151
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The bright side of fibroblasts: molecular signature and regenerative cues in major organs. NPJ Regen Med 2021; 6:43. [PMID: 34376677 PMCID: PMC8355260 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-021-00153-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrosis is a pathologic process characterized by the replacement of parenchymal tissue by large amounts of extracellular matrix, which may lead to organ dysfunction and even death. Fibroblasts are classically associated to fibrosis and tissue repair, and seldom to regeneration. However, accumulating evidence supports a pro-regenerative role of fibroblasts in different organs. While some organs rely on fibroblasts for maintaining stem cell niches, others depend on fibroblast activity, particularly on secreted molecules that promote cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation, to guide the regenerative process. Herein we provide an up-to-date overview of fibroblast-derived regenerative signaling across different organs and discuss how this capacity may become compromised with aging. We further introduce a new paradigm for regenerative therapies based on reverting adult fibroblasts to a fetal/neonatal-like phenotype.
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152
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Lagares D, Hinz B. Animal and Human Models of Tissue Repair and Fibrosis: An Introduction. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2299:277-290. [PMID: 34028750 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1382-5_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Reductionist cell culture systems are not only convenient but essential to understand molecular mechanisms of myofibroblast activation and action in carefully controlled conditions. However, tissue myofibroblasts do not act in isolation and the complexity of tissue repair and fibrosis in humans cannot be captured even by the most elaborate culture models. Over the past five decades, numerous animal models have been developed to study different aspects of myofibroblast biology and interactions with other cells and extracellular matrix. The underlying principles can be broadly classified into: (1) organ injury by trauma such as prototypical full thickness skin wounds or burns; (2) mechanical challenges, such as pressure overload of the heart by ligature of the aorta or the pulmonary vein; (3) toxic injury, such as administration of bleomycin to lungs and carbon tetrachloride to the liver; (4) organ infection with viruses, bacteria, and parasites, such as nematode infections of liver; (5) cytokine and inflammatory models, including local delivery or viral overexpression of active transforming growth factor beta; (6) "lifestyle" and metabolic models such as high-fat diet; and (7) various genetic models. We will briefly summarize the most widely used mouse models used to study myofibroblasts in tissue repair and fibrosis as well as genetic tools for manipulating myofibroblast repair functions in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Lagares
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Fibrosis Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Boris Hinz
- Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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153
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Johnson ND, Wu X, Still CD, Chu X, Petrick AT, Gerhard GS, Conneely KN, DiStefano JK. Differential DNA methylation and changing cell-type proportions as fibrotic stage progresses in NAFLD. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:152. [PMID: 34353365 PMCID: PMC8340447 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01129-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by changes in cell composition that occur throughout disease pathogenesis, which includes the development of fibrosis in a subset of patients. DNA methylation (DNAm) is a plausible mechanism underlying these shifts, considering that DNAm profiles differ across tissues and cell types, and DNAm may play a role in cell-type differentiation. Previous work investigating the relationship between DNAm and fibrosis in NAFLD has been limited by sample size and the number of CpG sites interrogated. RESULTS Here, we performed an epigenome-wide analysis using Infinium MethylationEPIC array data from 325 individuals with NAFLD, including 119 with severe fibrosis and 206 with no histological evidence of fibrosis. After adjustment for latent confounders, we identified 7 CpG sites whose DNAm associated with fibrosis (p < 5.96 × 10-8). Analysis of RNA-seq data collected from a subset of individuals (N = 56) revealed that gene expression at 288 genes associated with DNAm at one or more of the 7 fibrosis-related CpGs. DNAm-based estimates of cell-type proportions showed that estimated proportions of natural killer cells increased, while epithelial cell proportions decreased with disease stage. Finally, we used an elastic net regression model to assess DNAm as a biomarker of fibrotic stage and found that our model predicted fibrosis with a sensitivity of 0.93 and provided information beyond a model based solely on cell-type proportions. CONCLUSION These findings are consistent with DNAm as a mechanism underpinning or marking fibrosis-related shifts in cell composition and demonstrate the potential of DNAm as a possible biomarker of NAFLD fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D Johnson
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Xiumei Wu
- Diabetes and Fibrotic Disease Unit, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | | | - Xin Chu
- Geisinger Obesity Institute, Danville, PA, USA
| | | | - Glenn S Gerhard
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Karen N Conneely
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Johanna K DiStefano
- Diabetes and Fibrotic Disease Unit, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
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154
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Liver-fibrosis-activated transcriptional networks govern hepatocyte reprogramming and intra-hepatic communication. Cell Metab 2021; 33:1685-1700.e9. [PMID: 34237252 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a strong predictor of long-term mortality in individuals with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease; yet, the mechanisms underlying the progression from the comparatively benign fatty liver state to advanced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis are incompletely understood. Using cell-type-resolved genomics, we show that comprehensive alterations in hepatocyte genomic and transcriptional settings during NASH progression, led to a loss of hepatocyte identity. The hepatocyte reprogramming was under tight cooperative control of a network of fibrosis-activated transcription factors, as exemplified by the transcription factor Elf-3 (ELF3) and zinc finger protein GLIS2 (GLIS2). Indeed, ELF3- and GLIS2-controlled fibrosis-dependent hepatokine genes targeting disease-associated hepatic stellate cell gene programs. Thus, interconnected transcription factor networks not only promoted hepatocyte dysfunction but also directed the intra-hepatic crosstalk necessary for NASH and fibrosis progression, implying that molecular "hub-centered" targeting strategies are superior to existing mono-target approaches as currently used in NASH therapy.
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155
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Ma L, Khatib S, Craig AJ, Wang XW. Toward a Liver Cell Atlas: Understanding Liver Biology in Health and Disease at Single-Cell Resolution. Semin Liver Dis 2021; 41:321-330. [PMID: 34130336 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1729970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell technologies are revolutionizing our understanding of cellular heterogeneity and functional diversity in health and disease. Here, we review the current knowledge and advances in liver biology using single-cell approaches. We focus on the landscape of the composition and the function of cells in a healthy liver in the context of its spatial organization. We also highlight the alterations of the molecular landscape in chronic liver disease and liver cancer, which includes the identification of disease-related cell types, altered cellular functions, dynamic cell-cell interactions, the plasticity of malignant cells, the collective behavior of a cell community, and microenvironmental reprogramming. We anticipate that the uncovered liver cell atlas will help deciphering the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving a healthy liver into a disease state. It also offers insight into the detection of new therapeutic targets and paves the way for effective disease interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lichun Ma
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Subreen Khatib
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Amanda J Craig
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Xin Wei Wang
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.,Liver Cancer Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
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156
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Rosenthal SB, Liu X, Ganguly S, Dhar D, Pasillas MP, Ricciardelli E, Li RZ, Troutman TD, Kisseleva T, Glass CK, Brenner DA. Heterogeneity of HSCs in a Mouse Model of NASH. Hepatology 2021; 74:667-685. [PMID: 33550587 PMCID: PMC8346581 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In clinical and experimental NASH, the origin of the scar-forming myofibroblast is the HSC. We used foz/foz mice on a Western diet to characterize in detail the phenotypic changes of HSCs in a NASH model. APPROACH AND RESULTS We examined the single-cell expression profiles (scRNA sequencing) of HSCs purified from the normal livers of foz/foz mice on a chow diet, in NASH with fibrosis of foz/foz mice on a Western diet, and in livers during regression of NASH after switching back to a chow diet. Selected genes were analyzed using immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time PCR, and short hairpin RNA knockdown in primary mouse HSCs. Our analysis of the normal liver identified two distinct clusters of quiescent HSCs that correspond to their acinar position of either pericentral vein or periportal vein. The NASH livers had four distinct HSC clusters, including one representing the classic fibrogenic myofibroblast. The three other HSC clusters consisted of a proliferating cluster, an intermediate activated cluster, and an immune and inflammatory cluster. The livers with NASH regression had one cluster of inactivated HSCs, which was similar to, but distinct from, the quiescent HSCs. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing in combination with an interrogation of previous studies revealed an unanticipated heterogeneity of HSC phenotypes under normal and injured states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Brin Rosenthal
- Center for Computational Biology and BioinformaticsUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA.,Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA
| | - Xiao Liu
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA.,Department of SurgeryUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA
| | | | - Debanjan Dhar
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA
| | - Martina P Pasillas
- Department of Cellular and Molecular MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA
| | | | - Rick Z Li
- Department of Cellular and Molecular MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA
| | - Ty D Troutman
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA
| | | | - Christopher K Glass
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA.,Department of Cellular and Molecular MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA
| | - David A Brenner
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCA
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157
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Carter J, Wang S, Friedman SL. Ten Thousand Points of Light: Heterogeneity Among the Stars of NASH Fibrosis. Hepatology 2021; 74:543-546. [PMID: 33724489 PMCID: PMC8390430 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- James Carter
- Division of Liver DiseasesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNY
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158
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Cordero-Espinoza L, Dowbaj AM, Kohler TN, Strauss B, Sarlidou O, Belenguer G, Pacini C, Martins NP, Dobie R, Wilson-Kanamori JR, Butler R, Prior N, Serup P, Jug F, Henderson NC, Hollfelder F, Huch M. Dynamic cell contacts between periportal mesenchyme and ductal epithelium act as a rheostat for liver cell proliferation. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:1907-1921.e8. [PMID: 34343491 PMCID: PMC8577825 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the liver, ductal cells rarely proliferate during homeostasis but do so transiently after tissue injury. These cells can be expanded as organoids that recapitulate several of the cell-autonomous mechanisms of regeneration but lack the stromal interactions of the native tissue. Here, using organoid co-cultures that recapitulate the ductal-to-mesenchymal cell architecture of the portal tract, we demonstrate that a subpopulation of mouse periportal mesenchymal cells exerts dual control on proliferation of the epithelium. Ductal cell proliferation is either induced and sustained or, conversely, completely abolished, depending on the number of direct mesenchymal cell contacts, through a mechanism mediated, at least in part, by Notch signaling. Our findings expand the concept of the cellular niche in epithelial tissues, whereby not only soluble factors but also cell-cell contacts are the key regulatory cues involved in the control of cellular behaviors, suggesting a critical role for cell-cell contacts during regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Cordero-Espinoza
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Anna M Dowbaj
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Timo N Kohler
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Bernhard Strauss
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Olga Sarlidou
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - German Belenguer
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Clare Pacini
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Nuno P Martins
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Ross Dobie
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - John R Wilson-Kanamori
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Richard Butler
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Nicole Prior
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Palle Serup
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Florian Jug
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Neil C Henderson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK; MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Meritxell Huch
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden 01307, Germany.
