title: Versican in inflammation and tissue remodeling: the impact on lung disorders.
abstract: Versican is a proteoglycan that has many different roles in tissue homeostasis and inflammation. The biochemical structure comprises four different types of the core protein with attached glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) that can be sulfated to various extents and has the capacity to regulate differentiation of different cell types, migration, cell adhesion, proliferation, tissue stabilization and inflammation. Versican's regulatory properties are of importance during both homeostasis and changes that lead to disease progression. The GAGs that are attached to the core protein are of the chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate type and are known to be important in inflammation through interactions with cytokines and growth factors. For a more complex understanding of versican, it is of importance to study the tissue niche, where the wound healing process in both healthy and diseased conditions take place. In previous studies, our group has identified changes in the amount of the multifaceted versican in chronic lung disorders such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, which could be a result of pathologic, transforming growth factor β driven, on-going remodeling processes. Reversely, the context of versican in its niche is of great importance since versican has been reported to have a beneficial role in other contexts, e.g. emphysema. Here we explore the vast mechanisms of versican in healthy lung and in lung disorders.
authors.affiliation: Lung Biology.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andersson-Sjöland
authors.affiliation: Lung Biology Lung Medicine and Allergology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund 221 84, Sweden.
authors.forename: Oskar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hallgren
authors.affiliation: Lung Biology.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rolandsson
authors.affiliation: Lung Biology.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weitoft
authors.affiliation: Lung Biology Matrix Biology, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, BMC D12, Lund University, Lund 221 84, Sweden.
authors.forename: Emil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tykesson
authors.affiliation: Lung Biology.
authors.forename: Anna-Karin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Larsson-Callerfelt
authors.affiliation: Lung Biology.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rydell-Törmänen
authors.affiliation: Lung Medicine and Allergology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund 221 84, Sweden.
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bjermer
authors.affiliation: Lung Medicine and Allergology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund 221 84, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malmström
authors.affiliation: Lung Biology jenny_c.karlsson@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Jenny C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.affiliation: Lung Biology.
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Westergren-Thorsson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D053675:Versicans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D053675:Versicans
keywords: extracellular matrix; lung disorders; remodeling; versican