Transmembrane protease, serine 4 (TMPRSS4) is upregulated in IPF lungs and increases the fibrotic response in bleomycin-induced lung injury.

ABSTRACT: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive lung disease characterized by epithelial cell activation, expansion of the fibroblast population and excessive extracellular matrix accumulation. The mechanisms are incompletely understood but evidence indicates that the deregulation of several proteases contributes to its pathogenesis. Transmembrane protease serine 4 (TMPRSS4) is a novel type II transmembrane serine protease that may promote migration and facilitate epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), two critical processes in the pathogenesis of IPF. Thus, we hypothesized that over-expression of TMPRSS4 in the lung could promote the initiation and/or progression of IPF. In this study we first evaluated the expression and localization of TMPRSS4 in IPF lungs by real

SUBMITTER: Valero-Jimenez A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5846721 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature