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USP10 Targeted Self-Deliverable siRNA to Prevent Scarring in the Cornea
Ocular scarring after surgery, trauma, or infection leads to vision loss. The transparent cornea is an excellent model system to test anti-scarring therapies. Cholesterol-conjugated fully modified asymmetric small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) (self-deliverable siRNAs [sdRNAs]) are a novel modality for...
Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy
2020
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7452140/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32829179 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.omtn.2020.07.032 |
Sumario: | Ocular scarring after surgery, trauma, or infection leads to vision loss. The transparent cornea is an excellent model system to test anti-scarring therapies. Cholesterol-conjugated fully modified asymmetric small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) (self-deliverable siRNAs [sdRNAs]) are a novel modality for in vivo gene knockdown, transfecting cells and tissues without any additional formulations. Myofibroblasts are a main contributor to scarring and fibrosis. α(v) integrins play a central role in myofibroblast pathological adhesion, overcontraction, and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) activation. Previously, we demonstrated that α(v) integrins are protected from intracellular degradation after wounding by upregulation of the deubiquitinase (DUB) ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10), leading to integrin cell surface accumulation. In this study, we tested whether knockdown of USP10 with a USP10-targeting sdRNA (termed US09) will reduce scarring after wounding a rabbit cornea in vivo. The wounded corneal stroma was treated once with US09 or non-targeting control (NTC) sdRNA. At 6 weeks US09 treatment resulted in faster wound closure, limited scarring, and suppression of fibrotic markers and immune response. Specifically, fibronectin-extra domain A (EDA), collagen III, and a-smooth muscle actin (p < 0.05), CD45(+) cell infiltration (p < 0.01), and apoptosis at 24 (p < 0.01) and 48 h (p < 0.05) were reduced post-wounding. Corneal thickness and cell proliferation were restored to unwounded parameters. Targeting the DUB, USP10 is a novel strategy to reduce scarring. This study indicates that ubiquitin-mediated pathways should be considered in the pathogenesis of fibrotic healing. |
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