Article
Cell Biology
Georgina Goss, Emanuel Rognoni, Vasiliki Salameti, Fiona M. Watt
Summary: The study reveals that Ng2+ perivascular cells are a heterogeneous lineage-restricted population that is primarily recruited from the papillary or reticular fibroblast lineages during tissue regeneration.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Adele Mauroux, Pauline Joncour, Noemie Brassard-Jollive, Hisoilat Bacar, Benjamin Gillet, Sandrine Hughes, Corinne Ardidie-Robouant, Laetitia Marchand, Athanasia Liabotis, Philippe Mailly, Catherine Monnot, Stephane Germain, Sylvie Bordes, Brigitte Closs, Florence Ruggiero, Laurent Muller
Summary: The papillary and reticular dermis have distinct extracellular matrix (ECM) and vascularization, and fibroblasts in these regions express specific gene patterns. In this study, we investigated the contribution of these fibroblast subpopulations to matrix production and vascularization using cell sheet culture. Our findings showed that papillary fibroblasts secrete highly angiogenic factors and produce a dense and branched microvascular network, while reticular fibroblasts produce structural core components of the ECM associated with less branching and larger vessels.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ahmet Acar, Ana Hidalgo-Sastre, Michael K. Leverentz, Christopher G. Mills, Simon Woodcock, Martin Baron, Giovanna M. Collu, Keith Brennan
Summary: Notch and Wnt are two essential signaling pathways in animals, with typically opposing effects on cell fate decisions. Notch can limit Wnt signaling through mechanisms at the cell membrane and in the cell nucleus, contributing to the robustness of cell fate decisions by sharpening the distinction between opposing Notch/Wnt responses.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Siwei Yu, Ruyue Han, Runliang Gan
Summary: This review aims to analyze the mechanisms of action of related molecules in the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in hematologic malignancies and explore their feasibility as therapeutic targets.
BIOMARKER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Hongchao Jiang, Yaxue Zhao, Huirong Tang, Shixin Duan, Mengkai Li, Xinyi Yang, Jingting Liu, Xinyi Lou, Yuanyuan Cai, Wenjuan Zhao, Lei Sun, Feng Qian
Summary: DSF inhibits pulmonary fibrosis by targeting TGF-beta/SMAD signaling pathway, making it a promising therapeutic candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yinan Hu, Qi Wang, Jun Yu, Qing Zhou, Yanhan Deng, Juan Liu, Lei Zhang, Yongjian Xu, Weining Xiong, Yi Wang
Summary: This study reveals the involvement of ACP5 in the initiation and progression of pulmonary fibrosis. Acp5 deficiency protects mice from lung injury and fibrosis, and the upregulation of Acp5 by TGF-beta 1 enhances β-catenin signaling, promoting fibroblast differentiation, proliferation, and migration. Furthermore, treatment with Acp5 siRNA or inhibitor can reverse established lung fibrosis.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mathilde Cadoux, Stefano Caruso, Sandrine Pham, Angelique Gougelet, Celine Pophillat, Rozenn Riou, Robin Loesch, Sabine Colnot, Cong Trung Nguyen, Julien Calderaro, Severine Celton-Morizur, Nadia Guerra, Jessica Zucman-Rossi, Chantal Desdouets, Jean-Pierre Couty
Summary: The expression of NKG2D ligands is associated with aggressive liver tumorigenesis, and downregulation of these ligands by beta-catenin signaling may contribute to the less aggressive phenotype of CTNNB1-mutated HCC tumors.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ying-chao Qin, Jia-yi Zhou, Min Zhu, Geng-xiu Zan, Chun-qi Gao, Hui-chao Yan, Xiang-guang Li, Xiu-qi Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates that L-glutamate (Glu) supplementation stimulates gut growth and intestinal stem cell (ISC) expansion in weaned piglets. The canonical Wnt signalling pathway is identified as a central regulator of intestinal epithelial development and ISC activity. The study also reveals that the Wnt transmembrane receptor Frizzled7 (FZD7) plays a crucial role in the integration of Glu signals and regulates ISC proliferation and differentiation.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Anmao Li, Lei Gu, Junhao Mu Yishi Li, Xiaohui Wang, Jinyue Jiang, Yang Bai, Mingjin Yang, Chunyan He, Rui Xiao, Jiaxin Liao, Xingxing Jin, Meiling Xiao, Yang Xiao, Xia Zhang, Tairong Tan, Mingyu Peng, Li Xu, Shuliang Guo
Summary: The study reveals the crucial role of GATA6 in tracheal fibrosis through the regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. GATA6 promotes fibroblast activation, proliferation, and apoptosis resistance, leading to tracheal stenosis and extracellular matrix deposition. Targeting GATA6 may offer a promising therapeutic strategy for treating tracheal fibrosis.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Yang Zhao, Jia Li, Ka Ka Ting, Jinbiao Chen, Paul Coleman, Ken Liu, Li Wan, Thorleif Moller, Mathew A. Vadas, Jennifer R. Gamble
Summary: The stabilization of VE-Cadherin through CD5-2 treatment selectively regulates leukocyte transmigration, promoting the penetration of CD8(+) T cells while reducing the infiltration of neutrophils. This effect is mediated in part through the upregulation of chemokines like CCL2 and CXCL10, which facilitate immune cell transmigration, and involves the activation of the AKT/GSK3 beta/beta-catenin/TCF4 signaling pathway. Additionally, CD5-2 treatment induces cytoskeletal reorganization and promotes the transcellular migration of CD8(+) T cells by stabilizing the endothelial barrier.
