Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39415484›Full record

ArticleArthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)2025

Systemic Sclerosis Dermal Fibroblast Exosomes Trigger Type 1 Interferon Responses in Keratinocytes via a TBK/JAK/STAT Signaling Axis.

Jessica Bryon, Christopher W Wasson, Katja Koeppen, Francesca Chandler, Leon F Willis, Stefano Di Donato, Elliott Klein, Elton Zeqiraj, Rebecca L Ross, Francesco Del Galdo

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing 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

11 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

10 authors.

Jessica BryonUniversity of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
Christopher W WassonUniversity of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-6558-4738
Katja KoeppenBoehringer Ingelheim, Ridgefield, Connecticut.
Francesca ChandlerUniversity of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
Leon F WillisUniversity of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-6616-3716
Stefano Di DonatoUniversity of Leeds and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds, United Kingdom.
Elliott KleinBoehringer Ingelheim, Ridgefield, Connecticut.
Elton ZeqirajUniversity of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
Rebecca L RossUniversity of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-7750-4280
Francesco Del GaldoUniversity of Leeds and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-8528-2283

Funding

Boehringer Ingelheim opn2expert funding callnational institute for health and care research (NIHR) Leeds biomedical research centre (BRC) NIHR203331NIHR BRC PhD studentshipWellcome Senior Research Fellowship 222531/Z/21/ZWellcome TrustWellcome Trust PhD studentship 219997/Z/19/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveActivation of type I interferon (IFN) response has been shown to correlate with disease activity in systemic sclerosis (SSc). It is currently unknown whether the tissue-specific type I IFN activation is a consequence of the response observed in blood or rather its source. Exosomes from SSc fibroblasts were recently shown to activate macrophages in vitro. Here, we aimed to determine the source of type I IFN signature in SSc skin biopsies and the potential role of exosomes from SSc dermal fibroblasts in the process.

methodsSkin biopsies were obtained from the forearms of healthy patients and of those with SSc and processed for dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Exosomes were isolated from healthy and SSc dermal fibroblast supernatants by ultracentrifugation and added to human skin keratinocytes. Keratinocyte transcriptome was analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis. TANK-binding kinase (TBK) and JAK were inhibited using a small molecule inhibitor (GSK8612) and tofacitinib, respectively.

resultsSSc skin biopsies showed the highest levels of type I IFN response in the epidermal layer. RNA-seq analysis of keratinocytes transcriptome following exposure to dermal fibroblast exosomes showed strong up-regulation of IFN signature genes induced by SSc exosomes compared to healthy control. Inhibition of TBK or JAK activity suppressed the up-regulation of the IFN signature induced by SSc exosomes.

conclusionIFN activation of SSc keratinocytes is dependent on their crosstalk with dermal fibroblasts and inducible by extracellular exosomes. Our data indicate that SSc fibroblast exosomes contribute to the type I IFN activation in SSc skin through activation of pattern recognition receptors upstream of TBK.

Indexed as

ExosomesFibroblastsInterferon Type IKeratinocytesProtein Serine-Threonine KinasesScleroderma, SystemicFemaleHumansJanus KinasesMaleMiddle AgedPiperidinesPyrimidinesSignal TransductionSkinSTAT Transcription FactorsInterferon Type IJanus KinasesPiperidinesProtein Serine-Threonine KinasesPyrimidinesSTAT Transcription FactorsTBK1 protein, humantofacitinib

Identifiers

PMID39415484
PMCPMC11865698

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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.