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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

A 3D Spheroid Model as a More Physiological System for Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Differentiation and Invasion In Vitro Studies
Published on: August 8, 2019
Induction of Smooth Muscle Differentiation in Fibroblasts by Modulation of Cytoplasmic Actin Ratio
Yulia Levuschkina1, Vera Dugina1,2, Galina Shagieva1
1A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
Abstract:
Myogenic differentiation is a powerful mechanism for generating diverse cell types from fibroblasts. Here, we show that targeted suppression of β-actin by RNA interference in human fibroblasts triggers coordinated molecular and structural changes consistent with trans-differentiation toward SMC-like phenotype. This conversion is marked by upregulation of smooth muscle differentiation markers (α- and γ-smooth muscle actins, SM22, smooth muscle myosin, desmin, vinculin) at mRNA and protein levels, together with distinct morphological alterations: increased cell area, loss of polarity, and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Notably, β-actin-downregulated fibroblasts exhibited a focal adhesion architecture that differed from parental fibroblasts. These findings indicate that β-actin downregulation may provide a novel in vitro method to induce SMC-like differentiation, with potential implications for vascular biology and tissue engineering.
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