Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Show: 20 | 50 | 100
Results 1 - 20 de 73
Filter
1.
Sci Adv ; 10(27): eadl1197, 2024 Jul 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38959305

ABSTRACT

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by increasing fibrosis, which can enhance tumor progression and spread. Here, we undertook an unbiased temporal assessment of the matrisome of the highly metastatic KPC (Pdx1-Cre, LSL-KrasG12D/+, LSL-Trp53R172H/+) and poorly metastatic KPflC (Pdx1-Cre, LSL-KrasG12D/+, Trp53fl/+) genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic cancer using mass spectrometry proteomics. Our assessment at early-, mid-, and late-stage disease reveals an increased abundance of nidogen-2 (NID2) in the KPC model compared to KPflC, with further validation showing that NID2 is primarily expressed by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Using biomechanical assessments, second harmonic generation imaging, and birefringence analysis, we show that NID2 reduction by CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) in CAFs reduces stiffness and matrix remodeling in three-dimensional models, leading to impaired cancer cell invasion. Intravital imaging revealed improved vascular patency in live NID2-depleted tumors, with enhanced response to gemcitabine/Abraxane. In orthotopic models, NID2 CRISPRi tumors had less liver metastasis and increased survival, highlighting NID2 as a potential PDAC cotarget.


Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal , Fibrosis , Pancreatic Neoplasms , Proteomics , Animals , Pancreatic Neoplasms/metabolism , Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology , Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics , Proteomics/methods , Mice , Humans , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/metabolism , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/pathology , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics , Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts/metabolism , Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts/pathology , Disease Models, Animal , Cell Line, Tumor , Calcium-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Calcium-Binding Proteins/genetics , Gemcitabine , Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives , Deoxycytidine/pharmacology , Cell Adhesion Molecules
2.
Bioinformatics ; 39(12)2023 12 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38113422

ABSTRACT

MOTIVATION: Cell fate is commonly studied by profiling the gene expression of single cells to infer developmental trajectories based on expression similarity, RNA velocity, or statistical mechanical properties. However, current approaches do not recover microenvironmental signals from the cellular niche that drive a differentiation trajectory. RESULTS: We resolve this with environment-aware trajectory inference (ENTRAIN), a computational method that integrates trajectory inference methods with ligand-receptor pair gene regulatory networks to identify extracellular signals and evaluate their relative contribution towards a differentiation trajectory. The output from ENTRAIN can be superimposed on spatial data to co-localize cells and molecules in space and time to map cell fate potentials to cell-cell interactions. We validate and benchmark our approach on single-cell bone marrow and spatially resolved embryonic neurogenesis datasets to identify known and novel environmental drivers of cellular differentiation. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: ENTRAIN is available as a public package at https://github.com/theimagelab/entrain and can be used on both single-cell and spatially resolved datasets.


Subject(s)
Gene Regulatory Networks , Single-Cell Analysis , Ligands , Cell Differentiation/genetics , Single-Cell Analysis/methods , Gene Expression Profiling/methods
3.
Eur Urol Open Sci ; 57: 30-36, 2023 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38020530

ABSTRACT

Background: Lutetium-177-prostate-specific membrane antigen- 617 (Lu-PSMA) is an effective therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, treatment responses are heterogeneous despite stringent positron emission tomography (PET)-based imaging selection criteria. Molecularly based biomarkers have potential to refine patient selection and optimise outcomes. Objective: To identify circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) features associated with treatment outcomes for men treated with Lu-PSMA. Design setting and participants: ctDNA from men treated with Lu-PSMA in combination with idronoxil for progressive mCRPC were analysed using an 85-gene customised sequencing assay. ctDNA fractions, molecular profiles, and the presence of alterations in aggressive-variant prostate cancer (AVPC) genes were analysed at baseline, cycle 3 and at disease progression. Intervention: Men received Lu-PSMA with idronoxil every 6 wk for up to six cycles. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Baseline and exit PSMA and fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography (CT) imaging was conducted at baseline and study exit. Single-photon emission CT (SPECT) scans were performed 24 h after Lu-PSMA. Blood samples were collected at baseline,cycle 3 and at disease progression. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to assess associations and derive hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between molecular factors, imaging features, and clinical outcomes. Results and limitations: Sixty samples from 32 men were sequenced (32 at baseline, 24 at cycle 3, four from patients with disease progression); two samples (baseline, on-treatment) from one individual were excluded from analysis owing to poor quality of the baseline sequencing data. Alterations in AVPC genes were associated with shorter prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in univariate (HR 3.4, 95% CI 1.5-7.7; p = 0.0036; and HR 3.3, 95% CI 1.4-7.7; p = 0.0063, respectively) and multivariate analyses (HR 4.8, 95% CI 1.8-13; p = 0.0014; and HR 4.1, 95% CI 1.6-11; p = 0.004). Conclusions: ctDNA alterations in AVPC genes were associated with shorter PSA PFS and OS among men treated with Lu-PSMA and intermittent idronoxil. These candidate molecular biomarkers warrant further study to determine whether they have predictive value and potential to guide synergistic combination strategies to enhance outcomes for men treated with Lu-PSMA for mCRPC. Patient summary: Certain DNA/gene changes detected in the blood of men with advanced prostate cancer were associated with shorter benefit from lutetium PSMA, a targeted radioactive therapy. This information may be useful in determining which men may benefit most from this treatment, but additional research is needed.