Article
Biology
Emanuel Rognoni, Georgina Goss, Toru Hiratsuka, Kalle H. Sipila, Thomas Kirk, Katharina Kober, Prudence PokWai Lui, Victoria Sk Tsang, Nathan J. Hawkshaw, Suzanne M. Pilkington, Inchul Cho, Niwa Ali, Lesley E. Rhodes, Fiona M. Watt
Summary: Solar ultraviolet radiation leads to selective loss of fibroblasts in the skin, with repair predominantly mediated by papillary fibroblast proliferation following acute exposure. Chronic exposure results in permanent loss of papillary fibroblasts, compensated partially by fibroblast membrane protrusion expansion. Loss of papillary fibroblasts is primarily induced by a deregulated inflammatory response, with infiltrating T cells supporting fibroblast survival under UVR-induced environmental stress.
Article
Dermatology
Kyung-Il Kim, Kyung Eun Jung, Young-Bin Shin, Chang-Deok Kim, Tae-Jin Yoon
Summary: In this study, we conducted a large-scale screening test on drugs approved for other diseases to find pigmentation-modulating agents. Among the potential drugs, sorafenib was selected for further investigation on its effect on pigmentation in melanoma cells. The results showed that sorafenib promoted pigmentation by increasing the melanin content and tyrosinase activity. Mechanistic studies revealed that this effect was mediated by the activation of beta-catenin signaling through the regulation of GSK3 beta phosphorylation.
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Haitao Wang, Xiufang Shi
Summary: The present study reveals that SAC3D1 promotes the progression of HCC and may be a promising target for HCC therapy.
MOLECULAR MEDICINE REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Xue Cai, Weichen Tao, Lei Li
Summary: The study revealed that FGF20 secreted by glioma cells can reduce the pro-inflammatory phenotype of macrophages by stabilizing beta-catenin and inhibiting macrophage polarization to the M1 phenotype. It also demonstrated the involvement of FGF20 in the anti-inflammatory effects during glioma treatment by glucocorticoids. Furthermore, a molecular link between glioma cells and macrophages was identified, showing that FGF20 modulates glucocorticoids-induced dysfunction of macrophages in glioma development.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiaqi Liu, Qing Xiao, Jiani Xiao, Chenxi Niu, Yuanyuan Li, Xiaojun Zhang, Zhengwei Zhou, Guang Shu, Gang Yin
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive review of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, including its origin, composition, function, and clinical trials. It also discusses the challenges and opportunities for developing small-molecule compounds targeting this signaling pathway in disease treatment.
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION AND TARGETED THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Allergy
Louise Cunningham, Clarisse Ganier, Felicity Ferguson, Ian R. White, Fiona M. Watt, John McFadden, Magnus D. Lynch
Summary: The study showed that the risk of a clinically relevant positive patch test can be predicted using clinical and demographic parameters. The gradient boosting method outperforms logistic regression in certain predictions, indicating the relevance of complex nonlinear interactions in risk prediction.
CONTACT DERMATITIS
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Sophie Frech, Agnes Forsthuber, Ana Korosec, Katharina Lipp, Viktor Kozumov, Beate M. Lichtenberger
Summary: Patients with large scars, such as burn victims, face not only aesthetic challenges but also ongoing itching or pain that significantly reduces their quality of life. The regeneration of skin appendages, such as hair follicles, is a major objective for regenerative medicine as their lack limits scarless wound healing. In this study, the researchers found that Hedgehog signaling plays different roles in two distinct developmental lineages of dermal fibroblasts, promoting wound repair and inducing de novo hair follicle formation.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Clarisse Ganier, Nasrat Harun, Imogen Peplow, Xinyi Du-Harpur, Callum Arthurs, Fiona M. Watt, Magnus D. Lynch
Summary: The study found that ACE2 is expressed in keratinocytes and skin vasculature, indicating a potential cutaneous entry point for SARS-CoV-2. The expression of ACE2 in vascular endothelial cells may support virally mediated mechanisms in the chilblain-like acral eruption seen in COVID-19 patients.
ADVANCES IN SKIN & WOUND CARE
(2022)
Review
Physiology
Matteo Vietri Rudan, Fiona M. Watt
Summary: Mammalian epidermal lipids play a significant role in tissue biology by forming an impermeable barrier, protecting against external insults, shaping the commensal microbiota, and modulating immune responses and epidermal differentiation.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Marco Romano, Raul Elgueta, Daniel McCluskey, Ana Maria Ortega-Prieto, Emilie Stolarczyk, Francesco Dazzi, Baltasar Lucendo-Villarin, Jose Meseguer-Ripolles, James Williams, Giorgia Fanelli, David C. Hay, Fiona M. Watt, Giovanna Lombardi
Summary: Regenerative medicine aims to replace damaged tissues by stimulating tissue repair or transplanting cells. Pluripotent stem cells have the potential for unlimited cell production, making them valuable for regenerative medicine. However, immune responses pose a challenge to success. This study investigates the immunological properties of human pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells and shows their potential for in vitro immunoregulation.
