Cyclophilin A Induces Mechanisms of Cell Rearrangement and Fusion During Differentiation and Maturation of Early Macrophage Precursors

---

Anastasiia A. Kalinina¹, Antonina Yu. Alexandrova¹, Dmitry B. Kazansky¹, and Ludmila M. Khromykh^1,a*

¹N. N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 115478 Moscow, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: February 25, 2026; Revised: March 26, 2026; Accepted: March 26, 2026

---

Macrophages are a heterogeneous cell population whose functional diversity is formed during their maturation and depends on factors of the microenvironment after their migration into the bloodstream or tissues. One such factor is the pro-inflammatory protein cyclophilin A (CypA, 18 kDa). Using a model of early human monocytic THP-1 cells, it was shown that recombinant human CypA (rhCypA) exerts a differentiating effect on these cells, inducing their maturation, adhesion, and spreading. Under the effect of rhCypA, the THP-1 cells developed an actin cytoskeleton characteristic of motile cells with numerous pseudopodia and podosomes, which ensure tight adhesion of the cells to the substrate and determine their migratory capabilities. Combination of low concentrations of rhCypA and other activators (phorbol myristate acetate) showed an additive effect and ensured effective monocyte differentiation. It was shown that rhCypA, along with other pro-inflammatory factors (IFNγ, TNFα), promotes cell fusion and induces formation of multinucleated macrophages, which are formed during osteoclast maturation under normal conditions as well as during granuloma formation in chronic inflammation (tuberculosis, Crohn’s disease). Multinucleated giant cells have significantly higher functional activity (phagocytosis, bactericidal, and pro-inflammatory activity) compared to the mononuclear forms. The study showed that rhCypA enhances expression of the CD147 molecule, an integral functional regulator of CD29 and CD98 molecules involved in the processes of cell adhesion and fusion. Elevated doses of CypA cause deterioration in macrophages, inducing their apoptosis, which may play a role in regulation of the immune response. The findings of this study determined the mechanisms by which secreted CypA mediates monocyte differentiation and maturation, as well as it showed functional role of macrophages in the development of the immune response, which could facilitate further development of therapeutic approaches for the treatment of infectious, autoimmune, and other diseases.

---

KEY WORDS: cyclophilin A, THP-1 monocytes, cell adhesion, actin cytoskeleton, multinucleated macrophages

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297926600523

Publisher’s Note. Pleiades Publishing remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

---