| 1. |
- Hou, Xu, et al.
(författare)
-
PDGF-CC blockade inhibits pathological angiogenesis by acting on multiple cellular and molecular targets
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 107:27, s. 12216-12221
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The importance of identifying VEGF-independent pathways in pathological angiogenesis is increasingly recognized as a result of the emerging drug resistance to anti-VEGF therapies. PDGF-CC is the third member of the PDGF family discovered after more than two decades of studies on PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB. The biological function of PDGF-CC and the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, using different animal models, we report that PDGF-CC inhibition by neutralizing antibody, shRNA, or genetic deletion suppressed both choroidal and retinal neovascularization. Importantly, we revealed that PDGF-CC targeting acted not only on multiple cell types important for pathological angiogenesis, such as vascular mural and endothelial cells, macrophages, choroidal fibroblasts and retinal pigment epithelial cells, but also on the expression of other important angiogenic genes, such as PDGF-BB and PDGF receptors. At a molecular level, we found that PDGF-CC regulated glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3beta phosphorylation and expression both in vitro and in vivo. Activation of GSK3beta impaired PDGF-CC-induced angiogenesis, and inhibition of GSK3beta abolished the antiangiogenic effect of PDGF-CC blockade. Thus, we identified PDGF-CC as an important candidate target gene for antiangiogenic therapy, and PDGF-CC inhibition may be of therapeutic value in treating neovascular diseases.
|
|
| 2. |
- Lui, Julian C., et al.
(författare)
-
Ezh2 mutations found in the Weaver overgrowth syndrome cause a partial loss of H3K27 histone methyltransferase activity
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. - Cary, NC, United States : Oxford University Press. - 0021-972X .- 1945-7197. ; 103:4, s. 1470-1478
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Weaver syndrome is characterized by tall stature, advanced bone age, characteristic facies, and variable intellectual disability. It is caused by heterozygous mutations in EZH2, a histone methyltransferase responsible for H3K27 trimethylation. However, no early truncating mutations have been identified, suggesting that null mutations do not cause Weaver syndrome.Objective: To test alternative hypotheses that EZH2 variants found in Weaver syndrome either cause a gain of function or a partial loss of function.Design: Exome sequencing was performed in a boy with tall stature, advanced bone age, and mild dysmorphic features. Mutant or wild-type EZH2 protein was expressed in mouse growth plate chondrocytes with or without endogenous EZH2, and enzymatic activity was measured. A mouse model was generated, and histone methylation was assessed in heterozygous and homozygous embryos.Results: A de novo missense EZH2 mutation (c.1876G>A (p.Val626Met)) was identified in the proband. When expressed in growth plate chondrocytes, the mutant protein showed decreased histone methyltransferase activity. A mouse model carrying this EZH2 mutation was generated using CRISPR/Cas9. Homozygotes showed perinatal lethality while heterozygotes were viable, fertile, and showed mild overgrowth. Both homozygous and heterozygous embryos showed decreased H3K27 methylation.Conclusion: We generated a mouse model with the same mutation as our patient and found that it recapitulates the Weaver overgrowth phenotype, and demonstrated that EZH2 mutations found in Weaver syndrome cause a partial loss of function.
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Tang, Zhongshu, et al.
(författare)
-
Survival effect of PDGF-CC rescues neurons from apoptosis in both brain and retina by regulating GSK3β phosphorylation
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Journal of Experimental Medicine. - : The Rockefeller University Press. - 0022-1007 .- 1540-9538. ; 207:4, s. 867-880
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Platelet-derived growth factor CC (PDGF-CC) is the third member of the PDGF family discovered after more than two decades of studies on the original members of the family, PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB. The biological function of PDGF-CC remains largely to be explored. We report a novel finding that PDGF-CC is a potent neuroprotective factor that acts by modulating glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) activity. In several different animal models of neuronal injury, such as axotomy-induced neuronal death, neurotoxin-induced neuronal injury, 6-hydroxydopamine-induced Parkinson's dopaminergic neuronal death, and ischemia-induced stroke, PDGF-CC protein or gene delivery protected different types of neurons from apoptosis in both the retina and brain. On the other hand, loss-of-function assays using PDGF-C null mice, neutralizing antibody, or short hairpin RNA showed that PDGF-CC deficiency/inhibition exacerbated neuronal death in different neuronal tissues in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that the neuroprotective effect of PDGF-CC was achieved by regulating GSK3beta phosphorylation and expression. Our data demonstrate that PDGF-CC is critically required for neuronal survival and may potentially be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Inhibition of the PDGF-CC-PDGF receptor pathway for different clinical purposes should be conducted with caution to preserve normal neuronal functions.
|
|
| 5. |
- Zhang, Fan, et al.
(författare)
-
VEGF-B is dispensable for blood vessel growth but critical for their survival, and VEGF-B targeting inhibits pathological angiogenesis
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 106:15, s. 6152-6157
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- VEGF-B, a homolog of VEGF discovered a long time ago, has not been considered an important target in antiangiogenic therapy. Instead, it has received little attention from the field. In this study, using different animal models and multiple types of vascular cells, we revealed that although VEGF-B is dispensable for blood vessel growth, it is critical for their survival. Importantly, the survival effect of VEGF-B is not only on vascular endothelial cells, but also on pericytes, smooth muscle cells, and vascular stem/progenitor cells. In vivo, VEGF-B targeting inhibited both choroidal and retinal neovascularization. Mechanistically, we found that the vascular survival effect of VEGF-B is achieved by regulating the expression of many vascular prosurvival genes via both NP-1 and VEGFR-1. Our work thus indicates that the function of VEGF-B in the vascular system is to act as a "survival," rather than an "angiogenic" factor and that VEGF-B inhibition may offer new therapeutic opportunities to treat neovascular diseases.
|
|