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159
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Richter ML, Deligiannis IK, Yin K, Danese A, Lleshi E, Coupland P, Vallejos CA, Matchett KP, Henderson NC, Colome-Tatche M, Martinez-Jimenez CP. Single-nucleus RNA-seq2 reveals functional crosstalk between liver zonation and ploidy. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4264. [PMID: 34253736 PMCID: PMC8275628 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24543-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA-seq reveals the role of pathogenic cell populations in development and progression of chronic diseases. In order to expand our knowledge on cellular heterogeneity, we have developed a single-nucleus RNA-seq2 method tailored for the comprehensive analysis of the nuclear transcriptome from frozen tissues, allowing the dissection of all cell types present in the liver, regardless of cell size or cellular fragility. We use this approach to characterize the transcriptional profile of individual hepatocytes with different levels of ploidy, and have discovered that ploidy states are associated with different metabolic potential, and gene expression in tetraploid mononucleated hepatocytes is conditioned by their position within the hepatic lobule. Our work reveals a remarkable crosstalk between gene dosage and spatial distribution of hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Richter
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus (HPC), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - I K Deligiannis
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus (HPC), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - K Yin
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus (HPC), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Robinson Way, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - A Danese
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - E Lleshi
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Robinson Way, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - P Coupland
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Robinson Way, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - C A Vallejos
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - K P Matchett
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - N C Henderson
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - M Colome-Tatche
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.
- TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - C P Martinez-Jimenez
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus (HPC), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.
- TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
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160
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Ruan B, Duan JL, Xu H, Tao KS, Han H, Dou GR, Wang L. Capillarized Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells Undergo Partial Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition to Actively Deposit Sinusoidal ECM in Liver Fibrosis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:671081. [PMID: 34277612 PMCID: PMC8285099 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.671081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissue-specific endothelial cells are more than simply a barrier lining capillaries and are proved to be capable of remarkable plasticity to become active collagen matrix-producing myofibroblasts (MFs) in solid organs with fibrosis. Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) also participate in the development of hepatic fibrosis, but the exact roles and underlying mechanism have been poorly understood in addition to capillarization. In this study, we demonstrate, by using single-cell RNA sequencing, lineage tracing, and colocalization analysis, that fibrotic LSECs undergo partial endothelial mesenchymal transition (EndMT) with a subset of LSECs acquiring an MF-like phenotype. These phenotypic changes make LSECs substantial producers of extracellular matrix (ECM) preferentially deposited in liver sinusoids but not septal/portal scars as demonstrated by immunofluorescence in animal models and patients with fibrosis/cirrhosis, likely due to their limited migration. Bioinformatic analysis verifies that LSECs undergo successive phenotypic transitions from capillarization to mesenchymal-like cells in liver fibrosis. Furthermore, blockade of LSEC capillarization by using YC-1, a selective eNOS-sGC activator, effectively attenuates liver damage and fibrogenesis as well as mesenchymal features of LSECs, suggesting that capillarization of LSECs might be upstream to their mesenchymal transition during fibrosis. In conclusion, we report that capillarized LSECs undergo a partial EndMT characterized by increased ECM production without activating cell mobility, leading to perisinusoidal ECM deposition that aggravate liver function and fibrogenesis. Targeting this transitional process may be of great value for antifibrotic treatment of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bai Ruan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Aviation Medicine, Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Juan-Li Duan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hao Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Kai-Shan Tao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hua Han
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guo-Rui Dou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xi-Jing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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161
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Derk J, Jones HE, Como C, Pawlikowski B, Siegenthaler JA. Living on the Edge of the CNS: Meninges Cell Diversity in Health and Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:703944. [PMID: 34276313 PMCID: PMC8281977 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.703944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The meninges are the fibrous covering of the central nervous system (CNS) which contain vastly heterogeneous cell types within its three layers (dura, arachnoid, and pia). The dural compartment of the meninges, closest to the skull, is predominantly composed of fibroblasts, but also includes fenestrated blood vasculature, an elaborate lymphatic system, as well as immune cells which are distinct from the CNS. Segregating the outer and inner meningeal compartments is the epithelial-like arachnoid barrier cells, connected by tight and adherens junctions, which regulate the movement of pathogens, molecules, and cells into and out of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and brain parenchyma. Most proximate to the brain is the collagen and basement membrane-rich pia matter that abuts the glial limitans and has recently be shown to have regional heterogeneity within the developing mouse brain. While the meninges were historically seen as a purely structural support for the CNS and protection from trauma, the emerging view of the meninges is as an essential interface between the CNS and the periphery, critical to brain development, required for brain homeostasis, and involved in a variety of diseases. In this review, we will summarize what is known regarding the development, specification, and maturation of the meninges during homeostatic conditions and discuss the rapidly emerging evidence that specific meningeal cell compartments play differential and important roles in the pathophysiology of a myriad of diseases including: multiple sclerosis, dementia, stroke, viral/bacterial meningitis, traumatic brain injury, and cancer. We will conclude with a list of major questions and mechanisms that remain unknown, the study of which represent new, future directions for the field of meninges biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Derk
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Hannah E. Jones
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
- Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development Graduate Program, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Christina Como
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Bradley Pawlikowski
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Julie A. Siegenthaler
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
- Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development Graduate Program, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
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162
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Qu C, He L, Yao N, Li J, Jiang Y, Li B, Peng S, Hu K, Chen D, Chen G, Huang W, Cao M, Fan J, Yuan Y, Ye W, Hong J. Myofibroblast-Specific Msi2 Knockout Inhibits HCC Progression in a Mouse Model. Hepatology 2021; 74:458-473. [PMID: 33609283 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Myofibroblasts play a pivotal role in the development and progression of HCC. Here, we aimed to explore the role and mechanism of myofibroblast Musashi RNA binding protein 2 (MSI2) in HCC progression. APPROACH AND RESULTS Myofibroblast infiltration and collagen deposition were detected and assessed in the tissues from 117 patients with HCC. Transgenic mice (Msi2ΔCol1a1 ) with floxed Msi2 allele and collagen type I alpha 1 chain (Col1a1)-ligand inducible Cre recombinases (CreER) were constructed to generate a myofibroblast-specific Msi2 knockout model. Mouse HCC cells were orthotopically transplanted into the Msi2ΔCol1a1 or the control mice (Msi2F/F ). We found that the deposition of collagen fibers, the main product of myofibroblasts, predicted a poor prognosis for HCC; meanwhile, we detected high MSI2 expression in the peritumoral infiltrated myofibroblasts. Conditional deletion of Msi2 in myofibroblasts significantly inhibited the growth of orthotopically implanted HCC, reduced both intrahepatic and lung metastasis, and prolonged the overall survival of tumor-bearing mice (P = 0.002). In vitro analysis demonstrated that myofibroblasts promoted cell proliferation, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of HCC cells, whereas Msi2 deletion in myofibroblasts reversed these effects. Mechanically, Msi2 knockout decreased myofibroblast-derived IL-6 and IL-11 secretion by inhibiting the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway, and thus attenuated the cancer stem cell-promoting effect of myofibroblasts. Interestingly, we found that the simultaneous knockout of Msi2 in myofibroblasts and knockdown of Msi2 in HCC cells could not further attenuate the implanted HCC progression. CONCLUSIONS Myofibroblast-specific Msi2 knockout abrogated the tumor-promoting function of myofibroblasts and inhibited HCC progression in mouse models. Targeting myofibroblast MSI2 expression may therefore prove to be a therapeutic strategy for HCC treatment in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Qu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu He
- Department of Radiotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nan Yao
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinying Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuchuan Jiang
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Binkui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuang Peng
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kunpeng Hu
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guo Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingrong Cao
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Fan
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunfei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wencai Ye
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Hong
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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163
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Shen YC, Shami AN, Moritz L, Larose H, Manske GL, Ma Q, Zheng X, Sukhwani M, Czerwinski M, Sultan C, Chen H, Gurczynski SJ, Spence JR, Orwig KE, Tallquist M, Li JZ, Hammoud SS. TCF21 + mesenchymal cells contribute to testis somatic cell development, homeostasis, and regeneration in mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3876. [PMID: 34162856 PMCID: PMC8222243 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24130-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Testicular development and function rely on interactions between somatic cells and the germline, but similar to other organs, regenerative capacity declines in aging and disease. Whether the adult testis maintains a reserve progenitor population remains uncertain. Here, we characterize a recently identified mouse testis interstitial population expressing the transcription factor Tcf21. We found that TCF21lin cells are bipotential somatic progenitors present in fetal testis and ovary, maintain adult testis homeostasis during aging, and act as potential reserve somatic progenitors following injury. In vitro, TCF21lin cells are multipotent mesenchymal progenitors which form multiple somatic lineages including Leydig and myoid cells. Additionally, TCF21+ cells resemble resident fibroblast populations reported in other organs having roles in tissue homeostasis, fibrosis, and regeneration. Our findings reveal that the testis, like other organs, maintains multipotent mesenchymal progenitors that can be potentially leveraged in development of future therapies for hypoandrogenism and/or infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chi Shen
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Lindsay Moritz
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hailey Larose
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gabriel L Manske
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Qianyi Ma
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Xianing Zheng
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Meena Sukhwani
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Integrative Systems Biology Graduate Program, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael Czerwinski
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Caleb Sultan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Haolin Chen
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, John Hopkins, USA
| | | | - Jason R Spence
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kyle E Orwig
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Integrative Systems Biology Graduate Program, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michelle Tallquist
- University of Hawaii, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Jun Z Li
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Saher Sue Hammoud
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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164
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Pradhan RN, Krishnamurty AT, Fletcher AL, Turley SJ, Müller S. A bird's eye view of fibroblast heterogeneity: A pan-disease, pan-cancer perspective. Immunol Rev 2021; 302:299-320. [PMID: 34164824 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblasts, custodians of tissue architecture and function, are no longer considered a monolithic entity across tissues and disease indications. Recent advances in single-cell technologies provide an unrestricted, high-resolution view of fibroblast heterogeneity that exists within and across tissues. In this review, we summarize a compendium of single-cell transcriptomic studies and provide a comprehensive accounting of fibroblast subsets, many of which have been described to occupy specific niches in tissues at homeostatic and pathologic states. Understanding this heterogeneity is particularly important in the context of cancer, as the diverse cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotypes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are directly impacted by the expression phenotypes of their predecessors. Relationships between these heterogeneous populations often accompany and influence response to therapy in cancer and fibrosis. We further highlight the importance of integrating single-cell studies to deduce common fibroblast phenotypes across disease states, which will facilitate the identification of common signaling pathways, gene regulatory programs, and cell surface markers that are going to advance drug discovery and targeting.
