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Tissue-specific VEGF-D overexpression induces lymphangiogenesis and heterotopic bone resorption

ABSTRACT: Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a pathological process that commonly occurs after musculoskeletal injury and is characterized by the formation of bone in non-skeletal tissues. Despite advances in research, no effective treatments are available to promote the resorption of heterotopic bone in patients suffering from HO. Lymphatic vessels are associated with the destruction of bone in rare diseases such as Gorham-Stout disease. However, the effect of lymphatic vessels on HO was previously unknown. Here, we use transgenic mice to determine whether targeted expression of the lymphatic growth factor VEGF-D can promote the therapeutic resorption of bone in a mouse model of HO. We show that control mice lack lymphatic vessels in heterotopic bone. In contrast, Vegfd-overexpressing (Vegfd-OE) mice develop lymphatic vessels in heterotopic bone and form significantly less heterotopic bone than control mice. Additionally, we demonstrate that VEGF-D promotes the resorption of established heterotopic bone. Mechanistically, we show that the transition of myeloid cells to osteoclasts and osteoclast-mediated bone resorption are enhanced in Vegfd-OE mice. Our findings suggest that site-directed lymphangiogenesis could be an effective strategy to break down heterotopic bone in HO.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE247763 | GEO | 2026/04/23

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Aberrant repair after musculoskeletal injury is one of the most costly and common clinical scenarios in health care. While advances in our understanding of the key cells and pathways during the repair process have improved, there remains a gap in knowledge of the key progenitor cells and their interaction with the surrounding microenvironment. Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a pathological process caused by aberrant cell-fate determination resulting in the formation of bone in non-skeletal tissues after musculoskeletal injury. While the involvement of blood vessels in musculoskeletal repair is well-documented, the role of lymphatic vessels and the cells responsible for their ingrowth in musculoskeletal tissues during both homeostasis and after injury remains poorly understood. In this study, we employed a mouse model of traumatic HO to investigate lymphangiogenesis during musculoskeletal injury and repair and to uncover the key progenitor cells responsible to stimulate lymphangiogenesis and undergo aberrant cell fate differentiation. Our findings demonstrated that musculoskeletal injury triggered lymphangiogenesis at the injury site, including invasion of lymphatic vessels into the tendon proper. This increased lymphangiogenesis was driven by elevated levels of active Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C (VEGF-C) one-week post-injury. Through single-cell transcriptomic analyses, we identified mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) as a source of Vegfc following injury as well as the source of enzymes responsible for activating VEGF-C. These Vegfc-expressing MPCs underwent osteochondral differentiation and actively contributed to the formation of HO following injury. Notably, Vegfc haploinsufficiency resulted in a near 50% reduction in lymphangiogenesis and HO formation. Collectively, these findings suggest that MPC expression of VEGF-C and its activating enzymes in response to soft tissue trauma play a critical role in stimulating pathologic lymphatic vessel growth. Furthermore, Vegfc expressing MPCs undergo aberrant osteochondral differentiation responsible for HO. Targeting Vegfc expression and Vegfc-expressing progenitors therapeutically could potentially mitigate pathologic lymphangiogenesis, preventing aberrant tissue repair and subsequent HO formation.

Project description:Invasion of lymphatic vessels is a key step in the metastasis of primary tumour cells to draining lymph nodes. Recent evidence indicates that such metastasis can be facilitated by tumour lymphangiogenesis, although it remains unclear whether this is a consequence of increased lymphatic vessel numbers or alteration in the properties of the vessels themselves. Here we have addressed this important question by comparing the RNA profile of normal dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) with those isolated from tumours of murine T-241/VEGF-C metastatic fibrosarcoma. Our findings reveal significant changes in the expression of some 792 genes in tumour lymphatics (â?¥ 2 fold up/downregulation, p â?¤ 0.05), involving particularly transcripts associated with junctional adhesion, immunomodulation, extracellular matrix and vessel growth/patterning, several of which we have confirmed by RT-PCR and/or immunohistochemistry. Interestingly, this altered phenotype could not be attributed solely to VEGF-C induced lymphoproliferation, as no similar change in gene expression was reported when human LEC were cultured with VEGF-C in vitro. Moreover, we show that a key protein upregulated in the mouse model, namely the tight junction protein Endothelial Cell Specific Adhesion Molecule (ESAM), is similarly upregulated in tumour lymphatic vessels from 2/2 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and 4/4 patients with aggressive bladder carcinoma. These findings demonstrate a previously unrecognized influence of tumour environment on lymphatic gene expression and identify candidate tumour specific vessel markers that may prove valuable for either prognosis or therapy. Experiment Overall Design: Here we have investigated the invasion of lymphatic vessels as a key step in the metastasis of primary tumour cells to draining lymph nodes by comparing the gene expression profile of normal dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) with those isolated from tumours of murine T241/VEGF-C/GFP metastatic fibrosarcoma. Three biological replicates were analyzed from each group.

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Tissue-specific VEGF-D overexpression induces lymphangiogenesis and heterotopic bone resorption

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