scholarly journals Microencapsulation of Lefty-secreting engineered cells for pulmonary fibrosis therapy in mice

2017 ◽  
Vol 312 (5) ◽  
pp. L741-L747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongge Ma ◽  
Shupei Qiao ◽  
Zeli Wang ◽  
Shuai Geng ◽  
Yufang Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Hek293 Cells ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Type I

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease that causes unremitting deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, thus resulting in distortion of the pulmonary architecture and impaired gas exchange. Associated with high morbidity and mortality, IPF is generally refractory to current pharmacological therapies. Lefty A, a potent inhibitor of transforming growth factor-β signaling, has been shown to have promising antifibrotic ability in vitro for the treatment of renal fibrosis and other potential organ fibroses. Here, we determined whether Lefty A can attenuate bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in vivo based on a novel therapeutic strategy where human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells are genetically engineered with the Lefty A-associated GFP gene. The engineered HEK293 cells were encapsulated in alginate microcapsules and then subcutaneously implanted in ICR mice that had 1 wk earlier been intratracheally administered BLM to induce pulmonary fibrosis. The severity of fibrosis in lung tissue was assessed using pathological morphology and collagen expression to examine the effect of Lefty A released from the microencapsulated cells. The engineered HEK293 cells with Lefty A significantly reduced the expression of connective tissue growth factor and collagen type I mRNA, lessened the morphological fibrotic effects induced by BLM, and increased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9. This illustrates that engineered HEK293 cells with Lefty A can attenuate pulmonary fibrosis in vivo, thus providing a novel method to treat human pulmonary fibrotic disease and other organ fibroses.

Vascularized Cardiac Spheroids as Novel 3D in vitro Models to Study Cardiac Fibrosis

2017 ◽  
Vol 204 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 191-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma A. Figtree ◽  
Kristen J. Bubb ◽  
Owen Tang ◽  
Eddy Kizana ◽  
Carmine Gentile
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Beta ◽  
Cardiac Fibrosis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Cardiovascular Research

Spheroid cultures are among the most explored cellular biomaterials used in cardiovascular research, due to their improved integration of biochemical and physiological features of the heart in a defined architectural three-dimensional microenvironment when compared to monolayer cultures. To further explore the potential use of spheroid cultures for research, we engineered a novel in vitro model of the heart with vascularized cardiac spheroids (VCSs), by coculturing cardiac myocytes, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts isolated from dissociated rat neonatal hearts (aged 1-3 days) in hanging drop cultures. To evaluate the validity of VCSs in recapitulating pathophysiological processes typical of the in vivo heart, such as cardiac fibrosis, we then treated VCSs with transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1), a known profibrotic agent. Our mRNA analysis demonstrated that TGFβ1-treated VCSs present elevated levels of expression of connective tissue growth factor, fibronectin, and TGFβ1 when compared to control cultures. We demonstrated a dramatic increase in collagen deposition following TGFβ1 treatment in VCSs in the PicroSirius Red-stained sections. Doxorubicin, a renowned cardiotoxic and profibrotic agent, triggered apoptosis and disrupted vascular networks in VCSs. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that VCSs are a valid model for the study of the mechanisms involved in cardiac fibrosis, with the potential to be used to investigate novel mechanisms and therapeutics for treating and preventing cardiac fibrosis in vitro.

scholarly journals Gestational Changes in the Levels of Transforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGFβ1) and TGFβ Receptor Types I and II in the Human Myometrium1

1998 ◽  
Vol 83 (8) ◽  
pp. 2987-2992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panadda Hatthachote ◽  
Joanna Morgan ◽  
William Dunlop ◽  
G. Nicholas Europe-Finner ◽  
James I. Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Human Myometrium ◽  
Type I ◽  
Signaling System ◽  
Release Channel ◽  
Tgfβ Receptors ◽  
Tgfβ Receptor

