLC in the diagnostic-therapeutic process of PF. Methods A comprehensive review was performed to identify articles to date that addressed the role of TBLC in the diagnostic-therapeutic process of PF using the PubMed® database. Results The reasoned search identified 206 papers, including 21 manuscripts (three reviews, one systematic review, two guidelines, two prospective studies, three retrospective studies, one cross-sectional study, one original article, three editorials, three clinical trials, and two unclassifiable studies), which were included in the final review. Conclusions TBLC is gaining increasing efficacy and improving safety profile; however, there are currently no clear data demonstrating its superiority over SLB. Therefore, the two techniques should be considered with careful rationalization on a case-by-case basis. Further research is needed to further optimize and standardize the procedure and to thoroughly study the histological and molecular characteristics of PF.
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Ribatti D, Ligresti G, Nicosia RF. Kidney endothelial cell heterogeneity, angiocrine activity and paracrine regulatory mechanisms. Vascul Pharmacol 2023; 148:107139. [PMID: 36539108 PMCID: PMC10828957 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2022.107139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The blood microvascular endothelium consists of a heterogeneous population of cells with regionally distinct morphologies and transcriptional signatures in different tissues and organs. In addition to providing an anti-thrombogenic surface for blood flow, endothelial cells perform a multitude of additional regulatory tasks involving organogenesis, metabolism, angiogenesis, inflammation, repair and organ homeostasis. To communicate with surrounding cells and accomplish their many functions, endothelial cells secrete angiocrine factors including growth factors, chemokines, cytokines, extracellular matrix components, and proteolytic enzymes. Nonendothelial parenchymal and stromal cells in turn regulate endothelial growth, differentiation and survival during embryonal development and in the adult by paracrine mechanisms. Driven by advances in molecular biology, animal genetics, single cell transcriptomics and microscopic imaging, knowledge of organotypic vasculatures has expanded rapidly in recent years. The kidney vasculature, in particular, has been the focus of intensive investigation and represents a primary example of how endothelial heterogeneity and crosstalk with nonendothelial cells contribute to the development and function of a vital organ. In this paper, we review the morphology, function, and development of the kidney vasculature, with an emphasis on blood microvascular endothelial heterogeneity, and provide examples of endothelial and nonendothelial-derived factors that are critically involved in kidney development, growth, response to injury, and homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Ribatti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche di Base, Neuroscienze e Organi di Senso (SMBNOS), Universita' degli Studi Aldo Moro, Policlinico, Piazza G. Cesare, 11, - Bari, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America
| | - Roberto F Nicosia
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Box 356100, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America
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Betageri KR, Link PA, Haak AJ, Ligresti G, Tschumperlin DJ, Caporarello N. The matricellular protein CCN3 supports lung endothelial homeostasis and function. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2023; 324:L154-L168. [PMID: 36573684 PMCID: PMC9925165 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00248.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant vascular remodeling contributes to the progression of many aging-associated diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), where heterogeneous capillary density, endothelial transcriptional alterations, and increased vascular permeability correlate with poor disease outcomes. Thus, identifying disease-driving mechanisms in the pulmonary vasculature may be a promising strategy to limit IPF progression. Here, we identified Ccn3 as an endothelial-derived factor that is upregulated in resolving but not in persistent lung fibrosis in mice, and whose function is critical for vascular homeostasis and repair. Loss and gain of function experiments were carried out to test the role of CCN3 in lung microvascular endothelial function in vitro through RNAi and the addition of recombinant human CCN3 protein, respectively. Endothelial migration, permeability, proliferation, and in vitro angiogenesis were tested in cultured human lung microvascular endothelial cells (ECs). Loss of CCN3 in lung ECs resulted in transcriptional alterations along with impaired wound-healing responses, in vitro angiogenesis, barrier integrity as well as an increased profibrotic activity through paracrine signals, whereas the addition of recombinant CCN3 augmented endothelial function. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the matricellular protein CCN3 plays an important role in lung endothelial function and could serve as a promising therapeutic target to facilitate vascular repair and promote lung fibrosis resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalpana R Betageri
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Patrick A Link
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Andrew J Haak
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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10
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Raslan AA, Pham TX, Lee J, Hong J, Schmottlach J, Nicolas K, Dinc T, Bujor AM, Caporarello N, Thiriot A, von Andrian UH, Huang SK, Nicosia RF, Trojanowska M, Varelas X, Ligresti G. Single Cell Transcriptomics of Fibrotic Lungs Unveils Aging-associated Alterations in Endothelial and Epithelial Cell Regeneration. bioRxiv 2023:2023.01.17.523179. [PMID: 36712020 PMCID: PMC9882122 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.17.523179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Lung regeneration deteriorates with aging leading to increased susceptibility to pathologic conditions, including fibrosis. Here, we investigated bleomycin-induced lung injury responses in young and aged mice at single-cell resolution to gain insights into the cellular and molecular contributions of aging to fibrosis. Analysis of 52,542 cells in young (8 weeks) and aged (72 weeks) mice identified 15 cellular clusters, many of which exhibited distinct injury responses that associated with age. We identified Pdgfra + alveolar fibroblasts as a major source of collagen expression following bleomycin challenge, with those from aged lungs exhibiting a more persistent activation compared to young ones. We also observed age-associated transcriptional abnormalities affecting lung progenitor cells, including ATII pneumocytes and general capillary (gCap) endothelial cells (ECs). Transcriptional analysis combined with lineage tracing identified a sub-population of gCap ECs marked by the expression of Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase B (TrkB) that appeared in bleomycin-injured lungs and accumulated with aging. This newly emerged TrkB + EC population expressed common gCap EC markers but also exhibited a distinct gene expression signature associated with aberrant YAP/TAZ signaling, mitochondrial dysfunction, and hypoxia. Finally, we defined ACKR1 + venous ECs that exclusively emerged in injured lungs of aged animals and were closely associated with areas of collagen deposition and inflammation. Immunostaining and FACS analysis of human IPF lungs demonstrated that ACKR1 + venous ECs were dominant cells within the fibrotic regions and accumulated in areas of myofibroblast aggregation. Together, these data provide high-resolution insights into the impact of aging on lung cell adaptability to injury responses.
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11
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Gao AY, Diaz Espinosa AM, Gianì F, Pham TX, Carver CM, Aravamudhan A, Bartman CM, Ligresti G, Caporarello N, Schafer MJ, Haak AJ. Pim-1 kinase is a positive feedback regulator of the senescent lung fibroblast inflammatory secretome. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2022; 323:L685-L697. [PMID: 36223640 PMCID: PMC9744654 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00023.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular senescence is emerging as a driver of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive and fatal disease with limited effective therapies. The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), involving the release of inflammatory cytokines and profibrotic growth factors by senescent cells, is thought to be a product of multiple cell types in IPF, including lung fibroblasts. NF-κB is a master regulator of the SASP, and its activity depends on the phosphorylation of p65/RelA. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of Pim-1 kinase as a driver of NF-κB-induced production of inflammatory cytokines from low-passage IPF fibroblast cultures displaying markers of senescence. Our results demonstrate that Pim-1 kinase phosphorylates p65/RelA, activating NF-κB activity and enhancing IL-6 production, which in turn amplifies the expression of PIM1, generating a positive feedback loop. In addition, targeting Pim-1 kinase with a small molecule inhibitor dramatically inhibited the expression of a broad array of cytokines and chemokines in IPF-derived fibroblasts. Furthermore, we provide evidence that Pim-1 overexpression in low-passage human lung fibroblasts is sufficient to drive premature senescence, in vitro. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting Pim-1 kinase to reprogram the secretome of senescent fibroblasts and halt IPF progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Y Gao
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Ana M Diaz Espinosa
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Fiorenza Gianì
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Centel, Catania, Italy
| | - Tho X Pham
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Chase M Carver
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Aja Aravamudhan
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Colleen M Bartman
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Marissa J Schafer
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Andrew J Haak
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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12
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Caporarello N, Lee J, Pham TX, Jones DL, Guan J, Link PA, Meridew JA, Marden G, Yamashita T, Osborne CA, Bhagwate AV, Huang SK, Nicosia RF, Tschumperlin DJ, Trojanowska M, Ligresti G. Dysfunctional ERG signaling drives pulmonary vascular aging and persistent fibrosis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4170. [PMID: 35879310 PMCID: PMC9314350 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31890-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular dysfunction is a hallmark of chronic diseases in elderly. The contribution of the vasculature to lung repair and fibrosis is not fully understood. Here, we performed an epigenetic and transcriptional analysis of lung endothelial cells (ECs) from young and aged mice during the resolution or progression of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. We identified the transcription factor ETS-related gene (ERG) as putative orchestrator of lung capillary homeostasis and repair, and whose function is dysregulated in aging. ERG dysregulation is associated with reduced chromatin accessibility and maladaptive transcriptional responses to injury. Loss of endothelial ERG enhances paracrine fibroblast activation in vitro, and impairs lung fibrosis resolution in young mice in vivo. scRNA-seq of ERG deficient mouse lungs reveales transcriptional and fibrogenic abnormalities resembling those associated with aging and human lung fibrosis, including reduced number of general capillary (gCap) ECs. Our findings demonstrate that lung endothelial chromatin remodeling deteriorates with aging leading to abnormal transcription, vascular dysrepair, and persistent fibrosis following injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzia Caporarello
- grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDepartment of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Jisu Lee
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
| | - Tho X. Pham
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
| | - Dakota L. Jones
- grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Jiazhen Guan
