Role of Akt in Myofibroblast Differentiation Leading to Pulmonary
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ROLE OF AKT IN MYOFIBROBLAST DIFFERENTIATION LEADING TO PULMONARY VASCULAR REMODELING AND IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS by MAHA MAHMOUD ABDALLA (Under the Direction of Somanath P.R. Shenoy) ABSTRACT Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable, chronic and progressive lung disease with severely poor prognosis. The presence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) secondary to IPF is an independent risk factor for increased mortality. Alarmingly, there are no effective pharmacologic treatments for IPF, and lung transplantation remains the only effective option. Therefore, identification of novel therapeutic targets is critical in the hopes of devising new treatments. Persistent myofibroblasts (MFs) differentiation and excess extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation are hallmark features of IPF. Recently, it has been shown that Akt is upregulated in IPF patients; however whether Akt is necessary for MFs remains unclear. This dissertation sought to 1) identify the role of Akt in MF differentiation leading to IPF, and 2) investigate the safety and efficacy of triciribine (TCBN), a selective Akt inhibitor, as a potential therapeutic option for IPF. The work presented in this thesis has been conducted using a combined approach of pharmacological, genetics, and functional assays. We first identified that Akt is a critical determinant of pathological MF differentiation and ECM expression as evident by loss- and gain- of function studies, both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that Akt1 transcriptionally regulates αSMA synthesis, independent of mTOR. Furthermore, TCBN reversed TGFβ (pro-fibrotic cytokine) - and hypoxia-induced pulmonary fibrosis and vascular remodeling, compared to placebo and rapamycin. In contrast, rapamycin, which targets mTOR downstream of Akt, exacerbated fibrosis and vascular remodeling as evident by worsening interstitial fibrosis, micro-hemorrhage, and increased peripheral vascular rarefaction. Collectively, research efforts associated with this thesis 1) identified Akt as a novel target as it is crucial for MFs - central orchestrators of IPF; 2) determined novel anti-fibrotic and anti-remodeling properties of Triciribine; and 3) determined that rapamycin activates Akt via feedback mechanisms, which sheds light on the observed detrimental effects of everolimus, a rapamycin derivative, in IPF patients. In conclusion, our study is the first to determine the crucial role of Akt1 in IPF and associated vascular remodeling. Thus, selective Akt inhibition, not mTOR, may serve as a favorable therapeutic strategy in IPF. INDEX WORDS: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, vascular remodeling, myofibroblast, extracellular matrix, Akt, mTOR, triciribine, rapamycin, chronic hypoxia, TGFβ ROLE OF AKT IN MYOFIBROBLAST DIFFERENTIATION LEADING TO PULMONARY VASCULAR REMODELING AND IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS by MAHA MAHMOUD ABDALLA Pharm.D, MCPHS University, 2010 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2014 © 2014 Maha Mahmoud Abdalla All Rights Reserved ROLE OF AKT IN MYOFIBROBLAST DIFFERENTIATION LEADING TO PULMONARY VASCULAR REMODELING AND IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS by MAHA MAHMOUD ABDALLA Major Professor: Somanath P.R. Shenoy Committee: Susan C. Fagan Adviye Ergul Lakshman Segar Aaron Beedle Electronic Version Approved: Julie Coffield Interim Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia August 2014 DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to the Almighty God, my father, Mahmoud Abdalla, my mother, Magda Hussein, and my brothers, Mohamed and Mostafa, for being my pillars of support, my source of refuge, and my guiding light. My parents have always been my foremost role models. They have instilled in us that, no matter the obstacles and challenges, persistence is the key to achieve your dreams and aspirations. They lead by example. Not succumbing to “what’s meant to be,” at the age of 6, my father was a young entrepreneur. In his early twenties, he traveled abroad and combined his business knowledge with his background as an agriculture engineer to design innovative farming techniques, which catapulted him to be a consultant. Determined to break cultural norm at a time where girls did not continue their education and marry at a young age, my mother fought through social and cultural challenges. Rain or shine, she was determined to attend every class. Ultimately, she went to college and became a lawyer. They have taught us that so long as you tried, took