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The Role of Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Pathogenesis

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 4252

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Davide Raineri

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Guest Editor

Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
Interests: osteopontin; cancers; autoimmune diseases; inflammation; chronic diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of various diseases by contributing to tissue remodeling, cell signaling, and immune response modulation. The ECM is a complex network of proteins and other molecules that provides structural support and regulates cell behavior in tissues. In the context of disease pathogenesis, ECM proteins play crucial roles in various pathological processes. One of the key functions of ECM proteins is to maintain tissue integrity and architecture. Disruption or dysregulation of ECM proteins can lead to tissue remodeling, fibrosis, and impaired organ function. For example, in diseases like pulmonary fibrosis or liver cirrhosis, excessive deposition of ECM proteins, particularly collagens, disrupts the normal tissue architecture, resulting in organ dysfunction. Moreover, ECM proteins serve as signaling molecules and interact with cell surface receptors to modulate cellular behavior. A class of ECM receptors called integrins is essential for cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation. Dysregulation of ECM–integrin interactions can contribute to the progression of cancer by promoting tumor cell invasion and metastasis. ECM proteins are also involved in inflammatory disorders like autoimmune disease. In conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory cells release enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which degrade ECM proteins, leading to joint destruction and tissue damage. In contrast, excessive ECM protein deposition in chronic inflammatory diseases like atherosclerosis can cause plaque development and arterial stiffness. In summary, ECM proteins play multifaceted roles in disease pathogenesis. Their dysregulation disrupts tissue homeostasis, promotes inflammation, facilitates tumor progression, and contributes to fibrosis and cardiovascular disorders. Understanding the complex interplay between ECM proteins and disease processes is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies that target the ECM to alleviate disease progression and improve patient outcomes.

This Special Issue aims to bring together research articles and reviews that help to understand those still unknown molecular mechanisms of ECM proteins in the pathogenesis of diseases.

Dr. Davide Raineri
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

extracellular matrix proteins
autoimmune disease
cancer
cardiovascular diseases
inflammation
chronic diseases
human diseases

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4393 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Chronic Immunosuppressive Treatment on Morphological Changes in Cardiac Tissue and the Balance between Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and Their Inhibitors in the Rat Heart

by Anna Surówka, Michał Żołnierczuk, Piotr Prowans, Marta Grabowska, Patrycja Kupnicka, Marta Markowska, Joanna Olejnik-Wojciechowska, Zbigniew Szlosser, Aleksandra Wilk, Kamila Szumilas and Karolina Kędzierska-Kapuza

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(8), 4468; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25084468 - 18 Apr 2024

Viewed by 428

Abstract

Using different three-drug immunosuppressive treatment regimens in a rat model, we aimed to determine the effects of long-term therapy on metalloproteinase-2 and metalloproteinase-9 activity and the expression of their inhibitors, as well as to assess the morphology of the animals’ cardiac tissue. Our results suggest that chronic use of immunosuppressive drugs disrupts the balance between the activity of MMPs and TIMPs. Depending on the type of drug regimen used, this leads to abnormalities in the cardiac structure, collagen fiber accumulation, or cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. The information obtained in the present study allows us to conclude that the chronic treatment of rats with the most common clinical immunosuppressive regimens may contribute to abnormalities in the myocardial structure and function. The results presented in this study may serve as a prelude to more in-depth analyses and additional research into the optimal selection of an immunosuppressive treatment with the lowest possible risk of cardiovascular complications for patients receiving organ transplants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Pathogenesis)

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15 pages, 9055 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lung Inflammatory Phenotype in Mice Deficient in Fibulin-2 and ADAMTS-12

by Yamina Mohamedi, Tania Fontanil, José A. Vega, Teresa Cobo, Santiago Cal and Álvaro J. Obaya

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(4), 2024; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25042024 - 07 Feb 2024

Viewed by 666

Abstract

Interaction between extracellular matrix (ECM) components plays an important role in the regulation of cellular behavior and hence in tissue function. Consequently, characterization of new interactions within ECM opens the possibility of studying not only the functional but also the pathological consequences derived from those interactions. We have previously described the interaction between fibulin2 and ADAMTS-12 in vitro and the effects of that interaction using cellular models of cancer. Now, we generate a mouse deficient in both ECM components and evaluate functional consequences of their absence using different cancer and inflammation murine models. The main findings indicate that mice deficient in both fibulin2 and ADAMTS12 markedly increase the development of lung tumors following intraperitoneal urethane injections. Moreover, inflammatory phenotype is exacerbated in the lung after LPS treatment as can be inferred from the accumulation of active immune cells in lung parenchyma. Overall, our results suggest that protective effects in cancer or inflammation shown by fibulin2 and ADAMTS12 as interactive partners in vitro are also shown in a more realistic in vivo context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Pathogenesis)

