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Liu R, Li Y, Zheng Q, Ding M, Zhou H, Li X. Epigenetic modification in liver fibrosis: Promising therapeutic direction with significant challenges ahead. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:1009-1029. [PMID: 38486982 PMCID: PMC10935124 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis, characterized by scar tissue formation, can ultimately result in liver failure. It's a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally, often associated with chronic liver diseases like hepatitis or alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases. However, current treatment options are limited, highlighting the urgent need for the development of new therapies. As a reversible regulatory mechanism, epigenetic modification is implicated in many biological processes, including liver fibrosis. Exploring the epigenetic mechanisms involved in liver fibrosis could provide valuable insights into developing new treatments for chronic liver diseases, although the current evidence is still controversial. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the regulatory mechanisms and critical targets of epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and RNA modification, in liver fibrotic diseases. The potential cooperation of different epigenetic modifications in promoting fibrogenesis was also highlighted. Finally, available agonists or inhibitors regulating these epigenetic mechanisms and their potential application in preventing liver fibrosis were discussed. In summary, elucidating specific druggable epigenetic targets and developing more selective and specific candidate medicines may represent a promising approach with bright prospects for the treatment of chronic liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runping Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102400, China
| | - Yajing Li
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102400, China
| | - Qi Zheng
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102400, China
| | - Mingning Ding
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102400, China
| | - Huiping Zhou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 22460, USA
| | - Xiaojiaoyang Li
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102400, China
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Pan W, Zhu S, Qu K, Meeth K, Cheng J, He K, Ma H, Liao Y, Wen X, Roden C, Tobiasova Z, Wei Z, Zhao J, Liu J, Zheng J, Guo B, Khan SA, Bosenberg M, Flavell RA, Lu J. The DNA Methylcytosine Dioxygenase Tet2 Sustains Immunosuppressive Function of Tumor-Infiltrating Myeloid Cells to Promote Melanoma Progression. Immunity 2017; 47:284-297.e5. [PMID: 28813659 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Ten-Eleven-Translocation-2 (Tet2) is a DNA methylcytosine dioxygenase that functions as a tumor suppressor in hematopoietic malignancies. We examined the role of Tet2 in tumor-tissue myeloid cells and found that Tet2 sustains the immunosuppressive function of these cells. We found that Tet2 expression is increased in intratumoral myeloid cells both in mouse models of melanoma and in melanoma patients and that this increased expression is dependent on an IL-1R-MyD88 pathway. Ablation of Tet2 in myeloid cells suppressed melanoma growth in vivo and shifted the immunosuppressive gene expression program in tumor-associated macrophages to a proinflammatory one, with a concomitant reduction of the immunosuppressive function. This resulted in increased numbers of effector T cells in the tumor, and T cell depletion abolished the reduced tumor growth observed upon myeloid-specific deletion of Tet2. Our findings reveal a non-cell-intrinsic, tumor-promoting function for Tet2 and suggest that Tet2 may present a therapeutic target for the treatment of non-hematologic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Pan
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale Cancer Center, Yale Cooperative Center of Excellence in Hematology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Shu Zhu
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Kun Qu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Katrina Meeth
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Jijun Cheng
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale Cancer Center, Yale Cooperative Center of Excellence in Hematology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Kaixin He
- Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Hongdi Ma
- Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Yan Liao
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Xizhi Wen
- Biotherapy Center, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Christine Roden
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale Cancer Center, Yale Cooperative Center of Excellence in Hematology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Zuzana Tobiasova
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Zheng Wei
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jun Zhao
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale Cancer Center, Yale Cooperative Center of Excellence in Hematology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Ji Zheng
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale Cancer Center, Yale Cooperative Center of Excellence in Hematology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Urology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Bo Guo
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; General Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Sajid A Khan
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Marcus Bosenberg
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Richard A Flavell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale Cancer Center, Yale Cooperative Center of Excellence in Hematology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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