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
| | - Patrick A. Link
- grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDepartment of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Jeffrey A. Meridew
- grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDepartment of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Grace Marden
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
| | - Takashi Yamashita
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
| | - Collin A. Osborne
- grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDepartment of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Aditya V. Bhagwate
- grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDepartment of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Steven K. Huang
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Roberto F. Nicosia
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Daniel J. Tschumperlin
- grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDepartment of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Maria Trojanowska
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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13
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine Boston University School of Medicine Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Tho X Pham
- Department of Medicine Boston University School of Medicine Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yan Y Sanders
- Department of Medicine University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, Alabama
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14
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Pham TX, Lee J, Guan J, Caporarello N, Meridew JA, Jones DL, Tan Q, Huang SK, Tschumperlin DJ, Ligresti G. Transcriptional analysis of lung fibroblasts identifies PIM1 signaling as a driver of aging-associated persistent fibrosis. JCI Insight 2022; 7:153672. [PMID: 35167499 PMCID: PMC8986080 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.153672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an aging-associated disease characterized by myofibroblast accumulation and progressive lung scarring. To identify transcriptional gene programs driving persistent lung fibrosis in aging, we performed RNA-Seq on lung fibroblasts isolated from young and aged mice during the early resolution phase after bleomycin injury. We discovered that, relative to injured young fibroblasts, injured aged fibroblasts exhibited a profibrotic state characterized by elevated expression of genes implicated in inflammation, matrix remodeling, and cell survival. We identified the proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus 1 (PIM1) and its target nuclear factor of activated T cells-1 (NFATc1) as putative drivers of the sustained profibrotic gene signatures in injured aged fibroblasts. PIM1 and NFATc1 transcripts were enriched in a pathogenic fibroblast population recently discovered in IPF lungs, and their protein expression was abundant in fibroblastic foci. Overexpression of PIM1 in normal human lung fibroblasts potentiated their fibrogenic activation, and this effect was attenuated by NFATc1 inhibition. Pharmacological inhibition of PIM1 attenuated IPF fibroblast activation and sensitized them to apoptotic stimuli. Interruption of PIM1 signaling in IPF lung explants ex vivo inhibited prosurvival gene expression and collagen secretion, suggesting that targeting this pathway may represent a therapeutic strategy to block IPF progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tho X. Pham
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jisu Lee
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jiazhen Guan
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jeffrey A. Meridew
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Dakota L. Jones
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Qi Tan
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Steven K. Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Daniel J. Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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15
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Nicosia RF, Ligresti G, Caporarello N, Akilesh S, Ribatti D. COVID-19 Vasculopathy: Mounting Evidence for an Indirect Mechanism of Endothelial Injury. Am J Pathol 2021; 191:1374-1384. [PMID: 34033751 PMCID: PMC8141344 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who are critically ill develop vascular complications characterized by thrombosis of small, medium, and large vessels. Dysfunction of the vascular endothelium due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the COVID-19 vasculopathy. Although initial reports suggested that endothelial injury was caused directly by the virus, recent studies indicate that endothelial cells do not express angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, the receptor that SARS-CoV-2 uses to gain entry into cells, or express it at low levels and are resistant to the infection. These new findings, together with the observation that COVID-19 triggers a cytokine storm capable of injuring the endothelium and disrupting its antithrombogenic properties, favor an indirect mechanism of endothelial injury mediated locally by an augmented inflammatory reaction to infected nonendothelial cells, such as the bronchial and alveolar epithelium, and systemically by the excessive immune response to infection. Herein we review the vascular pathology of COVID-19 and critically discuss the potential mechanisms of endothelial injury in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto F Nicosia
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Shreeram Akilesh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Domenico Ribatti
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscienze e Organi di Senso (SMBNOS), Universita' degli Studi Aldo Moro, Policlinico, Bari, Italy
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16
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Tan Q, Link PA, Meridew JA, Pham TX, Caporarello N, Ligresti G, Tschumperlin DJ. Spontaneous Lung Fibrosis Resolution Reveals Novel Antifibrotic Regulators. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2021; 64:453-464. [PMID: 33493091 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2020-0396oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast activation is transient in successful wound repair but persistent in fibrotic pathologies. Understanding fibroblast deactivation during successful wound healing may provide new approaches to therapeutically reverse fibroblast activation. To characterize the gene programs that accompany fibroblast activation and reversal during lung fibrosis resolution, we used RNA sequencing analysis of flow sorted Col1α1-GFP-positive and CD45-, CD31-, and CD326-negative cells isolated from the lungs of young mice exposed to bleomycin. We compared fibroblasts isolated from control mice with those isolated at Days 14 and 30 after bleomycin exposure, representing the peak of extracellular matrix deposition and an early stage of fibrosis resolution, respectively. Bleomycin exposure dramatically altered fibroblast gene programs at Day 14. Principal component and differential gene expression analyses demonstrated the predominant reversal of these trends at Day 30. Upstream regulator and pathway analyses of reversing "resolution" genes identified novel candidate antifibrotic genes and pathways. Two genes from these analyses that were decreased in expression at Day 14 and reversed at Day 30, Aldh2 and Nr3c1, were selected for further analysis. Enhancement of endogenous expression of either gene by CRISPR activation in cultured human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis fibroblasts was sufficient to reduce profibrotic gene expression, fibronectin deposition, and collagen gel compaction, consistent with roles for these genes in fibroblast deactivation. This combination of RNA sequencing analysis of freshly sorted fibroblasts and hypothesis testing in cultured idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis fibroblasts offers a path toward identification of novel regulators of lung fibroblast deactivation, with potential relevance to understanding fibrosis resolution and its failure in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Tan
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; and
| | - Patrick A Link
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; and
| | - Jeffrey A Meridew
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; and
| | - Tho X Pham
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; and
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; and.,Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; and
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17
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Fortier SM, Penke LR, King D, Pham TX, Ligresti G, Peters-Golden M. Myofibroblast dedifferentiation proceeds via distinct transcriptomic and phenotypic transitions. JCI Insight 2021; 6:144799. [PMID: 33561015 PMCID: PMC8026183 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.144799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Myofibroblasts are the major cellular source of collagen, and their accumulation - via differentiation from fibroblasts and resistance to apoptosis - is a hallmark of tissue fibrosis. Clearance of myofibroblasts by dedifferentiation and restoration of apoptosis sensitivity has the potential to reverse fibrosis. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and mitogens such as FGF2 have each been shown to dedifferentiate myofibroblasts, but - to our knowledge - the resultant cellular phenotypes have neither been comprehensively characterized or compared. Here, we show that PGE2 elicited dedifferentiation of human lung myofibroblasts via cAMP/PKA, while FGF2 utilized MEK/ERK. The 2 mediators yielded transitional cells with distinct transcriptomes, with FGF2 promoting but PGE2 inhibiting proliferation and survival. The gene expression pattern in fibroblasts isolated from the lungs of mice undergoing resolution of experimental fibrosis resembled that of myofibroblasts treated with PGE2 in vitro. We conclude that myofibroblast dedifferentiation can proceed via distinct programs exemplified by treatment with PGE2 and FGF2, with dedifferentiation occurring in vivo most closely resembling the former.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Loka R. Penke
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and
| | - Dana King
- BCRF Bioinformatics Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Tho X. Pham
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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18
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Ji S, Traini C, Mischopoulou M, Gibbons SJ, Ligresti G, Faussone-Pellegrini MS, Sha L, Farrugia G, Vannucchi MG, Cipriani G. Muscularis macrophages establish cell-to-cell contacts with telocytes/PDGFRα-positive cells and smooth muscle cells in the human and mouse gastrointestinal tract. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2021; 33:e13993. [PMID: 33020982 PMCID: PMC7902307 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.13993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Muscularis macrophages (MMs) not only mediate the innate immunity, but also functionally interact with cells important for gastrointestinal motility. The aim of this study was to determine the spatial relationship and types of contacts between the MMs and neighboring cells in the muscularis propria of human and mouse stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. METHODS The distribution and morphology of MMs and their contacts with other cells were investigated by immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. KEY RESULTS Immunohistochemistry showed variable shape and number of MMs according to their location in different portions of the muscle coat. By double labeling, a close association between MMs and neighboring cells, that is, neurons, smooth muscle cells, interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), telocytes (TCs)/PDGFRα-positive cells, was seen. Electron microscopy demonstrated that in the muscle layers of both animal species, MMs have similar ultrastructural features and have specialized cell-to-cell contacts with smooth muscle cells and TCs/PDGFRα-positive cells but not with ICCs and enteric neurons. CONCLUSION & INFERENCES This study describes varying patterns of distribution of MMs between different regions of the gut, and reports the presence of distinct and extended cell-to-cell contacts between MMs and smooth muscle cells and between MMs and TCs/PDGFRα-positive cells. In contrast, MMs, although close to ICCs and nerve elements, did not make contact with them. These findings indicate specialized and variable roles for MMs in the modulation of gastrointestinal motility whose significance should be more closely investigated in normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihan Ji
