Kaempferol functionally reprograms CD47 signaling to promote cytoprotection and attenuate oxeiptosis in severe acute pancreatitis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) lacks targeted therapies, and massive loss of functional pancreatic acinar cells (PAC) drives mortality. Kaempferol (KA) possesses well-established anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective activities and is derived from herbal medicinal plants, but its direct molecular targets and mechanism of action in SAP remain undefined. PURPOSE: To evaluate the protective effects of KA against SAP and to elucidate its molecular mechanism of specific action, with a focus on identifying the direct cellular target through which KA exerts its cytoprotective effects. STUDY DESIGN: Gain‑/loss‑of‑function in vitro and PAC‑specific CD47 SAP mouse models, combined with multi‑omics screening and biophysical assays. METHODS: CD47 manipulation (siRNA/overexpression) was performed in primary PACs and cell lines, combined with WT/CD47-/-/Mist1‑CD47‑iOE (PAC‑specific) mouse models. Network pharmacology, transcriptomics and proteomics were integrated to screen and validate KA's protective effects. Computational‑experimental approaches (molecular docking/dynamics, CETSA, SPR, co‑IP, pharmacological epistasis) characterized KA's allosteric modulation of CD47 signaling. RESULTS: CD47 was upregulated in SAP; its knockout reduced PAC death via KEAP1/PGAM5/AIFM1-driven oxeiptosis. KA reduced PAC death across genotypes, afforded no extra benefit in CD47-KO, and was not overridden by CD47‑OE. Mechanistically, KA allosterically binds CD47 ectodomain, stabilizes the CD47‑ UBQLN1 complex, and redirects signaling from Gαi‑mediated death to Gβγ/ ERK/NRF2‑mediated survival. ERK inhibition attenuated KA's protection. KA's action was CD47‑dependent. CONCLUSION: This study identifies anti-oxeiptosis as a novel pharmacological activity of KA in SAP. This is achieved through allosteric modulation of CD47, redirecting its signaling from death‑promoting to a protective axis via activating Gβγ/ERK/NRF2 to suppress oxeiptosis. These findings reveal the CD47‑oxeiptosis axis as a therapeutic target and position KA as a promising candidate for SAP therapy, adding a new mechanistic dimension to KA's known pharmacological profile.

Key Findings

• Kaempferol (KA) allosterically binds to the CD47 ectodomain and stabilizes the CD47-UBQLN1 complex.
• KA redirects CD47 signaling from Gαi-mediated cell death to Gβγ/ERK/NRF2-mediated cytoprotective survival pathways.
• KA reduces pancreatic acinar cell death by suppressing KEAP1/PGAM5/AIFM1-driven oxeiptosis in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Clinical Significance

Citation

Tian Yu, Zhang Yan, Gao Qianget al.. Kaempferol functionally reprograms CD47 signaling to promote cytoprotection and attenuate oxeiptosis in severe acute pancreatitis. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2026-Jul-25.