Selective targeting of CREB-binding protein/β-catenin inhibits growth of and extracellular matrix remodelling by airway smooth muscle

Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease, characterized by the development of structural changes (airway remodelling). β-catenin, a transcriptional co-activator, is fundamentally involved in airway smooth muscle growth and may be a potential target in the treatment of airway smooth muscle remodelling. Experimental approach: We assessed the ability of small-molecule compounds that selectively target β-catenin breakdown or its interactions with transcriptional co-activators to inhibit airway smooth muscle remodelling in vitro and in vivo. Key

Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease, characterized by the development of structural changes (airway remodelling). β-catenin, a transcriptional co-activator, is fundamentally involved in airway smooth muscle growth and may be a potential target in the treatment of airway smooth muscle remodelling. Experimental approach: We assessed the ability of small-molecule compounds that selectively target β-catenin breakdown or its interactions with transcriptional co-activators to inhibit airway smooth muscle remodelling in vitro and in vivo. Key

ICG-001, a small-molecule compound that inhibits the β-catenin/CREB-binding protein (CBP) interaction, strongly and dose-dependently inhibited serum-induced smooth muscle growth and TGFβ1-induced production of extracellular matrix components in vitro. Inhibition of β-catenin/p300 interactions using IQ-1 or inhibition of tankyrase 1/2 using XAV-939 had considerably less effect. In a mouse model of allergic asthma, β-catenin expression in the smooth muscle layer was found to be unaltered in control versus ovalbumin-treated animals, a pattern that was found to be similar in smooth muscle within biopsies taken from asthmatic and non-asthmatic donors. However, β-catenin target gene expression was highly increased in response to ovalbumin; this effect was prevented by topical treatment with ICG-001. Interestingly, ICG-001 dose-dependently reduced airway smooth thickness after repeated ovalbumin challenge, but had no effect on the deposition of collagen around the airways, mucus secretion or eosinophil infiltration. Conclusions and implications: Together, our findings highlight the importance of β-catenin/CBP signalling in the airways and suggest ICG-001 may be a new therapeutic approach to treat airway smooth muscle remodelling in asthma.