Targeting fibroblast invasion for pulmonary fibrosis

1. A method for identifying a therapeutic compound effective to reduce invasiveness of fibroblasts characterized by a highly invasive phenotype obtained from a subject with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, wherein such highly invasive phenotype is characterized by upregulation of one or more of genes selected from Krtap2-3, Involucrin, PODXL, IL7R, TAF12, MGA2, and BNC1 and downregulation of one or more genes selected from GPNMB, VAMP1, Patched1, NR4A2 and NEAT1, comprising

a. Purifying a population of the fibroblasts characterized by the highly invasive phenotype by:

i. Confirming expression of cell surface markers Krtap2-3 high and Patched1 negative by the invasive fibroblasts by flow cytometry;

ii. isolating and establishing single cell clones based on expression of the cell surface markers;

iii. Transfecting into IPF fibroblasts one or more mammalian expression pcDNA3-XFP vectors selected from the group of Krtap23-GFP, PODXL-RFP, CD127-CFP and PTCH1-mCherry comprising a promoter of Krtap23, PODXL, CD127, or Patched1 inserted upstream of the fluorescent protein tag;

iv. Selecting positive cells of XFP expression; and

v. Determining cell marker expression, matrix production, proliferation, survival, migration and invasive capacity of the transfected cells,

b. Contacting the population of fibroblasts characterized by the highly invasive phenotype with a prospective therapeutic compound; and

c. Reducing invasiveness of the fibroblasts as measured in an invasiveness assay, with minimal impact on normal lung fibroblasts with a non-invasive phenotype.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic compound is a short hairpin RNA.