Blocking antibodies against integrin-α3, -αM, and -αMβ2 de-differentiate myofibroblasts, and improve lung fibrosis and kidney fibrosis

Fibrosis is involved in 45% of deaths in the United States, and no treatment exists to reverse the progression of lung or kidney fibrosis. Myofibroblasts are key to the progression and maintenance of fibrosis. We investigated features of cell adhesion necessary for monocytes to differentiate into myofibroblasts, seeking to identify pathways key to myofibroblast differentiation. Blocking antibodies against integrins α3, αM, and αMβ2 de-differentiate myofibroblasts in vitro, lower the pro-fibrotic secretome of myofibroblasts, and treat lung fibrosis and inhibit kidney fibrosis in vivo. Decorin’s collagen-binding peptide can be used to direct functionalized blocking antibodies (against integrins-α3, -αM, -αMβ2) to both fibrotic lungs and fibrotic kidneys, reducing the dose of antibody necessary to treat fibrosis. This targeted immunotherapy blocking key integrins may be an effective therapeutic for the treatment of fibrosis.