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Laudadio I, Carissimi C, Scafa N, Bastianelli A, Fulci V, Renzini A, Russo G, Oliva S, Vitali R, Palone F, Cucchiara S, Stronati L. Characterization of patient-derived intestinal organoids for modelling fibrosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Inflamm Res 2024; 73:1359-1370. [PMID: 38842554 PMCID: PMC11282153 DOI: 10.1007/s00011-024-01901-9] [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: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Intestinal fibrosis is a common complication of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), namely Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), but the precise mechanism by which it occurs is incompletely understood hampering the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Here, we aimed at inducing and characterizing an inflammation-mediated fibrosis in patient-derived organoids (PDOs) issued from crypts isolated from colonic mucosal biopsies of IBD pediatric patients and age matched-control subjects (CTRLs). METHODS Inflammatory-driven fibrosis was induced by exposing CTRL-, CD- and UC-PDOs to the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α for one day, followed by a co-treatment with TNF-α and TGF-β1 for three days. Fibrotic response was proven by analyzing inflammatory and fibrotic markers by RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence. Transcriptomic changes were assessed by RNA-sequencing. RESULTS Co-treatment with TNF-α and TGF-β1 caused in CTRL- and IBD-PDOs morphological changes towards a mesenchymal-like phenotype and up-regulation of inflammatory, mesenchymal, and fibrotic markers. Transcriptomic profiling highlighted that in all intestinal PDOs, regardless of the disease, the co-exposure to TNF-α and TGF-β1 regulated EMT genes and specifically increased genes involved in positive regulation of cell migration. Finally, we demonstrated that CD-PDOs display a specific response to fibrosis compared to both CTRL- and UC-PDOs, mainly characterized by upregulation of nuclear factors controlling transcription. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that intestinal PDOs may develop an inflammatory-derived fibrosis thus representing a promising tool to study fibrogenesis in IBD. Fibrotic PDOs show increased expression of EMT genes. In particular, fibrotic CD-PDOs display a specific gene expression signature compared to UC and CTRL-PDOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Laudadio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Claudia Carissimi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Noemi Scafa
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Alex Bastianelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Fulci
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Renzini
- DAHFMO-Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via. A. Scarpa, 16, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Giusy Russo
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Oliva
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Vitali
- Laboratory of Biomedical Technologies, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Palone
- Laboratory of Biomedical Technologies, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Cucchiara
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Stronati
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy.
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Verma S, Giagnocavo SD, Curtin MC, Arumugam M, Osburn-Staker SM, Wang G, Atkinson A, Nix DA, Lum DH, Cox JE, Hilgendorf KI. Zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein Secreted by Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Promotes Peritumoral Fibrosis. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:1655-1666. [PMID: 38888911 PMCID: PMC11224648 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-24-0218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Obesity is a modifiable predisposition factor for postmenopausal breast cancer. This suggests a localized, reciprocal interaction between breast cancer cells and the surrounding mammary white adipose tissue. To investigate how breast cancer cells alter the composition and function of adipose tissue, we screened the secretomes of 10 human breast cancer cell lines for the ability to modulate the differentiation of adipocyte stem and progenitor cells. The screen identified an adipogenic modulator, zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein (ZAG/AZGP1) that is secreted by triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. TNBC-secreted ZAG inhibits adipogenesis and instead induces the expression of fibrotic genes. Accordingly, depletion of ZAG in TNBC cells attenuates fibrosis in white adipose tissue and inhibits tumor growth. Further, high expression of ZAG is linked to poor prognosis in patients with TNBC but not in patients with other clinical subtypes of breast cancer. Our findings suggest a role of TNBC-secreted ZAG in promoting the transdifferentiation of adipocyte stem and progenitor cells into cancer-associated fibroblasts to support tumorigenesis. SIGNIFICANCE Functional screening of breast cancer secretomes revealed that triple-negative breast cancer promotes fibrosis in the adipose tissue microenvironment by secreting zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein and promoting the transdifferentiation of adipocyte stem cells into myofibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Verma
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | | | - Meghan C. Curtin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Menusha Arumugam
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Sandra M. Osburn-Staker
- Metabolomics, Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Guoying Wang