abstract As term approaches, a number of key proteins [contraction-associated proteins (CAPs)] are expressed within the human myometrium that are essential for the activation of powerful coordinated contractions during labor. The nature of the signals that switch on the synthesis of CAPs in vivo is not known. The ryanodine-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ release channel (RyR2) is a CAP whose expression in vitro is activated by transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ). The present experiments were performed to determine whether TGFβ and TGFβ receptors are present in the human myometrium at term and to explore the idea that they might form part of a signaling system in vivo. TGFβ receptor types I and II, but not III, were demonstrated in myometrial smooth muscle in tissue taken from nonpregnant, pregnant nonlaboring, and spontaneous laboring women. Western blotting was used subsequently to determine the relative expression of TGFβ receptor types I and II. Using nonpregnant myometrium as a baseline control the levels of expression of receptor types I and II were significantly increased by 168 ± 19% (n = 6) and 162 ± 22% (n = 7) in pregnant nonlaboring myometrium. In spontaneous laboring myometrium the levels of TGFβ receptor type I and II expression were 93 ± 12% (n = 6) and 85 ± 11% (n = 7), respectively, compared to nonpregnant control values and were significantly lower than levels in pregnant nonlaboring tissues. The total TGFβ1 levels in the myometrial tissues were 334 ± 10, 534 ± 73, and 674 ± 106 pg/g tissue wet wt in nonpregnant, pregnant nonlaboring, and spontaneous laboring myometrium (n = 3 in each group), respectively. Thus, the TGFβ signaling system appears to be up-regulated in the myometrium before the onset of parturition. The apparent loss of receptors in the spontaneous laboring samples in the presence of elevated total levels of TGFβ may be indicative of agonist-induced receptor down-regulation. These observations support the idea that cytokines, in particular TGFβ1, may play a role in the normal processes that prepare the myometrium for parturition at term.

scholarly journals Transforming Growth Factor-β Receptors Interact with AP2 by Direct Binding to β2 Subunit

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 4001-4012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diying Yao ◽  
Marcelo Ehrlich ◽  
Yoav I. Henis ◽  
Edward B. Leof
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β ◽  
Type I ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cytoplasmic Tails ◽  
Direct Binding

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily members regulate a wide range of biological processes by binding to two transmembrane serine/threonine kinase receptors, type I and type II. We have previously shown that the internalization of these receptors is inhibited by K+ depletion, cytosol acidification, or hypertonic medium, suggesting the involvement of clathrin-coated pits. However, the involvement of the clathrin-associated adaptor complex AP2 and the identity of the AP2 subunit that binds the receptors were not known. Herein, we have studied these issues by combining studies on intact cells with in vitro assays. Using fluorescence photobleaching recovery to measure the lateral mobility of the receptors on live cells (untreated or treated to alter their coated pit structure), we demonstrated that their mobility is restricted by interactions with coated pits. These interactions were transient and mediated through the receptors' cytoplasmic tails. To measure direct binding of the receptors to specific AP2 subunits, we used yeast two-hybrid screens and in vitro biochemical assays. In contrast to most other plasma membrane receptors that bind to AP2 via the μ2 subunit, AP2/TGF-β receptor binding was mediated by a direct interaction between the β2-adaptin N-terminal trunk domain and the cytoplasmic tails of the receptors; no binding was observed to the μ2, α, or ς2 subunits of AP2 or to μ1 of AP1. The data uniquely demonstrate both in vivo and in vitro the ability of β2-adaptin to directly couple TGF-β receptors to AP2 and to clathrin-coated pits, providing the first in vivo evidence for interactions of a transmembrane receptor with β2-adaptin.

scholarly journals The Fibronectin Domain ED-A Is Crucial for Myofibroblastic Phenotype Induction by Transforming Growth Factor-β1

1998 ◽  
Vol 142 (3) ◽  
pp. 873-881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Serini ◽  
Marie-Luce Bochaton-Piallat ◽  
Patricia Ropraz ◽  
Antoine Geinoz ◽  
Laura Borsi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β1 ◽  
Type I ◽  
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ◽  
Matrix Assembly ◽  
Actin Expression

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1), a major promoter of myofibroblast differentiation, induces α-smooth muscle (sn) actin, modulates the expression of adhesive receptors, and enhances the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules including ED-A fibronectin (FN), an isoform de novo expressed during wound healing and fibrotic changes. We report here that ED-A FN deposition precedes α-SM actin expression by fibroblasts during granulation tissue evolution in vivo and after TGFβ1 stimulation in vitro. Moreover, there is a correlation between in vitro expression of α-SM actin and ED-A FN in different fibroblastic populations. Seeding fibroblasts on ED-A FN does not elicit per se α-SM actin expression; however, incubation of fibroblasts with the anti-ED-A monoclonal antibody IST-9 specifically blocks the TGFβ1-triggered enhancement of α-SM actin and collagen type I, but not that of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 mRNA. Interestingly, the same inhibiting action is exerted by the soluble recombinant domain ED-A, but neither of these inhibitory agents alter FN matrix assembly. Our findings indicate that ED-A–containing polymerized FN is necessary for the induction of the myofibroblastic phenotype by TGFβ1 and identify a hitherto unknown mechanism of cytokine-determined gene stimulation based on the generation of an ECM-derived permissive outside in signaling, under the control of the cytokine itself.

