Authors
Li, W., Wu, Q., Lu, Y., Li, X., Lei, M., Xia, Y., Qiu, X., Tang, M., Li, Z., Peng, Y., Hu, W., Zhang, W. K., Zheng, J., Ma, C., Shang, J.
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal interstitial lung disease with limited treatment options and poorly understood molecular underpinnings. Dysregulated TGF-{beta}/SMAD signaling is a key driver of fibrotic remodeling, promoting persistent myofibroblast activation and excessive extracellular matrix deposition. Here we identify the Farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a bile acid activated nuclear receptor, as a previously unrecognized suppressor of pulmonary fibrosis. FXR expression is significantly reduced in lung tissues from patients with PF and in myofibroblasts derived from BLM-induced mouse models, correlating inversely with fibrosis severity. Genetic ablation of FXR exacerbates BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis by promoting fibroblast hyperactivation and dysregulation of the TGF-{beta}/SMAD signaling pathway. Mechanistically, we identify PPP1CB as a previously unrecognized FXR-interacting protein in primary myofibroblasts derived from IPF patients. We further show that FXR both increases chromatin accessibility at the PPP1CB locus and assembles a functional complex with PPP1CB, which in turn promotes SMAD2/3 dephosphorylation and suppresses their nuclear translocation. Notably, the clinical-stage FXR agonist TERN101 exhibits potent therapeutic efficacy in a BLM-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis model. These findings establish FXR as a critical antifibrotic regulator in lung tissue and suggest that pharmacological activation of FXR may offer a promising therapeutic strategy for IPF.
Preprint server:
bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 25 Jul 2026.
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