# Denervation activated super-enhancers of pathogenic IL6-STAT3 feedforward loop in FAPs

> **NIH NIH R01** · SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY INSTITUTE · 2021 · $416,130

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This proposal investigates the epigenetic mechanism of constitutive activation of pathogenic IL6-STAT3
signaling in Fibro-Adipogenic Progenitors (FAPs) from denervated muscles (DEN FAPs). FAPs are essential
cellular effectors of skeletal muscle ability to adapt to environmental perturbations. In response to acute injury,
FAPs are activated within a coordinate activation of inflammatory and satellite cells (SCs), and contribute to
promote muscle repair. By contrast, in response to chronic injury (e.g. muscular dystrophies) dysregulated
functional interactions between FAPs, macrophages (MPs) and SCs lead to impaired regeneration and
maladaptive repair by fibrosis and fat deposition. We have recently discovered an alternative pattern of FAPs
activation in response to muscle denervation, whereby in the absence of concomitant infiltration of MPs and
SC activation, a progressive expansion of DEN FAPs with persistent activation of IL6-STAT3 signaling leads to
myofiber atrophy and fibrosis. We posit that a flexible usage of cis-regulatory elements of the genome enables
FAPs to adopt different functional phenotypes in response to distinct types of skeletal muscle perturbations,
through activation of specific patterns of gene expression. In this regard, the differential activation of IL6
transcription observed during FAP’s response to different types of perturbation (i.e. acute injury vs denervation)
provides an opportunity to investigate how dynamic interactions between cis-regulatory elements regulate
threshold, magnitude and duration of gene transcription in response to distinct stimuli. We will investigate the
hypothesis that in DEN FAPs STAT3 promotes long-range interactions between distal enhancers and a highly
conserved regulatory element proximal to the IL6 transcription start site (TSS), to activate constitutive high
levels of IL6 transcription and secretion, which in turn drives prolonged activation of STAT3, via autocrine
engagement of IL6 receptor. As FAPs are composed of discrete sub-populations (subFAPs) in dynamic
equilibrium, we hypothesize the constitutive activation of IL6-STAT3 signaling leads to the emergence of a self-
autonomous, dominant subpopulation that accounts for the pathogenic activity of DEN FAPs. The specific
Aims will test the hypothesis that STAT3-mediated activation of IL6 super-enhancers is a key event for the
establishing a pathogenic feedforward IL6-STAT3 loop. In Aim 1 (3D regulation of IL6 locus in DEN FAPs),
we will use chromosome conformation capture (3C)- and ChIP-based technologies to identify and characterize
IL6 gene-interacting enhancers in DEN FAPs. In Aim 2 (Detection of DEN subFAPs and their and
functional characterization), we will exploit single cell RNAseq to detect DEN subFAPs and establish a
functional relationship between IL6-STAT3 hyperactivation and their self-autonomous expansion. In Aim 3
Pharmacological targeting of STAT3-activated super-enhancers in DEN FAPs, we will use
pharmaco...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10177874
- **Project number:** 5R01AR076247-03
- **Recipient organization:** SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Pier Lorenzo Puri
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $416,130
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10177874

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10177874, Denervation activated super-enhancers of pathogenic IL6-STAT3 feedforward loop in FAPs (5R01AR076247-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10177874. Licensed CC0.

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