Plasminogen activators are involved in the degradation of bone by osteoclasts

The Roles of Fibrinolytic Factors in Bone Destruction Caused by Inflammation

Chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn's disease, periodontitis, and carcinoma metastasis frequently result in bone destruction. Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-17 are known to influence bone loss by promoting the differentiation and activation of osteoclasts. Fibrinolytic factors, such as plasminogen (Plg), plasmin, urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), its receptor (uPAR), tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), α2-antiplasmin (α2AP), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) are expressed in osteoclasts and osteoblasts and are considered essential in maintaining bone homeostasis by regulating the functions of both osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Additionally, fibrinolytic factors are associated with the regulation of inflammation and the immune system. This review explores the roles of fibrinolytic factors in bone destruction caused by inflammation.

Potential therapeutic role for pigment epithelium-derived factor in post-menopausal breast cancer bone metastasis

OBJECTIVES

This review discusses key oestrogens associated with the circulating pre- and post-menopausal milieu and how they may impact intratumoral oestrogen levels and breast cancer (BC) metastasis. It also identifies critical steps in BC metastasis to bone from the viewpoint of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) function, and discusses the role of several associated pro-metastatic biomarkers in BC bone metastasis.

KEY FINDINGS

PEDF is regulated by oestrogen in a number of oestrogen-sensitive tissues. Changes in circulating oestrogen levels associated with menopause may enhance the growth of BC bone metastases, leading to the establishment of a pre-metastatic niche. The establishment of such a pre-metastatic niche is driven by several key mediators, with pro-osteoclastic and pro-metastatic function which are upregulated by BC cells. These mediators appear to be regulated by oestrogen, as well as differentially affected by menopausal status. PEDF interacts with several pro-metastatic, pro-osteoclastic biomarkers, including C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) in BC bone metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Mediators such as CXCR4 and MT1-MMP underpin the ability of PEDF to function as an antimetastatic in other cancers such as osteosarcoma, highlighting the possibility that this serpin could be used as a therapeutic against BC metastasis in future.

NFκB-Mediated Mechanisms Drive PEDF Expression and Function in Pre- and Post-Menopausal Oestrogen Levels in Breast Cancer

Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) protein regulates normal bone, with anti-tumour roles in bone and breast cancer (BC). Pre- and post-menopausal oestrogen levels may regulate PEDF expression and function in BC, though the mechanisms behind this remain unknown. In this study, in vitro models simulating pre- and post-menopausal bone microenvironments were used to evaluate if PEDF regulates pro-metastatic biomarker expression and downstream functional effects on BC cells. PEDF treatment reduced phosphorylated-nuclear factor-κB p65 subunit (p-NFκB-p65), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα), C-X-C chemokine receptor type-4 (CXCR4), and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) in oestrogen receptor (ER)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)- BC cells under post-menopausal oestrogen conditions. In triple negative BC (TNBC) cells, PEDF treatment reduced pNFκB-p65 and uPAR expression under pre-menopausal oestrogen conditions. A potential reciprocal regulatory axis between p-NFκB-65 and PEDF in BC was identified, which was BC subtype-specific and differentially regulated by menopausal oestrogen conditions. The effects of PEDF treatment and NFκB inhibition on BC cell function under menopausal conditions were also compared. PEDF treatment exhibited superior anti-viability effects, while combined PEDF and NFκB-p65 inhibitor treatment was superior in reducing BC cell colony formation in a subtype-specific manner. Lastly, immunohistochemical evaluation of p-NFκB-p65 and PEDF expression in human BC and bone metastases specimens revealed an inverse correlation between nuclear PEDF and NFκB expression in bone metastases. We propose that menopausal status is associated with a PEDF/NFκB reciprocal regulatory axis, which drives PEDF expression and anti-metastatic function in a subtype-specific manner. Altogether, our findings identify pre-menopausal TNBC and post-menopausal ER+/HER2- BC patients as target populations for future PEDF research.