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165
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Yu J, Zhu C, Wang X, Kim K, Bartolome A, Dongiovanni P, Yates KP, Valenti L, Carrer M, Sadowski T, Qiang L, Tabas I, Lavine JE, Pajvani UB. Hepatocyte TLR4 triggers inter-hepatocyte Jagged1/Notch signaling to determine NASH-induced fibrosis. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabe1692. [PMID: 34162749 PMCID: PMC8792974 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abe1692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant hepatocyte Notch activity is critical to the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-induced liver fibrosis, but mechanisms underlying Notch reactivation in developed liver are unclear. Here, we identified that increased expression of the Notch ligand Jagged1 (JAG1) tracked with Notch activation and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score (NAS) in human liver biopsy specimens and mouse NASH models. The increase in Jag1 was mediated by hepatocyte Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling in pericentral hepatocytes. Hepatocyte-specific Jag1 overexpression exacerbated fibrosis in mice fed a high-fat diet or a NASH-provoking diet rich in palmitate, cholesterol, and sucrose and reversed the protection afforded by hepatocyte-specific TLR4 deletion, whereas hepatocyte-specific Jag1 knockout mice were protected from NASH-induced liver fibrosis. To test therapeutic potential of this biology, we designed a Jag1-directed antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) and a hepatocyte-specific N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-modified siRNA, both of which reduced NASH diet-induced liver fibrosis in mice. Overall, these data demonstrate that increased hepatocyte Jagged1 is the proximal hit for Notch-induced liver fibrosis in mice and suggest translational potential of Jagged1 inhibitors in patients with NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Yu
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Changyu Zhu
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - KyeongJin Kim
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Alberto Bartolome
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Paola Dongiovanni
- General Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Katherine P Yates
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Luca Valenti
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan 20122, Italy
- Translational Medicine, Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan 20122, Italy
| | | | | | - Li Qiang
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ira Tabas
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Physiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Joel E Lavine
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Utpal B Pajvani
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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166
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Lua I, Balog S, Yanagi A, Tateno C, Asahina K. Loss of lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 in hepatocytes reduces steatosis via down-regulation of CD36. Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat 2021; 156:106577. [PMID: 34147666 DOI: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2021.106577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is a major public health concern and is characterized by the accumulation of triglyceride in hepatocytes and inflammation in the liver. Steatosis is caused by dysregulation of the influx and efflux of lipids, lipogenesis, and mitochondrial β-oxidation. Extracellular lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) regulates a broad range of cellular processes in development, tissue injury, and cancer. In the present study, we examined the roles of LPA in steatohepatitis induced by a methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet in mice. Hepatocytes express LPA receptor (Lpar) 1-3 mRNAs. Steatosis developed in mice fed the MCD diet was reduced by treatment with inhibitors for pan-LPAR or LPAR1. Hepatocyte-specific deletion of the Lpar1 gene also reduced the steatosis in the MCD model. Deletion of the Lpar1 gene in hepatocytes reduced expression of Cd36, a gene encoding a fatty acid transporter. Although LPA/LPAR1 signaling induces expression of Srebp1 mRNA in hepatocytes, LPA does not fully induce expression of SREBP1-target genes involved in lipogenesis. Human hepatocytes repopulated in chimeric mice are known to develop steatosis and treatment with an LPAR1 inhibitor reduces expression of CD36 mRNA and steatosis. Our data indicate that antagonism of LPAR1 reduces steatosis in mouse and human hepatocytes by down-regulation of Cd36.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Lua
- The Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis, Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, 90033, United States
| | - Steven Balog
- The Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis, Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, 90033, United States
| | - Ami Yanagi
- Department of Research and Development, PhoenixBio Co., Ltd., Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-0046, Japan
| | - Chise Tateno
- Department of Research and Development, PhoenixBio Co., Ltd., Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-0046, Japan
| | - Kinji Asahina
- The Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis, Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, 90033, United States.
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167
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Cross-talk between hepatic stellate cells and T lymphocytes in liver fibrosis. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2021; 20:207-214. [PMID: 33972160 DOI: 10.1016/j.hbpd.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fibrosis results from inflammation and healing following injury. The imbalance between extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion and degradation leads to the ECM accumulation and liver fibrosis. This process is regulated by immune cells. T lymphocytes, including alpha beta (αβ) T cells, which have adaptive immune functions, and gamma delta (γδ) T cells, which have innate immune functions, are considered regulators of liver fibrosis. This review aimed to present the current understanding of the cross-talk between T lymphocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which are the key cells in liver fibrosis. DATA SOURCES The keywords "liver fibrosis", "immune", and "T cells" were used to retrieve articles published in PubMed database before January 31, 2020. RESULTS The ratio of CD8+ (suppressor) T cells to CD4+ (helper) T cells is significantly higher in the liver than in the peripheral blood. T cells secrete a series of cytokines and chemokines to regulate the inflammation in the liver and the activation of HSCs to influence the course of liver fibrosis. In addition, HSCs also regulate the differentiation and proliferation of T cells. CONCLUSIONS The cross-talk between T cells and HSCs regulates liver fibrosis progression. The elucidation of this communication process will help us to understand the pathological process of liver fibrosis.
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168
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Ahmed O, Robinson MW, O'Farrelly C. Inflammatory processes in the liver: divergent roles in homeostasis and pathology. Cell Mol Immunol 2021; 18:1375-1386. [PMID: 33864004 PMCID: PMC8166849 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-021-00639-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The hepatic immune system is designed to tolerate diverse harmless foreign moieties to maintain homeostasis in the healthy liver. Constant priming and regulation ensure that appropriate immune activation occurs when challenged by pathogens and tissue damage. Failure to accurately discriminate, regulate, or effectively resolve inflammation offsets this balance, jeopardizing overall tissue health resulting from an either overly tolerant or an overactive inflammatory response. Compelling scientific and clinical evidence links dysregulated hepatic immune and inflammatory responses upon sterile injury to several pathological conditions in the liver, particularly nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Murine and human studies have described interactions between diverse immune repertoires and nonhematopoietic cell populations in both physiological and pathological activities in the liver, although the molecular mechanisms driving these associations are not clearly understood. Here, we review the dynamic roles of inflammatory mediators in responses to sterile injury in the context of homeostasis and disease, the clinical implications of dysregulated hepatic immune activity and therapeutic developments to regulate liver-specific immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ola Ahmed
- School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mark W Robinson
- Department of Biology, Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Cliona O'Farrelly
- School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- School of Biochemistry & Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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169
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Sbierski-Kind J, Mroz N, Molofsky AB. Perivascular stromal cells: Directors of tissue immune niches. Immunol Rev 2021; 302:10-31. [PMID: 34075598 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Perivascular niches are specialized microenvironments where stromal and immune cells interact with vasculature to monitor tissue status. Adventitial perivascular niches surround larger blood vessels and other boundary sites, supporting collections of immune cells, stromal cells, lymphatics, and neurons. Adventitial fibroblasts (AFs), a subtype of mesenchymal stromal cell, are the dominant constituents in adventitial spaces, regulating vascular integrity while organizing the accumulation and activation of a variety of interacting immune cells. In contrast, pericytes are stromal mural cells that support microvascular capillaries and surround organ-specific parenchymal cells. Here, we outline the unique immune and non-immune composition of perivascular tissue immune niches, with an emphasis on the heterogeneity and immunoregulatory functions of AFs and pericytes across diverse organs. We will discuss how perivascular stromal cells contribute to the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses and integrate immunological signals to impact tissue health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Sbierski-Kind
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas Mroz
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ari B Molofsky
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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170
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Abstract
The Notch signalling pathway is one of the main regulators of endothelial biology. In the last 20 years the critical function of Notch has been uncovered in the context of angiogenesis, participating in tip-stalk specification, arterial-venous differentiation, vessel stabilization, and maturation processes. Importantly, pharmacological compounds targeting distinct members of the Notch signalling pathway have been used in the clinics for cancer therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms that support the variety of outcomes triggered by Notch in apparently opposite contexts such as angiogenesis and vascular homeostasis remain unknown. In recent years, advances in -omics technologies together with mosaic analysis and high molecular, cellular and temporal resolution studies have allowed a better understanding of the mechanisms driven by the Notch signalling pathway in different endothelial contexts. In this review we will focus on the main findings that revisit the role of Notch signalling in vascular biology. We will also discuss potential future directions and technologies that will shed light on the puzzling role of Notch during endothelial growth and homeostasis. Addressing these open questions may allow the improvement and development of therapeutic strategies based on modulation of the Notch signalling pathway.