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA,Department of Neuroendocrine Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Chiara Traini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Research Unit of Histology and Embryology, University of Florence, Italy
| | | | - Simon J. Gibbons
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | | | - Lei Sha
- Department of Neuroendocrine Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China,Corresponding authors: Gianluca Cipriani, PhD, Mayo Clinic, Enteric NeuroScience Program, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, 507-210-6402, ; Maria Giuliana Vannucchi MD, PhD, Research Unit of Histology and Embryology, Dept of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Viale G. Pieraccini,6, 50139 Florence, Italy, ; Lei Sha, MD, China Medical University, Department of Neuroendocrine Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang, Liaoning, China, 77 Pu He Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang, Liaoning province, P. R. China,110122, 18900911003,
| | - Gianrico Farrugia
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Maria Giuliana Vannucchi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Research Unit of Histology and Embryology, University of Florence, Italy,Corresponding authors: Gianluca Cipriani, PhD, Mayo Clinic, Enteric NeuroScience Program, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, 507-210-6402, ; Maria Giuliana Vannucchi MD, PhD, Research Unit of Histology and Embryology, Dept of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Viale G. Pieraccini,6, 50139 Florence, Italy, ; Lei Sha, MD, China Medical University, Department of Neuroendocrine Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang, Liaoning, China, 77 Pu He Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang, Liaoning province, P. R. China,110122, 18900911003,
| | - Gianluca Cipriani
- Enteric NeuroScience Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA,Corresponding authors: Gianluca Cipriani, PhD, Mayo Clinic, Enteric NeuroScience Program, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, 507-210-6402, ; Maria Giuliana Vannucchi MD, PhD, Research Unit of Histology and Embryology, Dept of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Viale G. Pieraccini,6, 50139 Florence, Italy, ; Lei Sha, MD, China Medical University, Department of Neuroendocrine Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang, Liaoning, China, 77 Pu He Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang, Liaoning province, P. R. China,110122, 18900911003,
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19
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Jones DL, Meridew JA, Link PA, Ducharme MT, Lydon KL, Choi KM, Caporarello N, Tan Q, Diaz Espinosa AM, Xiong Y, Lee JH, Ye Z, Yan H, Ordog T, Ligresti G, Varelas X, Tschumperlin DJ. ZNF416 is a pivotal transcriptional regulator of fibroblast mechanoactivation. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:211825. [PMID: 33625469 PMCID: PMC7918622 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202007152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Matrix stiffness is a central regulator of fibroblast function. However, the transcriptional mechanisms linking matrix stiffness to changes in fibroblast phenotype are incompletely understood. Here, we evaluated the effect of matrix stiffness on genome-wide chromatin accessibility in freshly isolated lung fibroblasts using ATAC-seq. We found higher matrix stiffness profoundly increased global chromatin accessibility relative to lower matrix stiffness, and these alterations were in close genomic proximity to known profibrotic gene programs. Motif analysis of these regulated genomic loci identified ZNF416 as a putative mediator of fibroblast stiffness responses. Genome occupancy analysis using ChIP-seq confirmed that ZNF416 occupies a broad range of genes implicated in fibroblast activation and tissue fibrosis, with relatively little overlap in genomic occupancy with other mechanoresponsive and profibrotic transcriptional regulators. Using loss- and gain-of-function studies, we demonstrated that ZNF416 plays a critical role in fibroblast proliferation, extracellular matrix synthesis, and contractile function. Together, these observations identify ZNF416 as novel mechano-activated transcriptional regulator of fibroblast biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota L Jones
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Jeffrey A Meridew
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Patrick A Link
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Merrick T Ducharme
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Katherine L Lydon
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Kyoung M Choi
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Qi Tan
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | | | - Yuning Xiong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Jeong-Heon Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Zhenqing Ye
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Huihuang Yan
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Tamas Ordog
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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20
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Haak AJ, Kostallari E, Sicard D, Ligresti G, Choi KM, Caporarello N, Jones DL, Tan Q, Meridew J, Diaz Espinosa AM, Aravamudhan A, Maiers JL, Britt RD, Roden AC, Pabelick CM, Prakash YS, Nouraie SM, Li X, Zhang Y, Kass DJ, Lagares D, Tager AM, Varelas X, Shah VH, Tschumperlin DJ. Selective YAP/TAZ inhibition in fibroblasts via dopamine receptor D1 agonism reverses fibrosis. Sci Transl Med 2020; 11:11/516/eaau6296. [PMID: 31666402 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aau6296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Tissue fibrosis is characterized by uncontrolled deposition and diminished clearance of fibrous connective tissue proteins, ultimately leading to organ scarring. Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) have recently emerged as pivotal drivers of mesenchymal cell activation in human fibrosis. Therapeutic strategies inhibiting YAP and TAZ have been hindered by the critical role that these proteins play in regeneration and homeostasis in different cell types. Here, we find that the Gαs-coupled dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1) is preferentially expressed in lung and liver mesenchymal cells relative to other resident cells of these organs. Agonism of DRD1 selectively inhibits YAP/TAZ function in mesenchymal cells and shifts their phenotype from profibrotic to fibrosis resolving, reversing in vitro extracellular matrix stiffening and in vivo tissue fibrosis in mouse models. Aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase [DOPA decarboxylase (DDC)], the enzyme responsible for the final step in biosynthesis of dopamine, is decreased in the lungs of subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and its expression inversely correlates with disease severity, consistent with an endogenous protective role for dopamine signaling that is lost in pulmonary fibrosis. Together, these findings establish a pharmacologically tractable and cell-selective approach to targeting YAP/TAZ via DRD1 that reverses fibrosis in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Haak
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Enis Kostallari
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Delphine Sicard
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Kyoung Moo Choi
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Dakota L Jones
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Qi Tan
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Jeffrey Meridew
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Ana M Diaz Espinosa
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Aja Aravamudhan
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Jessica L Maiers
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Rodney D Britt
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN 55905, USA.,Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Anja C Roden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN 55905, USA
| | - Christina M Pabelick
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN 55905, USA
| | - Y S Prakash
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN 55905, USA
| | - Seyed Mehdi Nouraie
- Dorothy P. and Richard P. Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease and Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Xiaoyun Li
- Dorothy P. and Richard P. Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease and Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yingze Zhang
- Dorothy P. and Richard P. Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease and Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Daniel J Kass
- Dorothy P. and Richard P. Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease and Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - David Lagares
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Fibrosis Research Center, and Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Andrew M Tager
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Fibrosis Research Center, and Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Xaralabos Varelas
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Vijay H Shah
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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21
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Vivarelli S, Falzone L, Ligresti G, Candido S, Garozzo A, Magro GG, Bonavida B, Libra M. Role of the Transcription Factor Yin Yang 1 and Its Selectively Identified Target Survivin in High-Grade B-Cells Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas: Potential Diagnostic and Therapeutic Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176446. [PMID: 32899428 PMCID: PMC7504013 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHLs) are often characterized by the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and/or relapse. During drug-induced apoptosis, Yin Yang 1 (YY1) transcription factor might modulate the expression of apoptotic regulators genes. The present study was aimed to: (1) examine the potential oncogenic role of YY1 in reversing drug resistance in B-NHLs; and (2) identify YY1 transcriptional target(s) that regulate the apoptotic pathway in B-NHLs. Predictive analyses coupled with database-deposited data suggested that YY1 binds the promoter of the BIRC5/survivin anti-apoptotic gene. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) analyses of several B-NHL repositories revealed a conserved positive correlation between YY1 and survivin, both highly expressed, especially in aggressive B-NHLs. Further validation experiments performed in Raji Burkitt’s lymphomas cells, demonstrated that YY1 silencing was associated with survivin downregulation and sensitized the cells to apoptosis. Overall, our results revealed that: (1) YY1 and survivin are positively correlated and overexpressed in B-NHLs, especially in BLs; (2) YY1 strongly binds to the survivin promoter, hence survivin may be suggested as YY1 transcriptional target; (3) YY1 silencing sensitizes Raji cells to drug-induced apoptosis via downregulation of survivin; (4) both YY1 and survivin are potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for the treatment of resistant/relapsed B-NHLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Vivarelli
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (S.V.); (G.L.); (S.C.)
| | - Luca Falzone
- Epidemiology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori ‘Fondazione G. Pascale’, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (S.V.); (G.L.); (S.C.)
| | - Saverio Candido
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (S.V.); (G.L.); (S.C.)
- Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (A.G.); (G.G.M.)
| | - Adriana Garozzo
- Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (A.G.); (G.G.M.)
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Gaetano Giuseppe Magro
- Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (A.G.); (G.G.M.)
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technology “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Sicily, Italy
| | - Benjamin Bonavida
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Massimo Libra
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (S.V.); (G.L.); (S.C.)
- Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (A.G.); (G.G.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-095-478-1271
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22
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Caporarello N, Meridew JA, Aravamudhan A, Jones DL, Austin SA, Pham TX, Haak AJ, Moo Choi K, Tan Q, Haresi A, Huang SK, Katusic ZS, Tschumperlin DJ, Ligresti G. Vascular dysfunction in aged mice contributes to persistent lung fibrosis. Aging Cell 2020; 19:e13196. [PMID: 32691484 PMCID: PMC7431829 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease thought to result from impaired lung repair following injury and is strongly associated with aging. While vascular alterations have been associated with IPF previously, the contribution of lung vasculature during injury resolution and fibrosis is not well understood. To compare the role of endothelial cells (ECs) in resolving and non-resolving models of lung fibrosis, we applied bleomycin intratracheally to young and aged mice. We found that injury in aged mice elicited capillary rarefaction, while injury in young mice resulted in increased capillary density. ECs from the lungs of injured aged mice relative to young mice demonstrated elevated pro-fibrotic and reduced vascular homeostasis gene expression. Among the latter, Nos3 (encoding the enzyme endothelial nitric oxide synthase, eNOS) was transiently upregulated in lung ECs from young but not aged mice following injury. Young mice deficient in eNOS recapitulated the non-resolving lung fibrosis observed in aged animals following injury, suggesting that eNOS directly participates in lung fibrosis resolution. Activation of the NO receptor soluble guanylate cyclase in human lung fibroblasts reduced TGFβ-induced pro-fibrotic gene and protein expression. Additionally, loss of eNOS in human lung ECs reduced the suppression of TGFβ-induced lung fibroblast activation in 2D and 3D co-cultures. Altogether, our results demonstrate that persistent lung fibrosis in aged mice is accompanied by capillary rarefaction, loss of EC identity, and impaired eNOS expression. Targeting vascular function may thus be critical to promote lung repair and fibrosis resolution in aging and IPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Meridew
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Aja Aravamudhan
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Dakota L Jones
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Susan A Austin
- Department of Anesthesiology and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Tho X Pham
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew J Haak
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Kyoung Moo Choi
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Qi Tan
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Adil Haresi
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven K Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zvonimir S Katusic
- Department of Anesthesiology and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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23
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Tan Q, Ma XY, Liu W, Meridew JA, Jones DL, Haak AJ, Sicard D, Ligresti G, Tschumperlin DJ. Nascent Lung Organoids Reveal Epithelium- and Bone Morphogenetic Protein-mediated Suppression of Fibroblast Activation. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2020; 61:607-619. [PMID: 31050552 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2018-0390oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Reciprocal epithelial-mesenchymal interactions are pivotal in lung development, homeostasis, injury, and repair. Organoids have been used to investigate such interactions, but with a major focus on epithelial responses to mesenchyme and less attention to epithelial effects on mesenchyme. In the present study, we used nascent organoids composed of human and mouse lung epithelial and mesenchymal cells to demonstrate that healthy lung epithelium dramatically represses transcriptional, contractile, and matrix synthetic functions of lung fibroblasts. Repression of fibroblast activation requires signaling via the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway. BMP signaling is diminished after epithelial injury in vitro and in vivo, and exogenous BMP4 restores fibroblast repression in injured organoids. In contrast, inhibition of BMP signaling in healthy organoids is sufficient to derepress fibroblast matrix synthetic function. Our results reveal potent repression of fibroblast activation by healthy lung epithelium and a novel mechanism by which epithelial loss or injury is intrinsically coupled to mesenchymal activation via loss of repressive BMP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Tan
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Xiao Yin Ma
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Jeffrey A Meridew
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Dakota L Jones
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Andrew J Haak
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Delphine Sicard
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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24
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Aravamudhan A, Haak AJ, Choi KM, Meridew JA, Caporarello N, Jones DL, Tan Q, Ligresti G, Tschumperlin DJ. TBK1 regulates YAP/TAZ and fibrogenic fibroblast activation. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2020; 318:L852-L863. [PMID: 32159970 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00324.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) results in scarring of the lungs by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) production. Resident fibroblasts are the major cell type involved in ECM deposition. The biochemical pathways that facilitate pathological fibroblast activation leading to aberrant ECM deposition are not fully understood. Tank binding protein kinase-1 (TBK1) is a kinase that regulates multiple signaling pathways and was recently identified as a candidate regulator of fibroblast activation in a large-scale small-interfering RNA (siRNA) screen. To determine the effect of TBK1 on fibroblast activation, TBK1 was inhibited pharmacologically (MRT-68601) and genetically (siRNA) in normal and IPF human lung fibroblasts. Reducing the activity or expression of TBK1 led to reduction in α-smooth muscle actin stress fiber levels by 40-60% and deposition of ECM components collagen I and fibronectin by 50% in TGF-β-stimulated normal and IPF fibroblasts. YAP and TAZ are homologous mechanoregulatory profibrotic transcription cofactors known to regulate fibroblast activation. TBK1 knockdown or inhibition decreased the total and nuclear protein levels of YAP/TAZ. Additionally, low cell-cell contact and increased ECM substrate stiffness augmented the phosphorylation and activation of TBK1, consistent with cues that regulate YAP/TAZ. The action of TBK1 toward YAP/TAZ activation was independent of LATS1/2 and canonical downstream TBK1 signaling mediator IRF3 but dependent on proteasomal machinery of the cell. This study identifies TBK1 as a fibrogenic activator of human pulmonary fibroblasts, suggesting TBK1 may be a novel therapeutic target in pulmonary fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aja Aravamudhan
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Andrew J Haak
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Kyoung Moo Choi
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Jeffrey A Meridew
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Dakota L Jones
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Qi Tan
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.,Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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25
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota L Jones
- 1 Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- 1 Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota
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26
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Jones DL, Haak AJ, Caporarello N, Choi KM, Ye Z, Yan H, Varelas X, Ordog T, Ligresti G, Tschumperlin DJ. TGFβ-induced fibroblast activation requires persistent and targeted HDAC-mediated gene repression. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs.233486. [PMID: 31527052 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.233486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue fibrosis is a chronic disease driven by persistent fibroblast activation that has recently been linked to epigenetic modifications. Here, we screened a small library of epigenetic small-molecule modulators to identify compounds capable of inhibiting or reversing TGFβ-mediated fibroblast activation. We identified pracinostat, an HDAC inhibitor, as a potent attenuator of lung fibroblast activation and confirmed its efficacy in patient-derived fibroblasts isolated from fibrotic lung tissue. Mechanistically, we found that HDAC-dependent transcriptional repression was an early and essential event in TGFβ-mediated fibroblast activation. Treatment of lung fibroblasts with pracinostat broadly attenuated TGFβ-mediated epigenetic repression and promoted fibroblast quiescence. We confirmed a specific role for HDAC-dependent histone deacetylation in the promoter region of the anti-fibrotic gene PPARGC1A (PGC1α) in response to TGFβ stimulation. Finally, we identified HDAC7 as a key factor whose siRNA-mediated knockdown attenuates fibroblast activation without altering global histone acetylation. Together, these results provide novel mechanistic insight into the essential role HDACs play in TGFβ-mediated fibroblast activation via targeted gene repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota L Jones
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Andrew J Haak
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Nunzia Caporarello
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Kyoung M Choi
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Zhenqing Ye
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Huihuang Yan
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Xaralabos Varelas
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Tamas Ordog
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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27
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Caporarello N, Meridew JA, Jones DL, Tan Q, Haak AJ, Choi KM, Manlove LJ, Prakash YS, Tschumperlin DJ, Ligresti G. PGC1α repression in IPF fibroblasts drives a pathologic metabolic, secretory and fibrogenic state. Thorax 2019; 74:749-760. [PMID: 31182654 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2019-213064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal ageing-related disease linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. The present study aimed to determine whether peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma co-activator 1-alpha (PPARGC1A, encoding PGC1α), a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, is diminished in IPF and controls pathologic fibroblast activation. Primary human IPF, control lung fibroblasts and fibroblasts sorted from bleomycin-injured mice were used to evaluate the expression and function of PGC1α. In vitro PGC1α manipulation was performed by small interfering RNA knockdown or overexpression. Fibroblast activation was assessed by quantitative PCR, Western blotting, matrix deposition, secreted cytokine array, immunofluorescence and traction force microscopy. Mitochondrial function was assessed by Seahorse analyzer and mitochondria mass and number by flow cytometry, mitochondrial DNA quantification and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We found that PGC1α levels are stably repressed in IPF fibroblasts. After bleomycin injury in young mice, PGC1α expression drops transiently but then increases prior to fibrosis resolution. In contrast, PGC1α expression fails to recover in aged mice with persistent fibrosis. PGC1α knockdown alone in normal human lung fibroblasts reduces mitochondrial mass and function while enhancing contractile and matrix synthetic fibroblast activation, senescence-related gene expression and soluble profibrotic and prosenescence signalling. Re-expression of PGC1α in IPF fibroblasts ameliorates all of these pathological cellular functions. Pharmacological treatment of IPF fibroblasts with rosiglitazone, but not thyroid hormone, elevated PGC1α expression and attenuated fibroblast activation. The sustained repression of PGC1α and beneficial effects of its rescue in IPF fibroblasts identifies PGC1α as an important regulator of the fibroblast's pathological state in IPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzia Caporarello
- Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Meridew
- Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Dakota L Jones
- Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Qi Tan
- Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrew J Haak
- Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kyoung M Choi
- Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Logan J Manlove
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Y S Prakash
- Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.,Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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28
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Ligresti G, Caporarello N, Meridew JA, Jones DL, Tan Q, Choi KM, Haak AJ, Aravamudhan A, Roden AC, Prakash YS, Lomberk G, Urrutia RA, Tschumperlin DJ. CBX5/G9a/H3K9me-mediated gene repression is essential to fibroblast activation during lung fibrosis. JCI Insight 2019; 5:127111. [PMID: 31095524 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.127111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating disease characterized by accumulation of activated fibroblasts and scarring in the lung. While fibroblast activation in physiological wound repair reverses spontaneously, fibroblast activation in fibrosis is aberrantly sustained. Here we identified histone 3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) as a critical epigenetic modification that sustains fibroblast activation by repressing the transcription of genes essential to returning lung fibroblasts to an inactive state. We show that the histone methyltransferase G9a (EHMT2) and chromobox homolog 5 (CBX5, also known as HP1α), which deposit H3K9me marks and assemble an associated repressor complex respectively, are essential to initiation and maintenance of fibroblast activation specifically through epigenetic repression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha gene (PPARGC1A, encoding PGC1α). Both TGFβ and increased matrix stiffness potently inhibit PGC1α expression in lung fibroblasts through engagement of the CBX5/G9a pathway. Inhibition of CBX5/G9a pathway in fibroblasts elevates PGC1α, attenuates TGFβ- and matrix stiffness-promoted H3K9 methylation, and reduces collagen accumulation in the lungs following bleomycin injury. Our results demonstrate that epigenetic silencing mediated by H3K9 methylation is essential for both biochemical and biomechanical fibroblast activation, and that targeting this epigenetic pathway may provide therapeutic benefit by returning lung fibroblasts to quiescence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Qi Tan