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Aaron Atkinson
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - David A. Nix
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - David H. Lum
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - James E. Cox
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Metabolomics, Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Keren I. Hilgendorf
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
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3
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Diwan R, Bhatt HN, Dong R, Estevao IL, Varela-Ramirez A, Nurunnabi M. Cell selective BCL-2 inhibition enabled by lipid nanoparticles alleviates lung fibrosis. J Control Release 2024; 370:421-437. [PMID: 38701884 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.04.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating lung disease with a high mortality rate due to limited treatment options. Current therapies cannot effectively reverse the damage caused by IPF. Research suggests that promoting programmed cell death (apoptosis) in myofibroblasts, the key cells driving fibrosis, could be a promising strategy. However, inducing apoptosis in healthy cells like epithelial and endothelial cells can cause unwanted side effects. This project addresses this challenge by developing a targeted approach to induce apoptosis specifically in myofibroblasts. We designed liposomes (LPS) decorated with peptides that recognize VCAM-1, a protein highly expressed on myofibroblasts in fibrotic lungs. These VCAM1-targeted LPS encapsulate Venetoclax (VNT), a small molecule drug that inhibits BCL-2, an anti-apoptotic protein. By delivering VNT directly to myofibroblasts, we hypothesize that VCAM1-VNT-LPS can selectively induce apoptosis in these cells, leading to reduced fibrosis and improved lung function. We successfully characterized VCAM1-VNT-LPS for size, surface charge, and drug loading efficiency. Additionally, we evaluated their stability over three months at different temperatures. In vitro and in vivo studies using a bleomycin-induced mouse model of lung fibrosis demonstrated the therapeutic potential of VCAM1-VNT-LPS. These studies showed a reduction in fibrosis-associated proteins (collagen, α-SMA, VCAM1) and BCL-2, while simultaneously increasing apoptosis in myofibroblasts. These findings suggest that VCAM1-targeted delivery of BCL-2 inhibitors using liposomes presents a promising and potentially selective therapeutic approach for IPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimpy Diwan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Himanshu N Bhatt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Rui Dong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Igor L Estevao
- The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Armando Varela-Ramirez
- The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Md Nurunnabi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States; The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States.
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Fioretto BS, Rosa I, Andreucci E, Mencucci R, Marini M, Romano E, Manetti M. Pharmacological Stimulation of Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Counteracts the Profibrotic Activation of Human Conjunctival Fibroblasts. Cells 2024; 13:360. [PMID: 38391973 PMCID: PMC10887040 DOI: 10.3390/cells13040360] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Conjunctival fibrosis is a serious clinical concern implicated in a wide spectrum of eye diseases, including outcomes of surgery for pterygium and glaucoma. It is mainly driven by chronic inflammation that stimulates conjunctival fibroblasts to differentiate into myofibroblasts over time, leading to abnormal wound healing and scar formation. Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulation was found to suppress transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)-induced myofibroblastic differentiation in various stromal cells such as skin and pulmonary fibroblasts, as well as corneal keratocytes. Here, we evaluated the in vitro effects of stimulation of the sGC enzyme with the cell-permeable pyrazolopyridinylpyrimidine compound BAY 41-2272 in modulating the TGFβ1-mediated profibrotic activation of human conjunctival fibroblasts. Cells were pretreated with the sGC stimulator before challenging with recombinant human TGFβ1, and subsequently assayed for viability, proliferation, migration, invasiveness, myofibroblast marker expression, and contractile properties. Stimulation of sGC significantly counteracted TGFβ1-induced cell proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and acquisition of a myofibroblast-like phenotype, as shown by a significant downregulation of FAP, ACTA2, COL1A1, COL1A2, FN1, MMP2, TIMP1, and TIMP2 mRNA levels, as well as by a significant reduction in α-smooth muscle actin, N-cadherin, COL1A1, and FN-EDA protein expression. In addition, pretreatment with the sGC stimulator was capable of significantly dampening TGFβ1-induced acquisition of a contractile phenotype by conjunctival fibroblasts, as well as phosphorylation of Smad3 and release of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6. Taken together, our findings are the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of pharmacological sGC stimulation in counteracting conjunctival fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition, thus providing a promising scientific background to further explore the feasibility of sGC stimulators as potential new adjuvant therapeutic compounds to treat conjunctival fibrotic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Saveria Fioretto
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (B.S.F.); (I.R.); (M.M.)
