Tetraethylthiuram disulphide alleviates pulmonary fibrosis through modulating transforming growth factor-β signalling

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) induces significant morbidity and mortality, for which there are limited therapeutic options available. Here, we found that tetraethylthiuram disulphide (disulfiram, DSF), a derivative of thiuram, used in the treatment of alcohol abuse, has an inhibitory effect on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis via the attenuation of the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition, migration, and proliferation of fibroblasts. Furthermore, DSF inhibited the activation of primary pulmonary fibroblasts and fibroblast cell line under transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) challenge. Mechanistically, the anti-fibrotic effect of DSF on fibroblasts depends on the inhibition of TGF-beta signalling. We further determined that DSF interrupts the interaction between SMAD3 and TGF-beta receptor I (TBR I), and identified that DSF directly binds with SMAD3, in which Trp326, Thr330, and Cys332 of SMAD3 are critical binding sites for DSF. Collectively, our results reveal a powerful anti-fibrotic function of DSF in pulmonary fibrosis through the inhibition of TGF-beta/SMAD signalling in pulmonary fibroblasts, indicating that DSF is a promising therapeutic candidate for IPF.

Automated summary

DSF inhibits pulmonary fibrosis by targeting TGF-beta/SMAD signaling pathway, making it a promising therapeutic candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).