1
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O'Reilly S, Tsou PS, Varga J. Senescence and tissue fibrosis: opportunities for therapeutic targeting. Trends Mol Med 2024:S1471-4914(24)00134-5. [PMID: 38890028 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2024.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Cellular senescence is a key hallmark of aging. It has now emerged as a key mediator in normal tissue turnover and is associated with a variety of age-related diseases, including organ-specific fibrosis and systemic sclerosis (SSc). This review discusses the recent evidence of the role of senescence in tissue fibrosis, with an emphasis on SSc, a systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease. We discuss the physiological role of these cells, their role in fibrosis, and that targeting these cells specifically could be a new therapeutic avenue in fibrotic disease. We argue that targeting senescent cells, with senolytics or senomorphs, is a viable therapeutic target in fibrotic diseases which remain largely intractable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven O'Reilly
- Bioscience Department, Durham University, South Road, Durham, UK.
| | - Pei-Suen Tsou
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - John Varga
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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2
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Romano E, Rosa I, Fioretto BS, Manetti M. Recent Insights into Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Defective Angiogenesis in Systemic Sclerosis. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1331. [PMID: 38927538 PMCID: PMC11201654 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12061331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In systemic sclerosis (SSc, or scleroderma), defective angiogenesis, clinically manifesting with abnormal capillary architecture and severe capillary reduction, represents a hallmark of early-stage disease, usually preceding the onset of tissue fibrosis, and is caused by several cellular and molecular mechanisms affecting microvascular endothelial cells with different outcomes. Indeed, once damaged, endothelial cells can be dysfunctionally activated, thus becoming unable to undergo angiogenesis and promoting perivascular inflammation. They can also undergo apoptosis, transdifferentiate into profibrotic myofibroblasts, or acquire a senescence-associated secretory phenotype characterized by the release of exosomes and several profibrotic and proinflammatory mediators. In this narrative review, we aimed to give a comprehensive overview of recent studies dealing with the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying SSc defective angiogenesis and the related endothelial cell dysfunctions, mainly the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition process. We also discussed potential novel vascular treatment strategies able to restore the angiogenic process and reduce the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in this complex disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloisa Romano
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Irene Rosa
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (B.S.F.)
| | - Bianca Saveria Fioretto
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (B.S.F.)
| | - Mirko Manetti
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (B.S.F.)
- Imaging Platform, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy
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3
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Abel TR, Kosarek NN, Parvizi R, Jarnagin H, Torres GM, Bhandari R, Huang M, Toledo DM, Smith A, Popovich D, Mariani MP, Yang H, Wood T, Garlick J, Pioli PA, Whitfield ML. Single-cell epigenomic dysregulation of Systemic Sclerosis fibroblasts via CREB1/EGR1 axis in self-assembled human skin equivalents. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.22.586316. [PMID: 38585776 PMCID: PMC10996484 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.22.586316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by skin fibrosis, internal organ involvement and vascular dropout. We previously developed and phenotypically characterized an in vitro 3D skin-like tissue model of SSc, and now analyze the transcriptomic (scRNA-seq) and epigenetic (scATAC-seq) characteristics of this model at single-cell resolution. SSc 3D skin-like tissues were fabricated using autologous fibroblasts, macrophages, and plasma from SSc patients or healthy control (HC) donors. SSc tissues displayed increased dermal thickness and contractility, as well as increased α-SMA staining. Single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses identified keratinocytes, macrophages, and five populations of fibroblasts (labeled FB1 - 5). Notably, FB1 APOE-expressing fibroblasts were 12-fold enriched in SSc tissues and were characterized by high EGR1 motif accessibility. Pseudotime analysis suggests that FB1 fibroblasts differentiate from a TGF-β1-responsive fibroblast population and ligand-receptor analysis indicates that the FB1 fibroblasts are active in macrophage crosstalk via soluble ligands including FGF2 and APP. These findings provide characterization of the 3D skin-like model at single cell resolution and establish that it recapitulates subsets of fibroblasts and macrophage phenotypes observed in skin biopsies.
