Examining the Effectiveness of Combining Glutaredoxin and Pirfenidone on Lowering Fibrotic Markers
Conference Year
2024
Abstract
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, irreversible, disease. Its specific pathogenesis of IPF is unknown but is likely linked to lung injury, aging, and oxidative stress (Zisman, 2005). There is currently no cure for this disease, however there are FDA-approved drugs to slow its progression. In this study, we use the FDA-approved Drug Pirfenidone in combination with the enzyme Glutaredoxin, which has shown promise in reversing the effects of IPF. We analyzed the effect of this combination on fibrotic markers’ transcriptional and translation expression using techniques such as Western Blotting techniques and qPCR. We expected that the combination of Glutaredoxin and Pirfenidone would reduce the fibrotic markers’ expression in IPF fibroblasts. Our findings show that while some fibrotic markers did decrease in IPF fibroblasts, others increased, and some were not affected. Although results varied depending on the fibrotic marker, the combination of Glutaredoxin and Pirfenidone showed overall promise to reduce fibrotic markers in IPF fibroblasts.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Yvonne Janssen-Heininger
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Program/Major
Biochemistry
Primary Research Category
Life Sciences
Examining the Effectiveness of Combining Glutaredoxin and Pirfenidone on Lowering Fibrotic Markers
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, irreversible, disease. Its specific pathogenesis of IPF is unknown but is likely linked to lung injury, aging, and oxidative stress (Zisman, 2005). There is currently no cure for this disease, however there are FDA-approved drugs to slow its progression. In this study, we use the FDA-approved Drug Pirfenidone in combination with the enzyme Glutaredoxin, which has shown promise in reversing the effects of IPF. We analyzed the effect of this combination on fibrotic markers’ transcriptional and translation expression using techniques such as Western Blotting techniques and qPCR. We expected that the combination of Glutaredoxin and Pirfenidone would reduce the fibrotic markers’ expression in IPF fibroblasts. Our findings show that while some fibrotic markers did decrease in IPF fibroblasts, others increased, and some were not affected. Although results varied depending on the fibrotic marker, the combination of Glutaredoxin and Pirfenidone showed overall promise to reduce fibrotic markers in IPF fibroblasts.