Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) has been recognized as a central mediator and promising therapeutic target in hepatic fibrosis. In this study, we generated a novel virus-like particle (VLP) CTGF vaccine by inserting the 138-159 amino acid (aa) fragment of CTGF into the central c/e1 epitope of C-terminus truncated hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBc, aa 1-149) using a prokaryotic expressi...

It is well established that paraquat (PQ) poisoning can cause severe lung injury during the early stages of exposure, finally leading to irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is an essential growth factor that is involved in tissue repair and pulmonary fibrogenesis. In the present study, the role of CTGF was examined in a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis induced...

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, chemotaxis, migration, apoptosis and extracellular matrix production. Through these diverse actions, CTGF/CCN2 plays a major role in important physiological and pathophysiological processes such as embryogenesis, implantation, angiogenesis, chondrogenesis, tumorigenesis, differentiation, wound h...

Liver progenitor cells (LPCs) are activated in chronic liver damage and may contribute to liver fibrosis. Our previous investigation reported that LPCs produced connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2), an inducer of liver fibrosis, yet the regulatory mechanism of the production of CTGF/CCN2 in LPCs remains elusive. In this study, we report that Activin A is an inducer of CTGF/CCN2 in LPCs. ...

Accumulation of mesangial matrix is a pivotal event in the pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy. The molecular triggers for matrix production are still being defined. Here, suppression subtractive hybridization identified 15 genes differentially induced when primary human mesangial cells are exposed to high glucose (30 mM versus 5 mM) in vitro. These genes included (a) known regulators of me...

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a growth and chemotactic factor for fibroblasts encoded by an immediate early gene that is transcriptionally activated by transforming growth factor-beta. Previous studies have shown that both CTGF messenger ribonuclear acid (mRNA) and protein are expressed in renal fibrosis and bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. The aim of the present study ...

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the deadliest and most common form of malignant primary brain tumor in humans. However, until now, little is known about the glioma genesis and progression at the molecular level. Here we report that overexpression of sine oculis homeobox homolog 1 (Six1), a developmental transcription factor implicated in tumor onset and progression, can significantly promote g...

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is an important extracellular matrix remodeling enzyme, and it has been involved in different fibrotic disorders. The connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2), which is increased in these pathologies, induces the production of extracellular matrix proteins. To understand the fibrotic process observed in diverse pathologies, we analyzed the fibroblast respon...

Watts, Keira L., and Monica A. Spiteri. Connective tissue growth factor expression and induction by transforming growth factoris abrogated by simvastatin via a Rho signaling mechanism. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 287: L1323–L1332, 2004. First published August 6, 2004; doi:10.1152/ajplung.00447.2003.—Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a potent profibrotic mediator, acts downstream an...

BACKGROUND Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is widely thought to promote the development of fibrosis in collaboration with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β; however, most of the evidence for its involvement comes from correlative and culture-based studies. In this study, the importance of CTGF in tissue fibrosis was directly examined in three murine models of fibrotic disease: a novel m...