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171
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Inverso D, Shi J, Lee KH, Jakab M, Ben-Moshe S, Kulkarni SR, Schneider M, Wang G, Komeili M, Vélez PA, Riedel M, Spegg C, Ruppert T, Schaeffer-Reiss C, Helm D, Singh I, Boutros M, Chintharlapalli S, Heikenwalder M, Itzkovitz S, Augustin HG. A spatial vascular transcriptomic, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic atlas unveils an angiocrine Tie-Wnt signaling axis in the liver. Dev Cell 2021; 56:1677-1693.e10. [PMID: 34038707 PMCID: PMC8191494 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Single-cell transcriptomics (scRNA-seq) has revolutionized the understanding of the spatial architecture of tissue structure and function. Advancing the “transcript-centric” view of scRNA-seq analyses is presently restricted by the limited resolution of proteomics and genome-wide techniques to analyze post-translational modifications. Here, by combining spatial cell sorting with transcriptomics and quantitative proteomics/phosphoproteomics, we established the spatially resolved proteome landscape of the liver endothelium, yielding deep mechanistic insight into zonated vascular signaling mechanisms. Phosphorylation of receptor tyrosine kinases was detected preferentially in the central vein area, resulting in an atypical enrichment of tyrosine phosphorylation. Prototypic biological validation identified Tie receptor signaling as a selective and specific regulator of vascular Wnt activity orchestrating angiocrine signaling, thereby controlling hepatocyte function during liver regeneration. Taken together, the study has yielded fundamental insight into the spatial organization of liver endothelial cell signaling. Spatial sorting may be employed as a universally adaptable strategy for multiomic analyses of scRNA-seq-defined cellular (sub)-populations. ScRNA-seq-guided spatial sort enables multiomic dissection of the liver vasculature Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells have a hybrid vascular-lymphatic phenotype Tyrosine phosphorylation of endothelial cell molecules is enriched on central vein Endothelial Tie1 shapes hepatic Wnt signal zonation and promotes liver regeneration
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Inverso
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Jingjing Shi
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ki Hong Lee
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Moritz Jakab
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shani Ben-Moshe
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shubhada R Kulkarni
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Martin Schneider
- Protein Analysis Unit, Genomics and Proteomics Core Facility, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Guanxiong Wang
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marziyeh Komeili
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique (LSMBO), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - Paula Argos Vélez
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Riedel
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carleen Spegg
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Ruppert
- Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christine Schaeffer-Reiss
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique (LSMBO), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dominic Helm
- Protein Analysis Unit, Genomics and Proteomics Core Facility, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Indrabahadur Singh
- Emmy Noether Research Group Epigenetic Machineries and Cancer, Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Boutros
- Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Center and Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Mathias Heikenwalder
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shalev Itzkovitz
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hellmut G Augustin
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; German Cancer Consortium, Heidelberg, Germany.
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172
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Yang A, Yan X, Fan X, Shi Y, Huang T, Li W, Chen W, Jia J, You H. Hepatic stellate cells-specific LOXL1 deficiency abrogates hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and corrects lipid metabolic abnormalities in non-obese NASH mice. Hepatol Int 2021; 15:1122-1135. [PMID: 34014450 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-021-10210-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Lysyl oxidase-like-1 (LOXL1), a vital cross-linking enzyme in extracellular matrix (ECM) maintenance, promotes fibrosis via enhancement of ECM stability. However, the potential role of LOXL1 in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has not been previously studied. METHODS We generated Loxl1fl/fl mice to selectively delete LOXL1 in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) (Loxl1fl/flGfapcre; Loxl1fl/fl as littermate controls) and then examined liver pathology and metabolic profiles in Loxl1fl/flGfapcre fed with either a choline-deficient L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet or an isocaloric control diet for 16 weeks. Thereafter, the findings from the animal model were confirmed in 23 patients with biopsy-proven non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). RESULTS LOXL1 was significantly increased in CDAA induced non-obese NASH compared with the control diet, and LOXL1 deficient in HSCs ameliorated CDAA-induced inflammation and fibrosis, with reduced expression of pro-inflammation and pro-fibrogenic genes in the HSCs-specific LOXL1 knockout mice model. Interestingly, LOXL1 deficient in HSCs could attenuate hepatic steatosis and reverse the metabolic disorder by restoring adipose tissue function without altering the effect of hepatic lipogenesis gene expression in non-obese NASH model. More importantly, analyses of serum LOXL1 and leptin levels from NAFLD patients revealed that LOXL1 was positively correlated with histological fibrosis progression, whereas it was inversely correlated with leptin levels, especially in non-obese NAFLD patients. CONCLUSION LOXL1 may contribute to fibrosis progression in non-obese NAFLD, and HSCs-specific knockout of LOXL1 attenuated liver steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, , and improved lipid metabolic abnormalities. Hence, LOXL1 inhibition may serve as a new therapeutic strategy for NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiting Yang
- Experimental and Translational Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Clinical Medicine Institute, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Diseases, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuzhen Yan
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Liver Cirrhosis, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong'an Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Diseases, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Fan
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Liver Cirrhosis, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong'an Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Diseases, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiwen Shi
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Liver Cirrhosis, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong'an Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Diseases, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Huang
- Experimental and Translational Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Clinical Medicine Institute, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Diseases, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiyu Li
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Liver Cirrhosis, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong'an Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Diseases, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Chen
- Experimental and Translational Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Clinical Medicine Institute, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Diseases, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Jidong Jia
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Liver Cirrhosis, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong'an Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Clinical Medicine Institute, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Diseases, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong You
- Liver Research Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Liver Cirrhosis, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 Yong'an Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China. .,Beijing Clinical Medicine Institute, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China. .,National Clinical Research Center of Digestive Diseases, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.
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173
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Kordes C, Bock HH, Reichert D, May P, Häussinger D. Hepatic stellate cells: current state and open questions. Biol Chem 2021; 402:1021-1032. [PMID: 34008380 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2021-0180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
This review article summarizes 20 years of our research on hepatic stellate cells within the framework of two collaborative research centers CRC575 and CRC974 at the Heinrich Heine University. Over this period, stellate cells were identified for the first time as mesenchymal stem cells of the liver, and important functions of these cells in the context of liver regeneration were discovered. Furthermore, it was determined that the space of Disse - bounded by the sinusoidal endothelium and hepatocytes - functions as a stem cell niche for stellate cells. Essential elements of this niche that control the maintenance of hepatic stellate cells have been identified alongside their impairment with age. This article aims to highlight previous studies on stellate cells and critically examine and identify open questions and future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Kordes
- Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstraße 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hans H Bock
- Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstraße 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Doreen Reichert
- Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstraße 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Petra May
- Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstraße 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Dieter Häussinger
- Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstraße 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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174
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Wang J, Lin S, Brown JM, van Wagoner D, Fiocchi C, Rieder F. Novel mechanisms and clinical trial endpoints in intestinal fibrosis. Immunol Rev 2021; 302:211-227. [PMID: 33993489 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) worldwide has resulted in a global public health challenge. Intestinal fibrosis leading to stricture formation and bowel obstruction is a frequent complication in Crohn's disease (CD), and the lack of anti-fibrotic therapies makes elucidation of fibrosis mechanisms a priority. Progress has shown that mesenchymal cells, cytokines, microbial products, and mesenteric adipocytes are jointly implicated in the pathogenesis of intestinal fibrosis. This recent information puts prevention or reversal of intestinal strictures within reach through innovative therapies validated by reliable clinical trial endpoints. Here, we review the role of immune and non-immune components of the pathogenesis of intestinal fibrosis, including new cell clusters, cytokine networks, host-microbiome interactions, creeping fat, and their translation for endpoint development in anti-fibrotic clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Immunology and Targeted Drug, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.,Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sinan Lin
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jonathan Mark Brown
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - David van Wagoner
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Claudio Fiocchi
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Florian Rieder
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
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175
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Cross-tissue organization of the fibroblast lineage. Nature 2021; 593:575-579. [PMID: 33981032 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03549-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 404] [Impact Index Per Article: 134.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblasts are non-haematopoietic structural cells that define the architecture of organs, support the homeostasis of tissue-resident cells and have key roles in fibrosis, cancer, autoimmunity and wound healing1. Recent studies have described fibroblast heterogeneity within individual tissues1. However, the field lacks a characterization of fibroblasts at single-cell resolution across tissues in healthy and diseased organs. Here we constructed fibroblast atlases by integrating single-cell transcriptomic data from about 230,000 fibroblasts across 17 tissues, 50 datasets, 11 disease states and 2 species. Mouse fibroblast atlases and a DptIRESCreERT2 knock-in mouse identified two universal fibroblast transcriptional subtypes across tissues. Our analysis suggests that these cells can serve as a reservoir that can yield specialized fibroblasts across a broad range of steady-state tissues and activated fibroblasts in disease. Comparison to an atlas of human fibroblasts from perturbed states showed that fibroblast transcriptional states are conserved between mice and humans, including universal fibroblasts and activated phenotypes associated with pathogenicity in human cancer, fibrosis, arthritis and inflammation. In summary, a cross-species and pan-tissue approach to transcriptomics at single-cell resolution has identified key organizing principles of the fibroblast lineage in health and disease.
