Let's Focus on the Fibrosis in Dupuytren Disease: Cell Communication Network Factor 2 as a Novel Target

Alex G Lambi; Nathan T Morrell; Steven N Popoff; Prosper Benhaim; Mary F Barbe

doi:10.1016/j.jhsg.2023.06.017

Let's Focus on the Fibrosis in Dupuytren Disease: Cell Communication Network Factor 2 as a Novel Target

J Hand Surg Glob Online. 2023 Aug 1;5(5):682-688. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsg.2023.06.017. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Alex G Lambi^{1

2

3}, Nathan T Morrell¹, Steven N Popoff^{4

5}, Prosper Benhaim⁶, Mary F Barbe^{4

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM.
² Department of Surgery Division of Plastic Surgery, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM.
³ Department of Surgery Plastic Surgery Section, New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Science Center, Albuquerque, NM.
⁴ Department of Biomedical Education and Data Science, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
⁵ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
⁶ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.
⁷ Center for Translational Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

Abstract

Dupuytren disease is a progressive, benign fibroproliferative disorder of the hands that can lead to debilitating hand contractures. Once symptomatic, treatment involves either surgical intervention, specifically fasciectomy or percutaneous needle aponeurotomy, or enzymatic degradation with clostridial collagenase. Currently, collagenase is the only pharmacotherapy that has been approved for the treatment of Dupuytren contracture. There is a need for a pharmacotherapeutic that can be administered to limit disease progression and prevent recurrence after treatment. Targeting the underlying fibrotic pathophysiology is critical. We propose a novel target to be considered in Dupuytren disease-cell communication network factor 2/connective tissue growth factor-an established mediator of musculoskeletal tissue fibrosis.

Keywords: CCN2 protein; Connective tissue growth factor; Dupuytren contracture; Fibrosis; TGF-beta.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

R01 AR056019/AR/NIAMS NIH HHS/United States