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4
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Sapao P, Roberson EDO, Shi B, Assassi S, Skaug B, Lee F, Naba A, Perez White BE, Córdova-Fletes C, Tsou PS, Sawalha AH, Gudjonsson JE, Ma F, Verma P, Bhattacharyya D, Carns M, Strauss JF, Sicard D, Tschumperlin DJ, Champer MI, Campagnola PJ, Teves ME, Varga J. Reduced SPAG17 Expression in Systemic Sclerosis Triggers Myofibroblast Transition and Drives Fibrosis. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:284-293. [PMID: 36116512 PMCID: PMC10097410 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.08.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a clinically heterogeneous fibrotic disease with no effective treatment. Myofibroblasts are responsible for unresolving synchronous skin and internal organ fibrosis in SSc, but the drivers of sustained myofibroblast activation remain poorly understood. Using unbiased transcriptome analysis of skin biopsies, we identified the downregulation of SPAG17 in multiple independent cohorts of patients with SSc, and by orthogonal approaches, we observed a significant negative correlation between SPAG17 and fibrotic gene expression. Fibroblasts and endothelial cells explanted from SSc skin biopsies showed reduced chromatin accessibility at the SPAG17 locus. Remarkably, mice lacking Spag17 showed spontaneous skin fibrosis with increased dermal thickness, collagen deposition and stiffness, and altered collagen fiber alignment. Knockdown of SPAG17 in human and mouse fibroblasts and microvascular endothelial cells was accompanied by spontaneous myofibroblast transformation and markedly heightened sensitivity to profibrotic stimuli. These responses were accompanied by constitutive TGF-β pathway activation. Thus, we discovered impaired expression of SPAG17 in SSc and identified, to our knowledge, a previously unreported cell-intrinsic role for SPAG17 in the negative regulation of fibrotic responses. These findings shed fresh light on the pathogenesis of SSc and may inform the search for innovative therapies for SSc and other fibrotic conditions through SPAG17 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulene Sapao
- Department of Chemistry, College of Humanities and Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Elisha D O Roberson
- Division of Rheumatology, John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Bo Shi
- Scleroderma Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ilinois, USA
| | - Shervin Assassi
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Brian Skaug
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Fred Lee
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois, USA
| | - Alexandra Naba
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ilinois, USA
| | - Bethany E Perez White
- Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ilinois, USA
| | - Carlos Córdova-Fletes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, México
| | - Pei-Suen Tsou
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Amr H Sawalha
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; The UPMC Lupus Center of Excellence, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Johann E Gudjonsson
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Feiyang Ma
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Priyanka Verma
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Dibyendu Bhattacharyya
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Mary Carns
- Scleroderma Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ilinois, USA
| | - Jerome F Strauss
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Delphine Sicard
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minesota, USA
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minesota, USA
| | - Melissa I Champer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wincosin, USA
| | - Paul J Campagnola
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wincosin, USA
| | - Maria E Teves
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
| | - John Varga
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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5
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Epigenetic Dysregulation in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Skin Diseases. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2022; 63:447-471. [DOI: 10.1007/s12016-022-08956-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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6
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Wang W, Bale S, Wei J, Yalavarthi B, Bhattacharyya D, Yan JJ, Abdala-Valencia H, Xu D, Sun H, Marangoni RG, Herzog E, Berdnikovs S, Miller SD, Sawalha AH, Tsou PS, Awaji K, Yamashita T, Sato S, Asano Y, Tiruppathi C, Yeldandi A, Schock BC, Bhattacharyya S, Varga J. Fibroblast A20 governs fibrosis susceptibility and its repression by DREAM promotes fibrosis in multiple organs. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6358. [PMID: 36289219 PMCID: PMC9606375 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33767-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, variants of the TNFAIP3 gene encoding the ubiquitin-editing enzyme A20 are also associated with fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc). However, it remains unclear how genetic factors contribute to SSc pathogenesis, and which cell types drive the disease due to SSc-specific genetic alterations. We therefore characterize the expression, function, and role of A20, and its negative transcriptional regulator DREAM, in patients with SSc and disease models. Levels of A20 are significantly reduced in SSc skin and lungs, while DREAM is elevated. In isolated fibroblasts, A20 mitigates ex vivo profibrotic responses. Mice haploinsufficient for A20, or harboring fibroblasts-specific A20 deletion, recapitulate major pathological features of SSc, whereas DREAM-null mice with elevated A20 expression are protected. In DREAM-null fibroblasts, TGF-β induces the expression of A20, compared to wild-type fibroblasts. An anti-fibrotic small molecule targeting cellular adiponectin receptors stimulates A20 expression in vitro in wild-type but not A20-deficient fibroblasts and in bleomycin-treated mice. Thus, A20 has a novel cell-intrinsic function in restraining fibroblast activation, and together with DREAM, constitutes a critical regulatory network governing the fibrotic process in SSc. A20 and DREAM represent novel druggable targets for fibrosis therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxia Wang
