Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32759383›Full record

ArticleThorax2020

Macrophage-derived exosomes attenuate fibrosis in airway epithelial cells through delivery of antifibrotic miR-142-3p.

Julien Guiot, Maureen Cambier, Amandine Boeckx, Monique Henket, Olivier Nivelles, Fanny Gester, Edouard Louis, Michel Malaise, Franck Dequiedt, Renaud Louis and 2 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Thorax, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 106 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
106citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
11.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

106 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 143 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Extracellular vesicle-mediated mechanisms and therapeutic potential in acute lung injury.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2026
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Induced sputum: current progress and prospect.European journal of medical research · 2025
    Review
  17. Article
  18. The Immune Microenvironment: New Therapeutic Implications in Organ Fibrosis.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025
    Review
  19. Article
  20. Review

46 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Julien GuiotDepartment of Pneumology, GIGA-I3 Research Group, University of Liège (ULiege) and University Hospital of Liège (CHU Liege), Liège, Belgium j.guiot@chu.ulg.ac.be.ORCID 0000-0001-7800-1730
Maureen CambierLaboratory of Molecular Angiogenesis, GIGA Research, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Amandine BoeckxLaboratory of Molecular Angiogenesis, GIGA Research, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Monique HenketDepartment of Pneumology, GIGA-I3 Research Group, University of Liège (ULiege) and University Hospital of Liège (CHU Liege), Liège, Belgium.
Olivier NivellesLaboratory of Molecular Angiogenesis, GIGA Research, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Fanny GesterDepartment of Pneumology, GIGA-I3 Research Group, University of Liège (ULiege) and University Hospital of Liège (CHU Liege), Liège, Belgium.
Edouard LouisDepartment of Gastroenterology, GIGA-I3 Research Group, University of Liège (ULiege) and University Hospital of Liège (CHU Liege), Liège, Belgium.
Michel MalaiseDepartment of Rheumatology, GIGA-I3 Research Group, University of Liège (ULiege) and University Hospital of Liège (CHU Liege), Liège, Belgium.
Franck DequiedtGIGA-Molecular Biology of Diseases, Laboratory of Gene expression and Cancer, GIGA Research, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Renaud LouisDepartment of Pneumology, GIGA-I3 Research Group, University of Liège (ULiege) and University Hospital of Liège (CHU Liege), Liège, Belgium.
Ingrid Struman *Laboratory of Molecular Angiogenesis, GIGA Research, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-2550-3707
Makon-Sébastien Njock *Department of Pneumology, GIGA-I3 Research Group, University of Liège (ULiege) and University Hospital of Liège (CHU Liege), Liège, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-8137-1978
University of Liège · BE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease of unknown aetiology and cure. Recent studies have reported a dysregulation of exosomal microRNAs (miRs) in the IPF context. However, the impact of IPF-related exosomal miRs on the progression of pulmonary fibrosis is unknown.

methodsTwo independent cohorts were enrolled at the ambulatory care polyclinic of Liège University. Exosomes from sputum were obtained from 19 patients with IPF and 23 healthy subjects (HSs) (cohort 1), and the ones from plasma derived from 14 patients with IPF and 14 HSs (cohort 2). Exosomal miR expression was performed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. The functional role of exosomal miRs was assessed in vitro by transfecting miR mimics in human alveolar epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts.

resultsExosomal miR analysis showed that miR-142-3p was significantly upregulated in sputum and plasma of patients with IPF (8.06-fold, p<0.0001; 1.64 fold, p=0.008, respectively). Correlation analysis revealed a positive association between exosomal miR-142-3p and the percentage of macrophages from sputum of patients with IPF (r=0.576, p=0.012), suggesting macrophage origin of exosomal miR-142-3p upregulation. The overexpression of miR-142-3p in alveolar epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts was able to reduce the expression of transforming growth factor β receptor 1 (TGFβ-R1) and profibrotic genes. Furthermore, exosomes isolated from macrophages present antifibrotic properties due in part to the repression of TGFβ-R1 by miR-142-3p transfer in target cells. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that macrophage-derived exosomes may fight against pulmonary fibrosis progression via the delivery of antifibrotic miR-142-3 p to alveolar epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts.

Indexed as

AgedAged, 80 and overAlveolar Epithelial CellsCase-Control StudiesExosomesFemaleFibroblastsHumansIdiopathic Pulmonary FibrosisMacrophagesMaleMicroRNAsMiddle AgedMicroRNAsMIRN142 microRNA, humanAirway EpitheliumIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosisInterstitial FibrosisMacrophage Biology

Identifiers

PMID32759383
PMCPMC7509395
OpenAlexW3047138081

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.