Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37228276›Full record

ArticleERJ open research2023

Interleukin-11 disrupts alveolar epithelial progenitor function.

Rosa K Kortekaas, Kerstin E Geillinger-Kästle, Theo Borghuis, Kaoutar Belharch, Megan Webster, Wim Timens, Janette K Burgess, Reinoud Gosens

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ERJ open research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
4.4field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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

18 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
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  7. Role ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Article
  8. Targeting the epithelium in pulmonary fibrosis.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026
    Review
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  11. Article
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  18. Cytokine signaling converging onFrontiers in immunology · 2023
    Article
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

8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Rosa K KortekaasDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8728-1735
Kerstin E Geillinger-KästleDepartment of Immunology and Respiratory Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany.
Theo BorghuisUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Kaoutar BelharchDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Megan WebsterDepartment of Immunology and Respiratory Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany.
Wim TimensUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, Groningen, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4146-6363
Janette K BurgessUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, Groningen, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9868-9966
Reinoud GosensDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
University Medical Center Groningen · NLBoehringer Ingelheim (Germany) · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Interleukin-11 (IL-11) is linked to the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), since IL-11 induces myofibroblast differentiation and stimulates their excessive collagen deposition in the lung. In IPF there is disrupted alveolar structural architecture, yet the effect of IL-11 on the dysregulated alveolar repair remains to be elucidated. Methods: We hypothesised that epithelial-fibroblast communication associated with lung repair is disrupted by IL-11. Thus, we studied whether IL-11 affects the repair responses of alveolar lung epithelium using mouse lung organoids and precision-cut lung slices (PCLS). Additionally, we assessed the anatomical distribution of IL-11 and IL-11 receptor (IL-11R) in human control and IPF lungs using immunohistochemistry. Results: IL-11 protein was observed in airway epithelium, macrophages and in IPF lungs, also in areas of alveolar type 2 (AT2) cell hyperplasia. IL-11R staining was predominantly present in smooth muscle and macrophages. In mouse organoid co-cultures of epithelial cells with lung fibroblasts, IL-11 decreased organoid number and reduced the fraction of Prosurfactant Protein C-expressing organoids, indicating dysfunctional regeneration initiated by epithelial progenitors. In mouse PCLS exposed to IL-11, ciliated cell markers were increased. The response of primary human fibroblasts to IL-11 on gene expression level was minimal, though bulk RNA-sequencing revealed IL-11 modulated various processes which are associated with IPF, including unfolded protein response, glycolysis and Notch signalling. Conclusions: IL-11 disrupts alveolar epithelial regeneration by inhibiting progenitor activation and suppressing the formation of mature alveolar epithelial cells. Evidence for a contribution of dysregulated fibroblast-epithelial communication to this process is limited.

Identifiers

PMID37228276
PMCPMC10204861
OpenAlexW4377104537

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

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.