| | - Irene Rosa
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (B.S.F.); (I.R.); (M.M.)
| | - Elena Andreucci
- Section of Experimental Pathology and Oncology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Rita Mencucci
- Eye Clinic, Careggi Hospital, Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Pharmacology and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Mirca Marini
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (B.S.F.); (I.R.); (M.M.)
| | - Eloisa Romano
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Mirko Manetti
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (B.S.F.); (I.R.); (M.M.)
- Imaging Platform, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy
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Diwan R, Bhatt HN, Beaven E, Nurunnabi M. Emerging delivery approaches for targeted pulmonary fibrosis treatment. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 204:115147. [PMID: 38065244 PMCID: PMC10787600 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.115147] [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: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/01/2024]
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive, and life-threatening interstitial lung disease which causes scarring in the lung parenchyma and thereby affects architecture and functioning of lung. It is an irreversible damage to lung functioning which is related to epithelial cell injury, immense accumulation of immune cells and inflammatory cytokines, and irregular recruitment of extracellular matrix. The inflammatory cytokines trigger the differentiation of fibroblasts into activated fibroblasts, also known as myofibroblasts, which further increase the production and deposition of collagen at the injury sites in the lung. Despite the significant morbidity and mortality associated with PF, there is no available treatment that efficiently and effectively treats the disease by reversing their underlying pathologies. In recent years, many therapeutic regimens, for instance, rho kinase inhibitors, Smad signaling pathway inhibitors, p38, BCL-xL/ BCL-2 and JNK pathway inhibitors, have been found to be potent and effective in treating PF, in preclinical stages. However, due to non-selectivity and non-specificity, the therapeutic molecules also result in toxicity mediated severe side effects. Hence, this review demonstrates recent advances on PF pathology, mechanism and targets related to PF, development of various drug delivery systems based on small molecules, RNAs, oligonucleotides, peptides, antibodies, exosomes, and stem cells for the treatment of PF and the progress of various therapeutic treatments in clinical trials to advance PF treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimpy Diwan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Himanshu N Bhatt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Elfa Beaven
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Md Nurunnabi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States; The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States.
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Gaytan SL, Beaven E, Gadad SS, Nurunnabi M. Progress and prospect of nanotechnology for cardiac fibrosis treatment. INTERDISCIPLINARY MEDICINE 2023; 1:e20230018. [PMID: 38089921 PMCID: PMC10712437 DOI: 10.1002/inmd.20230018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Cardiac fibrosis is the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components in the heart, leading to reduced cardiac functionality and heart failure. This review provides an overview of the therapeutic applications of nanotechnology for the treatment of cardiac fibrosis. We first delve into the fundamental pathophysiology of cardiac fibrosis, highlighting the key molecular players, including Matrix Metalloproteinases, Transforming Growth Factor-beta, and several growth factors, cytokines, and signaling molecules. Each target presents a unique opportunity to develop targeted nano-therapies. We then focus on recent advancements in nanotechnology and how nanoparticles can be engineered to deliver drugs or therapeutic genes. These advanced delivery approaches have shown significant potential to inhibit fibrosis-promoting factors, thereby mitigating the fibrotic response and potentially reversing disease progression. In addition, we discuss the challenges associated with developing and translating nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, including ensuring biocompatibility, safety, and regulatory compliance. This review highlights how nanotechnology can bridge the gap between lab research and clinical practice for treating cardiac fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Gaytan
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesSchool of PharmacyThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
- Department of Interdisciplinary Health SciencesCollege of Health SciencesThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
| | - Elfa Beaven
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesSchool of PharmacyThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringCollege of EngineeringThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
| | - Shrikanth S. Gadad
- Center of Emphasis in CancerDepartment of Molecular and Translational MedicinePaul L. Foster School of MedicineTexas Tech University Health Sciences Center El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
| | - Md Nurunnabi
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesSchool of PharmacyThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