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering
| | | | | | | | | | - Y S Prakash
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering.,Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Gwen Lomberk
- Division of Research,Department of Surgery and Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Raul A Urrutia
- Division of Research,Department of Surgery and Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA
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29
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Oh RS, Haak AJ, Smith KMJ, Ligresti G, Choi KM, Xie T, Wang S, Walters PR, Thompson MA, Freeman MR, Manlove LJ, Chu VM, Feghali-Bostwick C, Roden AC, Schymeinsky J, Pabelick CM, Prakash YS, Vassallo R, Tschumperlin DJ. RNAi screening identifies a mechanosensitive ROCK-JAK2-STAT3 network central to myofibroblast activation. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs.209932. [PMID: 29678906 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.209932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Myofibroblasts play key roles in wound healing and pathological fibrosis. Here, we used an RNAi screen to characterize myofibroblast regulatory genes, using a high-content imaging approach to quantify α-smooth muscle actin stress fibers in cultured human fibroblasts. Screen hits were validated on physiological compliance hydrogels, and selected hits tested in primary fibroblasts from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Our RNAi screen led to the identification of STAT3 as an essential mediator of myofibroblast activation and function. Strikingly, we found that STAT3 phosphorylation, while responsive to exogenous ligands on both soft and stiff matrices, is innately active on a stiff matrix in a ligand/receptor-independent, but ROCK- and JAK2-dependent fashion. These results demonstrate how a cytokine-inducible signal can become persistently activated by pathological matrix stiffening. Consistent with a pivotal role for this pathway in driving persistent fibrosis, a STAT3 inhibitor attenuated murine pulmonary fibrosis when administered in a therapeutic fashion after bleomycin injury. Our results identify novel genes essential for the myofibroblast phenotype, and point to STAT3 as an important target in pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond S Oh
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Andrew J Haak
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Karry M J Smith
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Kyoung Moo Choi
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Tiao Xie
- Image and Data Analysis Core, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shaohua Wang
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Paula R Walters
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Michael A Thompson
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Michelle R Freeman
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Logan J Manlove
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Vivian M Chu
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Carol Feghali-Bostwick
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Anja C Roden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Jürgen Schymeinsky
- Department of Respiratory Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach, Germany
| | - Christina M Pabelick
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Y S Prakash
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Robert Vassallo
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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30
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Paulitti A, Andreuzzi E, Bizzotto D, Pellicani R, Tarticchio G, Marastoni S, Pastrello C, Jurisica I, Ligresti G, Bucciotti F, Doliana R, Colladel R, Braghetta P, Poletto E, Di Silvestre A, Bressan G, Colombatti A, Bonaldo P, Mongiat M. The ablation of the matricellular protein EMILIN2 causes defective vascularization due to impaired EGFR-dependent IL-8 production affecting tumor growth. Oncogene 2018; 37:3399-3414. [PMID: 29483644 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-017-0107-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
EMILIN2 is an extracellular matrix constituent playing an important role in angiogenesis; however, the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here we show that EMILIN2 promotes angiogenesis by directly binding epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which enhances interleukin-8 (IL-8) production. In turn, IL-8 stimulates the proliferation and migration of vascular endothelial cells. Emilin2 null mice were generated and exhibited delayed retinal vascular development, which was rescued by the administration of the IL-8 murine ortholog MIP-2. Next, we assessed tumor growth and tumor-associated angiogenesis in these mice. Tumor cell growth in Emilin2 null mice was impaired as well as the expression of MIP-2. The vascular density of the tumors developed in Emilin2 null mice was prejudiced and vessels perfusion, as well as response to chemotherapy, decreased. Accordingly, human tumors expressing high levels of EMILIN2 were more responsive to chemotherapy. These results point at EMILIN2 as a key microenvironmental cue affecting vessel formation and unveil the possibility to develop new prognostic tools to predict chemotherapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Paulitti
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy
| | - Eva Andreuzzi
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy
| | - Dario Bizzotto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Rosanna Pellicani
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giulia Tarticchio
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy
| | - Stefano Marastoni
- Department of Computer Science, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chiara Pastrello
- Department of Computer Science, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Igor Jurisica
- Department of Computer Science, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Tissue Repair and Meccano Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Francesco Bucciotti
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy
| | - Roberto Doliana
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy
| | - Roberta Colladel
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy
| | - Paola Braghetta
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Evelina Poletto
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessia Di Silvestre
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giorgio Bressan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Alfonso Colombatti
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy
| | - Paolo Bonaldo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Maurizio Mongiat
- Department of Translational Research, Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO, Aviano, Italy.
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Abstract
Tissue injury disrupts the mechanical homeostasis that underlies normal tissue architecture and function. The failure to resolve injury and restore homeostasis gives rise to progressive fibrosis that is accompanied by persistent alterations in the mechanical environment as a consequence of pathological matrix deposition and stiffening. This Review focuses on our rapidly growing understanding of the molecular mechanisms linking the altered mechanical environment in injury, repair, and fibrosis to cellular activation. In particular, our focus is on the mechanisms by which cells transduce mechanical signals, leading to transcriptional and epigenetic responses that underlie both transient and persistent alterations in cell state that contribute to fibrosis. Translation of these mechanobiological insights may enable new approaches to promote tissue repair and arrest or reverse fibrotic tissue remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Moira B Hilscher
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Vijay H Shah
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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32
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Drinane MC, Yaqoob U, Yu H, Luo F, Greuter T, Arab JP, Kostallari E, Verma VK, Maiers J, De Assuncao TM, Simons M, Mukhopadhyay D, Kisseleva T, Brenner DA, Urrutia R, Lomberk G, Gao Y, Ligresti G, Tschumperlin DJ, Revzin A, Cao S, Shah VH. Synectin promotes fibrogenesis by regulating PDGFR isoforms through distinct mechanisms. JCI Insight 2017; 2:92821. [PMID: 29263300 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.92821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The scaffold protein synectin plays a critical role in the trafficking and regulation of membrane receptor pathways. As platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) is essential for hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and liver fibrosis, we sought to determine the role of synectin on the PDGFR pathway and development of liver fibrosis. Mice with deletion of synectin from HSC were found to be protected from liver fibrosis. mRNA sequencing revealed that knockdown of synectin in HSC demonstrated reductions in the fibrosis pathway of genes, including PDGFR-β. Chromatin IP assay of the PDGFR-β promoter upon synectin knockdown revealed a pattern of histone marks associated with decreased transcription, dependent on p300 histone acetyltransferase. Synectin knockdown was found to downregulate PDGFR-α protein levels, as well, but through an alternative mechanism: protection from autophagic degradation. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that ubiquitination of specific PDGFR-α lysine residues was responsible for its autophagic degradation. Furthermore, functional studies showed decreased PDGF-dependent migration and proliferation of HSC after synectin knockdown. Finally, human cirrhotic livers demonstrated increased synectin protein levels. This work provides insight into differential transcriptional and posttranslational mechanisms of synectin regulation of PDGFRs, which are critical to fibrogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C Drinane
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Usman Yaqoob
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Haibin Yu
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.,Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Fanghong Luo
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.,Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Thomas Greuter
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Juan P Arab
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Enis Kostallari
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Vikas K Verma
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jessica Maiers
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Thiago Milech De Assuncao
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michael Simons
- Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Debabrata Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | | | | | - Raul Urrutia
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Gwen Lomberk
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yandong Gao
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Alexander Revzin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sheng Cao
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Vijay H Shah
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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33
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Abrams SL, Ruvolo PP, Ruvolo VR, Ligresti G, Martelli AM, Cocco L, Ratti S, Tafuri A, Steelman LS, Candido S, Libra M, McCubrey JA. Targeting signaling and apoptotic pathways involved in chemotherapeutic drug-resistance of hematopoietic cells. Oncotarget 2017; 8:76525-76557. [PMID: 29100331 PMCID: PMC5652725 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical problem in leukemia as well as other cancer therapies is the development of chemotherapeutic drug-resistance. We have developed models of hematopoietic drug resistance that are based on expression of dominant-negative TP53 [TP53 (DN)] or constitutively-active MEK1 [MEK1(CA)] oncogenes in the presence of chemotherapeutic drugs. In human cancer, functional TP53 activity is often lost in human cancers. Also, activation of the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway frequently occurs due to mutations/amplification of upstream components of this and other interacting pathways. FL5.12 is an interleukin-3 (IL−3) dependent hematopoietic cell line that is sensitive to doxorubicin (a.k.a Adriamycin). FL/Doxo is a derivative cell line that was isolated by culturing the parental FL5.12 cells in doxorubicin for prolonged periods of time. FL/Doxo + TP53 (DN) and FL/Doxo + MEK1 (CA) are FL/Doxo derivate cell lines that were infected with retrovirus encoding TP53 (DN) or MEK1 (CA) and are more resistant to doxorubicin than FL/Doxo cells. This panel of cell lines displayed differences in the sensitivity to inhibitors that suppress mTORC1, BCL2/BCLXL, MEK1 or MDM2 activities, as well as, the proteasomal inhibitor MG132. The expression of key genes involved in cell growth and drug-resistance (e.g., MDM2, MDR1, BAX) also varied in these cells. Thus, we can begin to understand some of the key genes that are involved in the resistance of hematopoietic cells to chemotherapeutic drugs and targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen L Abrams
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Peter P Ruvolo
- Section of Signal Transduction and Apoptosis, Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, USA.,Current/Present address: Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vivian R Ruvolo
- Section of Signal Transduction and Apoptosis, Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, USA.,Current/Present address: Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Pathology and Oncology Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.,Current/Present address: Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Alberto M Martelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lucio Cocco
