Asthma is a common chronic illness that affects many children and adults worldwide. A major obstacle to prevention and treatment of asthma has been its diverse etiologies and our inadequate understanding of the biological mechanisms. Recent studies have changed our understanding of asthma as a purely inflammatory disease to a disease in which both inflammatory and structural components are equally involved. Allergen caused epithelial damage in early stages allows environmental allergens access to the airway tissue and may lead to the development of airway remodeling in chronic stages. Therefore, therapies that target the repair of the damaged epithelium in early stages could prevent the pathological airway remodeling and improve asthma control. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult connective tissue progenitor cells with multi-lineage differentiation potential and poten paracrine immunomodulatory properties. MSCs are significantly increased in the lungs after allergen challenge and may participate in airway repair/remodeling. Transforming growth factor ?1 (TGF?1) plays an important role in the recruitment of stem/progenitor cells for tissue repair, regeneration, and remodeling in various organs. Our previous studies have provided initial evidence that MSCs and active TGF?1 signaling are increased in airway in an allergen induced asthma model. Furthermore, conditioned medium (ECM) from cockroach extract challenged epithelium induces the migration of MSCs, while TGF?1 neutralizing antibody antagonized this migration. Recent studies in vitro have shown that MSCs can differentiate into epithelial cells in the presence of TGF?1. The stage is thus set to critically evaluate the functional effect on MSCs of TGF?1signaling in asthma. HYPOTHESIS: Active TGF?1 is an allergen-activated endogenous messenger that recruits bone marrow-derived MSCs to the injured airways, which differentiate into epithelial cells to repair the damaged epithelium in early stages or into fibroblasts/myofibroblasts contributing to fibrotic airway remodeling in chronic stage of asthma.
Aim 1 proposes experiments to determine the role of active TGF?1 in the recruitment of MSCs to the lung in asthma. We will determine the role of TGF?1 in migration of MSCs using our Air-Liquid Interface (ALI)-ECM-based cell migration system. We will further examine the recruitment of endogenous nestin+MSCs to the allergen-challenged airways during different stages of asthma using Nes-GFP mice, followed by the examination of the role of TGF?1 in the recruitment of MSCs using a TGF?1 neutralizing antibody or TGF-? receptor type I (T?RI) inhibitor. [Aim 2 proposes experiments to track the lineage commitment/differentiation of MSC recruited in lungs through TGF?1 signaling during acute and chronic stages of asthma]. We have established an inducible MSC lineage tracing mouse model (nestin-CreERT2; ROSA26-EGFP) that we will use to track the lineage commitment of recruited MSCs in airway of acute and chronic allergen-induced models of asthma. This will provide novel insights into the role of TGF-?1 signaling and MSCs in allergic asthma and offer an opportunity for novel therapies.

Public Health Relevance

Asthma is a common chronic illness that affects many children and adults worldwide, and is associated with airway inflammation and remodeling. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are progenitor cells with multi-lineage differentiation potential, and transforming growth factor ?1 (TGF?1) is essential for the recruitment of stem/progenitor cells for tissue repair, regeneration, and remodeling. Our studies will test the role of MSCs through TGF?1 in airway repair/remodeling, and will offer opportunity for novel therapies.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21AI109062-02
Application #
8896417
Study Section
Lung Cellular, Molecular, and Immunobiology Study Section (LCMI)
Program Officer
Minnicozzi, Michael
Project Start
2014-08-01
Project End
2017-07-31
Budget Start
2015-08-01
Budget End
2017-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21205
Saradna, Arjun; Do, Danh C; Kumar, Shruthi et al. (2018) Macrophage polarization and allergic asthma. Transl Res 191:1-14
Wang, Heng; Do, Danh C; Liu, Jinxin et al. (2018) Functional role of kynurenine and aryl hydrocarbon receptor axis in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. J Allergy Clin Immunol 141:586-600.e6
Ke, Xia; Do, Danh C; Li, Changjun et al. (2018) Ras homolog family member A/Rho-associated protein kinase 1 signaling modulates lineage commitment of mesenchymal stem cells in asthmatic patients through lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1. J Allergy Clin Immunol :
Qiu, Lipeng; Zhang, Yan; Do, Danh C et al. (2018) miR-155 Modulates Cockroach Allergen- and Oxidative Stress-Induced Cyclooxygenase-2 in Asthma. J Immunol 201:916-929
Zhou, Yufeng; Do, Danh C; Ishmael, Faoud T et al. (2018) Mannose receptor modulates macrophage polarization and allergic inflammation through miR-511-3p. J Allergy Clin Immunol 141:350-364.e8
Do, Danh C; Yang, Shuang; Yao, Xu et al. (2017) N-glycan in cockroach allergen regulates human basophil function. Immun Inflamm Dis 5:386-399
Do, Danh C; Agrawal, Arshi; Luo, Xiaoyan et al. (2017) Gab1, a therapeutic target for allergic asthma? J Xiangya Med 2:
Qu, Jingjing; Do, Danh C; Zhou, Yufeng et al. (2017) Oxidized CaMKII promotes asthma through the activation of mast cells. JCI Insight 2:e90139
Qu, Jingjing; Li, Yuanyuan; Zhong, Wen et al. (2017) Recent developments in the role of reactive oxygen species in allergic asthma. J Thorac Dis 9:E32-E43
Do, D C; Zhao, Y; Gao, P (2016) Cockroach allergen exposure and risk of asthma. Allergy 71:463-74

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