LINC00525 promotes cell proliferation and collagen expression through feedforward regulation of TGF-β signaling in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts

Ling Chen; Yiliang Yin; Jingyun Li; Qian Li; Zezhang Zhu; Jun Li

doi:10.1016/j.burns.2024.107353

LINC00525 promotes cell proliferation and collagen expression through feedforward regulation of TGF-β signaling in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts

Burns. 2024 Dec 12;51(2):107353. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2024.107353. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ling Chen¹, Yiliang Yin², Jingyun Li³, Qian Li², Zezhang Zhu⁴, Jun Li⁵

Affiliations

¹ Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China; Department of Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), Nanjing 210004, China.
² Department of Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), Nanjing 210004, China.
³ Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Institute, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), Nanjing 210004, China.
⁴ Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Department of Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), Nanjing 210004, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39740483
DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2024.107353

Abstract

The etiology of hypertrophic scar formation continues to elude researchers, despite advancements in the understanding of skin scarring. Several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertrophic scars, yet the role and molecular mechanisms of LINC00525 in this process remain unclear. This study demonstrates that LINC00525 enhances cell proliferation and collagen expression through knockdown and overexpression techniques. Further analysis, including nuclear and cytoplasmic localization studies, RNA pull-down assays, bioinformatics predictions, and PCR validation, reveals that LINC00525 interacts with miR-29a-5p. The downregulation of LINC00525 enhances the expression of miR-29a-5p and suppresses the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Additionally, TGF-β1 induces the upregulation of LINC00525. Collectively, these findings indicate that LINC00525 operates through a feedforward mechanism to regulate TGF-β signaling in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts. This research offers novel insights for the prevention and treatment of scars.

Keywords: Collagen; Hypertrophic scar; LINC00525; TGF-β.