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Mejias Rivera L, Shore EM, Mourkioti F. Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Heterotopic Ossification in Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva. Biomedicines 2024; 12:779. [PMID: 38672135 PMCID: PMC11048698 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12040779] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a debilitating genetic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of heterotopic ossification (HO) formation in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. FOP is caused by a missense mutation in the ACVR1 gene (activin A receptor type I), an important signaling receptor involved in endochondral ossification. The ACVR1R206H mutation induces increased downstream canonical SMAD-signaling and drives tissue-resident progenitor cells with osteogenic potential to participate in endochondral HO formation. In this article, we review aberrant ACVR1R206H signaling and the cells that give rise to HO in FOP. FOP mouse models and lineage tracing analyses have been used to provide strong evidence for tissue-resident mesenchymal cells as cellular contributors to HO. We assess how the underlying mutation in FOP disrupts muscle-specific dynamics during homeostasis and repair, with a focus on muscle-resident mesenchymal cells known as fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs). Accumulating research points to FAPs as a prominent HO progenitor population, with ACVR1R206H FAPs not only aberrantly differentiating into chondro-osteogenic lineages but creating a permissive environment for bone formation at the expense of muscle regeneration. We will further discuss the emerging role of ACVR1R206H FAPs in muscle regeneration and therapeutic targeting of these cells to reduce HO formation in FOP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreilys Mejias Rivera
- Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics and Epigenetics Graduate Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3450 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Eileen M. Shore
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3450 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Foteini Mourkioti
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3450 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Musculoskeletal Program, Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Burdick LN, DelVichio AH, Hanson LR, Griffith BB, Bouchard KR, Hunter JW, Goldhamer DJ. Sex as a Critical Variable in Basic and Pre-Clinical Studies of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva. Biomolecules 2024; 14:177. [PMID: 38397414 PMCID: PMC10886767 DOI: 10.3390/biom14020177] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Heterotopic ossification (HO) is most dramatically manifested in the rare and severely debilitating disease, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), in which heterotopic bone progressively accumulates in skeletal muscles and associated soft tissues. The great majority of FOP cases are caused by a single amino acid substitution in the type 1 bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor ACVR1, a mutation that imparts responsiveness to activin A. Although it is well-established that biological sex is a critical variable in a range of physiological and disease processes, the impact of sex on HO in animal models of FOP has not been explored. We show that female FOP mice exhibit both significantly greater and more variable HO responses after muscle injury. Additionally, the incidence of spontaneous HO was significantly greater in female mice. This sex dimorphism is not dependent on gonadally derived sex hormones, and reciprocal cell transplantations indicate that apparent differences in osteogenic activity are intrinsic to the sex of the transplanted cells. By circumventing the absolute requirement for activin A using an agonist of mutant ACVR1, we show that the female-specific response to muscle injury or BMP2 implantation is dependent on activin A. These data identify sex as a critical variable in basic and pre-clinical studies of FOP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorraine N. Burdick
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (L.N.B.); (A.H.D.); (L.R.H.); (B.B.G.)
| | - Amanda H. DelVichio
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (L.N.B.); (A.H.D.); (L.R.H.); (B.B.G.)
| | - L. Russell Hanson
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (L.N.B.); (A.H.D.); (L.R.H.); (B.B.G.)
| | - Brenden B. Griffith
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (L.N.B.); (A.H.D.); (L.R.H.); (B.B.G.)
| | - Keith R. Bouchard
- Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., 100 College Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (K.R.B.); (J.W.H.)
| | - Jeffrey W. Hunter
- Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., 100 College Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (K.R.B.); (J.W.H.)
| | - David J. Goldhamer
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (L.N.B.); (A.H.D.); (L.R.H.); (B.B.G.)
