1. |
- Sulniute, Rima, et al.
(author)
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Plasminogen is a critical regulator of cutaneous wound healing
- 2016
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In: Thrombosis and Haemostasis. - 0340-6245 .- 2567-689X. ; 115:5, s. 1001-1009
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wound healing is a complicated biological process that consist of partially overlapping inflammatory, proliferation and tissue remodelling phases. A successful wound healing depends on a proper activation and subsequent termination of the inflammatory phase. The failure to terminate the inflammation halts the completion of wound healing and is a known reason for formation of chronic wounds. Previous studies have shown that wound closure is delayed in plasminogen deficient mice, and a role for plasminogen in dissection of extracellular matrix was suggested. However, our finding that plasminogen is transported to the wound by inflammatory cells early during the healing process, where it potentiates inflammation, indicates that plasminogen may also have other roles in the wound healing process. Here we report that plasminogen-deficient mice have extensive fibrin and neutrophil depositions in the wounded area long after re-epithelialisation, indicating inefficient debridement and chronic inflammation. Delayed formation of granulation tissue suggests that fibroblast function is impaired in the absence of plasminogen. Therefore, in addition to its role in the activation of inflammation, plasminogen is also crucial for subsequent steps, including resolution of inflammation and activation of the proliferation phase. Importantly, supplementation of plasminogen-deficient mice with human plasminogen leads to a restored healing process that is comparable to that in wild-type mice. Besides of being an activator of the inflammatory phase during wound healing, plasminogen is also required for the subsequent termination of inflammation. Based on these results, we propose that plasminogen may be an important future therapeutic agent for wound treatment.
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2. |
- Cheng, Fang, et al.
(author)
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Vimentin coordinates fibroblast proliferation and keratinocyte differentiation in wound healing via TGF-beta-Slug signaling
- 2016
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 113:30, s. E4320-E4327
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Vimentin has been shown to be involved in wound healing, but its functional contribution to this process is poorly understood. Here we describe a previously unrecognized function of vimentin in coordinating fibroblast proliferation and keratinocyte differentiation during wound healing. Loss of vimentin led to a severe deficiency in fibroblast growth, which in turn inhibited the activation of two major initiators of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), TGF-beta 1 signaling and the Zinc finger transcriptional repressor protein Slug, in vimentin-deficient (VIM-/-) wounds. Correspondingly, VIM-/- wounds exhibited loss of EMT-like keratinocyte activation, limited keratinization, and slow reepithelialization. Furthermore, the fibroblast deficiency abolished collagen accumulation in the VIM-/- wounds. Vimentin reconstitution in VIM-/- fibroblasts restored both their proliferation and TGF-beta 1 production. Similarly, restoring paracrine TGF-beta-Slug-EMT signaling reactivated the transdifferentiation of keratinocytes, reviving their migratory properties, a critical feature for efficient healing. Our results demonstrate that vimentin orchestrates the healing by controlling fibroblast proliferation, TGF-beta 1-Slug signaling, collagen accumulation, and EMT processing, all of which in turn govern the required keratinocyte activation.
