Engineered Amphiregulin Promotes Tissue Healing via Dual Regenerative and Immunomodulatory Functions in Tissue-Resident Non-Immune Cells

Abstract

Amphiregulin (AREG), a growth factor prominently expressed by immune cells, has emerged as an important mediator of tissue healing. However, its therapeutic potential and immunomodulatory effects remain elusive. Here, we engineered an optimized AREG (eAREG) with enhanced signaling and show that it promotes robust skin repair and muscle regeneration in murine models. Beyond its growth factor function, eAREG acts on tissue-resident non-immune cells to suppress inflammation-induced chemokine programs, thereby limiting the recruitment of pro-inflammatory immune cells. We further demonstrate that eAREG constrains chromatin accessibility at regulatory regions of key chemokine genes, revealing an epigenetic mechanism of immune regulation operating within non-immune tissue compartments. Importantly, the regenerative and immunomodulatory effects of eAREG are preserved in diabetic mice with elevated inflammation and impaired healing. Together, these findings identify eAREG as a dual-function regenerative biologic and establish a design principle for regenerative therapies that integrate morphogenic signaling with immunomodulation mediated by tissue-resident cells.