miR-199a-5p Is upregulated during fibrogenic response to tissue injury and mediates TGFbeta-induced lung fibroblast activation by targeting caveolin-1

As miRNAs are associated with normal cellular processes, deregulation of miRNAs is thought to play a causative role in many complex diseases. Nevertheless, the precise contribution of miRNAs in fibrotic lung diseases, especially the idiopathic form (IPF), remains poorly understood. Given the poor response rate of IPF patients to current therapy, new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms controlling lung fibroblasts activation, the key cell type driving the fibrogenic process, are essential to develop new therapeutic strategies for this devastating disease. To identify miRNAs with potential roles in lung fibrogenesis, we performed a genome-wide assessment of miRNA expression in lungs from two different mouse strains known for their distinct susceptibility to develop lung fibrosis after bleomycin exposure. This led to the identification of miR-199a-5p as the best miRNA candidate associated with bleomycin response. Importantly, miR-199a-5p pulmonary expression was also significantly increased in IPF patients (94 IPF versus 83 controls). In particular, levels of miR-199a-5p were selectively increased in myofibroblasts from injured mouse lungs and fibroblastic foci, a histologic feature associated with IPF. Therefore, miR-199a-5p profibrotic effects were further investigated in cultured lung fibroblasts: miR-199a-5p expression was induced upon TGFβ exposure, and ectopic expression of miR-199a-5p was sufficient to promote the pathogenic activation of pulmonary fibroblasts including proliferation, migration, invasion, and differentiation into myofibroblasts. In addition, we demonstrated that miR-199a-5p is a key effector of TGFβ signaling in lung fibroblasts by regulating CAV1, a critical mediator of pulmonary fibrosis. Remarkably, aberrant expression of miR-199a-5p was also found in unilateral ureteral obstruction mouse model of kidney fibrosis, as well as in both bile duct ligation and CCl4-induced mouse models of liver fibrosis, suggesting that dysregulation of miR-199a-5p represents a general mechanism contributing to the fibrotic process. MiR-199a-5p thus behaves as a major regulator of tissue fibrosis with therapeutic potency to treat fibroproliferative diseases.
Author Summary Fibrosis is the final common pathway in virtually all forms of chronic organ failure, including lung, liver, and kidney, and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Fibrosis results from the excessive activity of fibroblasts, in particular a differentiated form known as myofibroblast that is responsible for the excessive and persistent accumulation of scar tissue and ultimately organ failure. Idiopathic Lung Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and often rapidly fatal pulmonary disorder of unknown origin characterized by fibrosis of the supporting framework (interstitium) of the lungs. Given the poor prognosis of IPF patients, new insights into the biology of (myo)fibroblasts is of major interest to develop new therapeutics aimed at reducing (myo)fibroblast activity to slow or even reverse disease progression, thereby preserving organ function and prolonging life. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding RNA recently identified, are associated with normal cellular processes; and deregulation of miRNAs plays a causative role in a vast array of complex diseases. In this study, we identified a particular miRNA: miR-199a-5p that governs lung fibroblast activation and ultimately lung fibrosis. Overall we showed that miR-199a-5p is a major regulator of fibrosis with strong therapeutic potency to treat fibroproliferative diseases such as IPF.