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefano Ratti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Agostino Tafuri
- Hematology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Linda S Steelman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Saverio Candido
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Pathology and Oncology Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Pathology and Oncology Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - James A McCubrey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
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34
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Dang LTH, Aburatani T, Marsh GA, Johnson BG, Alimperti S, Yoon CJ, Huang A, Szak S, Nakagawa N, Gomez I, Ren S, Read SK, Sparages C, Aplin AC, Nicosia RF, Chen C, Ligresti G, Duffield JS. Hyperactive FOXO1 results in lack of tip stalk identity and deficient microvascular regeneration during kidney injury. Biomaterials 2017; 141:314-329. [PMID: 28711779 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Loss of the microvascular (MV) network results in tissue ischemia, loss of tissue function, and is a hallmark of chronic diseases. The incorporation of a functional vascular network with that of the host remains a challenge to utilizing engineered tissues in clinically relevant therapies. We showed that vascular-bed-specific endothelial cells (ECs) exhibit differing angiogenic capacities, with kidney microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) being the most deficient, and sought to explore the underlying mechanism. Constitutive activation of the phosphatase PTEN in kidney MVECs resulted in impaired PI3K/AKT activity in response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Suppression of PTEN in vivo resulted in microvascular regeneration, but was insufficient to improve tissue function. Promoter analysis of the differentially regulated genes in KMVECs suggests that the transcription factor FOXO1 is highly active and RNAseq analysis revealed that hyperactive FOXO1 inhibits VEGF-Notch-dependent tip-cell formation by direct and indirect inhibition of DLL4 expression in response to VEGF. Inhibition of FOXO1 enhanced angiogenesis in human bio-engineered capillaries, and resulted in microvascular regeneration and improved function in mouse models of injury-repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan T H Dang
- Research & Development, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Takahide Aburatani
- Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine & Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA; Institute of Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Angela Huang
- Research & Development, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Suzanne Szak
- Research & Development, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Naoki Nakagawa
- Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine & Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA; Institute of Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ivan Gomez
- Research & Development, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shuyu Ren
- Research & Development, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sarah K Read
- Research & Development, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Alfred C Aplin
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Roberto F Nicosia
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chris Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, Boston University, Boston, USA
| | | | - Jeremy S Duffield
- Research & Development, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA; Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine & Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA; Institute of Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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35
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Lemos DR, Marsh G, Huang A, Campanholle G, Aburatani T, Dang L, Gomez I, Fisher K, Ligresti G, Peti-Peterdi J, Duffield JS. Maintenance of vascular integrity by pericytes is essential for normal kidney function. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2016; 311:F1230-F1242. [PMID: 27335372 PMCID: PMC5210201 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00030.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pericytes are tissue-resident mesenchymal progenitor cells anatomically associated with the vasculature that have been shown to participate in tissue regeneration. Here, we tested the hypothesis that kidney pericytes, derived from FoxD1+ mesodermal progenitors during embryogenesis, are necessary for postnatal kidney homeostasis. Diphtheria toxin delivery to FoxD1Cre::RsDTR transgenic mice resulted in selective ablation of >90% of kidney pericytes but not other cell lineages. Abrupt increases in plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and albuminuria within 96 h indicated acute kidney injury in pericyte-ablated mice. Loss of pericytes led to a rapid accumulation of neutral lipid vacuoles, swollen mitochondria, and apoptosis in tubular epithelial cells. Pericyte ablation led to endothelial cell swelling, reduced expression of vascular homeostasis markers, and peritubular capillary loss. Despite the observed injury, no signs of the acute inflammatory response were observed. Pathway enrichment analysis of genes expressed in kidney pericytes in vivo identified basement membrane proteins, angiogenic factors, and factors regulating vascular tone as major regulators of vascular function. Using novel microphysiological devices, we recapitulated human kidney peritubular capillaries coated with pericytes and showed that pericytes regulate permeability, basement membrane deposition, and microvascular tone. These findings suggest that through the active support of the microvasculature, pericytes are essential to adult kidney homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario R Lemos
- Research and Development, Biogen, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Graham Marsh
- Research and Development, Biogen, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Angela Huang
- Research and Development, Biogen, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Gabriela Campanholle
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Takahide Aburatani
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Lan Dang
- Research and Development, Biogen, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ivan Gomez
- Research and Development, Biogen, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ken Fisher
- Nortis Incorporated, Seattle, Washington; and
| | | | - Janos Peti-Peterdi
- Department of Physiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jeremy S Duffield
- Research and Development, Biogen, Cambridge, Massachusetts; .,Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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36
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Ligresti G, Nagao RJ, Xue J, Choi YJ, Xu J, Ren S, Aburatani T, Anderson SK, MacDonald JW, Bammler TK, Schwartz SM, Muczynski KA, Duffield JS, Himmelfarb J, Zheng Y. A Novel Three-Dimensional Human Peritubular Microvascular System. J Am Soc Nephrol 2015; 27:2370-81. [PMID: 26657868 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2015070747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human kidney peritubular capillaries are particularly susceptible to injury, resulting in dysregulated angiogenesis, capillary rarefaction and regression, and progressive loss of kidney function. However, little is known about the structure and function of human kidney microvasculature. Here, we isolated, purified, and characterized human kidney peritubular microvascular endothelial cells (HKMECs) and reconstituted a three-dimensional human kidney microvasculature in a flow-directed microphysiologic system. By combining epithelial cell depletion and cell culture in media with high concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor, we obtained HKMECs of high purity in large quantity. Unlike other endothelial cells, isolated HKMECs depended on high vascular endothelial growth factor concentration for survival and growth and exhibited high tubulogenic but low angiogenic potential. Furthermore, HKMECs had a different transcriptional profile. Under flow, HKMECs formed a thin fenestrated endothelium with a functional permeability barrier. In conclusion, this three-dimensional HKMEC-specific microphysiologic system recapitulates human kidney microvascular structure and function and shows phenotypic characteristics different from those of other microvascular endothelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jun Xue
- Departments of Bioengineering
| | | | - Jin Xu
- Departments of Bioengineering
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ying Zheng
- Departments of Bioengineering, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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37
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Nakagawa N, Xin C, Roach AM, Naiman N, Shankland SJ, Ligresti G, Ren S, Szak S, Gomez IG, Duffield JS. Dicer1 activity in the stromal compartment regulates nephron differentiation and vascular patterning during mammalian kidney organogenesis. Kidney Int 2015; 87:1125-40. [PMID: 25651362 PMCID: PMC4449790 DOI: 10.1038/ki.2014.406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs, activated by the enzyme Dicer1, control post-transcriptional gene expression. Dicer1 has important roles in the epithelium during nephrogenesis, but its function in stromal cells during kidney development is unknown. To study this, we inactivated Dicer1 in renal stromal cells. This resulted in hypoplastic kidneys, abnormal differentiation of the nephron tubule and vasculature, and perinatal mortality. In mutant kidneys, genes involved in stromal cell migration and activation were suppressed as were those involved in epithelial and endothelial differentiation and maturation. Consistently, polarity of the proximal tubule was incorrect, distal tubule differentiation was diminished, and elongation of Henle's loop attenuated resulting in lack of inner medulla and papilla in stroma-specific Dicer1 mutants. Glomerular maturation and capillary loop formation were abnormal, whereas peritubular capillaries, with enhanced branching and increased diameter, formed later. In Dicer1-null renal stromal cells, expression of factors associated with migration, proliferation, and morphogenic functions including α-smooth muscle actin, integrin-α8, -β1, and the WNT pathway transcriptional regulator LEF1 were reduced. Dicer1 mutation in stroma led to loss of expression of distinct microRNAs. Of these, miR-214, -199a-5p, and -199a-3p regulate stromal cell functions ex vivo, including WNT pathway activation, migration, and proliferation. Thus, Dicer1 activity in the renal stromal compartment regulates critical stromal cell functions that, in turn, regulate differentiation of the nephron and vasculature during nephrogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Nakagawa
- Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Cuiyan Xin
- Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Allie M Roach
- 1] Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA [2] Research and Development, Biogen Idec, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Natalie Naiman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stuart J Shankland
- 1] Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA [2] Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Giovanni Ligresti
- 1] Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA [2] Research and Development, Biogen Idec, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shuyu Ren
- 1] Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA [2] Research and Development, Biogen Idec, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Suzanne Szak
- Research and Development, Biogen Idec, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ivan G Gomez
- 1] Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA [2] Research and Development, Biogen Idec, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jeremy S Duffield
- 1] Division of Nephrology, Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA [2] Research and Development, Biogen Idec, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA [3] Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA [4] Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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38
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Kelly EJ, Wang Z, Voellinger JL, Yeung CK, Shen DD, Thummel KE, Zheng Y, Ligresti G, Eaton DL, Muczynski KA, Duffield JS, Neumann T, Tourovskaia A, Fauver M, Kramer G, Asp E, Himmelfarb J. Innovations in preclinical biology: ex vivo engineering of a human kidney tissue microperfusion system. Stem Cell Res Ther 2013; 4 Suppl 1:S17. [PMID: 24564863 PMCID: PMC4029535 DOI: 10.1186/scrt378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Kidney disease is a public health problem that affects more than 20 million people in the US adult population, yet little is understood about the impact of kidney disease on drug disposition. Consequently there is a critical need to be able to model the human kidney and other organ systems, to improve our understanding of drug efficacy, safety, and toxicity, especially during drug development. The kidneys in general, and the proximal tubule specifically, play a central role in the elimination of xenobiotics. With recent advances in molecular investigation, considerable information has been gathered regarding the substrate profiles of the individual transporters expressed in the proximal tubule. However, we have little knowledge of how these transporters coupled with intracellular enzymes and influenced by metabolic pathways form an efficient secretory and reabsorptive mechanism in the renal tubule. Proximal tubular secretion and reabsorption of xenobiotics is critically dependent on interactions with peritubular capillaries and the interstitium. We plan to robustly model the human kidney tubule interstitium, utilizing an ex vivo three-dimensional modular microphysiological system with human kidney-derived cells. The microphysiological system should accurately reflect human physiology, be usable to predict renal handling of xenobiotics, and should assess mechanisms of kidney injury, and the biological response to injury, from endogenous and exogenous intoxicants.
