Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41431178›Full record

ArticleAdvanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)2026

RUNX2 Activation in Fibro/Adipogenic Progenitors Promotes Muscle Fibrosis in Muscular Dystrophy.

Pengkai Wu, Zehua Zhang, Kai Zheng, Ziqi Zhu, Yong Zhu, Abdukahar Kiram, Lei Zhao, Huihui Chen, Zhu Xu, Xihua Li and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

13 authors.

Pengkai WuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7158-7804
Zehua ZhangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Kai ZhengThe Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
Ziqi ZhuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Yong ZhuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Abdukahar KiramDivision of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Lei ZhaoDepartment of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Huihui ChenDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Zhu XuMOE Innovation Center for Basic Research in Tumor Immunotherapy, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Xihua LiDepartment of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Beicheng SunDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Zhijian LiUyghur Medical Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Ürümqi, China.
Dengqiu XuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.

Funding

Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation 2408085Y041Clinical Research Special Project of Anhui Provincial Department of Science and Technology 202204295107020008Key Project of Natural Science Research of Anhui Provincial Department of Education 2024AH050824National Natural Science Foundation of China 32100942Research Program of Anhui Provincial Department of Education 2022AH010070The State Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China 81930086The State Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China 82120108012Tianshan Talents Project of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 2022TSYCCX0021Tianshan Talents Project of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 2022TSYCLJ009
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Clinical evidence indicates concurrent muscle inflammation and fibrosis in muscular dystrophies (MDs); however, the molecular mechanisms underlying inflammation-mediated fibrosis in skeletal muscle remain inadequately understood. This study revealed a molecular link between macrophages and fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) in both human subjects and mice via the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)-RUNX family transcription factor-2 (RUNX2) axis. RUNX2 mRNA levels correlated positively with both the expression of fibrotic genes and the fibrosis area of MD patients. We demonstrated that specific ablation of RUNX2 in FAPs alleviated muscle fibrosis in an animal model of MD. Mechanistically, injured myofibers activated the transcription of chemokine genes, enhancing macrophage recruitment and the release of TGF-β, which subsequently triggered RUNX2-mediated transcription of fibrogenic genes in FAPs, promoting muscle fibrosis. Additionally, we demonstrated that CADD522, a RUNX2 inhibitor, protects against muscle fibrosis in both dystrophic and denervated mice. Importantly, the anti-inflammatory drug prednisolone alleviated muscle fibrosis in MD patients by inhibiting inflammatory cytokine-mediated RUNX2 activation. Collectively, our findings indicated that the TGF-β-RUNX2 axis is a viable target for alleviating muscle fibrosis and related diseases, highlighting potential future research directions.

Indexed as

Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 SubunitFibrosisMuscle, SkeletalMuscular DystrophiesAdipogenesisAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLStem CellsTransforming Growth Factor betaCore Binding Factor Alpha 1 SubunitRUNX2 protein, humanRunx2 protein, mouseTransforming Growth Factor betaFAPsfibrosismacrophagesmuscular dystrophyRUNX2

Identifiers

PMID41431178
PMCPMC12955923

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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.