Dasatinib inhibits TGFβ-induced myofibroblast differentiation through Src-SRF Pathway

Persistent myofibroblast differentiation is a hallmark of fibrotic diseases. Myofibroblasts are characterized by de novo expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and excess fibronectin assembly. Recent studies provide conflicting reports on the effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib on myofibroblast differentiation and fibrosis. Also, it is not fully understood whether dasatinib modulates myofibroblast differentiation by targeting Src kinase. Herein, we investigated the effect of dasatinib on cSrc and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ)-induced myofibroblast differentiation in vitro. Our results indicated that selective Src kinase inhibition using PP2 mimicked the effect of dasatinib in attenuating myofibroblast differentiation as evident by blunted αSMA expression and modest, but significant inhibition of fibronectin assembly in both NIH 3T3 and fibrotic human lung fibroblasts. Mechanistically, our data showed that dasatinib modulates αSMA synthesis through Src kinase-mediated modulation of serum response factor expression. Collectively, our results demonstrate that dasatinib modulates myofibroblast differentiation through Src-SRF pathway. Thus, dasatinib could potentially be a therapeutic option in fibrotic diseases.