Anti-ACVR2A (aa 267-509) polyclonal antibody

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 2 and activin A belong to the TGF-beta superfamily and are highly expressed in human endometrium and placenta. Studies have demonstrated that activin A and BMP2 play essential roles in the process of early embryo implantation by promoting human trophoblast cell invasion. However, whether activin A production can be regulated by BMP2 in human trophoblast cells remains unknown. The aim of our study was to determine the effects of BMP2 on activin A production and its role in human trophoblast invasion. Primary human extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells were used as study models. BMP2 treatment significantly increased inhibin beta A (INHBA) mRNA levels and activin A production without altering inhibin alpha and inhibin beta B levels. BMP2-induced EVT cell invasion was attenuated by knockdown of INHBA. The increased INHBA transcription and activin A production by BMP2 were blocked by the type I receptor activin receptor (ACVR)-like kinase 2 (ALK2) and activin receptor-like kinase 3 (ALK3) inhibitor dorsomorphin homolog 1 (DMH-1). BMP2-induced INHBA upregulation was also inhibited by knockdown of type I receptor ALK3 or combined knockdown of type II receptors for BMP2 (BMPR2) and ACVR2A. Whereas BMP2 initiated both canonical SMAD1/5/8 and noncanonical SMAD2/3 signaling, only knockdown of SMAD4, but not SMAD2 and SMAD3, abolished the effects of BMP2 on INHBA. Our results show that BMP2 increases human trophoblast invasion by upregulating INHBA and activin A production via ALK3-BMPR2/ACVR2A-SMAD1/5/8-SMAD4 signaling.

Sotatercept (ACE-011), under development by Acceleron Pharma Inc in collaboration with Celgene Corp, is a chimeric protein containing the extracellular domain of the activin receptor 2A (ACVR2A) fused to the Fc domain of human IgG1. Sotatercept contains the binding site of ACVR2A and interferes with downstream signaling cascades, in particular the SMAD pathway, by sequestering activin. The murine counterpart of sotatercept, referred to as RAP-011, has been extensively evaluated in preclinical studies, in particular in models of cancer-and osteoporosis-related bone loss, and the developing companies envisage that sotatercept may also have potential for the treatment of cancer and cancer-related bone loss. In a phase I clinical trial in postmenopausal females, sotatercept increased hematocrit levels, and, in a phase II trial in patients with multiple myeloma, a trend toward improvement in osteolytic lesions as well as antitumor activity was observed. At the time of publication, phase II trials in patients with anemia were ongoing. Future clinical development will rely on an evaluation of the benefits and complications of sotatercept administration, focusing in particular on suppression of ovarian function and increases in hematocrit levels without a consequent risk of hypertension and thrombosis.