Plasminogen Regulates Fracture Repair by Promoting the Functions of Periosteal Mesenchymal Progenitors

Defective or insufficient bone repair and regeneration are common in patients as a result of major trauma or severe disease. Cell therapy with periosteal mesenchymal progenitors, which can be limited in severe injury, serves as a promising approach; however, its efficacy is limited due to a repair-hostile ischemic tissue microenvironment after traumatic fracture. Here we report that plasminogen (Plg), a factor that is upregulated in these environments, is critical for fracture healing. Plg knockout mice had impaired trabecular and cortical bone structure and exhibited delayed and incomplete fracture healing. Interestingly, Plg deficiency greatly reduced the thickness of expanded periosteum, suggesting a role of Plg in periosteal mesenchymal progenitor-mediated bone repair. In culture, Plg increased cell proliferation and migration in periosteal mesenchymal progenitors and inhibited cell death under ischemic conditions. Mechanistically, we revealed that Plg cleaved and activated Cyr61 to regulate periosteal progenitor function. Thus, our study uncovers a cellular mechanism underlying fracture healing, by which Plg activates Cyr61 to promote periosteal progenitor proliferation, survival, and migration and improves bone repair after fracture. Targeting Plg may offer a rational and effective therapeutic opportunity for improving fracture healing. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Roles of fibrinolytic factors in the alterations in bone marrow hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells during bone repair

In bone tissues, metabolic turnover through bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts, termed bone remodeling, is strictly controlled and maintains homeostasis. Fibrinolytic factors are expressed in osteoclasts and osteoblasts, and are involved in bone remodeling through bone resorption and formation. The repair/regeneration process after bone injury is divided into the acute inflammatory, repair, and remodeling stages. Osteoblasts, osteoclasts, chondrocytes, and macrophages involved in the bone repair process originate from hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the bone marrow. Therefore, stem cells in the bone marrow may be strongly influenced by bone injury. The urokinase-type PA (u-PA)/plasminogen (Plg) system functions in macrophage accumulation/phagocytosis through chemokines in the acute inflammatory stage, and Plg increases blood vessel-related growth factor expression, being involved in vascularization in mice. Plasminogen activator inhivitor-1 (PAI-1) causes bone loss and delayed bone repair through the inhibition of osteoblast differentiation in a drug-induced diabetes model in mice. Plg is considered to induce transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) production in macrophages in the bone repair process, TGF-β release from the extracellular matrix through the activation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) expression in endosteal preosteoblasts, leading to the induction of bone marrow HSPCs in mice. Based on the above, establishment of a fibrinolytic factor-targeting method efficiently promoting bone repair/regeneration and fracture healing, and development of a new osteoporosis treatment method and diagnostic marker are awaited.

Relevance of the plasminogen system in physiology, pathology, and regeneration of oral tissues - From the perspective of dental specialties

Plasmin is a proteolytic enzyme that is crucial in fibrinolysis. In oral tissues, the plasminogen system plays an essential role in physiological and pathological processes, which in addition to fibrinolysis include degradation of extracellular matrix, inflammation, immune response, angiogenesis, tissue remodeling, cell migration, and wound healing. Oral tissues reveal a change in the plasminogen system during pathological processes such as periodontitis, peri-implantitis, or pulpitis, as well as in response to mechanical load. The plasminogen system is also a key element in tissue regeneration. The number of studies investigating the plasminogen system in dentistry have grown continuously in recent years, highlighting its increasing relevance in dental medicine. In this review, we present the diverse functions of the plasminogen system in physiology and its importance for dental specialists in pathology and regeneration. We thus provide an overview of the current knowledge on the role of the plasminogen system in the different fields of dentistry, including endodontics, orthodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery.

Fibrinolysis is essential for fracture repair and prevention of heterotopic ossification

