Fig. 7: Schematic summary of the study. | Nature Communications

Fig. 7: Schematic summary of the study.

From: Epigenetic memory of radiotherapy in dermal fibroblasts impairs wound repair capacity in cancer survivors

Fig. 7

Skin fibroblasts in cancer patients who undergo radiotherapy exhibit enduring epigenetic alterations, including heightened chromatin accessibility at the THBS1 gene locus. Following skin injury, such as during surgery, the TGF-β signaling pathway triggers RUNX1-dependent transcription of THBS1. The elevated and sustained expression of THBS1 in RT+ fibroblasts hampers cellular motility, contractility, and delays the healing process. However, the inhibition of THBS1 enhances fibroblast functionality and facilitates tissue repair, indicating a prospective therapeutic approach for addressing radiation ulcers. Figure 7 was created with BioRender.com released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International license.

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