A Vaccine Against Fibroblast Activation Protein Improves Murine Cardiac Fibrosis by Preventing the Accumulation of Myofibroblasts.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Myofibroblasts are primary cells involved in chronic response-induced cardiac fibrosis. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a relatively specific marker of activated myofibroblasts and a potential target molecule. This study aimed to clarify whether a vaccine targeting FAP could eliminate myofibroblasts in chronic cardiac stress model mice and reduce cardiac fibrosis.

Methods

We coadministered a FAP peptide vaccine with a cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) K3 oligonucleotide adjuvant to male C57/BL6J mice and confirmed an elevation in the anti-FAP antibody titer. After continuous angiotensin II and phenylephrine administration for 28 days, we evaluated the degree of cardiac fibrosis and the number of myofibroblasts in cardiac tissues.

Results

We found that

SUBMITTER: Yoshida S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11692786 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature