AUTHOR=Zhao Tong , Chu Zhuangzhuang , Chu Catherine Huihan , Dong Shuo , Li Guoqing , Wu Jin , Tang Chunbo 

TITLE=Macrophages induce gingival destruction via Piezo1-mediated MMPs-degrading collagens in periodontitis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1194662

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2023.1194662

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>Macrophages are an integral part of the innate immune response in periodontal tissue and play a crucial role in the progression of periodontitis. Here we reported that macrophages also provoke periodontitis-induced gingival destruction through Piezol-mediated collagen degradation. We discovered that the <italic>PIEZO1</italic> expression was markedly elevated in patients with periodontitis through transcriptomic profiling. Moreover, Piezo1 promoted macrophage polarization toward the M1 type in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and induced production of proinflammatory cytokines, which in turn stimulated production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) leading to collagen degradation. Our study suggests that Piezol might be a potential therapeutic target for treating periodontitis-induced gingival destruction.</p>