ANTI-FIBROSIS COMPOUND

Fibrosis continues to threaten human health in multiple organs including lung, kidney and liver. Recently, there have been findings showing that by decreasing MDM4 protein, myofibroblasts have reduced viability in lungs, causing a reduction in fibrosis. We have engineered a plate assay yielding massive collagen induction in a TGF-beta dependent reaction, creating a new model for scarring/fibrosis. This model can be used to test for MDM4 involvement, as well as for identification of other key players. Classic anti-fibrosis compounds screened using our fibrosis model showed some effectiveness, and also identified one strong agonist. We offer our novel fibrosis assay for use in screening for anti-fibrotic lead compounds.