PUBLICATION
Discovering small molecules as Wnt inhibitors that promote heart regeneration and injury repair
- Authors
- Xie, S., Fu, W., Yu, G., Hu, X., Lai, K.S., Peng, X., Zhou, Y., Zhu, X., Christov, P., Sawyer, L., Ni, T.T., Sulikowski, G.A., Yang, Z., Lee, E., Zeng, C., Wang, W.E., Zhong, T.P.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-190330-11
- Date
- 2019
- Source
- Journal of molecular cell biology 12(1): 42-54 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Zhong, Tao P.
- Keywords
- Wnt inhibitor, regeneration, small molecule screen
- MeSH Terms
-
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- beta Catenin/metabolism
- Small Molecule Libraries/pharmacology*
- Small Molecule Libraries/therapeutic use*
- Animals
- Myocardial Infarction/drug therapy*
- Wnt Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors*
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice
- Disease Models, Animal
- Wnt Signaling Pathway/drug effects*
- Cell Differentiation/drug effects
- Regenerative Medicine/methods
- Cell Line
- Zebrafish/embryology
- Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism
- Heart Injuries/drug therapy*
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Animals, Genetically Modified
- Male
- Wound Healing/drug effects*
- Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
- Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells/metabolism
- PubMed
- 30925593 Full text @ J. Mol. Cell Biol.
Citation
Xie, S., Fu, W., Yu, G., Hu, X., Lai, K.S., Peng, X., Zhou, Y., Zhu, X., Christov, P., Sawyer, L., Ni, T.T., Sulikowski, G.A., Yang, Z., Lee, E., Zeng, C., Wang, W.E., Zhong, T.P. (2019) Discovering small molecules as Wnt inhibitors that promote heart regeneration and injury repair. Journal of molecular cell biology. 12(1):42-54.
Abstract
There are intense interests in discovering proregenerative medicine leads that can promote cardiac differentiation and regeneration, as well as repair damaged heart tissues. We have combined zebrafish embryo-based screens with cardiomyogenesis assays to discover selective small molecules that modulate heart development and regeneration with minimal adverse effects. Two related compounds with novel structures, named as Cardiomogen1 and 2 (CDMG1 and CDMG2), were identified for their capacity to promote myocardial hyperplasia through expansion of the cardiac progenitor cell population. We find that Cardiomogen acts as a Wnt inhibitor by targeting β-catenin and reducing Tcf/Lef-mediated transcription in cultured cells. CDMG treatment of amputated zebrafish hearts reduces nuclear β-catenin in injured heart tissue, increases cardiomyocyte (CM) proliferation, and expedites wound healing, thus accelerating cardiac muscle regeneration. Importantly, Cardiomogen can alleviate the functional deterioration of mammalian hearts after myocardial infarction. Injured hearts exposed to CDMG1 display increased newly formed CMs and reduced fibrotic scar tissue, which are in part attributable to the β-catenin reduction. Our findings indicate Cardiomogen as a Wnt inhibitor in enhancing injury-induced CM proliferation and heart regeneration, highlighting the values of embryo-based small molecule screens in discovery of effective and safe medicine leads.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping