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Topical Application of TGF-β1 Peptide Inhibitors for the Therapy of Skin Fibrosis

  • Chapter
Transforming Growth Factor-β in Cancer Therapy, Volume I

Part of the book series: Cancer Drug Discovery and Development ((CDD&D))

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Abstract

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of skin fibrotic diseases by inducing extracellular matrix gene expression and sustaining fibroblast growth and differentiation. Systemic inhibition of TGF-β by different agents has been shown to effectively inhibit fibrosis in different animal models. However, systemic inhibition of TGF-β raises important safety issues because of the pleiotropic physiological effects of this factor.

Targeting of downstream factors specifically involved in TGF-β profibrotic signaling or local targeting of TGF-β represents potential alternatives to systemic inhibitors. Topical application of a short peptide derived from TGF-β1 type III receptor is effective in preventing or ameliorating established fibrosis in a model of bleomycin-induced scleroderma, suggesting that topical application of small anti-TGF-β peptides is a feasible strategy to treat pathological skin scarring and skin fibrotic diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIMA, University de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Javier Dotor PhD

  2. Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain

    José L. Pablos MD, PhD

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  1. Javier Dotor PhD
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  2. José L. Pablos MD, PhD
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© 2008 Humana Press

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Dotor, J., Pablos, J.L. (2008). Topical Application of TGF-β1 Peptide Inhibitors for the Therapy of Skin Fibrosis. In: Transforming Growth Factor-β in Cancer Therapy, Volume I. Cancer Drug Discovery and Development. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-292-2_44

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-292-2_44

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-714-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-292-2

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