Inhibition of Wnt signaling pathway suppresses radiation-induced dermal fibrosis

Sci Rep. 2020 Aug 12;10(1):13594. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-70243-3.

Abstract

Progressive fibrosis of the dermal tissues is a challenging complication of radiotherapy whose underlying mechanism is not fully understood, and there are few available treatments. The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in fibrosis as well as in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We investigated whether inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling with sLRP6E1E2, a molecule that binds to extracellular Wnt ligands, ameliorated radiation-induced fibrosis both in vitro and in vivo. Radiation with a single dose of 2 Gy not only facilitated fibrosis in cultured human dermal fibroblasts via activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway but also initiated EMT in cultured keratinocytes, developing collagen-producing mesenchymal cells. sLRP6E1E2-expressing adenovirus treatment exerted anti-fibrotic activity in irradiated cultured dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes. In a mouse model, a single fraction of 15 Gy was delivered to the dorsal skins of 36 mice randomized into three groups: those receiving PBS, those receiving control adenovirus, and those receiving decoy Wnt receptor-expressing adenovirus (dE1-k35/sLRP6E1E2). The mice were observed for 16 weeks, and excessive deposition of type I collagen was suppressed by sLRP6E1E2-expressing adenovirus treatment. These results demonstrate that the modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway has the potential to decrease the severity of radiation-induced dermal fibrosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Collagen Type I / genetics
  • Collagen Type I / metabolism
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / genetics
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / radiation effects
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / radiation effects*
  • Fibrosis / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation / radiation effects
  • Humans
  • Keratinocytes / cytology
  • Keratinocytes / metabolism
  • Keratinocytes / radiation effects*
  • Mice
  • Skin / metabolism
  • Skin / pathology
  • Skin / radiation effects*
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / genetics
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / radiation effects*
  • X-Rays
  • beta Catenin / genetics
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • Collagen Type I
  • beta Catenin