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3. |
- Fallah, Mahsa, 1986-
(author)
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Plasminogen : a pleiotropic inflammatory regulator in radiation-induced wound formation and wound repair
- 2018
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The plasminogen activator (PA) system plays important roles in many physiological and pathological processes, including inflammation and wound healing. Plasmin, the central component of the PA system, is a broad-spectrum serine protease that is derived from its inactive precursor form, plasminogen. The first aim of this thesis was to study the role of plasminogen in the formation of radiation-induced wounds, which are an inflammatory side effect of radiotherapy. The second aim was to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind the potentiating effect of plasminogen in the healing of radiation-induced wounds. The third aim was to explore the therapeutic potential of plasminogen in the healing of radiation-induced wounds.Radiation therapy in cancer patients is often limited by side effects such as radiation-induced skin damage (radiodermatitis). The mechanisms behind the formation of radiodermatitis are not fully elucidated, and there are no effective preventive therapies for clinical use. In this study, we show that irradiation of skin in WT (wild-type) mice induces plasminogen accumulation, which is followed by activation of TGF-β (transforming growth factor-beta) signaling and the development of inflammation that leads to skin damage. However, plasminogen-deficient mice and mice lacking PAs were mostly resistant to radiodermatitis. Moreover, treatment with a plasminogen inhibitor, tranexamic acid, decreases radiodermatitis in WT mice and prevented radiodermatitis in heterozygous mice. Thus, plasmin is required for the formation of radiodermatitis, and inhibition of plasminogen activation might be a novel treatment strategy to reduce or prevent radiodermatitis in patients undergoing radiotherapy.Wound healing consists of partially overlapping inflammatory, proliferation, and tissue remodeling phases, and failure to terminate inflammation leads to the formation of chronic wounds. Previous studies by our group have shown that plasminogen is transported to acute wounds by inflammatory cells where it potentiates inflammation and enhances wound healing. Here, we report that plasminogen-deficient mice, which have delayed wound healing, have extensive fibrin and neutrophil depositions in the wounded area long after re-epithelialization, indicating inefficient debridement and chronic inflammation. The delayed formation of granulation tissue suggests that fibroblast function is also impaired in the absence of plasminogen. Therefore, in addition to its role in the activation of inflammation, plasminogen is also crucial for the resolution of inflammation and the activation of the proliferation phase. Importantly, supplementation of plasminogen-deficient mice with human plasminogen leads to a restored healing capacity that is comparable to that in WT mice. Therefore, plasminogen might be an important future therapeutic agent for treatment of wounds.In radiation-induced wounds, inflammation often cannot resolve and the wounds become chronic and fibrotic. Currently, there is no gold standard for the treatment of radiation-induced wounds. In this study, we have shown that radiation-induced wounds treated with plasminogen healed faster than placebo-treated wounds, had diminished inflammation and granulation tissue formation, and had enhanced re-epithelialization and collagen maturation. Transcriptome analysis showed that plasminogen has a pleiotropic effect on gene expression during wound healing, influencing the expression of 33 genes out of the 84 genes studied. In particular, plasminogen decreased the expression of 11 pro-inflammatory genes early in the healing process. Later, plasminogen decreased WNT (Wingless/Integrated) and TGF-β signaling, as well as the expression of 5 growth factors and 13 factors involved in granulation tissue formation. From the genes downregulated by plasminogen, 19 genes are known to be involved in fibrosis. These results show that in radiation-induced wounds with excessive inflammation and tissue formation plasminogen is able to direct the healing process to a normal outcome without the risk for developing fibrosis. This makes plasminogen an attractive drug candidate for treating radiodermatitis in cancer patients. Taken together, our results indicate that plasminogen is a pleiotropic inflammatory regulator involved in radiation-induced wound formation as well as in wound repair.
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4. |
- Fallah, Mahsa, et al.
(author)
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Plasminogen activation is required for the development of radiation-induced dermatitis
- 2018
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In: Cell Death and Disease. - : Springer. - 2041-4889. ; 9:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Skin damage caused by radiation therapy (radiodermatitis) is a severe side effect of radiotherapy in cancer patients, and there is currently a lack of effective strategies to prevent or treat such skin damage. In this work, we show with several lines of evidence that plasminogen, a pro-inflammatory factor, is key for the development of radiodermatitis. After skin irradiation in wild type (plg+/+) mice, the plasminogen level increased in the radiated area, leading to severe skin damage such as ulcer formation. However, plasminogen-deficient (plg−/−) mice and mice lacking plasminogen activators were mostly resistant to radiodermatitis. Moreover, treatment with a plasminogen inhibitor, tranexamic acid, decreased radiodermatitis in plg+/+ mice and prevented radiodermatitis in plg+/− mice. Together with studies at the molecular level, we report that plasmin is required for the induction of inflammation after irradiation that leads to radiodermatitis, and we propose that inhibition of plasminogen activation can be a novel treatment strategy to reduce and prevent the occurrence of radiodermatitis in patients.
