Dectin-1 is Pathogenic in Chronic Kidney Disease by Promoting Macrophage Infiltration and Transition to Myofibroblast

Dectin-1, a pattern recognition receptor predominantly expressed on myeloid cells, is required for maintaining immune homeostasis. However, the role of Dectin-1 in chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unknown. Here we reported that Dectin-1 was markedly upregulated in the fibrotic kidneys of CKD patients, primarily in macrophages, and its expression correlated with fibrosis severity and renal dysfunction. Genetic deletion of Dectin-1 attenuated renal fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) or ischemia-reperfusion (IR), a finding confirmed in bone marrow chimeric mice. Macrophage-specific Dectin-1 deletion similarly protected against renal fibrosis, demonstrating its cell-autonomous role. Mechanistically, Dectin-1 promoted macrophage infiltration via Syk/NF-κB/CCL2-CCR2 axis, while facilitating macrophage-to-myofibroblast transition (MMT) by activating TGF-β/Smad signaling. Pre-clinically, pharmacological inhibition of Dectin-1 with Laminarin significantly reduced renal fibrosis in UUO and IR models, highlighting its therapeutic potential for CKD.