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TWIST1+FAP+ fibroblasts in the pathogenesis of intestinal fibrosis in Crohn’s disease
Yao Zhang, … , Duowu Zou, Bing Su
Yao Zhang, … , Duowu Zou, Bing Su
Published July 18, 2024
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2024;134(18):e179472. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI179472.
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Research Article Gastroenterology Article has an altmetric score of 3

TWIST1+FAP+ fibroblasts in the pathogenesis of intestinal fibrosis in Crohn’s disease

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Abstract

Intestinal fibrosis, a severe complication of Crohn’s disease (CD), is characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and induces intestinal strictures, but there are no effective antifibrosis drugs available for clinical application. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) of fibrotic and nonfibrotic ileal tissues from patients with CD with intestinal obstruction. Analysis revealed mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as the major producers of ECM and the increased infiltration of its subset FAP+ fibroblasts in fibrotic sites, which was confirmed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of chronic dextran sulfate sodium salt murine colitis model revealed that CD81+Pi16– fibroblasts exhibited transcriptomic and functional similarities to human FAP+ fibroblasts. Consistently, FAP+ fibroblasts were identified as the key subtype with the highest level of ECM production in fibrotic intestines. Furthermore, specific knockout or pharmacological inhibition of TWIST1, which was highly expressed by FAP+ fibroblasts, could significantly ameliorate fibrosis in mice. In addition, TWIST1 expression was induced by CXCL9+ macrophages enriched in fibrotic tissues via IL-1β and TGF-β signal. These findings suggest the inhibition of TWIST1 as a promising strategy for CD fibrosis treatment.

Authors

Yao Zhang, Jiaxin Wang, Hongxiang Sun, Zhenzhen Xun, Zirui He, Yizhou Zhao, Jingjing Qi, Sishen Sun, Qidi Yang, Yubei Gu, Ling Zhang, Chunhua Zhou, Youqiong Ye, Ningbo Wu, Duowu Zou, Bing Su

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Figure 1

Cellular landscape of fibrotic and nonfibrotic tissues from patients with intestinal fibrosis.

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Cellular landscape of fibrotic and nonfibrotic tissues from patients wit...
(A) Graphic overview of the study design. Surgical specimens of fibrotic and adjacent nonfibrotic intestinal segments from patients with CD were processed into single-cell suspensions and subjected to scRNA-Seq using 10x Genomics. Integrated analyses of single-cell transcriptome data are shown in the rectangle to the right. (B) Representative plots of H&E and Masson’s trichrome staining of fibrotic and nonfibrotic intestine tissues from a patient with CD. Scale bar: 1 mm. (C) Bar plots showing histologic scores of the fibrotic intestinal (n = 6) and nonfibrotic (n = 6) segments. Data represent the mean ± SD. Statistical differences were determined by paired Wilcoxon’s rank-sum tests. (D–F) The relative minimal (min) and maximal (max) width of the mucosa (D), submucosa (E), and muscularis propria (F) of the fibrotic and nonfibrotic intestine. All nonfibrotic values were normalized to 100% to calculate the relative thickness of the fibrosis site. Data represent the mean ± SD. Statistical differences were determined by paired Wilcoxon’s rank-sum tests. (G) Uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) plots showing 9 major cell types from 6 fibrotic samples (56,764 cells) and 6 nonfibrotic samples (34,552 cells). (H) Dot plots of representative markers in the indicated major cell types. The average gene expression and percentage of cells expressed are shown by dot color and size, respectively. (I) Bar graph showing the percentage of major cell types in fibrotic and nonfibrotic samples. (J) Box plots showing the ECM signature score of each cell type in fibrotic states. Statistical differences were determined by 1-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s correction.

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ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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