Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40067393›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of clinical investigation2025

Activin A activation of Smad3 mitigates innate inflammation in mouse models of psoriasis and sepsis.

Thierry Gauthier, Yun-Ji Lim, Wenwen Jin, Na Liu, Liliana C Patiño, Weiwei Chen, James Warren, Daniel Martin, Robert J Morell, Gabriela Dveksler and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of clinical investigation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

12 authors.

Thierry GauthierMucosal Immunology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Yun-Ji LimMucosal Immunology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Wenwen JinMucosal Immunology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Na LiuMucosal Immunology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Liliana C PatiñoMucosal Immunology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Weiwei ChenMucosal Immunology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
James WarrenDepartment of Pathology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Daniel MartinGenomics and Computational Biology Core, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Robert J MorellGenomics and Computational Biology Core, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Gabriela DvekslerDepartment of Pathology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Gloria H SuDepartment of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
WanJun ChenMucosal Immunology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Funding

Genomic and Computational Biology Support for NIDCD Intramural ResearchZICDC000086 · NIDCD · NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS · PI MORELL, ROBERT J · 2015 to 2025
$19.8M
Not all members of the pregnancy-specific glycoprotein family are created equalR21AI166122 · NIAID · HENRY M. JACKSON FDN FOR THE ADV MIL/MED · PI DVEKSLER, GABRIELA S · 2022 to 2023
$418k
Intramural NIH HHS ZIC DC000086NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI166122
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Phosphorylation of Smad3 is a critical mediator of TGF-β signaling, which plays an important role in regulating innate immune responses. However, whether Smad3 activation can be regulated in innate immune cells in TGF-β-independent contexts remains poorly understood. Here, we show that Smad3 is activated through the phosphorylation of its C-terminal residues (pSmad3C) in murine and human macrophages in response to bacterial and viral ligands, and this activation is mediated by activin A in a TGF-β-independent manner. Specifically, infectious ligands, such as LPS, induced secretion of activin A through the transcription factor STAT5 in macrophages, and activin A signaling in turn activated pSmad3C. This activin A/Smad3 axis controlled mitochondrial ATP production and ATP conversion into adenosine by CD73 in macrophages, enforcing an antiinflammatory mechanism. Consequently, mice with a deletion of activin A receptor 1b specifically in macrophages (Acvr1bfl/fl-Lyz2cre) succumbed more to sepsis as a result of uncontrolled inflammation and exhibited exacerbated skin disease in a mouse model of imiquimod-induced psoriasis. Thus, we have revealed a previously unrecognized natural brake to inflammation in macrophages that occurs through the activation of Smad3 in an activin A-dependent manner.

Indexed as

ActivinsImmunity, InnatePsoriasisSepsisSmad3 ProteinAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalHumansInflammationMacrophagesMiceMice, KnockoutSignal Transductionactivin AActivinsSmad3 ProteinSMAD3 protein, humanSmad3 protein, mouseCytokinesImmunologyInflammationInnate immunityMacrophages

Identifiers

PMID40067393
PMCPMC12043092

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.