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Schoenmaker T, Zwaak J, Loos BG, Volckmann R, Koster J, Eekhoff EMW, de Vries TJ. Transcriptomic Differences Underlying the Activin-A Induced Large Osteoclast Formation in Both Healthy Control and Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Osteoclasts. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076822. [PMID: 37047804 PMCID: PMC10095588 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) is a very rare genetic disease characterized by progressive heterotopic ossification (HO) of soft tissues, leading to immobility and premature death. FOP is caused by a mutation in the Activin receptor Type 1 (ACVR1) gene, resulting in altered responsiveness to Activin-A. We recently revealed that Activin-A induces fewer, but larger and more active, osteoclasts regardless of the presence of the mutated ACVR1 receptor. The underlying mechanism of Activin-A-induced changes in osteoclastogenesis at the gene expression level remains unknown. Transcriptomic changes induced by Activin-A during osteoclast formation from healthy controls and patient-derived CD14-positive monocytes were studied using RNA sequencing. CD14-positive monocytes from six FOP patients and six age- and sex-matched healthy controls were differentiated into osteoclasts in the absence or presence of Activin-A. RNA samples were isolated after 14 days of culturing and analyzed by RNA sequencing. Non-supervised principal component analysis (PCA) showed that samples from the same culture conditions (e.g., without or with Activin-A) tended to cluster, indicating that the variability induced by Activin-A treatment was larger than the variability between the control and FOP samples. RNA sequencing analysis revealed 1480 differentially expressed genes induced by Activin-A in healthy control and FOP osteoclasts with p(adj) < 0.01 and a Log2 fold change of ≥±2. Pathway and gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed several significantly enriched pathways for genes upregulated by Activin-A that could be linked to the differentiation or function of osteoclasts, cell fusion or inflammation. Our data showed that Activin-A has a substantial effect on gene expression during osteoclast formation and that this effect occurred regardless of the presence of the mutated ACVR1 receptor causing FOP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ton Schoenmaker
- Department of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joy Zwaak
- Department of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bruno G. Loos
- Department of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Richard Volckmann
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Koster
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - E. Marelise W. Eekhoff
- Department of Internal Medicine Section Endocrinology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Rare Bone Disease Center Amsterdam, Bone Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Teun J. de Vries
- Department of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Akshayaa L, Kavitha S, Priya VV, Gayathri R. Knowledge and awareness about fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva among dental students. J Adv Pharm Technol Res 2022; 13:S554-S558. [PMID: 36798559 PMCID: PMC9926590 DOI: 10.4103/japtr.japtr_165_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder which is autosomal dominant distinguished by congenital malformations of large toes and flare ups, etc. It is a disorder of connective tissue, with heterotopic ossifications seen with skeletal muscles, tendons, and cartilages and also called as Stone man disease, myositis ossificans, and Munchmeyer disease. The main objective of the study is to assess and create the awareness about FOP among dental students. An online-based survey was conducted among 103 dental students, undergraduates and postgraduates. About 20 questionnaires were prepared and circulated among the students through the "Google forms" across Chennai. A survey questionnaire asked about the knowledge of fibrodysplasia, its causes, treatment, and diagnosis was enquired. Thus, the data obtained were analyzed statistically using the SPSS software. In our study, about 64% were undergraduates and 35% of them were postgraduates. About 66% of the participants were aware of fibrodysplasia and 32% of them were not aware. Most of the undergraduate students were more aware of fibrodysplasia (40%) when compared to postgraduates (29%). However, this is statistically not significant. Fibrodysplasia ossificans reported to have a high incidence in 1 in 2 million people worldwide. Hence, an early diagnosis of this disorder can prevent further complications. Although the survey has provided significant knowledge about fibrodysplasia, awareness still has to be created among dental students.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Akshayaa
- Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S. Kavitha
- Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India,Address for correspondence: Dr. S. Kavitha, Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai - 600 077, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail:
| | - V. Vishnu Priya
- Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R. Gayathri
- Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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Koike H, Manabe I, Oishi Y. Mechanisms of cooperative cell-cell interactions in skeletal muscle regeneration. Inflamm Regen 2022; 42:48. [DOI: 10.1186/s41232-022-00234-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractSkeletal muscles have an extraordinary capacity to regenerate themselves when injured. Skeletal muscle stem cells, called satellite cells, play a central role in muscle regeneration via three major steps: activation, proliferation, and differentiation. These steps are affected by multiple types of cells, such as immune cells, fibro-adipogenic progenitor cells, and vascular endothelial cells. The widespread use of single-cell sequencing technologies has enabled the identification of novel cell subpopulations associated with muscle regeneration and their regulatory mechanisms. This review summarizes the dynamism of the cellular community that controls and promotes muscle regeneration, with a particular focus on skeletal muscle stem cells.
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Eekhoff EM, de Ruiter RD, Smilde BJ, Schoenmaker T, de Vries TJ, Netelenbos C, Hsiao EC, Scott C, Haga N, Grunwald Z, De Cunto CL, di Rocco M, Delai PLR, Diecidue RJ, Madhuri V, Cho TJ, Morhart R, Friedman CS, Zasloff M, Pals G, Shim JH, Gao G, Kaplan F, Pignolo RJ, Micha D. Gene Therapy for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: Feasibility and Obstacles. Hum Gene Ther 2022; 33:782-788. [PMID: 35502479 PMCID: PMC9419966 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare and devastating genetic disease, in which soft connective tissue is converted into heterotopic bone through an endochondral ossification process. Patients succumb early as they gradually become trapped in a second skeleton of heterotopic bone. Although the underlying genetic defect is long known, the inherent complexity of the disease has hindered the discovery of effective preventions and treatments. New developments in the gene therapy field have motivated its consideration as an attractive therapeutic option for FOP. However, the immune system's role in FOP activation and the as-yet unknown primary causative cell, are crucial issues which must be taken into account in the therapy design. While gene therapy offers a potential therapeutic solution, more knowledge about FOP is needed to enable its optimal and safe application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth M.W. Eekhoff