Quercetin ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting SphK1/S1P signaling

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 742-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingcai Zhang ◽  
Yuli Cai ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Xianhai Chen
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Smooth Muscle Actin ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Human Embryonic Lung ◽  
Pulmonary Tissue ◽  
Collagen Iii

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an agnogenic chronic disorder with high morbidity and low survival rate. Quercetin is a flavonoid found in a variety of herbs with anti-fibrosis function. In this study, bleomycin was employed to induce a pulmonary fibrosis mouse model. The quercetin administration ameliorated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, evidenced by the expression level changes of hydroxyproline, fibronectin, α-smooth muscle actin, Collagen I, and Collagen III. Similar results were observed in transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-treated human embryonic lung fibroblast (HELF). The bleomycin or TGF-β administration caused the increase of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) level in pulmonary tissue and HELF cells, as well as its activation-required kinase, sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1), and its degradation enzyme, sphinogosine-1-phosphate lyase (S1PL). However, the increase of S1P, SphK1, and S1PL was attenuated by application of quercetin. In addition, the effect of quercetin on fibrosis was abolished by the ectopic expression of SphK1. The colocalization of SphK1/S1PL and fibroblast specific protein 1 (FSP1) suggested the roles of fibroblasts in pulmonary fibrosis. In summary, we demonstrated that quercetin ameliorated pulmonary fibrosis in vivo and in vitro by inhibiting SphK1/S1P signaling.

scholarly journals Pharmacology Study of the Multiple Angiogenesis Inhibitor RC28-E on Anti-Fibrosis in a Chemically Induced Lung Injury Model

Biomolecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangying Kou ◽  
Yeying Sun ◽  
Shenjun Li ◽  
Weihua Bian ◽  
Zhihao Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Angiogenesis Inhibitor ◽  
Human Skin Fibroblast ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Smad Pathway

Background: Disease-related injury in any organ triggers a complex cascade of cellular and molecular responses that culminate in tissue fibrosis, inflammation, and angiogenesis simultaneously. Multiple cell angiogenesis is an essential part of the tissue damage response, which is involved in fibrosis development. RC28-E is a novel recombinant dual decoy receptor lgG1 Fc-fusion protein that can block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) simultaneously. This protein has stepped into clinical trials (NCT03777254) for the treatment of pathological neovascularization-related diseases. Here, we report on the role of RC28-E during anti-fibrosis and its potential multitarget function in regulating fibrosis. Methods: A bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis C57BL/6 mouse model was established. Hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE) and Masson staining (Masson’s) were performed to evaluate the pulmonary fibrosis based on the scoring from, Ashcroft score. Fibrosis related factors and inflammatory cytokines including HYP, α-SMA, procollagen, ICAM, IL-6, IL-1, and TNF-α were also determined at the protein and mRNA levels to characterize the fibrosis. Both mRNA and protein levels of VEGF, FGF, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis, respectively. Pulmonary fibrosis and related cytokines were re-evaluated in vivo after 3 doses of RC28-E (5 mg/kg, 15 mg/kg, and 50 mg/kg, ip. Tiw × 9) in comparison with a mono-target antagonist treatment (VEGF or FGF blocking). RC28-E attenuated the activation of TGF-β induced fibroblasts in vitro. Expression levels of α-SMA and collagen I, as well as proliferation and migration, were determined with the human skin fibroblast cell line Detroit 551 and primary murine pulmonary fibroblast cells. The mechanism of RC28-E via the TGF-β/Smad pathway was also investigated. Results: RC28-E exhibits significant anti-fibrosis effects on Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in vivo. Moreover, TGF-β induced fibroblast activation in vitro via the inhibition of the TGF-β downstream Smad pathway, thus providing potential therapeutics for clinical disease-related fibrosis-like IPF as well as chemotherapy-induced fibrosis in cancer therapy.

scholarly journals Functionally diverse heteromeric traps for ligands of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravindra Kumar ◽  
Asya V. Grinberg ◽  
Huiming Li ◽  
Tzu-Hsing Kuo ◽  
Dianne Sako ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β ◽  
Type I ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Activin Receptor ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Functionally Diverse