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Aplin AC, Ligresti G, Fogel E, Zorzi P, Smith K, Nicosia RF. Regulation of angiogenesis, mural cell recruitment and adventitial macrophage behavior by Toll-like receptors. Angiogenesis 2013; 17:147-61. [PMID: 24091496 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-013-9384-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The angiogenic response to injury can be studied by culturing rat or mouse aortic explants in collagen gels. Gene expression studies show that aortic angiogenesis is preceded by an immune reaction with overexpression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and TLR-inducible genes. TLR1, 3, and 6 are transiently upregulated at 24 h whereas TLR2, 4, and 8 expression peaks at 24 h but remains elevated during angiogenesis and vascular regression. Expression of TLR5, 7 and 9 steadily increases over time and is highest during vascular regression. Studies with isolated cells show that TLRs are expressed at higher levels in aortic macrophages compared to endothelial or mural cells with the exception of TLR2 and TLR9 which are more abundant in the aortic endothelium. LPS and other TLR ligands dose dependently stimulate angiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor production. TLR9 ligands also influence the behavior of nonendothelial cell types by blocking mural cell recruitment and inducing formation of multinucleated giant cells by macrophages. TLR9-induced mural cell depletion is associated with reduced expression of the mural cell recruiting factor PDGFB. The spontaneous angiogenic response of the aortic rings to injury is reduced in cultures from mice deficient in myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), a key adapter molecule of TLRs, and following treatment with an inhibitor of the NFκB pathway. These results suggest that the TLR system participates in the angiogenic response of the vessel wall to injury and may play an important role in the regulation of inflammatory angiogenesis in reactive and pathologic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfred C Aplin
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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40
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Campanholle G, Ligresti G, Gharib SA, Duffield JS. Cellular mechanisms of tissue fibrosis. 3. Novel mechanisms of kidney fibrosis. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2013; 304:C591-603. [PMID: 23325411 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00414.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease, defined as loss of kidney function for more than three months, is characterized pathologically by glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, peritubular capillary rarefaction, and inflammation. Recent studies have identified a previously poorly appreciated, yet extensive population of mesenchymal cells, called either pericytes when attached to peritubular capillaries or resident fibroblasts when embedded in matrix, as the progenitors of scar-forming cells known as myofibroblasts. In response to sustained kidney injury, pericytes detach from the vasculature and differentiate into myofibroblasts, a process not only causing fibrosis, but also directly contributing to capillary rarefaction and inflammation. The interrelationship of these three detrimental processes makes myofibroblasts and their pericyte progenitors an attractive target in chronic kidney disease. In this review, we describe current understanding of the mechanisms of pericyte-to-myofibroblast differentiation during chronic kidney disease, draw parallels with disease processes in the glomerulus, and highlight promising new therapeutic strategies that target pericytes or myofibroblasts. In addition, we describe the critical paracrine roles of epithelial, endothelial, and innate immune cells in the fibrogenic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Campanholle
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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41
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McCubrey JA, Steelman LS, Chappell WH, Sun L, Davis NM, Abrams SL, Franklin RA, Cocco L, Evangelisti C, Chiarini F, Martelli AM, Libra M, Candido S, Ligresti G, Malaponte G, Mazzarino MC, Fagone P, Donia M, Nicoletti F, Polesel J, Talamini R, Bäsecke J, Mijatovic S, Maksimovic-Ivanic D, Michele M, Tafuri A, Dulińska-Litewka J, Laidler P, D'Assoro AB, Drobot L, Umezawa D, Montalto G, Cervello M, Demidenko ZN. Advances in targeting signal transduction pathways. Oncotarget 2012; 3:1505-21. [PMID: 23455493 PMCID: PMC3681490 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2012] [Accepted: 12/28/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past few years, significant advances have occurred in both our understanding of the complexity of signal transduction pathways as well as the isolation of specific inhibitors which target key components in those pathways. Furthermore critical information is being accrued regarding how genetic mutations can affect the sensitivity of various types of patients to targeted therapy. Finally, genetic mechanisms responsible for the development of resistance after targeted therapy are being discovered which may allow the creation of alternative therapies to overcome resistance. This review will discuss some of the highlights over the past few years on the roles of key signaling pathways in various diseases, the targeting of signal transduction pathways and the genetic mechanisms governing sensitivity and resistance to targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A McCubrey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, USA.