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Swarna Bale
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jun Wei
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bharath Yalavarthi
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Dibyendu Bhattacharyya
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jing Jing Yan
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hiam Abdala-Valencia
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Dan Xu
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Hanshi Sun
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Roberta G Marangoni
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Erica Herzog
- Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sergejs Berdnikovs
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Stephen D Miller
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Amr H Sawalha
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Pei-Suen Tsou
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Kentaro Awaji
- Department of Dermatology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamashita
- Department of Dermatology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Shinichi Sato
- Department of Dermatology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Yoshihide Asano
- Department of Dermatology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Chinnaswamy Tiruppathi
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Lung and Vascular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Anjana Yeldandi
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Bettina C Schock
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Swati Bhattacharyya
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - John Varga
- Northwestern Scleroderma Program, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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7
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Kim SJ, Bale S, Verma P, Wan Q, Ma F, Gudjonsson JE, Hazen SL, Harms PW, Tsou PS, Khanna D, Tsoi LC, Gupta N, Ho KJ, Varga J. Gut microbe-derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide activates PERK to drive fibrogenic mesenchymal differentiation. iScience 2022; 25:104669. [PMID: 35856022 PMCID: PMC9287188 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Intestinal dysbiosis is prominent in systemic sclerosis (SSc), but it remains unknown how it contributes to microvascular injury and fibrosis that are hallmarks of this disease. Trimethylamine (TMA) is generated by the gut microbiome and in the host converted by flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO3) into trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which has been implicated in chronic cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Using cell culture systems and patient biopsies, we now show that TMAO reprograms skin fibroblasts, vascular endothelial cells, and adipocytic progenitor cells into myofibroblasts via the putative TMAO receptor protein R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK). Remarkably, FMO3 was detected in skin fibroblasts and its expression stimulated by TGF-β1. Moreover, FMO3 was elevated in SSc skin biopsies and in SSc fibroblasts. A meta-organismal pathway thus might in SSc link gut microbiome to vascular remodeling and fibrosis via stromal cell reprogramming, implicating the FMO3-TMAO-PERK axis in pathogenesis, and as a promising target for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok-Jo Kim
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan, Suite 7C27, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- SCM Lifescience Co. Ltd., Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Swarna Bale
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan, Suite 7C27, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Priyanka Verma
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan, Suite 7C27, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Qianqian Wan
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan, Suite 7C27, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Feiyang Ma
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Johann E. Gudjonsson
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan, Suite 7C27, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Stanley L. Hazen
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Paul W. Harms
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Pei-Suen Tsou
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan, Suite 7C27, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan, Suite 7C27, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, The University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lam C. Tsoi
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nilaksh Gupta
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Karen J. Ho
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - John Varga
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan, Suite 7C27, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Michigan Scleroderma Program, The University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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8
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Panara V, Monteiro R, Koltowska K. Epigenetic Regulation of Endothelial Cell Lineages During Zebrafish Development-New Insights From Technical Advances. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:891538. [PMID: 35615697 PMCID: PMC9125237 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.891538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation is integral in orchestrating the spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression which underlies tissue development. The emergence of new tools to assess genome-wide epigenetic modifications has enabled significant advances in the field of vascular biology in zebrafish. Zebrafish represents a powerful model to investigate the activity of cis-regulatory elements in vivo by combining technologies such as ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq and CUT&Tag with the generation of transgenic lines and live imaging to validate the activity of these regulatory elements. Recently, this approach led to the identification and characterization of key enhancers of important vascular genes, such as gata2a, notch1b and dll4. In this review we will discuss how the latest technologies in epigenetics are being used in the zebrafish to determine chromatin states and assess the function of the cis-regulatory sequences that shape the zebrafish vascular network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Panara
