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Si S, Liu H, Xu L, Zhan S. Identification of novel therapeutic targets for chronic kidney disease and kidney function by integrating multi-omics proteome with transcriptome. Genome Med 2024; 16:84. [PMID: 38898508 PMCID: PMC11186236 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01356-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disease for which there is no effective cure. We aimed to identify potential drug targets for CKD and kidney function by integrating plasma proteome and transcriptome. METHODS We designed a comprehensive analysis pipeline involving two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) (for proteins), summary-based MR (SMR) (for mRNA), and colocalization (for coding genes) to identify potential multi-omics biomarkers for CKD and combined the protein-protein interaction, Gene Ontology (GO), and single-cell annotation to explore the potential biological roles. The outcomes included CKD, extensive kidney function phenotypes, and different CKD clinical types (IgA nephropathy, chronic glomerulonephritis, chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis, membranous nephropathy, nephrotic syndrome, and diabetic nephropathy). RESULTS Leveraging pQTLs of 3032 proteins from 3 large-scale GWASs and corresponding blood- and tissue-specific eQTLs, we identified 32 proteins associated with CKD, which were validated across diverse CKD datasets, kidney function indicators, and clinical types. Notably, 12 proteins with prior MR support, including fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5), isopentenyl-diphosphate delta-isomerase 2 (IDI2), inhibin beta C chain (INHBC), butyrophilin subfamily 3 member A2 (BTN3A2), BTN3A3, uromodulin (UMOD), complement component 4A (C4a), C4b, centrosomal protein of 170 kDa (CEP170), serologically defined colon cancer antigen 8 (SDCCAG8), MHC class I polypeptide-related sequence B (MICB), and liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2), were confirmed. To our knowledge, 20 novel causal proteins have not been previously reported. Five novel proteins, namely, GCKR (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.10-1.24), IGFBP-5 (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.29-0.62), sRAGE (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.22), GNPTG (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.86-0.95), and YOD1 (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.18-1.64,) passed the MR, SMR, and colocalization analysis. The other 15 proteins were also candidate targets (GATM, AIF1L, DQA2, PFKFB2, NFATC1, activin AC, Apo A-IV, MFAP4, DJC10, C2CD2L, TCEA2, HLA-E, PLD3, AIF1, and GMPR1). These proteins interact with each other, and their coding genes were mainly enrichment in immunity-related pathways or presented specificity across tissues, kidney-related tissue cells, and kidney single cells. CONCLUSIONS Our integrated analysis of plasma proteome and transcriptome data identifies 32 potential therapeutic targets for CKD, kidney function, and specific CKD clinical types, offering potential targets for the development of novel immunotherapies, combination therapies, or targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shucheng Si
- Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
- Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hongyan Liu
- Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
- Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Lu Xu
- Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
- Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Siyan Zhan
- Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (Peking University), Ministry of Education, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Hou Y, Zhu L, Ye X, Ke Q, Zhang Q, Xie X, Piao JG, Wei Y. Integrated oral microgel system ameliorates renal fibrosis by hitchhiking co-delivery and targeted gut flora modulation. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:305. [PMID: 38822364 PMCID: PMC11143587 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02586-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Renal fibrosis is a progressive process associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), contributing to impaired kidney function. Active constituents in traditional Chinese herbs, such as emodin (EMO) and asiatic acid (AA), exhibit potent anti-fibrotic properties. However, the oral administration of EMO and AA results in low bioavailability and limited kidney accumulation. Additionally, while oral probiotics have been accepted for CKD treatment through gut microbiota modulation, a significant challenge lies in ensuring their viability upon administration. Therefore, our study aims to address both renal fibrosis and gut microbiota imbalance through innovative co-delivery strategies. RESULTS In this study, we developed yeast cell wall particles (YCWPs) encapsulating EMO and AA self-assembled nanoparticles (NPYs) and embedded them, along with Lactobacillus casei Zhang, in chitosan/sodium alginate (CS/SA) microgels. The developed microgels showed significant controlled release properties for the loaded NPYs and prolonged the retention time of Lactobacillus casei Zhang (L. casei Zhang) in the intestine. Furthermore, in vivo biodistribution showed that the microgel-carried NPYs significantly accumulated in the obstructed kidneys of rats, thereby substantially increasing the accumulation of EMO and AA in the impaired kidneys. More importantly, through hitchhiking delivery based on yeast cell wall and positive modulation of gut microbiota, our microgels with this synergistic strategy of therapeutic and modulatory interactions could regulate the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and thus effectively ameliorate renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rats. CONCLUSION In conclusion, our work provides a new strategy for the treatment of renal fibrosis based on hitchhiking co-delivery of nanodrugs and probiotics to achieve synergistic effects of disease treatment and targeted gut flora modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Hou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Xiaofeng Ye
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Qiaoying Ke
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Qibin Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Xiaowei Xie
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Ji-Gang Piao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China.
