Enhancement of Zyxin Promotes Skin Fibrosis by Regulating FAK/PI3K/AKT and TGF-β Signaling Pathways via Integrins.

ABSTRACT: Skin fibrosis is a common pathological manifestation in systemic sclerosis (SSc), keloid, and localized scleroderma (LS) characterized by fibroblast activation and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. However, few effective drugs are available to treat skin fibrosis due to its unclear mechanisms. In our study, we reanalyzed skin RNA-sequencing data of Caucasian, African, and Hispanic SSc patients from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We found that the focal adhesion pathway was up-regulated and Zyxin appeared to be the primary focal adhesion protein involved in skin fibrosis, and we further verified its expression in Chinese skin tissues of several fibrotic diseases, including SSc, keloid, and LS. Moreover, we found Zyxin inhibition could significantly alleviate skin

SUBMITTER: Huang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10197900 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature