Project description:Skin wound healing is one of the major prevalent medical problems in the worldwide. Wound healing involves multi-process synergy and re-epithelialization is an essential part of wound healing. Histone H3K36 tri-methylase Setd2 has been extensively studied in different biological processes and diseases. However, the function of Setd2 in the wound healing remains unclear. To elucidate the biological role of Setd2 in the skin wound healing, conditional gene targeting was employed to establish epidermis-specific Setd2-deficient mice. We found that Setd2 deficiency resulted in accelerated re-epithelialization during cutaneous wound healing by promoting keratinocytes proliferation and migration. Furthermore, we demonstrated that loss of Setd2 activated the AKT/mTOR pathway, and pharmacological inhibitions of AKT and mTOR with MK2206 and rapamycin delayed wound closure, respectively. In conclusion, our results reveal the essential role of Setd2 in skin wound healing that is Setd2 loss promotes cutaneous wound healing via activation of AKT/mTOR signaling.
Project description:Skin wound healing is one of the major prevalent medical problems in the worldwide. Wound healing involves multi-process synergy and re-epithelialization is an essential part of wound healing. Histone H3K36 tri-methylase Setd2 has been extensively studied in different biological processes and diseases. However, the function of Setd2 in the wound healing remains unclear. To elucidate the biological role of Setd2 in the skin wound healing, conditional gene targeting was employed to establish epidermis-specific Setd2-deficient mice. We found that Setd2 deficiency resulted in accelerated re-epithelialization during cutaneous wound healing by promoting keratinocytes proliferation and migration. Furthermore, we demonstrated that loss of Setd2 activated the AKT/mTOR pathway, and pharmacological inhibitions of AKT and mTOR with MK2206 and rapamycin delayed wound closure, respectively. In conclusion, our results reveal the essential role of Setd2 in skin wound healing that is Setd2 loss promotes cutaneous wound healing via activation of AKT/mTOR signaling.
Project description:An effective healing response is critical to healthy aging. Thus, the connection of regeneration and aging is needed to understand the complicated age-related healing process. Energy metabolism has been a common hallmark of both studies. In recent years, it become an emerging factor of skin homeostasis. Adenine nucleotide translocase-2 (ANT2) is a known cell proliferation marker and mediator of ATP import into mitochondria for energy homeostasis. Although energy homeostasis and the maintenance of mitochondrial function are critical for wound healing, the role of ANT2 in wound healing has not been elucidated. We found that ANT2 expression decreased during aging in mouse skin as well as during cellular senescence. Interestingly, overexpression of ANT2 in aged mouse skin promoted the healing of full-thickness cutaneous wounds. In addition, upregulation of ANT2 in replicative senescent human diploid dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) induced cell proliferation and migration, which are critical for the wound healing process. Furthermore, overexpression of ANT2 increased ATP production rate by activating the glycolysis pathway and also increased mitophagy, both of which are involved in energy homeostasis. Notably, ANT2-mediated upregulation of HSPA6 in aged HDFs inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory genes that mediate cellular senescence and mitochondrial damage. This study demonstrates a new physiological role of ANT2 in skin wound healing via regulation of cell proliferation, energy homeostasis, and inflammation. Thus, our study links energy metabolism to skin homeostasis and identifies a genetic factor for improving wound healing with aging model.
Project description:Standardized skin wounds were established surgically on mice and allowed to heal during a 15-day period. Expression of genes related to heparan sulfate biosynthesis was studied in wound bed and edges during the healing process. Total RNA was isolated from wound edge (regenerating skin) and wound bed at 2, 6 and 15 days post wounding, as well as from intact control skin. Three animals were used for each time point.
Project description:MiR-132 is one of the most upregulated miRNAs in human skin wounds at the inflammatory phase of healing. MiR-132 inhibits inflammation but promotes growth of epidermal keratinocytes, indicating that it may facilitate the inflammatory-proliferative phase transition during wound repair. Following this line of research, here we evaluated the therapeutic potential of miR-132 in chronic wound using mouse in vivo wound model. We performed a global transcriptome analysis of skin wounds of leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) mice treated with miR-132 or control mimics. Db/db mouse has been used as a type 2 diabetic model with impaired wound healing capacity.
Project description:Adipocytes in dermis are considered to be important participants in skin repair and regeneration, but the role of subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT) in skin repair is poorly understood. Here, we revealed the dynamic changes of sWAT during wound healing process. Lineage tracing mouse studies revealed that adipocytes from sWAT would migrate into the wound bed and participate in the formation of granulation tissue. Moreover, sWAT undergoes beiging after skin injury. Inhibition of sWAT beiging by genetically silencing PRDM16, a key regulator to beiging, hindered wound healing process. The transcriptomics results suggested beige adipocytes in sWAT abundantly express neuregulin 4 (Nrg4) which regulated macrophage polarization and the function of myofibroblasts. In diabetic wounds, the beiging of sWAT was significantly suppressed. Thus, adipocytes from sWAT regulate multiple aspects of repair and may be therapeutic for inflammatory diseases and defective wound healing associated with aging and diabetes.