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176
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Zago G, Saavedra PHV, Keshari KR, Perry JSA. Immunometabolism of Tissue-Resident Macrophages - An Appraisal of the Current Knowledge and Cutting-Edge Methods and Technologies. Front Immunol 2021; 12:665782. [PMID: 34025667 PMCID: PMC8138590 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.665782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue-resident macrophages exist in unique environments, or niches, that inform their identity and function. There is an emerging body of literature suggesting that the qualities of this environment, such as the types of cells and debris they eat, the intercellular interactions they form, and the length of time spent in residence, collectively what we call habitare, directly inform their metabolic state. In turn, a tissue-resident macrophage’s metabolic state can inform their function, including whether they resolve inflammation and protect the host from excessive perturbations of homeostasis. In this review, we summarize recent work that seeks to understand the metabolic requirements for tissue-resident macrophage identity and maintenance, for how they respond to inflammatory challenges, and for how they perform homeostatic functions or resolve inflammatory insults. We end with a discussion of the emerging technologies that are enabling, or will enable, in situ study of tissue-resident macrophage metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Zago
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Pedro H V Saavedra
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kayvan R Keshari
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.,Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Justin S A Perry
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.,Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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177
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Acharya P, Chouhan K, Weiskirchen S, Weiskirchen R. Cellular Mechanisms of Liver Fibrosis. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:671640. [PMID: 34025430 PMCID: PMC8134740 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.671640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The liver is a central organ in the human body, coordinating several key metabolic roles. The structure of the liver which consists of the distinctive arrangement of hepatocytes, hepatic sinusoids, the hepatic artery, portal vein and the central vein, is critical for its function. Due to its unique position in the human body, the liver interacts with components of circulation targeted for the rest of the body and in the process, it is exposed to a vast array of external agents such as dietary metabolites and compounds absorbed through the intestine, including alcohol and drugs, as well as pathogens. Some of these agents may result in injury to the cellular components of liver leading to the activation of the natural wound healing response of the body or fibrogenesis. Long-term injury to liver cells and consistent activation of the fibrogenic response can lead to liver fibrosis such as that seen in chronic alcoholics or clinically obese individuals. Unidentified fibrosis can evolve into more severe consequences over a period of time such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. It is well recognized now that in addition to external agents, genetic predisposition also plays a role in the development of liver fibrosis. An improved understanding of the cellular pathways of fibrosis can illuminate our understanding of this process, and uncover potential therapeutic targets. Here we summarized recent aspects in the understanding of relevant pathways, cellular and molecular drivers of hepatic fibrosis and discuss how this knowledge impact the therapy of respective disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragyan Acharya
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Komal Chouhan
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sabine Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
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178
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Shaw IW, O'Sullivan ED, Pisco AO, Borthwick G, Gallagher KM, Péault B, Hughes J, Ferenbach DA. Aging modulates the effects of ischemic injury upon mesenchymal cells within the renal interstitium and microvasculature. Stem Cells Transl Med 2021; 10:1232-1248. [PMID: 33951342 PMCID: PMC8284778 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.20-0392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The renal mesenchyme contains heterogeneous cells, including interstitial fibroblasts and pericytes, with key roles in wound healing. Although healing is impaired in aged kidneys, the effect of age and injury on the mesenchyme remains poorly understood. We characterized renal mesenchymal cell heterogeneity in young vs old animals and after ischemia‐reperfusion‐injury (IRI) using multiplex immunolabeling and single cell transcriptomics. Expression patterns of perivascular cell markers (α‐SMA, CD146, NG2, PDGFR‐α, and PDGFR‐β) correlated with their interstitial location. PDGFR‐α and PDGFR‐β co‐expression labeled renal myofibroblasts more efficiently than the current standard marker α‐SMA, and CD146 was a superior murine renal pericyte marker. Three renal mesenchymal subtypes; pericytes, fibroblasts, and myofibroblasts, were recapitulated with data from two independently performed single cell transcriptomic analyzes of murine kidneys, the first dataset an aging cohort and the second dataset injured kidneys following IRI. Mesenchymal cells segregated into subtypes with distinct patterns of expression with aging and following injury. Baseline uninjured old kidneys resembled post‐ischemic young kidneys, with this phenotype further exaggerated following IRI. These studies demonstrate that age modulates renal perivascular/interstitial cell marker expression and transcriptome at baseline and in response to injury and provide tools for the histological and transcriptomic analysis of renal mesenchymal cells, paving the way for more accurate classification of renal mesenchymal cell heterogeneity and identification of age‐specific pathways and targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac W Shaw
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eoin D O'Sullivan
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Gary Borthwick
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kevin M Gallagher
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Bruno Péault
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Orthopaedic Hospital Research Center and Broad Stem Cell Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jeremy Hughes
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David A Ferenbach
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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179
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Drew J, Machesky LM. The liver metastatic niche: modelling the extracellular matrix in metastasis. Dis Model Mech 2021; 14:dmm048801. [PMID: 33973625 PMCID: PMC8077555 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.048801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Dissemination of malignant cells from primary tumours to metastatic sites is a key step in cancer progression. Disseminated tumour cells preferentially settle in specific target organs, and the success of such metastases depends on dynamic interactions between cancer cells and the microenvironments they encounter at secondary sites. Two emerging concepts concerning the biology of metastasis are that organ-specific microenvironments influence the fate of disseminated cancer cells, and that cancer cell-extracellular matrix interactions have important roles at all stages of the metastatic cascade. The extracellular matrix is the complex and dynamic non-cellular component of tissues that provides a physical scaffold and conveys essential adhesive and paracrine signals for a tissue's function. Here, we focus on how extracellular matrix dynamics contribute to liver metastases - a common and deadly event. We discuss how matrix components of the healthy and premetastatic liver support early seeding of disseminated cancer cells, and how the matrix derived from both cancer and liver contributes to the changes in niche composition as metastasis progresses. We also highlight the technical developments that are providing new insights into the stochastic, dynamic and multifaceted roles of the liver extracellular matrix in permitting and sustaining metastasis. An understanding of the contribution of the extracellular matrix to different stages of metastasis may well pave the way to targeted and effective therapies against metastatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Drew
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Laura M. Machesky
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
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180
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Rockey DC, Friedman SL. Fibrosis Regression After Eradication of Hepatitis C Virus: From Bench to Bedside. Gastroenterology 2021; 160:1502-1520.e1. [PMID: 33529675 PMCID: PMC8601597 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.09.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and its complications have been the major cause of cirrhosis and its complications for several decades in the Western world. Until recently, treatment for HCV with interferon-based regimens was associated with moderate success but was difficult to tolerate. More recently, however, an arsenal of novel and highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs has transformed the landscape by curing HCV in a broad range of patients, including those with established advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis, comorbidities, and even those with complications of cirrhosis. Fibrosis is a dynamic process comprising both extracellular matrix deposition, as well as its degradation. With almost universal sustained virologic response (SVR) (ie, elimination of HCV), it is timely to explore whether HCV eradication can reverse fibrosis and cirrhosis. Indeed, fibrosis in several types of liver disease is reversible, including HCV. However, we do not know with certainty in whom fibrosis regression can be expected after HCV elimination, how quickly it occurs, and whether antifibrotic therapies will be indicated in those with persistent cirrhosis. This review summarizes the evidence for reversibility of fibrosis and cirrhosis after HCV eradication, its impact on clinical outcomes, and therapeutic prospects for directly promoting fibrosis regression in patients whose fibrosis persists after SVR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don C Rockey
- The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
| | - Scott L Friedman
- Division of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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181
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Tacke F, Weiskirchen R. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related liver fibrosis: mechanisms, treatment and prevention. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:729. [PMID: 33987427 PMCID: PMC8106094 DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-4354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is the excessive expression and accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins in the liver. Fibrotic scarring occurs as the consequence of chronic injury and inflammation. While the successful treatment of hepatitis B and C reduced the burden of liver disease related to viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are nowadays the leading causes of hepatic fibrosis worldwide. Although basic research activities have significantly advanced our understanding of the molecular disease pathogenesis, the present therapeutic options for fibrosis are still limited. In advanced disease stages, liver transplantation often remains the only curative treatment. This highlights the necessity of preventive strategies to avoid complications of fibrosis, particularly cirrhosis, portal hypertension and liver cancer. Lifestyle modifications (weight loss, exercise, healthy diet) are the basis for prevention and treatment of NAFLD-associated fibrosis. In the present review, we discuss recent advances in antifibrotic prevention and therapy. In particular, we review the current concepts for antifibrotic drug candidates in the treatment of NAFLD and NASH. While some compounds aim at reverting pathogenic liver metabolism, an alternative approach is to disconnect the injury (e.g., NAFLD) from inflammation and/or fibrosis. Investigational drugs typically target metabolic pathways, insulin resistance, hepatocyte death, inflammatory cell recruitment or activation, the gut-liver axis, matrix expression or matrix turnover. While several promising drug candidates failed in phase 2 or 3 clinical trials (including elafibranor, emricasan and selonsertib), promising results with the farnesoid X receptor agonist obeticholic acid, the pan-PPAR agonist lanifibranor and the chemokine receptor CCR2/CCR5 inhibitor cenicriviroc support the expectation of an effective pharmacological therapy for liver fibrosis in the near future. Tackling NAFLD-associated fibrosis from different directions by combinatorial drug treatment and effective lifestyle changes hold the greatest prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Tacke
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
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182
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Chembazhi UV, Bangru S, Hernaez M, Kalsotra A. Cellular plasticity balances the metabolic and proliferation dynamics of a regenerating liver. Genome Res 2021; 31:576-591. [PMID: 33649154 DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.29.124263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The adult liver has an exceptional ability to regenerate, but how it maintains its specialized functions during regeneration is unclear. Here, we used partial hepatectomy (PHx) in tandem with single-cell transcriptomics to track cellular transitions and heterogeneities of ∼22,000 liver cells through the initiation, progression, and termination phases of mouse liver regeneration. Our results uncovered that, following PHx, a subset of hepatocytes transiently reactivates an early-postnatal-like gene expression program to proliferate, while a distinct population of metabolically hyperactive cells appears to compensate for any temporary deficits in liver function. Cumulative EdU labeling and immunostaining of metabolic, portal, and central vein-specific markers revealed that hepatocyte proliferation after PHx initiates in the midlobular region before proceeding toward the periportal and pericentral areas. We further demonstrate that portal and central vein proximal hepatocytes retain their metabolically active state to preserve essential liver functions while midlobular cells proliferate nearby. Through combined analysis of gene regulatory networks and cell-cell interaction maps, we found that regenerating hepatocytes redeploy key developmental regulons, which are guided by extensive ligand-receptor-mediated signaling events between hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells. Altogether, our study offers a detailed blueprint of the intercellular crosstalk and cellular reprogramming that balances the metabolic and proliferative requirements of a regenerating liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ullas V Chembazhi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Sushant Bangru
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Cancer Center@Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Mikel Hernaez
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, 31008 Navarra, Spain
| | - Auinash Kalsotra
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Cancer Center@Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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183
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Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Inactivation in NASH-Fibrosis-Roles as Putative Treatment Targets? Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9040365. [PMID: 33807461 PMCID: PMC8066583 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9040365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatic fibrosis is the primary predictor of mortality in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In this process, the activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) constitute the principal cells responsible for the deposition of a fibrous extracellular matrix, thereby driving the hepatic scarring. HSC activation, migration, and proliferation are controlled by a complex signaling network involving growth factors, lipotoxicity, inflammation, and cellular stress. Conversely, the clearance of activated HSCs is a prerequisite for the resolution of the extracellular fibrosis. Hence, pathways regulating the fate of the HSCs may represent attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment and prevention of NASH-associated hepatic fibrosis. However, the development of anti-fibrotic drugs for NASH patients has not yet resulted in clinically approved therapeutics, underscoring the complex biology and challenges involved when targeting the intricate cellular signaling mechanisms. This narrative review investigated the mechanisms of activation and inactivation of HSCs with a focus on NASH-associated hepatic fibrosis. Presenting an updated overview, this review highlights key cellular pathways with potential value for the development of future treatment modalities.
