ALK5 inhibitor impact on bleomycin-induced systemic sclerosis mouse model via multifunctional optical coherence...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rheumatology
• Optical Imaging

Background:

• Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe autoimmune disease marked by fibrosis and vascular issues.
• Noninvasive imaging is vital for tracking SSc progression and treatment efficacy.
• Current methods may lack the comprehensive assessment needed for SSc.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of multifunctional optical coherence tomography (OCT) for assessing skin changes in a murine SSc model.
• To quantitatively measure skin thickness, stiffness, and microvasculature noninvasively.
• To explore OCT's potential for monitoring SSc pathogenesis and therapeutic responses.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a bleomycin-induced murine model of systemic sclerosis (SSc).
• Employed multifunctional optical coherence tomography (OCT), including OCT angiography and elastography.
• Assessed skin thickness, stiffness, and microvasculature changes longitudinally.
• Administered SB 525334, a TGF-β1 receptor ALK5 inhibitor, as a therapeutic intervention.

Main Results:

• Bleomycin treatment significantly increased skin thickness, stiffness, and vessel lumen width, indicating fibrosis and vascular changes.
• Multifunctional OCT successfully detected these structural, biomechanical, and vascular alterations.
• SB 525334 treatment partially reversed the bleomycin-induced changes in skin properties.

Conclusions:

• Multifunctional OCT is a technically feasible, noninvasive method for monitoring experimental SSc.
• The technique can quantify fibrosis and vascular dysfunction, key SSc hallmarks.
• This approach shows potential for evaluating novel SSc therapies like TGF-β inhibitors.