Authors
Shanwei Ye, Qian Xu, Yong Xu, Hui Lu, Zhenfeng Liu, Jianfeng Guo, Yichuan Li, Wei Wang, Jun Ran, Xiaohua Zhu, Dongling Zhu, Wei Wu, Zechuan Yang, Shiqi Gu, Feng Li, Lugui Qiu, Ellen Puré, Vijay G Bhoj, Liang Huang, Wei Xiong, Zheng Zhang
Published in
Nature communications. Jun 27, 2026. Epub Jun 27, 2026.
Abstract
Epidural fibrosis (EF) is a frequent and debilitating complication that impairs recovery following spinal surgery, yet effective targeted therapies are lacking. Here we observe enrichment of FAP⁺ fibroblasts at surgical sites in patients after laminectomy. To therapeutically target this subset, we develop bispecific antibody-decorated extracellular vesicles (BsAb EVs), which redirect endogenous T cells to eliminate FAP⁺ fibroblasts in situ. In a preclinical model, BsAb EVs selectively eliminate pathogenic fibroblasts, reduce fibrotic collagen accumulation, and prevent the development of postoperative epidural fibrosis without detectable systemic toxicity under the tested conditions. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals that FAP⁺ fibroblasts represent a transcriptionally distinct subset from α-SMA⁺ myofibroblasts, characterized by enhanced extracellular matrix remodeling and TGF-β production. Together, these findings highlight a critical stromal subset in EF pathogenesis and position BsAb EVs as a promising immunotherapeutic strategy for targeting pathogenic stromal cells in fibrotic and tissue-remodeling disorders.
PMID:
42364978
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 28 Jun 2026.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 4
- Comments 0