Blocking Sp1 Transcription Factor Broadly Inhibits Extracellular Matrix Gene Expression in Vitro and in Vivo: Implications for the Treatment of Tissue Fibrosis

Fibrosis is a consequence of injury characterized by accumulation of excess collagen and other extracellular matrix components, resulting in the destruction of normal tissue architecture and loss of function. Sp1 was originally described as a ubiquitous transcription factor. It is involved in the basal expression of extracellular matrix genes and may, therefore, be important in fibrotic processes. To evaluate the effect of Sp1 blockade on the expression of extracellular matrix genes, clones of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts stably transfected with an anti-sense Sp1 expression vector. Simultaneously reduced expression of several extracellular matrix genes as compared with mock-transfected clones was noted using differential hybridization of cDNA microarrays, without significant alteration in cell growth. Transfection of human dermal fibroblasts with several extracellular matrix gene (COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, COL5A2, COL7A1, TIMP-1, and decorin) promoter/reporter constructs demonstrated that anti-sense Sp1-induced reduction of extracellular matrix gene mRNA steady-state levels results from transcriptional repression, consistent with the role of Sp1 as a transcription factor. Decoy Sp1 binding oligonucleotides inhibited COL1A2 promoter activity both in cultured fibroblasts and in vivo, in the skin of transgenic mice, which have integrated a mouse COL1A2 promoter/luciferase reporter gene construct. These results indicate that targeting Sp1 efficiently blocks extracellular matrix gene expression, and suggest that such an approach may represent an interesting therapeutic alternative toward the treatment of fibrotic disorders.