AbstractLigands of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily are important targets for therapeutic intervention but present challenges because they signal combinatorially and exhibit overlapping activities in vivo. To obtain agents capable of sequestering multiple TGF-β superfamily ligands with novel selectivity, we generated soluble, heterodimeric ligand traps by pairing the extracellular domain (ECD) of the native activin receptor type IIB (ActRIIB) alternately with the ECDs of native type I receptors activin receptor-like kinase 4 (ALK4), ALK7, or ALK3. Systematic analysis of these heterodimeric constructs by surface plasmon resonance, and comparison with their homodimeric counterparts, revealed that each type I receptor partner confers a distinct ligand-binding profile to the heterodimeric construct. Additional characterization in cell-based reporter gene assays confirmed that the heterodimeric constructs possessed different profiles of signaling inhibition in vitro, which translated into altered patterns of pharmacological activity when constructs were administered systemically to wild-type mice. Our results detail a versatile platform for the modular recombination of naturally occurring receptor domains, giving rise to inhibitory ligand traps that could aid in defining the physiological roles of TGF-β ligand sets or be directed therapeutically to human diseases arising from dysregulated TGF-β superfamily signaling.

scholarly journals Kasugamycin is a novel chitinase 1 inhibitor with strong antifibrotic effects on pulmonary fibrosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae-Hyun Lee ◽  
Chang-Min Lee ◽  
Mun-Ock Kim ◽  
Jin Wook Park ◽  
Suchitra Kamle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Beta ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Glycosyl Hydrolase ◽  
Aminoglycoside Antibiotic ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Antifibrotic Effect

Rationale: Pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating lung disease with few therapeutic options. Chitinase 1 (CHIT1), an 18 glycosyl hydrolase family member, contributes to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis through regulation of Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β signaling and effector function. Therefore, CHIT1 is a potential therapeutic target of pulmonary fibrosis. Objectives: This study aimed to identify and characterize a druggable CHIT1 inhibitor with strong antifibrotic activity and minimal toxicity for therapeutic application to pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: Extensive screening of small molecule libraries identified the aminoglycoside antibiotic Kasugamycin as a potent CHIT1 inhibitor. Measurements and Main Results: Elevated levels of CHIT1 were detected in the lungs of patients with pulmonary fibrosis. In vivo bleomycin- and TGF-β-stimulated murine models of pulmonary fibrosis, Kasugamycin showed impressive anti-fibrotic effects in both preventive and therapeutic conditions. In vitro studies also demonstrated that Kasugamycin inhibits fibrotic macrophage activation, fibroblast proliferation and myofibroblast transformation. Null mutation of transforming growth factor beta associated protein 1 (TGFBRAP1), a recently identified CHIT1 interacting signaling molecule, phenocopied antifibrotic effects of Kasugamycin in in vivo lungs and in vitro fibroblasts responses. Kasugamycin inhibits physical association between CHIT1 and TGFBRAP1 with decreased levels of SMAD4 association, suggesting that antifibrotic effect of Kasugamycin is mediated through regulation of TGFBRAP1, at least in part. Conclusions: These studies demonstrate that Kasugamycin is a novel CHIT1 inhibitor with strong antifibrotic effect that can be further developed as an effective and safe therapeutic drug for pulmonary fibrosis.

Characterization of a putative intrarenal serotonergic system

2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (5) ◽  
pp. F1468-F1475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Xu ◽  
Bing Yao ◽  
Xiaofeng Fan ◽  
Melissa M. Langworthy ◽  
Ming-Zhi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Mesangial Cells ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Serotonergic System ◽  
Rt Pcr

Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT)] acts through multiple G protein-coupled 5-HT receptors, and its activity is also regulated by the 5-HT transporter. The current studies report the expression and localization of the 5-HT receptors and transporter in the kidney. In addition, the enzymatic pathway mediating 5-HT synthesis is present in renal cortex, especially in the proximal tubules and glomerular epithelial cells and mesangial cells. Expression of the 5-HT receptors and 5-HT transporter was detected by RT-PCR in cell lines of these cell types. In cultured proximal tubule cells and podocytes, 5-HT activated ERK1/2 and increased the expression of connective tissue growth factor and transforming growth factor-β, two key mediators of extracellular matrix accumulation. Immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR studies also indicated that 5-HT stimulated expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in podocytes in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, these results indicate the presence of an integrated intrarenal serotonergic system and suggest a possible role for 5-HT as a mediator of renal fibrosis in the kidney.

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