Review
Dermatology
Victor Augusti Negri, Fiona M. Watt
Summary: This article discusses the existence of human epidermal stem cells and their clinical application in ex vivo expansion for tissue repair. It also mentions the increasing availability of single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets, which provides new opportunities for studying the nature of epidermal stem cells and testing in vitro experimental models.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Ana-Maria Cujba, Mario E. Alvarez-Fallas, Sergio Pedraza-Arevalo, Anna Laddach, Maggie H. Shepherd, Andrew T. Hattersley, Fiona M. Watt, Rocio Sancho
Summary: In this study, the researchers used pancreas progenitor-derived organoids to investigate the effect of HNF1 alpha (P291fsinsC) on differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) during pancreatic development. They found that HNF1 alpha (P291fsinsC) inhibits pancreatic progenitor and beta cell differentiation by interacting with HNF1 beta. Overexpression of HNF1 beta partially rescued cell differentiation.
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Imogen R. Brooks, Cristina M. Garrone, Caoimhe Kerins, Cher Shen Kiar, Sofia Syntaka, Jessie Z. Xu, Francesca M. Spagnoli, Fiona M. Watt
Summary: Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are valuable in disease modeling as they can expand and differentiate into almost any cell type, recapitulating key aspects of human biology. Functional genomics is a genome-wide research approach aimed at discovering genotype-phenotype relationships. This review argues that human iPSCs (hiPSCs) are a powerful tool for functional genomics, providing an in vitro platform for studying population genetics.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Blaise Louis, Mukul Tewary, Andrew W. Bremer, Christina Philippeos, Victor A. Negri, Sebastiaan Zijl, Zev J. Gartner, David V. Schaffer, Fiona M. Watt
Summary: The balance between stem cell renewal and differentiation is influenced by intracellular controls and the microenvironment. This study investigated the effects of cell-ECM adhesion and cell-cell contact on the differentiation of keratinocytes. The findings suggest that cell-cell contact reduces differentiation in response to decreased substrate adhesion.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Kalle Sipila, Emanuel Rognoni, Johanna Jokinen, Mukul Tewary, Matteo Vietri Rudan, Salli Talvi, Ville Jokinen, Kathe M. Dahlstrom, Kif Liakath-Ali, Atefeh Mobasseri, Xinyi Du-Harpur, Jarmo Kapyla, Stephen L. Nutt, Tiina A. Salminen, Jyrki Heino, Fiona M. Watt
Summary: In this study, the unique expression of the transmembrane protein embigin in the sebaceous gland was investigated. It was found that embigin negatively regulates the number of cells expressing it through Wnt signaling. Additionally, embigin was shown to affect lipid metabolism and sebaceous niche architecture by influencing extracellular matrix organization and basolateral targeting of monocarboxylate transport. It was also discovered that embigin acts as a direct fibronectin receptor, without impairing integrin function.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2022)
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mike Hulme
Article
Cell Biology
Joanne E. Anstee, Karen T. Feehan, James W. Opzoomer, Isaac Dean, Henrike P. Muller, Meriem Bahri, Tik Shing Cheung, Kifayathullah Liakath-Ali, Ziyan Liu, Desmond Choy, Jonathan Caron, Dominika Sosnowska, Richard Beatson, Tamara Muliaditan, Zhengwen An, Cheryl E. Gillett, Guocheng Lan, Xiangang Zou, Fiona M. Watt, Tony Ng, Joy M. Burchell, Shahram Kordasti, David R. Withers, Toby Lawrence, James N. Arnold
Summary: This study describes a population of LYVE-1-expressing TAMs that form complex multi-cellular nest structures and are distributed around blood vessels in breast cancer tumors. The researchers found that LYVE-1+ TAMs develop in response to IL-6, and their nest formation is guided by a CCR5-dependent signaling axis. Blocking the development of LYVE-1+ TAMs or their nest structures enhances the recruitment of CD8+ T cells to the tumor and improves response to chemotherapy.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fiona M. Watt
Article
Oncology
Priyanka G. Bhosale, Robert A. Kennedy, Fiona M. Watt
Summary: Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) are genetically diverse and have different microenvironments. Despite the presence of lymphocytes, the activation of CASP8 and CASP3 is low in tumors, while apoptosis is high in lymphocytes. Higher FasL expression in CASP8 mutated tumors may predict disease progression.
JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Victor Augusti Negri, Blaise Louis, Sebastiaan Zijl, Clarisse Ganier, Christina Philippeos, Shahnawaz Ali, Gary Reynolds, Muzlifah Haniffa, Fiona M. Watt
Summary: This study validates previous experimental data and proposes new testable hypotheses by analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing resources from healthy human skin.