Bone formation during fracture repair inevitably initiates within or around extravascular deposits of a fibrin-rich matrix. In addition to a central role in hemostasis, fibrin is thought to enhance bone repair by supporting inflammatory and mesenchymal progenitor egress into the zone of injury. However, given that a failure of efficient fibrin clearance can impede normal wound repair, the precise contribution of fibrin to bone fracture repair, whether supportive or detrimental, is unknown. Here, we employed mice with genetically and pharmacologically imposed deficits in the fibrin precursor fibrinogen and fibrin-degrading plasminogen to explore the hypothesis that fibrin is vital to the initiation of fracture repair, but impaired fibrin clearance results in derangements in bone fracture repair. In contrast to our hypothesis, fibrin was entirely dispensable for long-bone fracture repair, as healing fractures in fibrinogen-deficient mice were indistinguishable from those in control animals. However, failure to clear fibrin from the fracture site in plasminogen-deficient mice severely impaired fracture vascularization, precluded bone union, and resulted in robust heterotopic ossification. Pharmacological fibrinogen depletion in plasminogen-deficient animals restored a normal pattern of fracture repair and substantially limited heterotopic ossification. Fibrin is therefore not essential for fracture repair, but inefficient fibrinolysis decreases endochondral angiogenesis and ossification, thereby inhibiting fracture repair.

Cavin-1/PTRF alters prostate cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicle content and internalization to attenuate extracellular vesicle-mediated osteoclastogenesis and osteoblast proliferation

Background

Tumour-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a role in tumour progression; however, the spectrum of molecular mechanisms regulating EV secretion and cargo selection remain to be fully elucidated. We have reported that cavin-1 expression in prostate cancer PC3 cells reduced the abundance of a subset of EV proteins, concomitant with reduced xenograft tumour growth and metastasis.

Methods

We examined the functional outcomes and mechanisms of cavin-1 expression on PC3-derived EVs (PC3-EVs).

Results

PC3-EVs were internalized by osteoclast precursor RAW264.7 cells and primary human osteoblasts (hOBs) in vitro, stimulating osteoclastogenesis 37-fold and hOB proliferation 1.5-fold, respectively. Strikin gly, EVs derived from cavin-1-expressing PC3 cells (cavin-1-PC3-EVs) failed to induce multinucleate osteoblasts or hOB proliferation. Cavin-1 was not detected in EVs, indicating an indirect mechanism of action. EV morphology, size and quantity were also not affected by cavin-1 expression, suggesting that cavin-1 modulated EV cargo recruitment rather than release. While cavin-1-EVs had no osteoclastogenic function, they were internalized by RAW264.7 cells but at a reduced efficiency compared to control EVs. EV surface proteins are required for internalization of PC3-EVs by RAW264.7 cells, as proteinase K treatment abolished uptake of both control and cavin-1-PC3-EVs. Removal of sialic acid modifications by neuraminidase treatment increased the amount of control PC3-EVs internalized by RAW264.7 cells, without affecting cavin-1-PC3-EVs. This suggests that cavin-1 expression altered the glycosylation modifications on PC3-EV surface. Finally, cavin-1 expression did not affect EV in vivo tissue targeting as both control and cavin-1-PC3-EVs were predominantly retained in the lung and bone 24 hours after injection into mice.

Discussion

Taken together, our results reveal a novel pathway for EV cargo sorting, and highlight the potential of utilizing cavin-1-mediated pathways to attenuate metastatic prostate cancer.

Urokinase plasminogen activator gene deficiency inhibits fracture cartilage remodeling

Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) regulates a proteolytic cascade of extracellular matrix degradation that functions in tissue development and tissue repair. The development and remodeling of the skeletal extracellular matrix during wound healing suggests that uPA might regulate bone development and repair. To determine whether uPA functions regulate bone development and repair, we examined the basal skeletal phenotype and endochondral bone fracture repair in uPA-deficient mice. The skeletal phenotype of uPA knockout mice was compared with that of control mice under basal conditions by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and micro-CT analysis, and during femur fracture repair by micro-CT and histological examination of the fracture callus. No effects of uPA gene deficiency were observed in the basal skeletal phenotype of the whole body or the femur. However, uPA gene deficiency resulted in increased fracture callus cartilage abundance during femur fracture repair at 14 days healing. The increase in cartilage corresponded to reduced tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining for osteoclasts in the uPA knockout fracture callus at this time, consistent with impaired osteoclast-mediated remodeling of the fracture cartilage. CD31 staining was reduced in the knockout fracture tissues at this time, suggesting that angiogenesis was also reduced. Osteoclasts also colocalized with CD31 expression in the endothelial cells of the fracture tissues during callus remodeling. These results indicate that uPA promotes remodeling of the fracture cartilage by osteoclasts that are associated with angiogenesis and suggest that uPA promotes angiogenesis and remodeling of the fracture cartilage at this time of bone fracture repair.

