scholarly journals Interleukin-11 signaling underlies fibrosis, parenchymal dysfunction, and chronic inflammation of the airway

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 1871-1878
Author(s):  
Benjamin Ng ◽  
Stuart A. Cook ◽  
Sebastian Schafer

AbstractInterleukin (IL)-11 evolved as part of the innate immune response. In the human lung, IL-11 upregulation has been associated with viral infections and a range of fibroinflammatory diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) and other disease factors can initiate an autocrine loop of IL-11 signaling in pulmonary fibroblasts, which, in a largely ERK-dependent manner, triggers the translation of profibrotic proteins. Lung epithelial cells also express the IL-11 receptor and transition into a mesenchymal-like state in response to IL-11 exposure. In mice, therapeutic targeting of IL-11 with antibodies can arrest and reverse bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation. Intriguingly, fibroblast-specific blockade of IL-11 signaling has anti-inflammatory effects, which suggests that lung inflammation is sustained, in part, through IL-11 activity in the stroma. Proinflammatory fibroblasts and their interaction with the damaged epithelium may represent an important but overlooked driver of lung disease. Initially thought of as a protective cytokine, IL-11 is now increasingly recognized as an important determinant of lung fibrosis, inflammation, and epithelial dysfunction.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison E. John ◽  
Rebecca H. Graves ◽  
K. Tao Pun ◽  
Giovanni Vitulli ◽  
Ellen J. Forty ◽  
...  

Abstract The αvβ6 integrin plays a key role in the activation of transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ), a pro-fibrotic mediator that is pivotal to the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We identified a selective small molecule αvβ6 RGD-mimetic, GSK3008348, and profiled it in a range of disease relevant pre-clinical systems. To understand the relationship between target engagement and inhibition of fibrosis, we measured pharmacodynamic and disease-related end points. Here, we report, GSK3008348 binds to αvβ6 with high affinity in human IPF lung and reduces downstream pro-fibrotic TGFβ signaling to normal levels. In human lung epithelial cells, GSK3008348 induces rapid internalization and lysosomal degradation of the αvβ6 integrin. In the murine bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis model, GSK3008348 engages αvβ6, induces prolonged inhibition of TGFβ signaling and reduces lung collagen deposition and serum C3M, a marker of IPF disease progression. These studies highlight the potential of inhaled GSK3008348 as an anti-fibrotic therapy.


2013 ◽  
Vol 288 (38) ◽  
pp. 27159-27171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meenakshi Maitra ◽  
Moushumi Dey ◽  
Wen-Cheng Yuan ◽  
Peter W. Nathanielsz ◽  
Christine Kim Garcia

Missense mutations of surfactant proteins are recognized as important causes of inherited lung fibrosis. Here, we study rare and common surfactant protein (SP)-A1 and SP-C variants, either discovered in our familial pulmonary fibrosis cohort or described by others. We show that expression of two SP-A1 (R219W and R242*) and three SP-C (I73T, M71V, and L188Q) variant proteins lead to the secretion of the profibrotic latent transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 in lung epithelial cell lines. The secreted TGF-β1 is capable of autocrine and paracrine signaling and is dependent upon expression of the latent TGF-β1 binding proteins. The dependence upon unfolded protein response (UPR) mediators for TGF-β1 induction differs for each variant. TGF-β1 secretion induced by the expression of the common SP-A1 R219W variant is nearly completely blocked by silencing the UPR transducers IRE-1α and ATF6. In contrast, the secretion of TGF-β1 induced by two rare SP-C mutant proteins (I73T and M71V), is largely unaffected by UPR silencing or by the addition of the small molecular chaperone 4-phenylbutyric acid, implicating a UPR-independent mechanism for these variants. Blocking TGF-β1 secretion reverses cell death of RLE-6TN cells expressing these SP-A1 and SP-C variants suggesting that anti-TGF-β therapeutics may be beneficial to this molecularly defined subgroup of pulmonary fibrosis patients.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lamis M.F. El-Baz ◽  
Nahla M. Shoukry ◽  
Mohamed L. Salem ◽  
Hani S. Hafez ◽  
Robert D. Guzy

Abstract The authors have withdrawn the journal submission associated with this preprint and requested that the preprint also be withdrawn.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 612-618
Author(s):  
Qun Lv ◽  
Jianjun Wang ◽  
Zhaoyang Ruan