risks, embraced your failures and turned them into success, and did not settle for “what’s meant to be,” you will reach your dreams and live life with no regrets. They have sacrificed so much to secure our future. They’ve taught us the meaning of family, discipline, independence, integrity, and ingenuity. They push us to look past any challenges that we may face as there is always a solution. “You just have to use your brain, and keep at it!” In essence, this is not just my Ph.D., but my family’s Ph.D. “If you can imagine it, you can dream it. Dream it and you can become it.” iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The accomplishment of this dissertation is the result of approximately four years of work whereby I have been supported by many people. First, I sincerely thank my advisor, Dr. Somanath Shenoy, for guiding my development as a researcher, honing in my critical thinking skills, and for providing me with ample support and encouragement to grow as we developed and established new fields of study (pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary vascular remodeling) in his laboratory. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of your team, I have learned so much and I look forward to future collaborations. I would like to extend my appreciation to the members of the Shenoy Lab, especially Alanna Pruitt for her assistance and support. I also would like to especially thank Dr. Anna Goc for guiding and training me during my rotation in Dr. Shenoy’s lab, and for being an exceptional colleague and a collaborator over the course of my Ph.D. I am grateful to my committee members, Drs. Susan Fagan, Adviye Ergul, Lakshman Segar, and Aaron Beedle for their tremendous support and systematic guidance, excellent technical support, constructive criticism, and invaluable advice and encouragement throughout the course of my graduate career. I would like to thank the members of their labs for teaching me unique vascular assessment techniques, especially Dr. Roshini Prakash, Ma Handong, Dr. Mohammed Abdelsaid, and Dr. Rajkumar Pyla. I would like to acknowledge my deep sense of gratitude and indebtedness to Drs. Carroll-Ann Goldsmith, Keith Foster, Abir Kanaan, Paul Belliveau, Susan Fagan, and v Azza El-Remessy for their invaluable mentorship and their “you can do it” attitude and encouragements; exemplary role models. Their dedication and passion for their work and students are qualities that I truly admire and hope to emulate as I progress in my career. I would like to acknowledge my pharmacy students whom I have had the privilege of mentoring (LeeAnn, Erin, Samantha, Jessica, Bobby, Uvette, and Brian). Working with them was one of the most enjoyable experiences during my graduate studies, they have helped me become a better teacher and a mentor, and I was truly proud of them and to see the fruit of their labor as they presented posters at conferences including ACCP. I thank Dr. Ahmed Alhusban for his continued support and motivation and invaluable advice. Through our scientific discussions, we constantly challenge each other to think outside the box and excel; it is a privilege to call him a friend. I would like to thank my family and my extended family (Dolores, John, Heather, and Dayana), friends, and the MCPHS University and CET family for their support. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................. x CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................ 1 CHAPTER 2. AKT1 MEDIATES ALPHA-SMOOTH MUSCLE ACTIN EXPRESSION AND MYOFIBROBLAST DIFFERENTIATION VIA MYOCARDIN AND SERUM RESPONSE FACTOR ............................................................... 37 CHAPTER 3. TRICIRIBINE, A SELECTIVE AKT INHIBITOR, AMELIORATES TGFβ- AND HYPOXIA INDUCED PULMONARY FIBROSIS AND VASCULAR REMODELING ......................................................................................... 81 CHAPTER 4. INTEGRATED DISCUSSION ............................................................... 129 CHAPTER 5. SUMMARY AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE ........................................ 140 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................. 145 vii LIST OF FIGURES Page 1-1 Akt1 mediated pathways .................................................................................... 18 1-2 A schematic representation of our hypothesis .................................................... 19 2-1 Akt1 is critical for αSMA expression in response to TGFβ .................................. 63 2-2 Akt1 is differentially utilized by TGFβ and bFGF in fibroblast to MF differentiation. ..........................................................................................................................