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184
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Payen VL, Lavergne A, Alevra Sarika N, Colonval M, Karim L, Deckers M, Najimi M, Coppieters W, Charloteaux B, Sokal EM, El Taghdouini A. Single-cell RNA sequencing of human liver reveals hepatic stellate cell heterogeneity. JHEP Rep 2021; 3:100278. [PMID: 34027339 PMCID: PMC8121977 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2021.100278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims The multiple vital functions of the human liver are performed by highly specialised parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells organised in complex collaborative sinusoidal units. Although crucial for homeostasis, the cellular make-up of the human liver remains to be fully elucidated. Here, single-cell RNA-sequencing was used to unravel the heterogeneity of human liver cells, in particular of hepatocytes (HEPs) and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Method The transcriptome of ~25,000 freshly isolated human liver cells was profiled using droplet-based RNA-sequencing. Recently published data sets and RNA in situ hybridisation were integrated to validate and locate newly identified cell populations. Results In total, 22 cell populations were annotated that reflected the heterogeneity of human parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells. More than 20,000 HEPs were ordered along the portocentral axis to confirm known, and reveal previously undescribed, zonated liver functions. The existence of 2 subpopulations of human HSCs with unique gene expression signatures and distinct intralobular localisation was revealed (i.e. portal and central vein-concentrated GPC3+ HSCs and perisinusoidally located DBH+ HSCs). In particular, these data suggest that, although both subpopulations collaborate in the production and organisation of extracellular matrix, GPC3+ HSCs specifically express genes involved in the metabolism of glycosaminoglycans, whereas DBH+ HSCs display a gene signature that is reminiscent of antigen-presenting cells. Conclusions This study highlights metabolic zonation as a key determinant of HEP transcriptomic heterogeneity and, for the first time, outlines the existence of heterogeneous HSC subpopulations in the human liver. These findings call for further research on the functional implications of liver cell heterogeneity in health and disease. Lay summary This study resolves the cellular landscape of the human liver in an unbiased manner and at high resolution to provide new insights into human liver cell biology. The results highlight the physiological heterogeneity of human hepatic stellate cells. A cell atlas from the near-native transcriptome of >25,000 human liver cells is presented. Hepatocytes were ordered along the portocentral axis to reveal previously undescribed gene expression patterns and zonated liver functions. Two subpopulations of human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are reported, characterised by different spatial distribution in the native tissue. Characteristic gene signatures of HSC subpopulations are suggestive of far-reaching functional differences.
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Key Words
- BSA, bovine serum albumin
- CC, cholangiocyte
- CV, central vein
- DEG, differentially expressed gene
- EC, endothelial cell
- ECM, extracellular matrix
- Extracellular matrix
- FFPE, formaldehyde-fixed paraffin embedded
- GAG, glycosaminoglycan
- GEO, Gene Expression Omnibus
- GO, gene ontology
- HEP, hepatocyte
- HLA, human leukocyte antigen
- HRP, horseradish peroxidase
- HSC, hepatic stellate cell
- Hepatocyte
- ISH, in situ hybridisation
- KLR, killer lectin-like receptor
- LP, lymphoid cell
- Liver cell atlas
- MP, macrophage
- MZ, midzonal
- PC, pericentral
- PP, periportal
- PV, portal vein
- TBS, Tris buffered saline
- TSA, tyramide signal amplification
- UMAP, uniform manifold approximation and projection
- UMI, unique molecular identifier
- VIM, vimentin
- Zonation
- scRNA-seq, single-cell RNA-sequencing
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Affiliation(s)
- Valéry L. Payen
- Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy (PEDI), IREC Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials (ADDB), LDRI Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Lavergne
- Genomics Platform, GIGA Institute, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Niki Alevra Sarika
- Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy (PEDI), IREC Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials (ADDB), LDRI Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Megan Colonval
- Genomics Platform, GIGA Institute, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Latifa Karim
- Genomics Platform, GIGA Institute, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Manon Deckers
- Genomics Platform, GIGA Institute, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Mustapha Najimi
- Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy (PEDI), IREC Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wouter Coppieters
- Genomics Platform, GIGA Institute, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Etienne M. Sokal
- Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy (PEDI), IREC Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Corresponding authors. Address: Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy (PEDI), IREC Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier 52 Box B1.52.03, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Adil El Taghdouini
- Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy (PEDI), IREC Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Corresponding authors. Address: Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy (PEDI), IREC Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Mounier 52 Box B1.52.03, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
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185
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Kirkwood PM, Gibson DA, Smith JR, Wilson-Kanamori JR, Kelepouri O, Esnal-Zufiaurre A, Dobie R, Henderson NC, Saunders PTK. Single-cell RNA sequencing redefines the mesenchymal cell landscape of mouse endometrium. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21285. [PMID: 33710643 PMCID: PMC9328940 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002123r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The endometrium is a dynamic tissue that exhibits remarkable resilience to repeated episodes of differentiation, breakdown, regeneration, and remodeling. Endometrial physiology relies on a complex interplay between the stromal and epithelial compartments with the former containing a mixture of fibroblasts, vascular, and immune cells. There is evidence for rare populations of putative mesenchymal progenitor cells located in the perivascular niche of human endometrium, but the existence of an equivalent cell population in mouse is unclear. We used the Pdgfrb‐BAC‐eGFP transgenic reporter mouse in combination with bulk and single‐cell RNA sequencing to redefine the endometrial mesenchyme. In contrast to previous reports we show that CD146 is expressed in both PDGFRβ + perivascular cells and CD31 + endothelial cells. Bulk RNAseq revealed cells in the perivascular niche which express the high levels of Pdgfrb as well as genes previously identified in pericytes and/or vascular smooth muscle cells (Acta2, Myh11, Olfr78, Cspg4, Rgs4, Rgs5, Kcnj8, and Abcc9). scRNA‐seq identified five subpopulations of cells including closely related pericytes/vascular smooth muscle cells and three subpopulations of fibroblasts. All three fibroblast populations were PDGFRα+/CD34 + but were distinct in their expression of Ngfr/Spon2/Angptl7 (F1), Cxcl14/Smoc2/Rgs2 (F2), and Clec3b/Col14a1/Mmp3 (F3), with potential functions in the regulation of immune responses, response to wounding, and organization of extracellular matrix, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the spatial distribution of these populations revealing F1/NGFR + cells in most abundance beside epithelial cells. We provide the first definitive analysis of mesenchymal cells in the adult mouse endometrium identifying five subpopulations providing a platform for comparisons between mesenchymal cells in endometrium and other adult tissues which are prone to fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe M Kirkwood
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas A Gibson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - James R Smith
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Olympia Kelepouri
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ross Dobie
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Neil C Henderson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Philippa T K Saunders
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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186
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Chembazhi UV, Bangru S, Hernaez M, Kalsotra A. Cellular plasticity balances the metabolic and proliferation dynamics of a regenerating liver. Genome Res 2021; 31:576-591. [PMID: 33649154 PMCID: PMC8015853 DOI: 10.1101/gr.267013.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The adult liver has an exceptional ability to regenerate, but how it maintains its specialized functions during regeneration is unclear. Here, we used partial hepatectomy (PHx) in tandem with single-cell transcriptomics to track cellular transitions and heterogeneities of ∼22,000 liver cells through the initiation, progression, and termination phases of mouse liver regeneration. Our results uncovered that, following PHx, a subset of hepatocytes transiently reactivates an early-postnatal-like gene expression program to proliferate, while a distinct population of metabolically hyperactive cells appears to compensate for any temporary deficits in liver function. Cumulative EdU labeling and immunostaining of metabolic, portal, and central vein-specific markers revealed that hepatocyte proliferation after PHx initiates in the midlobular region before proceeding toward the periportal and pericentral areas. We further demonstrate that portal and central vein proximal hepatocytes retain their metabolically active state to preserve essential liver functions while midlobular cells proliferate nearby. Through combined analysis of gene regulatory networks and cell-cell interaction maps, we found that regenerating hepatocytes redeploy key developmental regulons, which are guided by extensive ligand-receptor-mediated signaling events between hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells. Altogether, our study offers a detailed blueprint of the intercellular crosstalk and cellular reprogramming that balances the metabolic and proliferative requirements of a regenerating liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ullas V Chembazhi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Sushant Bangru
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Cancer Center@Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Mikel Hernaez
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, 31008 Navarra, Spain
| | - Auinash Kalsotra
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Cancer Center@Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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187
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Kitto LJ, Henderson NC. Hepatic Stellate Cell Regulation of Liver Regeneration and Repair. Hepatol Commun 2021; 5:358-370. [PMID: 33681672 PMCID: PMC7917274 DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The hepatic mesenchyme has been studied extensively in the context of liver fibrosis; however, much less is known regarding the role of mesenchymal cells during liver regeneration. As our knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving hepatic regeneration deepens, the key role of the mesenchymal compartment during the regenerative response has been increasingly appreciated. Single-cell genomics approaches have recently uncovered both spatial and functional zonation of the hepatic mesenchyme in homeostasis and following liver injury. Here we discuss how the use of preclinical models, from in vivo mouse models to organoid-based systems, are helping to shape our understanding of the role of the mesenchyme during liver regeneration, and how these approaches should facilitate the precise identification of highly targeted, pro-regenerative therapies for patients with liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J. Kitto
- Centre for Inflammation ResearchThe Queen’s Medical Research InstituteEdinburgh BioQuarterUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Neil C. Henderson
- Centre for Inflammation ResearchThe Queen’s Medical Research InstituteEdinburgh BioQuarterUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- MRC Human Genetics UnitInstitute of Genetics and Molecular MedicineUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
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188
