PD-L1 on invasive fibroblasts drives fibrosis in a humanized model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Yan Geng, Xue Liu, Jiurong Liang, David M. Habiel, Vrishika Kulur, Ana Lucia Coelho, Nan Deng, Ting Xie, Yizhou Wang, Ningshan Liu, Guanling Huang, Adrianne Kurkciyan, Zhenqiu Liu, Jie Tang, Cory M. Hogaboam, Dianhua Jiang, Paul W. Noble
Yan Geng, Xue Liu, Jiurong Liang, David M. Habiel, Vrishika Kulur, Ana Lucia Coelho, Nan Deng, Ting Xie, Yizhou Wang, Ningshan Liu, Guanling Huang, Adrianne Kurkciyan, Zhenqiu Liu, Jie Tang, Cory M. Hogaboam, Dianhua Jiang, Paul W. Noble
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Research Article Pulmonology Therapeutics

PD-L1 on invasive fibroblasts drives fibrosis in a humanized model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease with unremitting extracellular matrix deposition, leading to a distortion of pulmonary architecture and impaired gas exchange. Fibroblasts from IPF patients acquire an invasive phenotype that is essential for progressive fibrosis. Here, we performed RNA sequencing analysis on invasive and noninvasive fibroblasts and found that the immune checkpoint ligand CD274 (also known as PD-L1) was upregulated on invasive lung fibroblasts and was required for the invasive phenotype of lung fibroblasts, is regulated by p53 and FAK, and drives lung fibrosis in a humanized IPF model in mice. Activating CD274 in IPF fibroblasts promoted invasion in vitro and pulmonary fibrosis in vivo. CD274 knockout in IPF fibroblasts and targeting CD274 by FAK inhibition or CD274-neutralizing antibodies blunted invasion and attenuated fibrosis, suggesting that CD274 may be a novel therapeutic target in IPF.

Authors

Yan Geng, Xue Liu, Jiurong Liang, David M. Habiel, Vrishika Kulur, Ana Lucia Coelho, Nan Deng, Ting Xie, Yizhou Wang, Ningshan Liu, Guanling Huang, Adrianne Kurkciyan, Zhenqiu Liu, Jie Tang, Cory M. Hogaboam, Dianhua Jiang, Paul W. Noble

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Figure 5

Regulation of cell growth and invasion by p53.

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Regulation of cell growth and invasion by p53. Gene expression (n = 3 pe...
Gene expression (n = 3 per group) (A) and Western blot analysis (B) of CD274, PDCD1LG2, TP53, and GAPDH in IPF lung fibroblasts treated with Si-CTL, Si-CD274, Si-PDCD1LG2, or Si-TP53. See complete unedited blots in the supplemental material. Cell surface expression (C) of CD274 and PDCD1LG2 in IPF lung fibroblasts treated with Si-CTL, Si-CD274, Si-PDCD1LG2, or Si-TP53 after 68 hours. (D) Representative cell growth curve of lung fibroblasts treated with Si-CTL, Si-CD274, or Si-PDCD1LG2. (E) Representative images of lung fibroblasts treated with Si-CTL, Si-CD274, or Si-PDCD1LG2 after 68 hours. Scale bar: 150 μm. (F and G) In vitro migration and invasion assay. Equal numbers of cells were seeded in the upper part of transwells. (F) Representative images of migrated and invasive Si-CTL or Si-TP53 lung fibroblasts. Scale bar: 1 mm. (G) Cell migration or invasion index was calculated as the number of cells attached to the bottom of control or Matrigel-coated membranes after 24 hours, normalized to respective Si-CTL lung fibroblasts (n = 3 per group). Throughout, data are the mean ± SEM. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.01 by 1-way ANOVA (A) or Student’s t test (G).