RAF265, a dual BRAF and VEGFR2 inhibitor, prevents osteoclast formation and resorption. Therapeutic implications

INTRODUCTION

The RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway plays an important role in osteoclast (OC) differentiation and survival mediated by macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). Also, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may greatly influence OC formation and resorption through VEGFR1 and VEGFR2. RAF265 is a novel, orally bioavailable dual inhibitor of RAF kinase and VEGFR2.

METHODS

Effect of RAF265 on osteoclastogenesis from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and OC resorption on calcium-coated wells was assessed by appropriate in vitro assays. Immunoblotting, real-time RT-PCR and flow cytometry were used to evaluate RAF265 mechanism of action.

RESULTS

RAF265 significantly impaired in vitro differentiation of PBMCs to OCs induced by receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) and M-CSF (IC(50) ≅ 160 nM). In parallel, RAF265 exerted a potent inhibition of OC resorptive capacity (IC(50) ≅ 20 nM). RAF265 treatment led to ERK inhibition and diminished expression of c-fos and NFATc1 (nuclear factor of activated T cells, calcineurin-dependent 1), which would likely account for inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. The reduced gene expression of aVb3 integrin, CCR1, cathepsin K, carbonic anhydrase II, matrix metalloproteinase 9, urokinase and tissue-type plasminogen activators, vacuolar H(+)-ATPase subunit (ATP6V1A) and Rab7 GTPase would probably mediate RAF265 hindered resorption. RAF265 inhibitory effect on VEGFR2 (noticeable at 10-50 nM) was also found to be implicated in the potent inhibition of this agent on OC function.

CONCLUSIONS

We have found a new therapeutic application for RAF265 as an inhibitory agent of osteoclastogenesis and OC function, which might be useful for the treatment of skeletal disorders associated with increased bone resorption.

The significance of differential expression of genes and proteins in human primary cells caused by microgrooved biomaterial substrata

We demonstrate that etched microgrooves, with truncated V-shape in cross-section and subsequent acid etching, on titanium substrata alter the expression of various genes and proteins in human primary cells. Etched microgrooves with 30 or 60 μm width and 10 μm depth promoted human gingival fibroblast proliferation and significantly enhanced the osteoblast differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and human periodontal ligament cells by inducing differential expression of various genes involved in cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, mitosis, cytoskeletal reorganization, translation initiation, vesicular trafficking, proton transportation, transforming growth factor-β signaling, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, simvastatin's anabolic effect on bone, inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein)'s action, sumoylation pathway, survival/apoptosis, mitochondrial distribution, type I collagen production, osteoblast differentiation, and bone remodeling that were verified by the differential display PCR and quantitative real-time PCR. The most influential genes on the enhancement of fibroblast proliferation or osteoblast differentiation were determined by multiple regression analysis, and the expression of relevant proteins was confirmed by western blotting and protein quantitation.

Plasminogen/plasmin modulates bone metabolism by regulating the osteoblast and osteoclast function

The contribution of plasminogen (Plg)/plasmin, which have claimed to be the main fibrinolytic regulators in the bone metabolism, remains unclear. This study evaluated how the absence of Plg affects the function of osteoblast (OB) and osteoclast (OC). There was a larger population of pre-OCs in bone marrow-derived cells from the Plg(-/-) mice than the population of that from the WT mice. In addition, the absence of Plg suppressed the expression of osteoprotegerin in OBs. Moreover, an exogenous plasmin clearly induced the osteoprotegerin expression in Plg(-/-) OBs. The osteoclastogenesis of RAW264.7 mouse monocyte/macrophage lineage cells in co-culture with OBs from the Plg(-/-) mice was significantly accelerated in comparison with that in co-culture with OBs from the WT mice. Intriguingly, the accelerated OC differentiation of RAW264.7 cells co-cultured with Plg(-/-) OBs was clearly suppressed by the treatment of an exogenous plasmin. Consequently, Plg(-/-) mice display decreased bone mineral density. These findings could eventually lead to the development of new clinical therapies for bone disease caused by a disorder of the fibrinolytic system.