AAV-miR-124 enhances endogenous alveolar epithelial regenerative plasticity and reverses bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by irreversible destruction of the alveolar epithelium and impaired regeneration. Although current therapies slow disease progression, they do not restore functional alveoli, highlighting the need for regenerative approaches that promote endogenous lung repair. Here, we performed the first unbiased functional screen of 2,042 human microRNA mimics in primary mouse alveolar type II (ATII) cells to identify regulators of ATII-to-alveolar type I (ATI) cell transdifferentiation. The screen identified miR-124-3p as the most effective promoter of ATI differentiation. In vitro, miR-124-3p promoted ATII-to-ATI transdifferentiation in healthy and bleomycin-injured ATII cells while also increasing the ATII cell pool, consistent with activity on epithelial progenitors. Using the engineered AAV6.2FF capsid, we generated a vector encoding miR-124-3p, which efficiently transduced ATII cells, MHC-II club distal progenitor cells, and injury-induced KRT8 epithelial intermediates. Therapeutic administration after fibrosis establishment reduced lung fibrosis, restored alveolar architecture, and showed greater efficacy than nintedanib in the bleomycin mouse model. Mechanistically, we propose a context-dependent model whereby miR-124-3p regulates epithelial cell states through the EZH2-C/EBP axis while attenuating epithelial transcriptional programs associated with IPF. Together, these findings support AAV-mediated delivery of miR-124 to promote alveolar repair in pulmonary fibrosis.