Abstract
Eosinophilic inflammation is a cornerstone of chronic asthma that often culminates in subepithelial fibrosis with variable airway obstruction. Pulmonary eosinophils (Eos) are a predominant source of TGF-β1, which drives fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition. We investigated the regulation of TGF-β1 and show here that the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) Pin1 promoted the stability of TGF-β1 mRNA in human Eos. In addition, Pin1 regulated cytokine production by both in vitro and in vivo activated human Eos. We found that Pin1 interacted with both PKC-α and protein phosphatase 2A, which together control Pin1 isomerase activity. Pharmacologic blockade of Pin1 in a rat asthma model selectively reduced eosinophilic pulmonary inflammation, TGF-β1 and collagen expression, and airway remodeling. Furthermore, chronically challenged Pin1–/– mice showed reduced peribronchiolar collagen deposition compared with wild-type controls. These data suggest that pharmacologic suppression of Pin1 may be a novel therapeutic option to prevent airway fibrosis in individuals with chronic asthma.
Authors
Zhong-Jian Shen, Stephane Esnault, Louis A. Rosenthal, Renee J. Szakaly, Ronald L. Sorkness, Pamela R. Westmark, Matyas Sandor, James S. Malter
The effects of Pin1, PKC, and PP2A activators and inhibitors on TGF-β1 mRNA expression in human Eos
Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)