Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33239022›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuroinflammation2020

Macrophage to myofibroblast transition contributes to subretinal fibrosis secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Karis Little, Maria Llorián-Salvador, Miao Tang, Xuan Du, Stephen Marry, Mei Chen, Heping Xu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuroinflammation, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 89 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
89citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

89 citing papers in PubMed.

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  19. The authors respond to feedback onFrontiers in oncology · 2026
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  20. Article

29 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

7 authors.

Karis LittleThe Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
Maria Llorián-SalvadorThe Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
Miao TangThe Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
Xuan DuThe Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
Stephen MarryThe Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
Mei ChenThe Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
Heping XuThe Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK. heping.xu@qub.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4000-931X

Funding

Fight for Sight UK 5057/5058H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions 722717
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMacular fibrosis causes irreparable vision loss in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) even with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. Inflammation is known to play an important role in macular fibrosis although the underlying mechanism remains poorly defined. The aim of this study was to understand how infiltrating macrophages and complement proteins may contribute to macular fibrosis.

methodsSubretinal fibrosis was induced in C57BL/6J mice using the two-stage laser protocol developed by our group. The eyes were collected at 10, 20, 30 and 40 days after the second laser and processed for immunohistochemistry for infiltrating macrophages (F4/80 and Iba-1), complement components (C3a and C3aR) and fibrovascular lesions (collagen-1, Isolectin B4 and α-SMA). Human retinal sections with macular fibrosis were also used in the study. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from C57BL/6J mice were treated with recombinant C3a, C5a or TGF-β for 48 and 96 h. qPCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the expression of myofibroblast markers. The involvement of C3a-C3aR pathway in macrophage to myofibroblast transition (MMT) and subretinal fibrosis was further investigated using a C3aR antagonist (C3aRA) and a C3a blocking antibody in vitro and in vivo.

resultsApproximately 20~30% of F4/80

conclusionsMMT plays a role in macular fibrosis secondary to nAMD. MMT can be induced by TGF-β and C3a but not C5a. Further research is required to fully understand the role of MMT in macular fibrosis. Macrophage to myofibroblast transition (MMT) contributes to subretinal fibrosis. Subretinal fibrosis lesions contain various cell types, including macrophages and myofibroblasts, and are fibrovascular. Myofibroblasts are key cells driving pathogenic fibrosis, and they do so by producing excessive amount of extracellular matrix proteins. We have found that infiltrating macrophages can transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts, a phenomenon termed macrophage to myofibroblast transition (MMT) in macular fibrosis. In addition to TGF-β1, C3a generated during complement activation in CNV can also induce MMT contributing to macular fibrosis. RPE = retinal pigment epithelium. BM = Bruch's membrane. MMT = macrophage to myofibroblast transition. TGFB = transforming growth factor β. a-SMA = alpha smooth muscle actin. C3a = complement C3a.

Indexed as

AnimalsCells, CulturedComplement C3aFemaleFibrosisHumansMacrophagesMacular DegenerationMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMyofibroblastsNeovascularization, PathologicRetinaComplement C3aAge-related macular degenerationComplementInflammationMacrophage to myofibroblast transitionRetinal fibrosis

Identifiers

PMID33239022
PMCPMC7690191

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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.