- Department of Interdisciplinary Health SciencesCollege of Health SciencesThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringCollege of EngineeringThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
- Border Biomedical Research CenterThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
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Zhu J, Li Q, Sun Y, Zhang S, Pan R, Xie Y, Chen J, Shi L, Chen Y, Sun Z, Zhang L. Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor Deficiency Alleviates Angiotensin II-Induced Cardiac Fibrosis Through the Protein Kinase B/Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase/Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway. J Am Heart Assoc 2023; 12:e029631. [PMID: 37721135 PMCID: PMC10547288 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.123.029631] [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: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Background The renin-angiotensin system plays a crucial role in the development of heart failure, and Ang II (angiotensin II) acts as the critical effector of the renin-angiotensin system in regulating cardiac fibrosis. However, the mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis are complex and still not fully understood. IGF1R (insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor) has multiple functions in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis, and low-dose IGF1 treatment is effective in relieving Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis. Here, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of IGF1R in Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis. Methods and Results Using primary mouse cardiac microvascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts, in vitro experiments were performed. Using C57BL/6J mice and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9)-mediated IGF1R heterozygous knockout (Igf1r+/-) mice, cardiac fibrosis mouse models were induced by Ang II for 2 weeks. The expression of IGF1R was examined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot. Mice heart histologic changes were evaluated using Masson and picro sirius red staining. Fibrotic markers and signal molecules indicating the function of the Akt (protein kinase B)/ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase)/nuclear factor-κB pathway were detected using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. RNA sequencing was used to explore IGF1R-mediated target genes in the hearts of mice, and the association of IGF1R and G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 was identified by coimmunoprecipitation. More important, blocking IGF1R signaling significantly suppressed endothelial-mesenchymal transition in primary mouse cardiac microvascular endothelial cells and mice in response to transforming growth factor-β1 or Ang II, respectively. Deficiency or inhibition of IGF1R signaling remarkably attenuated Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis in primary mouse cardiac fibroblasts and mice. We further observed that the patients with heart failure exhibited higher blood levels of IGF1 and IGF1R than healthy individuals. Moreover, Ang II treatment significantly increased cardiac IGF1R in wild type mice but led to a slight downregulation in Igf1r+/- mice. Interestingly, IGF1R deficiency significantly alleviated cardiac fibrosis in Ang II-treated mice. Mechanistically, the phosphorylation level of Akt and ERK was upregulated in Ang II-treated mice, whereas blocking IGF1R signaling in mice inhibited these changes of Akt and ERK phosphorylation. Concurrently, phosphorylated p65 of nuclear factor-κB exhibited similar alterations in the corresponding group of mice. Intriguingly, IGF1R directly interacted with G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 5, and this association decreased ≈50% in Igf1r+/- mice. In addition, Grk5 deletion downregulated expression of the Akt/ERK/nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway in primary mouse cardiac fibroblasts. Conclusions IGF1R signaling deficiency alleviates Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis, at least partially through inhibiting endothelial-mesenchymal transition via the Akt/ERK/nuclear factor-κB pathway. Interestingly, G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 associates with IGF1R signaling directly, and it concurrently acts as an IGF1R downstream effector. This study suggests the promising potential of IGF1R as a therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiafeng Zhu
- Department of NursingWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Qian Li
- Department of NursingWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of StomatologyWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Shiyu Zhang
- Department of NursingWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Ruiyan Pan
- Department of PharmacologyWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Yanguang Xie
- Department of NursingWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Jinyan Chen
- Department of Clinical MedicineWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Lihong Shi
- Department of Rehabilitation MedicineWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Yanbo Chen
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated HospitalWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Zhipeng Sun
- Department of PharmacologyWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Lane Zhang
- Department of NursingWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
