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Project description:Direct cardiac reprogramming of fibroblast to cardiomyocytes represents a potential means of restoring cardiac function following injury. However, aged and adult fibroblast are less efficient for reprogramming compared with neonatal fibroblast. In this study, through the joint analysis of RNAseq and ATACseq, we found that compared with Neo-iCM, cardiac related features were down-regulated with aging, while fibrosis and SASP related genes were significantly up-regulated with aging. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals a bifurcated trajectory of aged iCM reprogramming. Then, we screened 51 transcriptomic and epigenomic regulators of the barriers to aged-iCM reprogramming and found that Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (Nr4a3), an pro-inflammatory transcription factor, induced cellular senescence to inhibit direct reprogramming during aging. Mechanistically, knockdown of Nr4a3 enhanced direct cardiac reprogramming by promoting cardiac gene programs and inhibiting fibrosis pathway and secretes SASP. In addition, knockdown of Nr4a3 promoted human reprogramming in primary ventricular human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) and improved heart function after MI.
2025-10-11 | GSE267156 | GEO
Project description:Direct reprogramming of scar-forming fibroblasts into induced cardiomyocytes (iCMs) offers a regenerative strategy to repair injured myocardium. However, reprogramming efficiency remains low in fibroblasts from adult and aged hearts, and the molecular barriers underlying this resistance remain poorly understood. Here, we used transcriptomic and epigenetic profiling to uncover cellular senescence as a key obstacle limiting fibroblast plasticity and cardiogenic conversion. Fibroblasts from post-neonatal stages exhibited impaired activation of cardiac gene programs and persistent expression of fibrotic and inflammatory signatures. A loss of function screen identified Nr4a3 as a key repressor of cardiac reprogramming, particularly in senescent and aged cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Nr4a3 overexpression promoted senescence and suppressed iCM reprogramming, whereas Nr4a3 knockdown significantly enhanced iCM induction from both murine and human senescent CFs. Mechanistically, Nr4a3 depletion remodeled the chromatin landscape by shifting it from a fibrotic and inflammatory state to a regenerative cardiac program. We further identified Cxcl14, a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factor upregulated by Nr4a3, as a key downstream effector. Blocking Cxcl14 restored reprogramming in otherwise refractory fibroblasts. In vivo, Nr4a3 knockdown enhanced reprogramming-based improvement of heart function following myocardial infarction. These findings demonstrated that cellular senescence is a major barrier to direct cardiac reprogramming and identified Nr4a3 as a central regulator of this block. Targeting Nr4a3 and its downstream effectors may represent a promising therapeutic avenue to enhance cardiac regeneration in aged individuals following injury.
2025-10-11 | GSE305089 | GEO
Project description:Direct cardiac reprogramming of fibroblast to cardiomyocytes represents a potential means of restoring cardiac function following injury. However, aged and adult fibroblast are less efficient for reprogramming compared with neonatal fibroblast. In this study, through the joint analysis of RNAseq and ATACseq, we found that compared with Neo-iCM, cardiac related features were down-regulated with aging, while fibrosis and SASP related genes were significantly up-regulated with aging. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals a bifurcated trajectory of aged iCM reprogramming. Then, we screened 51 transcriptomic and epigenomic regulators of the barriers to aged-iCM reprogramming and found that Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (Nr4a3), an pro-inflammatory transcription factor, induced cellular senescence to inhibit direct reprogramming during aging. Mechanistically, knockdown of Nr4a3 enhanced direct cardiac reprogramming by promoting cardiac gene programs and inhibiting fibrosis pathway and secretes SASP. In addition, knockdown of Nr4a3 promoted human reprogramming in primary ventricular human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) and improved heart function after MI.
2025-10-11 | GSE267468 | GEO
Project description:Direct cardiac reprogramming of fibroblast to cardiomyocytes represents a potential means of restoring cardiac function following injury. However, aged and adult fibroblast are less efficient for reprogramming compared with neonatal fibroblast. In this study, through the joint analysis of RNAseq and ATACseq, we found that compared with Neo-iCM, cardiac related features were down-regulated with aging, while fibrosis and SASP related genes were significantly up-regulated with aging. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals a bifurcated trajectory of aged iCM reprogramming. Then, we screened 51 transcriptomic and epigenomic regulators of the barriers to aged-iCM reprogramming and found that Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (Nr4a3), an pro-inflammatory transcription factor, induced cellular senescence to inhibit direct reprogramming during aging. Mechanistically, knockdown of Nr4a3 enhanced direct cardiac reprogramming by promoting cardiac gene programs and inhibiting fibrosis pathway and secretes SASP. In addition, knockdown of Nr4a3 promoted human reprogramming in primary ventricular human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) and improved heart function after MI.