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14 pages, 4626 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Proteoglycan Expression in Atherosclerosis Alters Platelet Adhesion and Activation

by Amelia Drysdale, Maria Blanco-Lopez, Stephen J. White, Amanda J. Unsworth and Sarah Jones

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 950; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25020950 - 12 Jan 2024

Viewed by 992

Abstract

Proteoglycans are differentially expressed in different atherosclerotic plaque phenotypes, with biglycan and decorin characteristic of ruptured plaques and versican and hyaluronan more prominent in eroded plaques. Following plaque disruption, the exposure of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins triggers platelet adhesion and thrombus formation. In this study, the impact of differential plaque composition on platelet function and thrombus formation was investigated. Platelet adhesion, activation and thrombus formation under different shear stress conditions were assessed in response to individual proteoglycans and composites representing different plaque phenotypes. The results demonstrated that all the proteoglycans tested mediated platelet adhesion but not platelet activation, and the extent of adhesion observed was significantly lower than that observed with type I and type III collagens. Thrombus formation upon the rupture and erosion ECM composites was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) compared to relevant collagen alone, indicating that proteoglycans negatively regulate platelet collagen responses. This was supported by results demonstrating that the addition of soluble biglycan or decorin to whole blood markedly reduced thrombus formation on type I collagen (p < 0.05). Interestingly, thrombus formation upon the erosion composite displayed aspirin sensitivity, whereas the rupture composite was intensive to aspirin, having implications for current antiplatelet therapy regimes. In conclusion, differential platelet responses and antiplatelet efficacy are observed on ECM composites phenotypic of plaque rupture and erosion. Proteoglycans inhibit thrombus formation and may offer a novel plaque-specific approach to limit arterial thrombosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Pathogenesis)

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Review

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16 pages, 1425 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Role of Fibrogenesis and Extracellular Matrix Proteins in the Pathogenesis of Graves’ Ophthalmopathy

by Hsun-I Chiu, Shi-Bei Wu and Chieh-Chih Tsai

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(6), 3288; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063288 - 14 Mar 2024

Viewed by 676

Abstract

Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO), or thyroid eye disease (TED), is the most frequent extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves’ disease (GD). Inflammation and subsequent aberrant tissue remodeling with fibrosis are important pathogenesis. There are many proposed mechanisms and molecular pathways contributing to tissue remodeling and fibrosis in GO, including adipogenesis, fibroblast proliferation and myofibroblasts differentiation, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, hyaluronan (HA) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) accumulation in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and new concepts of epigenetics modification, such as histone modification, DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs, and gut microbiome. This review summarizes the current understanding of ECM proteins and associated tissue remodeling in the pathogenesis and potential mediators for the treatment of GO. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Pathogenesis)

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13 pages, 811 KiB

Open AccessReview

Matrix Metalloproteinases and Their Inhibitors as Potential Prognostic Biomarkers in Head and Neck Cancer after Radiotherapy

by Gabriel Fornieles, María Isabel Núñez and José Expósito

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010527 - 30 Dec 2023

Viewed by 770

Abstract

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is among the ten most frequent tumours, with 5-year survival rates varying from 30% to 70% depending on the stage and location of the tumour. HNC is traditionally known as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), since 90% arises from epithelial cells. Metastasis remains a major cause of mortality in patients with HNSCC. HNSCC patients with metastatic disease have an extremely poor prognosis with a survival rate of less than a year. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been described as biomarkers that promote cell migration and invasion. Radiotherapy is widely used to treat HNSCC, being a determining factor in the alteration of the tumour’s biology and microenvironment. This review focuses on analysing the current state of the scientific literature on this topic. Although few studies have focused on the role of these proteinases in HNC, some authors have concluded that radiotherapy alters the behaviour of MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Therefore, more research is needed to understand the roles played by MMPs and their inhibitors (TIMPs) as prognostic biomarkers in patients with HNC and their involvement in the response to radiotherapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Pathogenesis)

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