On May 3, Professor Li Jingxin’s research group from the team of Professor Liu Chuanyong of School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University published an online research paper in Advanced Science (JCR Journal Area 1, Chinese Academy of Sciences, IF=15.627) titled "The m6A Reader IGF2BP2 Regulates Macrophage Phenotypic Activation and Inflammatory Diseases by Stabilizing TSC1 and PPARγ". Professor Li Jingxin from the Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, and Dr. Dawei Chen from the Institute of GIGA, University of Liege, Belgium, are the co-corresponding authors of the paper. Doctoral student Wang Xia from the School of Basic Medical Sciences of Shandong University is the first author, and Shandong University is the first author unit and the first communication unit.
The study found that the expression of IGF2BP2 was significantly increased after activation of macrophages, and the lack of IGF2BP2 in macrophages affected the anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization induced by IL4, and significantly improved the phenotype of the lung allergy model mice mediated by cockroach extract. On the other hand, the response to LPS-induced inflammation and DSS-induced colitis is enhanced. In mechanism, IGF2BP2 tilts macrophages from a pro-inflammatory phenotype to an anti-inflammatory phenotype through the TSC1-mTORC1 pathway and PPARγ-mediated fatty acid metabolism. In addition, research data also show that IGF2BP2 can directly bind to TSC1 and PPARγ, and participate in m6A modification to regulate the expression of TSC1 and PPARγ.
This study confirmed the regulatory role and specific mechanism of IGF2BP2 in macrophage activation and provided a new target for targeting macrophages to treat inflammatory diseases and allergies.
The research group of Professor Li Jingxin of Shandong University School of Basic Medicine has long been concerned about the mechanism of inflammatory bowel disease. In the past research, the GABA signaling system (Frontiers in immunology, 2018) and the oxytocin receptor system (Clinical Science, 2019& 2020) have been clarified the role in the occurrence and development of colitis. The above research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. In addition, this work has also received the support and cooperation of Professor Ji Chunyan from the Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University.
Link to article：The m6A Reader IGF2BP2 Regulates Macrophage Phenotypic Activation and Inflammatory Diseases by Stabilizing TSC1 and PPARγ
