2022
Epiregulin is a dendritic cell–derived EGFR ligand that maintains skin and lung fibrosis
Odell I, Steach H, Gauld S, Reinke-Breen L, Karman J, Carr T, Wetter J, Phillips L, Hinchcliff M, Flavell R. Epiregulin is a dendritic cell–derived EGFR ligand that maintains skin and lung fibrosis. Science Immunology 2022, 7: eabq6691. PMID: 36490328, PMCID: PMC9840167, DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abq6691.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLung fibrosisDendritic cellsImmune cellsDiffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosisPersistence of fibrosisCutaneous systemic sclerosisExtent of fibrosisType I interferonSystemic sclerosisAutoimmune diseasesAntifibrotic targetsTherapeutic administrationMouse modelI interferonLung samplesLung explantsFibrosisFibrotic tissueImmune signalsEpiregulin expressionPatient's skinExtracellular matrix productionGenetic deficiencyEpiregulinEGFR ligands
2016
Tenascin-C drives persistence of organ fibrosis
Bhattacharyya S, Wang W, Morales-Nebreda L, Feng G, Wu M, Zhou X, Lafyatis R, Lee J, Hinchcliff M, Feghali-Bostwick C, Lakota K, Budinger GR, Raparia K, Tamaki Z, Varga J. Tenascin-C drives persistence of organ fibrosis. Nature Communications 2016, 7: 11703. PMID: 27256716, PMCID: PMC4895803, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11703.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSystemic sclerosisToll-like receptorsOrgan fibrosisFibrosis resolutionPathogenesis of SScTreatment of SScLevels of tenascinEndogenous danger signalsSSc skin biopsy samplesSkin biopsy samplesMechanism of actionLung fibrosisPathogenic roleTLR activatorsMouse modelBiopsy samplesFibroblast activationDanger signalsMyofibroblast transformationFibrosisSSc fibroblastsCollagen gene expressionSkin fibroblastsAmplification loopTenascin