- Immunology Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rui Monteiro
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom,Birmingham Centre of Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Katarzyna Koltowska
- Immunology Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden,*Correspondence: Katarzyna Koltowska,
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9
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Palisoc PJ, Vaikutis L, Gurrea-Rubio M, Model EN, O'mara MM, Ory S, Vichaikul S, Khanna D, Tsou PS, Sawalha AH. Functional Characterization of Glycoprotein Nonmetastatic Melanoma Protein B in Scleroderma Fibrosis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:814533. [PMID: 35280996 PMCID: PMC8907428 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.814533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) is involved in various cell functions such as cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. In this study, we set forth to determine the role of GPNMB in systemic sclerosis (SSc) fibroblasts. Dermal fibroblasts were isolated from skin biopsies from healthy subjects and patients with diffuse cutaneous (dc)SSc. GPNMB was upregulated in dcSSc fibroblasts compared to normal fibroblasts, and correlated negatively with the modified Rodnan skin score. In addition, dcSSc fibroblasts secreted higher levels of soluble (s)GPNMB (147.4 ± 50.2 pg/ml vs. 84.8 ± 14.8 pg/ml, p<0.05), partly due to increased ADAM10. sGPNMB downregulated profibrotic genes in dcSSc fibroblasts and inhibited cell proliferation and gel contraction. The anti-fibrotic effect of sGPNMB was at least in part mediated through CD44, which is regulated by histone acetylation. TGFβ downregulated GPNMB and decreased the release of its soluble form in normal fibroblasts. In dcSSc fibroblasts, GPNMB is upregulated by its own soluble form. Our data demonstrate an anti-fibrotic role of sGPNMB in SSc and established a role for the ADAM10-sGPNMB-CD44 axis in dermal fibroblasts. Upregulating GPNMB expression might provide a novel therapeutic approach in SSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela J Palisoc
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Leah Vaikutis
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Mikel Gurrea-Rubio
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Ellen N Model
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Morgan M O'mara
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Sarah Ory
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Sirapa Vichaikul
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Pei-Suen Tsou
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Amr H Sawalha
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Lupus Center of Excellence, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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10
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Dai B, Ding L, Zhao L, Zhu H, Luo H. Contributions of Immune Cells and Stromal Cells to the Pathogenesis of Systemic Sclerosis: Recent Insights. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:826839. [PMID: 35185577 PMCID: PMC8852243 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.826839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem rheumatic disease characterized by vascular dysfunction, autoimmune abnormalities, and progressive organ fibrosis. A series of studies in SSc patients and fibrotic models suggest that immune cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells participate in inflammation and aberrant tissue repair. Furthermore, the growing number of studies on single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology in SSc elaborate on the transcriptomics and heterogeneities of these cell subsets significantly. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding immune cells and stromal cells in SSc patients and discuss their potential roles in SSc pathogenesis, focusing on recent advances in the new subtypes by scRNA-seq.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingying Dai
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Liqing Ding
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lijuan Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Honglin Zhu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Provincial Clinical Research Center for Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Honglin Zhu, ; Hui Luo,
| | - Hui Luo
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Provincial Clinical Research Center for Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Honglin Zhu, ; Hui Luo,
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Advances in epigenetics in systemic sclerosis: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2021; 17:596-607. [PMID: 34480165 DOI: 10.1038/s41584-021-00683-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a prototypical inflammatory fibrotic disease involving inflammation, vascular abnormalities and fibrosis that primarily affect the skin and lungs. The aetiology of SSc is unknown and its pathogenesis is only partially understood. Of all the rheumatic diseases, SSc carries the highest all-cause mortality rate and represents an unmet medical need. A growing body of evidence implicates epigenetic aberrations in this intractable disease, including specific modifications affecting the three main cell types involved in SSc pathogenesis: immune cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. In this Review, we discuss the latest insights into the role of DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs in SSc and how these epigenetic alterations affect disease features. In particular, histone modifications have a role in the regulation of gene expression pertinent to activation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts, governing their fate. DNA methyltransferases are crucial in disease pathogenesis by mediating methylation of DNA in specific promoters, regulating expression of specific pathways. We discuss targeting of these enzymes for therapeutic gain. Innovative epigenetic therapy could be targeted to treat the disease in a precision epigenetics approach.
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