Background: The paper aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of Dandelion sterol in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, to study its effect on EMT of lung epithelial cells, and to find its target and downstream signaling pathways. Material and methods: The effects of Dandelion sterol on parathyroid (PQ)-induced EMT in lung epithelial cells were studied by immunofluorescence method. Immunohistochemistry and western-blot methods were used to verify that Dandelion sterol inhibited TGF-β1-induced EMT at the cellular level in animals, demonstrating that Dandelion sterol targets TGF-β1 to exert an anti-pulmonary fibrosis effect. Results: Dandelion sterol significantly inhibited PQ-induced migration and invasion of lung epithelial cells, and also inhibited the induced EMT. Dandelion sterol had a proper binding activity with the lung fibrosis-inducing factor TGF-β1. Dandelion sterol inhibited the TGF-β1-induced EMT process, and acted to treat pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway. Conclusion: Dandelion sterol can inhibit the pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the EMT process of lung epithelial cells through targeting the TGF- β1/Smad signaling pathway.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Demin Cheng ◽  
Qi Xu ◽  
Yue Wang ◽  
Guanru Li ◽  
Wenqing Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Silicosis is one of the most common occupational pulmonary fibrosis caused by respirable silica-based particle exposure, with no ideal drugs at present. Metformin, a commonly used biguanide antidiabetic agent, could activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to exert its pharmacological action. Therefore, we sought to investigate the role of metformin in silica-induced lung fibrosis. Methods The anti-fibrotic role of metformin was assessed in 50 mg/kg silica-induced lung fibrosis model. Silicon dioxide (SiO2)-stimulated lung epithelial cells/macrophages and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1)-induced differentiated lung fibroblasts were used for in vitro models. Results At the concentration of 300 mg/kg in the mouse model, metformin significantly reduced lung inflammation and fibrosis in SiO2-instilled mice at the early and late fibrotic stages. Besides, metformin (range 2–10 mM) reversed SiO2-induced cell toxicity, oxidative stress, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition process in epithelial cells (A549 and HBE), inhibited inflammation response in macrophages (THP-1), and alleviated TGF-β1-stimulated fibroblast activation in lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) via an AMPK-dependent pathway. Conclusions In this study, we identified that metformin might be a potential drug for silicosis treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Wen Lim ◽  
Ben Corden ◽  
Benjamin Ng ◽  
Konstantinos Vanezis ◽  
Giuseppe D’Agostino ◽  
...  

Abstract Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ1) is a major driver of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic switching, an important pathobiology in arterial disease. We performed RNA-sequencing of TGFβ1-stimulated human aortic or arterial VSMCs which revealed large and consistent upregulation of Interleukin 11 (IL11). IL11 has an unknown function in VSMCs, which highly express the IL11 receptor alpha, suggestive of an autocrine loop. In vitro, IL11 activated ERK signaling, but inhibited STAT3 activity, and caused VSMC phenotypic switching to a similar extent as TGFβ1 or angiotensin II (ANGII) stimulation. Genetic or therapeutic inhibition of IL11 signaling reduced TGFβ1- or ANGII-induced VSMC phenotypic switching, placing IL11 activity downstream of these factors. Aortas of mice with Myh11-driven IL11 expression were remodeled and had reduced contractile but increased matrix and inflammatory genes expression. In two models of arterial pressure loading, IL11 was upregulated in the aorta and neutralizing IL11 antibodies reduced remodeling along with matrix and pro-inflammatory gene expression. These data show that IL11 plays an important role in VSMC phenotype switching, vascular inflammation and aortic pathobiology.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lamis M.F. El-Baz ◽  
Nahla M. Shoukry ◽  
Mohamed L. Salem ◽  
Hani S. Hafez ◽  
Robert D. Guzy

Abstract Background: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical event in wound healing and tissue repair following injury. Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ1) plays an important role in inducing EMT in lung epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo. As fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) reverses TGFβ1-induced collagen I (COL1A1) and α-smooth muscle actin (Actin alpha 2; ACTA2) expression in primary mouse and human lung fibroblasts, we set out this study to determine the effect of FGF2 on TGFβ1-induced EMT in human lung epithelial cells. Methods: BEAS-2B and A549 cells were treated with recombinant FGF2 (2 nM) with or without TGFβ1 (2 ng/ml) for up to 4 days. The phenotypic alterations associated with EMT were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR and E-cadherin protein expression levels was assayed by western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Cell migration was confirmed using wound-healing assay. Results: TGFβ1 treatment led to significantly reduced expression of E-cadherin (CDH1) and markedly induced expression of mesenchymal proteins such as N-cadherin (CDH2), tenascin C (TNC), fibronectin (FN), ACTA2 and COL1A1. TGFβ1 also induced a morphological change and a significant increase in cell migration. FGF2 did not significantly alter EMT gene expression markers on its own, however enhanced TGFβ1-induced suppression of CDH1 and upregulation of ACTA2, but did not alter TNC, FN and CDH2 gene expression levels induced by TGFβ1. FGF2 maintained TGFβ1-induced morphologic changes as well as increased the migration of TGFβ1-treated cells. Furthermore, FGF2 treatment significantly inhibited TGFβ1-induced COL1A1 expression in both BEAS-2B and A549 cells. FGFR-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor PD173074 blocked the synergism between these two growth factors. Conclusions: This study suggests a synergistic effect between TGFβ1 and FGF2 in inducing EMT, which may play an important role in wound healing and tissue repair after injury. Our findings provide insight into the effects of FGF2 following lung injury and in pulmonary fibrosis.


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