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42
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McCubrey JA, Steelman LS, Abrams SL, Misaghian N, Chappell WH, Basecke J, Nicoletti F, Libra M, Ligresti G, Stivala F, Maksimovic-Ivanic D, Mijatovic S, Montalto G, Cervello M, Laidler P, Bonati A, Evangelisti C, Cocco L, Martelli AM. Targeting the cancer initiating cell: the ultimate target for cancer therapy. Curr Pharm Des 2012; 18:1784-95. [PMID: 22394167 DOI: 10.2174/138161212799859701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2011] [Accepted: 12/20/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
An area of therapeutic interest in cancer biology and treatment is targeting the cancer stem cell, more appropriately referred to as the cancer initiating cell (CIC). CICs comprise a subset of hierarchically organized, rare cancer cells with the ability to initiate cancer in xenografts in genetically modified murine models. CICs are thought to be responsible for tumor onset, self-renewal/maintenance, mutation accumulation and metastasis. CICs may lay dormant after various cancer therapies which eliminate the more rapidly proliferating bulk cancer (BC) mass. However, CICs may remerge after therapy is discontinued as they may represent cells which were either intrinsically resistant to the original therapeutic approach or they have acquired mutations which confer resistance to the primary therapy. In experimental mouse tumor transplant models, CICs have the ability to transfer the tumor to immunocompromised mice very efficiently while the BCs are not able to do so as effectively. Often CICs display increased expression of proteins involved in drug resistance and hence they are intrinsically resistant to many chemotherapeutic approaches. Furthermore, the CICs may be in a suspended state of proliferation and not sensitive to common chemotherapeutic and radiological approaches often employed to eliminate the rapidly proliferating BCs. Promising therapeutic approaches include the targeting of certain signal transduction pathways (e.g., RAC, WNT, PI3K, PML) with small molecule inhibitors or targeting specific cell-surface molecules (e.g., CD44), with effective cytotoxic antibodies. The existence of CICs could explain the high frequency of relapse and resistance to many currently used cancer therapies. New approaches should be developed to effectively target the CIC which could vastly improve cancer therapies and outcomes. This review will discuss recent concepts of targeting CICs in certain leukemia models.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A McCubrey
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
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Hafsi S, Pezzino FM, Candido S, Ligresti G, Spandidos DA, Soua Z, McCubrey JA, Travali S, Libra M. Gene alterations in the PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway as a mechanism of drug-resistance (review). Int J Oncol 2011; 40:639-44. [PMID: 22200790 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2011.1312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2011] [Accepted: 12/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The most common therapeutic approach for many cancers is chemotherapy. However, many patients relapse after treatment due to the development of chemoresistance. Recently, targeted therapies represent novel approaches to destroy cancer cells. The PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway is a key signaling pathway involved in the regulation of cell growth. Dysregulated signaling of this pathway may be associated with activating mutations of PI3K-related genes. Analyses of these mutations reveal that they increase the PI3K signal, stimulate downstream Akt signaling, promote growth factor-independent growth and increase cell invasion and metastasis. In this review, we summarize the PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway genetic alterations in cancer and their potential clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameh Hafsi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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44
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Nicosia RF, Zorzi P, Ligresti G, Morishita A, Aplin AC. Paracrine regulation of angiogenesis by different cell types in the aorta ring model. Int J Dev Biol 2011; 55:447-53. [PMID: 21858770 DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.103222rn] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The development of blood vessels during angiogenesis is the result of paracrine interactions between tube-forming endothelial cells and angiogenic factor-producing nonendothelial cells. This process can be reproduced and studied under chemically defined culture conditions by culturing vascular explants in three-dimensional gels of extracellular matrix. Rings of rat or mouse aorta cultured in collagen, fibrin or basement membrane gels produce angiogenic outgrowths composed of a mixed population of endothelial cells and nonendothelial cells. Aortic angiogenesis is regulated by endogenous angiogenic factors, inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, extracellular matrix molecules, and proteolytic enzymes produced by cells of the vessel wall in response to the injury of the dissection procedure. In this paper, we review how macrophages, mural cells and fibroblasts regulate different stages of the angiogenic process, from the formation of immature endothelial sprouts to the reabsorption of the neovessels. We also describe how aortic cultures can be used to study interactions between angiogenic outgrowths and nonvascular cell types such as bone marrow macrophages, platelets or cancer cells. Morphologic, genetic and functional studies of this model have provided invaluable information on how vessels form, mature, interact with nonvascular cell types, and are eventually reabsorbed. Further analysis of the paracrine cross-talk between aortic endothelial and nonendothelial cells is likely to provide new insights into the angiogenic process and its key mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto F Nicosia
- Veterans Administration Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.
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45
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Ligresti G, Aplin AC, Zorzi P, Morishita A, Nicosia RF. Macrophage-derived tumor necrosis factor-alpha is an early component of the molecular cascade leading to angiogenesis in response to aortic injury. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2011; 31:1151-9. [PMID: 21372301 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.111.223917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to define the role of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) in the cascade of gene activation that regulates aortic angiogenesis in response to injury. METHODS AND RESULTS Angiogenesis was studied by culturing rat or mouse aortic rings in collagen gels. Gene expression was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, microarray analysis, immunocytochemistry, and ELISA. TNFα gene disruption and recombinant TNFα or blocking antibodies against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or TNF receptors were used to investigate TNFα-mediated angiogenic mechanisms. Resident aortic macrophages were depleted with liposomal clodronate. Angiogenesis was preceded by overexpression of TNFα and TNFα-inducible genes. Studies with isolated cells showed that macrophages were the main source of TNFα. Angiogenesis, VEGF production, and macrophage outgrowth were impaired by TNFα gene disruption and promoted by exogenous TNFα. Antibody-mediated inhibition of TNF receptor 1 significantly inhibited angiogenesis. The proangiogenic effect of TNFα was suppressed by blocking VEGF or by ablating aortic macrophages. Exogenous TNFα, however, maintained a limited proangiogenic capacity in the absence of macrophages and macrophage-mediated VEGF production. CONCLUSIONS Overexpression of TNFα is required for optimal VEGF production and angiogenesis in response to injury. This TNFα/VEGF-mediated angiogenic pathway requires macrophages. The residual capacity of TNFα to stimulate angiogenesis in macrophage-depleted aortic cultures implies the existence of a VEGF-independent alternate pathway of TNFα-induced angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Ligresti
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Services, (S-113), Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, University of Washington, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
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Marastoni S, Ligresti G, Lorenzon E, Schiappacassi M, Colladel R, Colombatti A, Mongiat M. 483 Dual role of the extracellular matrix glycoprotein EMILIN2 in the tumour microenvironment. EJC Suppl 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/s1359-6349(10)71284-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Castellano G, Torrisi E, Ligresti G, Nicoletti F, Malaponte G, Traval S, McCubrey JA, Canevari S, Libra M. Yin Yang 1 overexpression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is associated with B-cell transformation and tumor progression. Cell Cycle 2010; 9:557-63. [PMID: 20081364 DOI: 10.4161/cc.9.3.10554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Yin Yang 1 (YY1), a multifunctional transcription factor, has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of several cancer types. However, its role in hematological malignancies has not yet been fully investigated. In the present study, using computational methods, we showed that YY1 transcript levels were significantly increased in the high-grade lymphomas, including Burkitt's lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), compared with those of both low-grade lymphomas and normal B-cells. The significant increase in gene expression resulted in a significant increase also at protein level in three NHL cell lines. The association of YY1 expression with some clinical-pathological features in DLBCL showed a positive correlation between a high level of YY1 mRNA and high levels of BCL-6 protein. Moreover, by analyzing the large series of DLBCL in the Hummel dataset, we identified the transcription factor PAX-5 among the top 50 genes positively correlated with YY1. These findings are also supported by the biological network analysis in which the top network, with the highest score, associated with YY1 expression levels in DLBCL is cellular movement, hematological system development and function, and immune response. overall these data suggest that YY1 is involved in B cells transformation which gives rise to high-grade lymphomas through a dysregulation in the normal development of B cells affecting cell cycle and cellular motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Castellano
- Unit of Molecular Therapies, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
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48
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Castellano G, Torrisi E, Ligresti G, Malaponte G, Militello L, Russo AE, McCubrey JA, Canevari S, Libra M. The involvement of the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 in cancer development and progression. Cell Cycle 2009; 8:1367-72. [PMID: 19342874 DOI: 10.4161/cc.8.9.8314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The Yin Yang 1 (YY1) transcription factor has a pivotal role in normal biological processes such as development, differentiation, replication and cell proliferation exerting its effects on a huge number of genes involved in these processes. Mechanisms of YY1 action are related to its ability to initiate, activate, or repress transcription depending upon the context in which it binds. The role of YY1 played in cancer has been recently explored. This article summarizes the most relevant studies focused on YY1 regulation and dwells on the way how its overexpression may affect the clinical behavior of several cancer types. Furthermore, the contribution of the upregulation of YY1 exerted in response to therapeutic-induced apoptosis is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Castellano
- Unit of Molecular Therapies, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
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Ligresti G, Militello L, Steelman LS, Cavallaro A, Basile F, Nicoletti F, Stivala F, McCubrey JA, Libra M. PIK3CA mutations in human solid tumors: role in sensitivity to various therapeutic approaches. Cell Cycle 2009; 8:1352-8. [PMID: 19305151 DOI: 10.4161/cc.8.9.8255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are a group of lipid kinases that regulate signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, adhesion, survival and motility. The PI3K pathway is considered to play an important role in tumorigenesis. Activating mutations of the p110alpha subunit of PI3K (PIK3CA) have been identified in a broad spectrum of tumors. Analyses of PIK3CA mutations reveals that they increase the PI3K signal, stimulate downstream Akt signaling, promote growth factor-independent growth and increase cell invasion and metastasis. In this review, we analyze the contribution of the PIK3CA mutations in cancer, and their possible implications for diagnosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Ligresti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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50
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Misaghian N, Ligresti G, Steelman LS, Bertrand FE, Bäsecke J, Libra M, Nicoletti F, Stivala F, Milella M, Tafuri A, Cervello M, Martelli AM, McCubrey JA. Targeting the leukemic stem cell: the Holy Grail of leukemia therapy. Leukemia 2008; 23:25-42. [PMID: 18800146 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2008.246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Since the discovery of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) over a decade ago, many of their critical biological properties have been elucidated, including their distinct replicative properties, cell surface phenotypes, their increased resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and the involvement of growth-promoting chromosomal translocations. Of particular importance is their ability to transfer malignancy to non-obese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficient (NOD-SCID) mice. Furthermore, numerous studies demonstrate that acute myeloid leukemia arises from mutations at the level of stem cell, and chronic myeloid leukemia is also a stem cell disease. In this review, we will evaluate the main characteristics of LSCs elucidated in several well-documented leukemias. In addition, we will discuss points of therapeutic intervention. Promising therapeutic approaches include the targeting of key signal transduction pathways (for example, PI3K, Rac and Wnt) with small-molecule inhibitors and specific cell surface molecules (for example, CD33, CD44 and CD123), with effective cytotoxic antibodies. Also, statins, which are already widely therapeutically used for a variety of diseases, show potential in targeting LSCs. In addition, drugs that inhibit ATP-binding cassette transporter proteins are being extensively studied, as they are important in drug resistance-a frequent characteristic of LSCs. Although the specific targeting of LSCs is a relatively new field, it is a highly promising battleground that may reveal the Holy Grail of cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Misaghian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
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