TRUSS as a novel regulator of inflammatory genes in asthma

描述（由申请人提供）：TNF-β是一种炎性细胞因子，在许多炎性疾病中影响多种细胞类型。在哮喘中，TNF-α通过作用于进入肺的细胞和驻留的肺细胞（包括气道平滑肌（ASM）细胞）来介导炎症。不幸的是，由于安全性问题，使用抗TNF-β抗体靶向TNF-β的治疗效果令人失望。在此，我们提出阐明新的信号转导途径由TNF-β通过支架蛋白TNFR 1-无处不在的支架和信号蛋白（TRUSS）。我们将扩展以前有限的分析TRUSS限于转化细胞，以确定新的信号相互作用和途径，在生理相关的细胞，原代ASM细胞。重要的是，我们还将把这些信号传导事件与肺中气道炎症重要基因的表达调控联系起来，从而确定ASM作为免疫调节细胞发挥作用的新机制和靶点。我们的目标是探索TNF-α信号通路的新成分，为抗TNF-α治疗提供更安全的替代治疗选择。为此，将探索ASM细胞中的两个目标：确定内源性TRUSS对调节NF-κ B活化的独特贡献（目标1）和ii）评估内源性TRUSS对调节NF-κ B相关基因的选择性贡献（目标2）。在这两个目标中，siRNA，突变的构建体和表达载体将用于调节TRUSS的表达，之后NF-κ B介导的反式激活活性，NF-κ B磷酸化和乙酰化，体外激酶测定以评估IKK活性，IKK β/β的磷酸化，NF-κ B-DNA相互作用，和转录调控的NF-κ B依赖基因将分析使用状态的-我们的实验室已经建立了先进的分子和生物化学方法。这种全面的分子方法有望扩大我们对TNF-α如何在生理相关细胞中机械调节NF-κ B相关基因的理解。阐明TRUSS依赖性信号传导事件为更有选择性地靶向TNF驱动的事件提供了机会。这些研究的发现将为基本TNF生物化学提供新的见解，并为探索TRUSS在更综合的疾病模型中的作用提供经验基础，最终目标是开发（更安全）靶向对炎症性疾病发病机制至关重要的特异性TNF-β信号的治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): TNF-� is an inflammatory cytokine that affects multiple cells types in numerous inflammatory diseases. In asthma, TNF-� mediates inflammation through its action on cells that traffic into the lung and on resident lung cells, including airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells. Unfortunately, therapeutic targeting of TNF-� using anti-TNF-� antibodies has been disappointing due to safety concerns. Herein we propose to elucidate novel signaling pathways transduced by TNF-� via the scaffold protein TNFR1-Ubiquitous Scaffolding and Signaling Protein (TRUSS). We will extend previous limited analysis of TRUSS restricted to transformed cells to identify new signaling interactions and pathways in physiologically relevant cells, primary ASM cells. Importantly, we will also link these signaling events to regulation of expression of genes important in airway inflammation in the lung, thus identifying new mechanisms and targets through which ASM functions as an immunomodulatory cell. Our goal is to explore novel components of the TNF-� signaling pathways that may offer safer alternative therapeutic options for anti-TNF-� therapy. To this end, two aims in ASM cells will be explored: determine the unique contribution of endogenous TRUSS to the regulation of NF-kB activation (Aim 1) and ii) evaluate the selective contribution of endogenous TRUSS to the regulation of NF-kB-associated genes (Aim 2). In both aims, siRNA, mutated constructs and expression vectors will be used to modulate the expression of TRUSS, after which NF-kB-mediated transactivation activities, NF-kB phosphorylation and acetylation, in vitro kinase assays to assess IKK activity, phosphorylation of IKK�/�, NF-kB-DNA interactions, and the transcriptional regulation of NF-kB-dependent genes will be analyzed using state-of-the-art molecular and biochemical approaches already established in our laboratories. This comprehensive molecular approach is expected to expand our understanding of how TNF-� mechanistically regulates NF-kB-associated genes in physiologically relevant cells. Elucidating TRUSS-dependent signaling events opens up the opportunity for more selective targeting of TNF-driven events. Findings from these studies will provide new insight into fundamental TNF biochemistry, and provide an empirical basis to explore the role of TRUSS in more integrative disease model, with the ultimate goal of developing (safer) therapeutics that target specific TNF-� signals critical to inflammatory disease pathogenesis.