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Nishimichi N, Tsujino K, Kanno K, Sentani K, Kobayashi T, Chayama K, Sheppard D, Yokosaki Y. Induced hepatic stellate cell integrin, α8β1, enhances cellular contractility and TGFβ activity in liver fibrosis. J Pathol 2021; 253:366-373. [PMID: 33433924 PMCID: PMC7986747 DOI: 10.1002/path.5618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
No effective therapy exists for fatal fibrosis. New therapeutic targets are needed for hepatic fibrosis because the incidence keeps increasing. The activation and differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts that causes excessive matrix deposition is central to fibrosis. Here, we investigated whether (and which) integrin receptors for matrix proteins activate hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). First, integrin α‐subunits were investigated systematically for their expression over the course of HSC activation and their distribution on fibroblasts and other systemic primary cells. The most upregulated in plate culture‐activated HSCs and specifically expressed across fibroblast linages was the α8 subunit. An anti‐α8 neutralizing mAb was evaluated in three different murine fibrosis models: for cytotoxic (CCl4 treatment), non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis‐associated and cholestatic fibrosis. In all models, pathology and fibrosis markers (hydroxyproline and α‐smooth muscle actin) were improved following the mAb injection. We also CCl4‐treated mice with inducible Itga8−/−; these mice were protected from increased hydroxyproline levels. Furthermore, ITGA8 was upregulated in specimens from 90 patients with liver fibrosis, indicating the relevance of our findings to liver fibrosis in people. Mechanistically, inhibition or ligand engagement of HSC α8 suppressed and enhanced myofibroblast differentiation, respectively, and HSC/fibroblast α8 activated latent TGFβ. Finally, integrin α8β1 potentially fulfils the growing need for anti‐fibrotic drugs and is an integrin not to be ignored. © 2021 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norihisa Nishimichi
- Integrin-Matrix Biomedical Science, Translational Research Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Tsujino
- Lung Biology Center, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Keishi Kanno
- General Internal Medicine, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Sentani
- Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Kobayashi
- Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Chayama
- Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Dean Sheppard
- Lung Biology Center, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yasuyuki Yokosaki
- Integrin-Matrix Biomedical Science, Translational Research Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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189
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Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are resident non-parenchymal liver pericytes whose plasticity enables them to regulate a remarkable range of physiologic and pathologic responses. To support their functions in health and disease, HSCs engage pathways regulating carbohydrate, mitochondrial, lipid, and retinoid homeostasis. In chronic liver injury, HSCs drive hepatic fibrosis and are implicated in inflammation and cancer. To do so, the cells activate, or transdifferentiate, from a quiescent state into proliferative, motile myofibroblasts that secrete extracellular matrix, which demands rapid adaptation to meet a heightened energy need. Adaptations include reprogramming of central carbon metabolism, enhanced mitochondrial number and activity, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and liberation of free fatty acids through autophagy-dependent hydrolysis of retinyl esters that are stored in cytoplasmic droplets. As an archetype for pericytes in other tissues, recognition of the HSC's metabolic drivers and vulnerabilities offer the potential to target these pathways therapeutically to enhance parenchymal growth and modulate repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parth Trivedi
- Division of Liver Diseases, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Shuang Wang
- Division of Liver Diseases, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Scott L Friedman
- Division of Liver Diseases, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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190
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Endothelial GATA4 controls liver fibrosis and regeneration by preventing a pathogenic switch in angiocrine signaling. J Hepatol 2021; 74:380-393. [PMID: 32916216 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Angiocrine signaling by liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) regulates hepatic functions such as growth, metabolic maturation, and regeneration. Recently, we identified GATA4 as the master regulator of LSEC specification during development. Herein, we studied the role of endothelial GATA4 in the adult liver and in hepatic pathogenesis. METHODS We generated adult Clec4g-icretg/0xGata4fl/fl (Gata4LSEC-KO) mice with LSEC-specific depletion of Gata4. Livers were analyzed by histology, electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence, in situ hybridization, and LSECs were isolated for gene expression profiling, ChIP- and ATAC-sequencing. Partial hepatectomy was performed to assess regeneration. We used choline-deficient, l-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet and chronic carbon tetrachloride exposure to model liver fibrosis. Human single cell RNA-seq data sets were analyzed for endothelial alterations in healthy and cirrhotic livers. RESULTS Genetic Gata4 deficiency in LSECs of adult mice caused perisinusoidal liver fibrosis, hepatopathy and impaired liver regeneration. Sinusoidal capillarization and LSEC-to-continuous endothelial transdifferentiation were accompanied by a profibrotic angiocrine switch involving de novo endothelial expression of hepatic stellate cell-activating cytokine PDGFB. Increased chromatin accessibility and amplification by activated MYC mediated angiocrine Pdgfb expression. As observed in Gata4LSEC-KO livers, CDAA diet-induced perisinusoidal liver fibrosis was associated with GATA4 repression, MYC activation and a profibrotic angiocrine switch in LSECs. Comparison of CDAA-fed Gata4LSEC-KO and control mice demonstrated that endothelial GATA4 indeed protects against dietary-induced perisinusoidal liver fibrosis. In human cirrhotic livers, GATA4-positive LSECs and endothelial GATA4 target genes were reduced, while non-LSEC endothelial cells and MYC target genes including PDGFB were enriched. CONCLUSIONS Endothelial GATA4 protects against perisinusoidal liver fibrosis by repressing MYC activation and profibrotic angiocrine signaling at the chromatin level. Therapies targeting the GATA4/MYC/PDGFB/PDGFRβ axis offer a promising strategy for prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis. LAY SUMMARY The liver vasculature is supposed to play a major role in the development of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, which can lead to liver failure and liver cancer. Herein, we discovered that structural and transcriptional changes induced by genetic deletion of the transcription factor GATA4 in the hepatic endothelium were sufficient to cause liver fibrosis. Activation of the transcription factor MYC and de novo expression of the "angiocrine" growth factor PDGFB were identified as downstream drivers of fibrosis and as potential therapeutic targets for this potentially fatal disease.
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191
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Park SR, Cho CS, Xi J, Kang HM, Lee JH. Holistic characterization of single-hepatocyte transcriptome responses to high-fat diet. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2021; 320:E244-E258. [PMID: 33103450 PMCID: PMC8260362 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00391.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
During nutritional overload and obesity, hepatocyte function is grossly altered, and a subset of hepatocytes begins to accumulate fat droplets, leading to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Recent single-cell studies revealed how nonparenchymal cells, such as macrophages, hepatic stellate cells, and endothelial cells, heterogeneously respond to NAFLD. However, it remains to be characterized how hepatocytes, the major constituents of the liver, respond to nutritional overload in NAFLD. Here, using droplet-based, single-cell RNA sequencing (Drop-seq), we characterized how the transcriptomic landscape of individual hepatocytes is altered in response to high-fat diet (HFD) and NAFLD. We showed that the entire hepatocyte population undergoes substantial transcriptome changes upon HFD, although the patterns of alteration were highly heterogeneous, with zonation-dependent and -independent effects. Periportal (zone 1) hepatocytes downregulated many zone 1-specific marker genes, whereas a small number of genes mediating gluconeogenesis were upregulated. Pericentral (zone 3) hepatocytes also downregulated many zone 3-specific genes; however, they upregulated several genes that promote HFD-induced fat droplet formation, consistent with findings that zone 3 hepatocytes accumulate more lipid droplets. Zone 3 hepatocytes also upregulated ketogenic pathways as an adaptive mechanism to HFD. Interestingly, many of the top HFD-induced genes, which encode proteins regulating lipid metabolism, were strongly co-expressed with each other in a subset of hepatocytes, producing a variegated pattern of spatial co-localization that is independent of metabolic zonation. In conclusion, our data set provides a useful resource for understanding hepatocellular alteration during NAFLD at single cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Rye Park
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Institute for Gerontology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Chun-Seok Cho
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Institute for Gerontology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jingyue Xi
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Hyun Min Kang
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jun Hee Lee
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Institute for Gerontology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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192
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Manco
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shalev Itzkovitz
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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193
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PPARs in liver physiology. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2021; 1867:166097. [PMID: 33524529 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2021.166097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors and transcriptional modulators with crucial functions in hepatic and whole-body energy homeostasis. Besides their well-documented roles in lipid and glucose metabolism, emerging evidence also implicate PPARs in the control of other processes such as inflammatory responses. Recent technological advances, such as single-cell RNA sequencing, have allowed to unravel an unexpected complexity in the regulation of PPAR expression, activity and downstream signaling. Here we provide an overview of the latest advances in the study of PPARs in liver physiology, with a specific focus on formerly neglected aspects of PPAR regulation, such as tissular zonation, cellular heterogeneity, circadian rhythms, sexual dimorphism and species-specific features.
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194
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Identification of the Different Gene Expression Characteristics from Liver Cirrhosis to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Single-Cell Sequencing Analyses. J Immunol Res 2021; 2021:6619302. [PMID: 33532508 PMCID: PMC7834792 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6619302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is closely related to the chronic inflammation which caused liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and the interaction between HCC and its microenvironment further drives tumorigenesis. However, the single-cell resolution in vivo study is lacking, which limits our molecular understanding of tumour biology in the liver. Here, using published single-cell sequencing technology (scRNA-seq) database, we analyzed the liver microenvironment at high resolution in an unbiased manner and demonstrated the transcriptomic comparison between various cell populations and subpopulations in HCC and cirrhosis tissues. We found that eight genes that are specifically expressed in the endothelial cell and stellate cell of the HCC patients and correlated them with their survival rate, which may provide novel diagnosis and treatment targets for the clinical application.
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195
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Kimura T, Singh S, Tanaka N, Umemura T. Role of G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Hepatic Stellate Cells and Approaches to Anti-Fibrotic Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:773432. [PMID: 34938271 PMCID: PMC8685252 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.773432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is globally increasing. Gaining control over disease-related events in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an advanced form of NAFLD, is currently an unmet medical need. Hepatic fibrosis is a critical prognostic factor in NAFLD/NASH. Therefore, a better understanding of the pathophysiology of hepatic fibrosis and the development of related therapies are of great importance. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell surface receptors that mediate the function of a great variety of extracellular ligands. GPCRs represent major drug targets, as indicated by the fact that about 40% of all drugs currently used in clinical practice mediate their therapeutic effects by acting on GPCRs. Like many other organs, various GPCRs play a role in regulating liver function. It is predicted that more than 50 GPCRs are expressed in the liver. However, our knowledge of how GPCRs regulate liver metabolism and fibrosis in the different cell types of the liver is very limited. In particular, a better understanding of the role of GPCRs in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the primary cells that regulate liver fibrosis, may lead to the development of drugs that can improve hepatic fibrosis in NAFLD/NASH. In this review, we describe the functions of multiple GPCRs expressed in HSCs, their roles in liver fibrogenesis, and finally speculate on the development of novel treatments for NAFLD/NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takefumi Kimura
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
- *Correspondence: Takefumi Kimura, ; ; Naoki Tanaka,
| | - Simran Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India
| | - Naoki Tanaka
- International Relations Office, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
- *Correspondence: Takefumi Kimura, ; ; Naoki Tanaka,
| | - Takeji Umemura
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
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196
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Chu AL, Schilling JD, King KR, Feldstein AE. The Power of Single-Cell Analysis for the Study of Liver Pathobiology. Hepatology 2021; 73:437-448. [PMID: 32740968 PMCID: PMC7854989 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Single cell transcriptomics has emerged as a powerful lens through which to study the molecular diversity of complex tissues such as the liver, during health and disease, both in animal models and in humans. The earliest gene expression methods measured bulk tissue RNA, but the results were often confusing because they derived from the combined transcriptomes of many different cell types in unknown proportions. To better delineate cell-type-specific expression, investigators developed cell isolation, purification, and sorting protocols, yet still, the RNA derived from ensembles of cells obscured recognition of cellular heterogeneity. Profiling transcriptomes at the single-cell level has opened the door to analyses that were not possible in the past. In this review, we discuss the evolution of single cell transcriptomics and how it has been applied for the study of liver physiology and pathobiology to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela L. Chu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), San Diego, California and Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA
| | - Joel D. Schilling
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Kevin R. King
- Departments of Cardiology and Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), San Diego, CA
| | - Ariel E. Feldstein
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), San Diego, California and Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA
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197
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Su T, Yang Y, Lai S, Jeong J, Jung Y, McConnell M, Utsumi T, Iwakiri Y. Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Zone-Specific Alterations of Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells in Cirrhosis. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 11:1139-1161. [PMID: 33340713 PMCID: PMC7903131 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dysfunction of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) is permissive for the progression of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis and responsible for its clinical complications. Here, we have mapped the spatial distribution of heterogeneous liver ECs in normal vs cirrhotic mouse livers and identified zone-specific transcriptomic changes of LSECs associated with liver cirrhosis using scRNA-seq technology. APPROACH & RESULTS Cirrhosis was generated in endothelial specific green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter mice through carbon tetrachloride inhalation for 12 weeks. GFP-positive liver EC populations were isolated from control and cirrhotic mice by FACS. We identified 6 clusters of liver EC populations including 3 clusters of LSECs, 2 clusters of vascular ECs and 1 cluster of lymphatic ECs. Based on previously reported LSEC-landmarks, we mapped the 3 clusters of LSECs in zones 1, 2, and 3, and determined phenotypic changes in each zone between control and cirrhotic mice. We found genes representing capillarization of LSECs (eg, CD34) as well as extracellular matrix genes were most upregulated in LSECs of zone 3 in cirrhotic mice, which may contribute to the development of basement membranes. LSECs in cirrhotic mice also demonstrated decreased expression of endocytic receptors, most remarkably in zone 3. Transcription factors (Klf2 [Kruppel-like factor-2], Klf4 [Kruppel-like factor-4], and AP-1) that induce nitric oxide production in response to shear stress were downregulated in LSECs of all zones in cirrhotic mice, implying increased intrahepatic vascular resistance. CONCLUSION This study deepens our knowledge of the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis at a spatial, cell-specific level, which is indispensable for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to target the most dysfunctional liver ECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Su
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yilin Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sanchuan Lai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jain Jeong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Yirang Jung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Matthew McConnell
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Teruo Utsumi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Yasuko Iwakiri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
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198
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Terkelsen MK, Bendixen SM, Hansen D, Scott EA, Moeller AF, Nielsen R, Mandrup S, Schlosser A, Andersen TL, Sorensen GL, Krag A, Natarajan KN, Detlefsen S, Dimke H, Ravnskjaer K. Transcriptional Dynamics of Hepatic Sinusoid-Associated Cells After Liver Injury. Hepatology 2020; 72:2119-2133. [PMID: 32145072 PMCID: PMC7820956 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hepatic sinusoidal cells are known actors in the fibrogenic response to injury. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, and Kupffer cells are responsible for sinusoidal capillarization and perisinusoidal matrix deposition, impairing vascular exchange and heightening the risk of advanced fibrosis. While the overall pathogenesis is well understood, functional relations between cellular transitions during fibrogenesis are only beginning to be resolved. At single-cell resolution, we here explored the heterogeneity of individual cell types and dissected their transitions and crosstalk during fibrogenesis. APPROACH AND RESULTS We applied single-cell transcriptomics to map the heterogeneity of sinusoid-associated cells in healthy and injured livers and reconstructed the single-lineage HSC trajectory from pericyte to myofibroblast. Stratifying each sinusoidal cell population by activation state, we projected shifts in sinusoidal communication upon injury. Weighted gene correlation network analysis of the HSC trajectory led to the identification of core genes whose expression proved highly predictive of advanced fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Among the core members of the injury-repressed gene module, we identified plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein (PLVAP) as a protein amply expressed by mouse and human HSCs. PLVAP expression was suppressed in activated HSCs upon injury and may hence define hitherto unknown roles for HSCs in the regulation of microcirculatory exchange and its breakdown in chronic liver disease. CONCLUSIONS Our study offers a single-cell resolved account of drug-induced injury of the mammalian liver and identifies key genes that may serve important roles in sinusoidal integrity and as markers of advanced fibrosis in human NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike K. Terkelsen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark,Center for Functional Genomics and Tissue Plasticity (ATLAS)University of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - Sofie M. Bendixen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark,Center for Functional Genomics and Tissue Plasticity (ATLAS)University of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - Daniel Hansen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - Emma A.H. Scott
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - Andreas F. Moeller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - Ronni Nielsen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark,Center for Functional Genomics and Tissue Plasticity (ATLAS)University of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - Susanne Mandrup
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark,Center for Functional Genomics and Tissue Plasticity (ATLAS)University of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - Anders Schlosser
- Department of Molecular MedicineUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense CDenmark
| | - Thomas L. Andersen
- Department of Molecular MedicineUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense CDenmark,Department of Clinical ResearchUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense CDenmark,Department of PathologyOdense University HospitalOdense CDenmark
| | - Grith L. Sorensen
- Department of Molecular MedicineUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense CDenmark
| | - Aleksander Krag
- Center for Functional Genomics and Tissue Plasticity (ATLAS)University of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark,Department of Clinical ResearchUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense CDenmark,Department of Gastroenterology and HepatologyOdense University HospitalOdense CDenmark,Department of NephrologyOdense University HospitalOdense CDenmark
| | - Kedar N. Natarajan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark,Danish Institute for Advanced StudyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
| | - Sönke Detlefsen
- Department of PathologyOdense University HospitalOdense CDenmark
| | - Henrik Dimke
- Department of Molecular MedicineUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense CDenmark,Department of NephrologyOdense University HospitalOdense CDenmark
| | - Kim Ravnskjaer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark,Center for Functional Genomics and Tissue Plasticity (ATLAS)University of Southern DenmarkOdense MDenmark
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199
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Henderson NC, Rieder F, Wynn TA. Fibrosis: from mechanisms to medicines. Nature 2020; 587:555-566. [PMID: 33239795 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2938-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 729] [Impact Index Per Article: 182.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fibrosis can affect any organ and is responsible for up to 45% of all deaths in the industrialized world. It has long been thought to be relentlessly progressive and irreversible, but both preclinical models and clinical trials in various organ systems have shown that fibrosis is a highly dynamic process. This has clear implications for therapeutic interventions that are designed to capitalize on this inherent plasticity. However, despite substantial progress in our understanding of the pathobiology of fibrosis, a translational gap remains between the identification of putative antifibrotic targets and conversion of this knowledge into effective treatments in humans. Here we discuss the transformative experimental strategies that are being leveraged to dissect the key cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate fibrosis, and the translational approaches that are enabling the emergence of precision medicine-based therapies for patients with fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil C Henderson
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Edinburgh, UK.,MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Florian Rieder
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, USA.,Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Thomas A Wynn
- Inflammation & Immunology Research Unit, Pfizer Worldwide Research, Development & Medical, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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200
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Single-cell genomics and spatial transcriptomics: Discovery of novel cell states and cellular interactions in liver physiology and disease biology. J Hepatol 2020; 73:1219-1230. [PMID: 32534107 PMCID: PMC7116221 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptome analysis enables the study of gene expression in human tissues and is a valuable tool to characterise liver function and gene expression dynamics during liver disease, as well as to identify prognostic markers or signatures, and to facilitate discovery of new therapeutic targets. In contrast to whole tissue RNA sequencing analysis, single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics enables the study of transcriptional activity at the single cell or spatial level. ScRNA-seq has paved the way for the discovery of previously unknown cell types and subtypes in normal and diseased liver, facilitating the study of rare cells (such as liver progenitor cells) and the functional roles of non-parenchymal cells in chronic liver disease and cancer. By adding spatial information to scRNA-seq data, spatial transcriptomics has transformed our understanding of tissue functional organisation and cell-to-cell interactions in situ. These approaches have recently been applied to investigate liver regeneration, organisation and function of hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells, and to profile the single cell landscape of chronic liver diseases and cancer. Herein, we review the principles and technologies behind scRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic approaches, highlighting the recent discoveries and novel insights these methodologies have yielded in both liver physiology and disease biology.
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