Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (Jun 2021)

Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-D Activates Complement System to Propagate Macrophage Polarization and Neovascularization

  • Zhen Xiong,
  • Qianqian Wang,
  • Wanhong Li,
  • Lijuan Huang,
  • Jianing Zhang,
  • Juanhua Zhu,
  • Bingbing Xie,
  • Shasha Wang,
  • Haiqing Kuang,
  • Xianchai Lin,
  • Chunsik Lee,
  • Anil Kumar,
  • Xuri Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.686886
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

Read online

Platelet-derived growth factor-D (PDGF-D) is highly expressed in immune cells. However, the potential role of PDGF-D in immune system remains thus far unclear. Here, we reveal a novel function of PDGF-D in activating both classical and alternative complement pathways that markedly increase chemokine and cytokine responses to promote macrophage polarization. Pharmacological targeting of the complement C3a receptor using SB290157 alleviated PDGF-D-induced neuroinflammation by blocking macrophage polarization and inhibited pathological choroidal neovascularization. Our study thus suggests that therapeutic strategies targeting both PDGF-D and the complement system may open up new possibilities for the treatment of neovascular diseases.

Keywords