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Bhatt HN, Diwan R, Borrego EA, Pérez CAM, Varela-Ramirez A, Kumar R, Aguilera RJ, Nurunnabi M. A photothermal driven chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. J Control Release 2023; 361:314-333. [PMID: 37562554 PMCID: PMC10787601 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.08.005] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Solid tumors are abnormal mass of tissue, which affects the organs based on its malignancy and leads to the dysfunction of the affected organs. The major problem associated with treatment of solid tumors is delivering anticancer therapeutics to the deepest layers/core of the solid tumor. Deposition of excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) hinders the therapeutics to travel towards the core of the tumor. Therefore, conventional anticancer therapeutics can only reduce the tumor size and that also for a limited duration, and tumor recurrence occurs once the therapy is discontinued. Additionally, by the time the cancer is diagnosed, the cancer cells already started affecting the major organs of the body such as lung, liver, spleen, kidney, and brain, due to their ability to metastasize and lung is the primary site for them to be infiltrated. To facilitate the anticancer therapeutics to penetrate the deeper layers of tumor, and to provide concurrent treatment of both the solid tumor and metastasis, we have designed and developed a Bimodal Light Assisted Skin Tumor and Metastasis Treatment (BLAST), which is a combination of photothermal and chemotherapeutic moieties. The BLAST is composed of 2D boron nitride (BN) nanosheet with adsorbed molecules of BCL-2 inhibitor, Navitoclax (NAVI) on its surface, that can breakdown excessive ECM network and thereby facilitate dissociation of the solid tumor. The developed BLAST was evaluated for its ability to penetrate solid tumors using 3D spheroids for the uptake, cytotoxicity, growth inhibition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, penetration, and downregulation of proteins upon laser irradiation. The in vivo therapeutic studies on a skin cancer mice model revealed that the BLAST with and without laser were able to penetrate the solid tumor, reduce tumor volume in mice, dissociate the protein network, and prevent lung metastasis as confirmed by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Post analysis of serum and blood components revealed the safety and efficacy of BLAST in mice. Hence, the developed BLAST holds strong promise in solid tumor treatment and metastasis prevention simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu N Bhatt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Rimpy Diwan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Edgar A Borrego
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas El Paso, TX 79968, United States; The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Carlos Alberto Martínez Pérez
- Instituto de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ave. Del Charro 450 Norte, Ciudad Juárez 32310, Mexico
| | - Armando Varela-Ramirez
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas El Paso, TX 79968, United States; The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Raj Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Renato J Aguilera
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas El Paso, TX 79968, United States; The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Md Nurunnabi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States; The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, United States.
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Zheng S, Zhang Y, Hou Y, Li H, He J, Zhao H, Sun X, Liu Y. Underlying Molecular Mechanism and Construction of a miRNA-Gene Network in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis by Bioinformatics. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13305. [PMID: 37686108 PMCID: PMC10487482 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive lung disease, but its pathogenesis is still unclear. Bioinformatics methods were used to explore the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and to elucidate the pathogenesis of IPF at the genetic level. The microarray datasets GSE110147 and GSE53845 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and analyzed using GEO2R to obtain the DEGs. The DEGs were further analyzed for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment using the DAVID database. Then, using the STRING database and Cytoscape, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was created and the hub genes were selected. In addition, lung tissue from a mouse model was validated. Lastly, the network between the target microRNAs (miRNAs) and the hub genes was constructed with NetworkAnalyst. A summary of 240 genes were identified as DEGs, and functional analysis highlighted their role in cell adhesion molecules and ECM-receptor interactions in IPF. In addition, eight hub genes were selected. Four of these hub genes (VCAM1, CDH2, SPP1, and POSTN) were screened for animal validation. The IHC and RT-qPCR of lung tissue from a mouse model confirmed the results above. Then, miR-181b-5p, miR-4262, and miR-155-5p were predicted as possible key miRNAs. Eight hub genes may play a key role in the development of IPF. Four of the hub genes were validated in animal experiments. MiR-181b-5p, miR-4262, and miR-155-5p may be involved in the pathophysiological processes of IPF by interacting with hub genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yun Liu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, China; (S.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Y.H.); (H.L.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (X.S.)