- Section Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Rare Bone Disease Center, Amsterdam Bone Center, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ruben D. de Ruiter
- Section Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Rare Bone Disease Center, Amsterdam Bone Center, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bernard J. Smilde
- Section Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Rare Bone Disease Center, Amsterdam Bone Center, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ton Schoenmaker
- Department of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Teun J. de Vries
- Department of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Coen Netelenbos
- Section Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Rare Bone Disease Center, Amsterdam Bone Center, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Edward C. Hsiao
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Institute for Human Genetics, Program in Craniofacial Biology, the Institute for Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Christiaan Scott
- Division of Paediatric Rheumatology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Heath, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nobuhiko Haga
- Rehabilitation Services Bureau, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
| | - Zvi Grunwald
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Carmen L. De Cunto
- Department of Pediatrics, Section Pediatric Rheumatology, Hospital Italiano Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maja di Rocco
- Department of Pediatrics, Unit of Rare Diseases, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Institute, Genoa, Italy
| | - Patricia L. R. Delai
- Teaching and Research Institute of the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Robert J. Diecidue
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Vrisha Madhuri
- Department of Paediatric Orthopaedics and Center for Stem Cell Research, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India
| | - Tae-Joon Cho
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Rolf Morhart
- Department of Pediatrics, Garmisch-Partenkichen Medical Center, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Clive S. Friedman
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Clinical Skills Building, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Zasloff
- Surgery and Pediatrics, MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Gerard Pals
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Rare Bone Disease Center, Amsterdam Bone Center, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jae-Hyuck Shim
- Department of Medicine/Rheumatology, Horae Gene Therapy Center, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Guangping Gao
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, Horae Gene Therapy Center, Viral Vector Core, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Frederick Kaplan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Medicine, Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Dimitra Micha
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Rare Bone Disease Center, Amsterdam Bone Center, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Lees-Shepard JB, Stoessel SJ, Chandler JT, Bouchard K, Bento P, Apuzzo LN, Devarakonda PM, Hunter JW, Goldhamer DJ. An anti-ACVR1 antibody exacerbates heterotopic ossification by fibro-adipogenic progenitors in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva mice. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:153795. [PMID: 35503416 PMCID: PMC9197527 DOI: 10.1172/jci153795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disease characterized by progressive and catastrophic heterotopic ossification (HO) of skeletal muscle and associated soft tissues. FOP is caused by dominantly acting mutations in the gene encoding the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptor, ACVR1 (ALK2), the most prevalent of which results in an arginine to histidine substitution at position 206[ACVR1(R206H)]. The fundamental pathological consequence of FOP-causing ACVR1 receptor mutations is to enable activin A to initiate canonical BMP signaling in fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), which drives HO. We developed a monoclonal blocking antibody (JAB0505) to the extracellular domain of ACVR1 and tested its effect on HO in two independent FOP mouse models. Although JAB0505 inhibited BMP-dependent gene expression in wild-type and ACVR1(R206H)-overexpressing cell lines, JAB0505 treatment profoundly exacerbated injury-induced HO. JAB0505-treated mice exhibited multiple, distinct foci of heterotopic lesions, suggesting an atypically broad anatomical domain of FAP recruitment to endochondral ossification. This was accompanied by dysregulated FAP population growth and an abnormally sustained immunological reaction following muscle injury. JAB0505 drove injury-induced HO in the absence of activin A, indicating that JAB0505 has receptor agonist activity. These data raise serious safety and efficacy concerns for the use of bivalent anti-ACVR1 antibodies to treat patients with FOP.
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Affiliation(s)
- John B Lees-Shepard
- Skeletal Diseases, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, United States of America
| | - Sean J Stoessel
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, United States of America
| | - Julian T Chandler
- Discovery Research, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, New Haven, United States of America
| | - Keith Bouchard
- Discovery Research, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, New Haven, United States of America
| | - Patricia Bento
- Product Development and Clinical Supply, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, New Haven, United States of America
| | - Lorraine N Apuzzo
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, United States of America
| | | | - Jeffrey W Hunter
- Discovery Research, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, New Haven, United States of America
| | - David J Goldhamer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, United States of America
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Newfeld SJ, O’Connor MB. New aspects of TGF-β superfamily signaling in development and disease (2022 FASEB meeting review). Fac Rev 2022; 11:36. [PMID: 36644295 PMCID: PMC9816873 DOI: 10.12703/r/11-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The 13th Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Summer Research Conference, "TGF-β superfamily signaling in development and disease" was convened at the Grand Hotel in Malahide, Ireland in July 2022. The Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) family of secreted proteins consists of agents of intercellular communication found in all multicellular animals. Attending the meeting was a diverse group of scholars with shared interests in understanding TGF-β signaling mechanisms, normal functions, and the diseases associated with misregulation and mutation. Despite intense study over the previous 35 years, new features of TGF-β activity continue to be discovered. This meeting report offers 21 investigator-provided summaries that illustrate the breadth of the thought-provoking presentations. An emerging theme of the meeting was the power of cross-disciplinary studies, such as one combining immunology, biochemistry, and structural biology, to unravel the secrets of parasitic TGF-β mimics. Please join us at the next meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart J Newfeld
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
| | - Michael B O’Connor
- Department of Genetics Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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