CCAAT/Enhancer-Binding Proteins in Fibrosis: Complex Roles Beyond Conventional Understanding
Lexun Wang,
Jiaojiao Feng,
Yanyue Deng,
Qianqian Yang,
Quxing Wei,
Dewei Ye,
Xianglu Rong,
Jiao Guo
Affiliations
Lexun Wang
Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, China; Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education of China, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
Jiaojiao Feng
Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, China; Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education of China, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
Yanyue Deng
Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, China; Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education of China, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
Qianqian Yang
Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, China; Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education of China, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
Quxing Wei
Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, China; Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education of China, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
Dewei Ye
Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, China; Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education of China, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
Xianglu Rong
Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, China; Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education of China, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
Jiao Guo
Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, China; Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education of China, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs) are a family of at least six identified transcription factors that contain a highly conserved basic leucine zipper domain and interact selectively with duplex DNA to regulate target gene expression. C/EBPs play important roles in various physiological processes, and their abnormal function can lead to various diseases. Recently, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that aberrant C/EBP expression or activity is closely associated with the onset and progression of fibrosis in several organs and tissues. During fibrosis, various C/EBPs can exert distinct functions in the same organ, while the same C/EBP can exert distinct functions in different organs. Modulating C/EBP expression or activity could regulate various molecular processes to alleviate fibrosis in multiple organs; therefore, novel C/EBPs-based therapeutic methods for treating fibrosis have attracted considerable attention. In this review, we will explore the features of C/EBPs and their critical functions in fibrosis in order to highlight new avenues for the development of novel therapies targeting C/EBPs.
