Network medicine and single-cell mapping identify a collagen-rich, fibrosis-associated hub module in Duchenne...

Progressive fibrosis is a hallmark of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) pathology, driving muscle degeneration and failure. However, the key transcriptomic programs and hub gene networks associated with extracellular matrix remodeling in DMD remain incompletely characterized. We employed weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) on transcriptomic data to identify disease-associated modules. Through intersection with GeneCards and topological screening of protein-protein interaction networks, key hub genes were isolated. We further characterized the immune microenvironment via CIBERSORT and traced the cellular origin of the signature using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Finally, drug prediction coupled with molecular docking was validated in vitro using a TNF-induced fibroblast inflammation model. Six pivotal hub genes (COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, DCN, SPARC, and TIMP1) were identified, all exhibiting significant upregulation and exceptional diagnostic value (AUC > 0.90). This signature was intimately linked to a proinflammatory microenvironment dominated by macrophages and γδ T cells. Crucially, scRNA-seq mapped these fibrotic signals specifically to tendon fibroblasts. Halofuginone was identified as a candidate therapeutic agent, showing robust binding affinities (< - 5.0 kcal/mol) to the hub proteins. In vitro assays showed that halofuginone significantly reduced the mRNA and protein abundance of these fibrosis-associated hub genes under inflammatory stimulation. This study delineates a tendon fibroblast-derived gene signature associated with DMD fibrosis and provides supportive evidence that halofuginone may modulate this hub network, highlighting its potential as an antifibrotic candidate in DMD.