| | - Yinghui Wei
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 311402, China.
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Harrison SA, Rolph T, Knott M, Dubourg J. FGF21 agonists: An emerging therapeutic for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and beyond. J Hepatol 2024:S0168-8278(24)00332-5. [PMID: 38710230 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The worldwide epidemics of obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)/metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) represent a major economic burden on healthcare systems. Patients with at-risk MASH, defined as MASH with moderate or significant fibrosis, are at higher risk of comorbidity/mortality, with a significant risk of cardiovascular diseases and/or major adverse liver outcomes. Despite a high unmet medical need, there is only one drug approved for MASH. Several drug candidates have reached the phase III development stage and could lead to several potential conditional drug approvals in the coming years. Within the armamentarium of future treatment options, FGF21 analogues hold an interesting position thanks to their pleiotropic effects in addition to their significant effect on both MASH resolution and fibrosis improvement. In this review, we summarise preclinical and clinical data from FGF21 analogues for MASH and explore additional potential therapeutic indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A Harrison
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU UK; Pinnacle Clinical Research, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Tim Rolph
- Akero Therapeutics, South San Francisco, California, USA
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Singh C, Jin B, Shrestha N, Markhard AL, Panda A, Calvo SE, Deik A, Pan X, Zuckerman AL, Ben Saad A, Corey KE, Sjoquist J, Osganian S, AminiTabrizi R, Rhee EP, Shah H, Goldberger O, Mullen AC, Cracan V, Clish CB, Mootha VK, Goodman RP. ChREBP is activated by reductive stress and mediates GCKR-associated metabolic traits. Cell Metab 2024; 36:144-158.e7. [PMID: 38101397 PMCID: PMC10842884 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Common genetic variants in glucokinase regulator (GCKR), which encodes GKRP, a regulator of hepatic glucokinase (GCK), influence multiple metabolic traits in genome-wide association studies (GWASs), making GCKR one of the most pleiotropic GWAS loci in the genome. It is unclear why. Prior work has demonstrated that GCKR influences the hepatic cytosolic NADH/NAD+ ratio, also referred to as reductive stress. Here, we demonstrate that reductive stress is sufficient to activate the transcription factor ChREBP and necessary for its activation by the GKRP-GCK interaction, glucose, and ethanol. We show that hepatic reductive stress induces GCKR GWAS traits such as increased hepatic fat, circulating FGF21, and circulating acylglycerol species, which are also influenced by ChREBP. We define the transcriptional signature of hepatic reductive stress and show its upregulation in fatty liver disease and downregulation after bariatric surgery in humans. These findings highlight how a GCKR-reductive stress-ChREBP axis influences multiple human metabolic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charandeep Singh
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Byungchang Jin
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Nirajan Shrestha
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Andrew L Markhard
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Apekshya Panda
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sarah E Calvo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Amy Deik
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Xingxiu Pan
- The Scintillon Institute, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Austin L Zuckerman
- The Scintillon Institute, San Diego, CA 92121, USA; Program in Mathematics and Science Education, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093; Program in Mathematics and Science Education, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120
| | - Amel Ben Saad
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Kathleen E Corey
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Julia Sjoquist
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Stephanie Osganian
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Roya AminiTabrizi
- Metabolomics Platform, Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Eugene P Rhee
- Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Nephrology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hardik Shah
- Metabolomics Platform, Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Olga Goldberger
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Alan C Mullen
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Valentin Cracan
- The Scintillon Institute, San Diego, CA 92121, USA; Department of Chemistry, the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Clary B Clish
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Vamsi K Mootha
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Russell P Goodman
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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