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5. |
- Glise, Lars, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Disturbed Laminar Blood Flow Causes Impaired Fibrinolysis and Endothelial Fibrin Deposition In Vivo
- 2019
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In: Thrombosis and Haemostasis. - : Georg Thieme Verlag KG. - 0340-6245 .- 2567-689X. ; 119:2, s. 223-233
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Endothelial expression of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is crucial for maintaining an adequate endogenous fibrinolysis. It is unknown how endothelial t-PA expression and fibrinolysis are affected by blood flow in vivo. In this study, we investigated the impact of different blood flow profiles on endothelial t-PA expression and fibrinolysis in the arterial vasculature. Induction of disturbed laminar blood flow (D-flow) in the mouse carotid artery potently reduced endothelial t-PA messenger ribonucleic acid and protein expression, and caused fibrin deposition. En face immunohistochemistry demonstrated that arterial areas naturally exposed to D-flow had markedly lower endothelial t-PA levels than areas with sustained laminar blood flow (S-flow), and displayed pronounced fibrin deposition despite an intact endothelium. In t-PA and plasminogen-deficient mice, fibrin deposition did not extend into S-flow areas, indicating that areas of D-flow and S-flow differ, not only in fibrinolytic capacity, but also in coagulation. Furthermore, plasminogen accumulation was found at D-flow areas, and infusion of recombinant t-PA activated fibrinolysis and significantly reduced the fibrin deposits. In conclusion, D-flow potently impairs the fibrinolytic capacity and causes endothelial fibrin deposition in vivo. Our data also indicate that t-PA is the limiting factor for efficient fibrinolysis at the thrombosis-prone D-flow areas in the arterial vasculature.
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7. |
- Moonens, Kristof, et al.
(author)
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Structural Insights into Polymorphic ABO Glycan Binding by Helicobacter pylori
- 2016
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In: Cell Host and Microbe. - : Elsevier BV. - 1931-3128 .- 1934-6069. ; 19:1, s. 55-66
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Helicobacter pylori adhesin BabA binds mucosal ABO/Le b blood group (bg) carbohydrates. BabA facilitates bacterial attachment to gastric surfaces, increasing strain virulence and forming a recognized risk factor for peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. High sequence variation causes BabA functional diversity, but the underlying structural-molecular determinants are unknown. We generated X-ray structures of representative BabA isoforms that reveal a polymorphic, three-pronged Le(b) binding site. Two diversity loops, DL1 and DL2, provide adaptive control to binding affinity, notably ABO versus O bg preference. H. pylori strains can switch bg preference with single DL1 amino acid substitutions, and can coexpress functionally divergent BabA isoforms. The anchor point for receptor binding is the embrace of an ABO fucose residue by a disulfide-clasped loop, which is inactivated by reduction. Treatment with the redox-active pharmaceutic N-acetylcysteine lowers gastric mucosal neutrophil infiltration in H. pylori-infected Le(b)-expressing mice, providing perspectives on possible H. pylori eradication therapies.
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9. |
- Wielkoszynski, Tomasz, et al.
(author)
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Novel diagnostic ELISA test for discrimination between infections with Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
- 2018
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In: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. - : Springer. - 0934-9723 .- 1435-4373. ; 37:12, s. 2301-2306
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Yersiniosis is a foodborne infection caused by Yersinia enterocolitica or Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Although yersiniosis is most often self-limiting, some patients develop chronic infections, such as reactive arthritis, glomerulonephritis, or myocarditis, which require an antibiotic treatment. Whereas early infections can be diagnosed by direct detection of bacteria, chronic infections can only be identified by serological tests. At this point, a serological method for differentiation between infections with the two Yersinia species is important since antibiotic susceptibility of these bacteria is different. Traditional immunoassays do not distinguish between infections with Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis. The only test that allows for this differentiation is Mikrogen's strip test where discrimination between the two types of infection is based on two recombinant bacterial proteins, MyfA and PsaA (specific for Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, respectively). Here, we show that Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, cultured under the conditions that mimic the natural rout of infection, express surface antigens different from MyfA and PsaA that can also be used in a discrimination test. Further, we describe a new ELISA that is based on the whole bacteria and recombinant MyfA and PsaA as antigens, and that allows the differentiation between infections with Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis and simultaneous detection of yersiniosis.
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