2025-10-11 | GSE267198 | GEO
Project description:Direct cardiac reprogramming of fibroblast to cardiomyocytes represents a potential means of restoring cardiac function following injury. However, aged and adult fibroblast are less efficient for reprogramming compared with neonatal fibroblast. In this study, through the joint analysis of RNAseq and ATACseq, we found that compared with Neo-iCM, cardiac related features were down-regulated with aging, while fibrosis and SASP related genes were significantly up-regulated with aging. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals a bifurcated trajectory of aged iCM reprogramming. Then, we screened 51 transcriptomic and epigenomic regulators of the barriers to aged-iCM reprogramming and found that Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (Nr4a3), an pro-inflammatory transcription factor, induced cellular senescence to inhibit direct reprogramming during aging. Mechanistically, knockdown of Nr4a3 enhanced direct cardiac reprogramming by promoting cardiac gene programs and inhibiting fibrosis pathway and secretes SASP. In addition, knockdown of Nr4a3 promoted human reprogramming in primary ventricular human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) and improved heart function after MI.
2025-10-11 | GSE267466 | GEO
Project description:Direct cardiac reprogramming of fibroblast to cardiomyocytes represents a potential means of restoring cardiac function following injury. However, aged and adult fibroblast are less efficient for reprogramming compared with neonatal fibroblast. In this study, through the joint analysis of RNAseq and ATACseq, we found that compared with Neo-iCM, cardiac related features were down-regulated with aging, while fibrosis and SASP related genes were significantly up-regulated with aging. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals a bifurcated trajectory of aged iCM reprogramming. Then, we screened 51 transcriptomic and epigenomic regulators of the barriers to aged-iCM reprogramming and found that Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (Nr4a3), an pro-inflammatory transcription factor, induced cellular senescence to inhibit direct reprogramming during aging. Mechanistically, knockdown of Nr4a3 enhanced direct cardiac reprogramming by promoting cardiac gene programs and inhibiting fibrosis pathway and secretes SASP. In addition, knockdown of Nr4a3 promoted human reprogramming in primary ventricular human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) and improved heart function after MI.
2025-10-11 | GSE267464 | GEO
Project description:Direct cardiac reprogramming of fibroblast to cardiomyocytes represents a potential means of restoring cardiac function following injury. However, aged and adult fibroblast are less efficient for reprogramming compared with neonatal fibroblast. In this study, through the joint analysis of RNAseq and ATACseq, we found that compared with Neo-iCM, cardiac related features were down-regulated with aging, while fibrosis and SASP related genes were significantly up-regulated with aging. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals a bifurcated trajectory of aged iCM reprogramming. Then, we screened 51 transcriptomic and epigenomic regulators of the barriers to aged-iCM reprogramming and found that Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (Nr4a3), an pro-inflammatory transcription factor, induced cellular senescence to inhibit direct reprogramming during aging. Mechanistically, knockdown of Nr4a3 enhanced direct cardiac reprogramming by promoting cardiac gene programs and inhibiting fibrosis pathway and secretes SASP. In addition, knockdown of Nr4a3 promoted human reprogramming in primary ventricular human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) and improved heart function after MI.
2025-10-11 | GSE267416 | GEO
Project description:Direct cardiac reprogramming of fibroblast to cardiomyocytes represents a potential means of restoring cardiac function following injury. However, aged and adult fibroblast are less efficient for reprogramming compared with neonatal fibroblast. In this study, through the joint analysis of RNAseq and ATACseq, we found that compared with Neo-iCM, cardiac related features were down-regulated with aging, while fibrosis and SASP related genes were significantly up-regulated with aging. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals a bifurcated trajectory of aged iCM reprogramming. Then, we screened 51 transcriptomic and epigenomic regulators of the barriers to aged-iCM reprogramming and found that Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (Nr4a3), an pro-inflammatory transcription factor, induced cellular senescence to inhibit direct reprogramming during aging. Mechanistically, knockdown of Nr4a3 enhanced direct cardiac reprogramming by promoting cardiac gene programs and inhibiting fibrosis pathway and secretes SASP. In addition, knockdown of Nr4a3 promoted human reprogramming in primary ventricular human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) and improved heart function after MI.
2025-10-11 | GSE267380 | GEO
Project description:Direct cardiac reprogramming of fibroblast to cardiomyocytes represents a potential means of restoring cardiac function following injury. However, aged and adult fibroblast are less efficient for reprogramming compared with neonatal fibroblast. In this study, through the joint analysis of RNAseq and ATACseq, we found that compared with Neo-iCM, cardiac related features were down-regulated with aging, while fibrosis and SASP related genes were significantly up-regulated with aging. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals a bifurcated trajectory of aged iCM reprogramming. Then, we screened 51 transcriptomic and epigenomic regulators of the barriers to aged-iCM reprogramming and found that Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (Nr4a3), an pro-inflammatory transcription factor, induced cellular senescence to inhibit direct reprogramming during aging. Mechanistically, knockdown of Nr4a3 enhanced direct cardiac reprogramming by promoting cardiac gene programs and inhibiting fibrosis pathway and secretes SASP. In addition, knockdown of Nr4a3 promoted human reprogramming in primary ventricular human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) and improved heart function after MI.
2025-10-11 | GSE267381 | GEO
Project description:Blocking Nuclear Receptor Nr4a3 Unlocks the Senescence Barrier to Promote Direct Cardiac Reprogramming
| PRJNA1304416 | ENA