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10
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Bhatt HN, Pena-Zacarias J, Beaven E, Zahid MI, Ahmad SS, Diwan R, Nurunnabi M. Potential and Progress of 2D Materials in Photomedicine for Cancer Treatment. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2023; 6:365-383. [PMID: 36753355 PMCID: PMC9975046 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.2c00981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decades, photomedicine has made a significant impact and progress in treating superficial cancer. With tremendous efforts many of the technologies have entered clinical trials. Photothermal agents (PTAs) have been considered as emerging candidates for accelerating the outcome from photomedicine based cancer treatment. Besides various inorganic and organic candidates, 2D materials such as graphene, boron nitride, and molybdenum disulfide have shown significant potential for photothermal therapy (PTT). The properties such as high surface area to volume, biocompatibility, stability in physiological media, ease of synthesis and functionalization, and high photothermal conversion efficiency have made 2D nanomaterials wonderful candidates for PTT to treat cancer. The targeting or localized activation could be achieved when PTT is combined with chemotherapies, immunotherapies, or photodynamic therapy (PDT) to provide better outcomes with fewer side effects. Though significant development has been made in the field of phototherapeutic drugs, several challenges have restricted the use of PTT in clinical use and hence they have not yet been tested in large clinical trials. In this review, we attempted to discuss the progress, properties, applications, and challenges of 2D materials in the field of PTT and their application in photomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu N. Bhatt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Jaqueline Pena-Zacarias
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Elfa Beaven
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Md Ikhtiar Zahid
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79902, United States; Environmental Science & Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Sheikh Shafin Ahmad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79902, United States; Environmental Science & Engineering and Aerospace Center (cSETR), The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Rimpy Diwan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Md Nurunnabi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79902, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Environmental Science & Engineering, and Aerospace Center (cSETR), The University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
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11
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Du Y, Liu X, Du K, Zhang W, Li R, Yang L, Cheng L, He W, Zhang W. Decorin inhibits the formation of hard nodules after microwave ablation by inhibiting the TGF-β1/SMAD and MAPK signaling pathways: in a Bama miniature pig model of mammary gland hyperplasia. Int J Hyperthermia 2023; 40:2188151. [PMID: 36919520 DOI: 10.1080/02656736.2023.2188151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Benign breast lesions are often associated with hard nodule formation after microwave ablation (MWA), which persists for a long time and causes problems in patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of decorin in the treatment of hard nodule formation and its potential mechanism of action. METHODS Using a Bama miniature pig model of mammary gland hyperplasia, immunohistochemistry, Masson's trichrome and western blotting were firstly applied to compare the extent of fibrosis and activation of key members of the TGF-β1/SMAD and MAPK signaling pathways of hard nodule in the control and MWA groups, and then the extent of fibrosis and expression of signaling pathways in hard nodule were examined after application of decorin. RESULTS The results showed that the MWA group had increased levels of TGF-β1, p-SMAD2/3, p-ERK1/2, and collagen I proteins and increased fibrosis at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 3 months after MWA. After decorin treatment, the expression levels of each protein were significantly downregulated, and the degree of fibrosis was reduced at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 3 months after MWA compared with the MWA group. CONCLUSION In conclusion, these results suggest that activation of TGF-β1 may play an important role in hard nodule formation and that decorin may reduce hard nodule formation after MWA in a model of mammary gland hyperplasia by inhibiting the TGF-β1/SMAD and MAPK signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Du
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyao Liu
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Du
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lizhi Yang
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Linggang Cheng
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wen He
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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