5.
Cancer Res ; 83(8): 1315-1328, 2023 04 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36787115

ABSTRACT

The inflammatory microenvironment of solid tumors creates a protumorigenic milieu that resembles chronic inflammation akin to a subverted wound healing response. Here, we investigated the effect of converting the tumor microenvironment from a chronically inflamed state to one of acute microbial inflammation by injecting microbial bioparticles directly into tumors. Intratumoral microbial bioparticle injection led to rapid and dramatic changes in the tumor immune composition, the most striking of which was a substantial increase in the presence of activated neutrophils. In situ photoconversion and intravital microscopy indicated that tumor neutrophils transiently switched from sessile producers of VEGF to highly motile neutrophils that clustered to make neutrophil-rich domains in the tumor. The neutrophil clusters remodeled tumor tissue and repressed tumor growth. Single-cell transcriptional analysis of microbe-stimulated neutrophils showed a profound shift in gene expression towards heightened activation and antimicrobial effector function. Microbe-activated neutrophils also upregulated chemokines known to regulate neutrophil and CD8+ T-cell recruitment. Microbial therapy also boosted CD8+ T-cell function and enhanced the therapeutic benefit of checkpoint inhibitor therapy in tumor-bearing mice and provided protection in a model of tumor recurrence. These data indicate that one of the major effector mechanisms of microbial therapy is the conversion of tumor neutrophils from a wound healing to an acutely activated cytotoxic phenotype, highlighting a rationale for broader deployment of microbial therapy in the treatment of solid cancers. SIGNIFICANCE: Intratumoral injection of microbial bioparticles stimulates neutrophil antitumor functions, suggesting pathways for optimizing efficacy of microbial therapies and paving the way for their broader utilization in the clinic.


Subject(s)
Neoplasms , Neutrophils , Mice , Animals , Neutrophils/metabolism , Neoplasms/genetics , Neoplasms/therapy , Neoplasms/metabolism , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes , Inflammation/pathology , Phenotype , Neutrophil Infiltration , Tumor Microenvironment
6.
Cancers (Basel) ; 16(1)2023 Dec 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38201440

ABSTRACT

Hepatoblastoma is characterized by driver mutations in CTNNB1, making it an attractive biomarker for a liquid biopsy approach utilizing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). This prospective observational study sought to ascertain the feasibility of ctDNA detection in patients with hepatoblastoma and explore its associations with established clinical indicators and biomarkers, including serum Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). We obtained 38 plasma samples and 17 tumor samples from 20 patients with hepatoblastoma. These samples were collected at various stages: 10 at initial diagnosis, 17 during neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 6 post-operatively, and 5 at disease recurrence. Utilizing a bespoke sequencing assay we developed called QUENCH, we identified single nucleotide variants and deletions in CTNNB1 ctDNA. Our study demonstrated the capability to quantitate ctDNA down to a variant allele frequency of 0.3%, achieving a sensitivity of 90% for patients at initial diagnosis, and a specificity of 100% at the patient level. Notably, ctDNA positivity correlated with tumor burden, and ctDNA levels exhibited associations with macroscopic residual disease and treatment response. Our findings provide evidence for the utility of quantitative ctDNA detection in hepatoblastoma management. Given the distinct detection targets, ctDNA and AFP-based stratification and monitoring approaches could synergize to enhance clinical decision-making. Further research is needed to elucidate the interplay between ctDNA and AFP and determine the optimal clinical applications for both methods in risk stratification and residual disease detection.

7.
Cureus ; 14(5): e25051, 2022 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35719755

ABSTRACT

As a "signature injury" of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major health concern among military service members. Traumatic brain injury is associated with a wide range of symptoms which may be cognitive, emotional, psychological, biochemical, and social in nature. Mild TBI (mTBI) ranks as the most common traumatic brain injury among veterans. Due to the absence of specific symptoms, mTBI diagnosis may be challenging in acute settings. Repetitive traumatic brain injury during combat deployments can lead to devastating chronic neurodegenerative diseases and other major life disruptions. Many cases of TBI remain undetected in veterans and may lead to long-term adverse comorbidities such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide, alcohol disorders, psychiatric diagnoses, and service-related somatic dysfunctions. Veterans with TBI are almost twice as likely to die from suicide in comparison to veterans without a history of TBI. Veterans diagnosed with TBI experience significant comorbid conditions and thus advocacy for improved care is justified and necessary. Given the complexity and variation in the symptomatology of TBI, a personalized, multimodal approach is warranted in the evaluation and treatment of veterans with TBI and other associated conditions. As such, this review provides a broad overview of treatment options, with an emphasis on advocacy and osteopathic integration in the standard of care for veterans.

8.
Compend Contin Educ Dent ; 42(1): 47-48, 2021 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33481627

ABSTRACT

This article will provide an overview of the initial responses by dental education institutions to the impacts of COVID-19 and their modifications of operations implemented to reopen all phases of their educational programs in this "new normal" environment. It will also discuss potential long-term impacts on dental education based on the experiences of four dental schools.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Education, Dental , Curriculum , Humans , SARS-CoV-2
9.
Adv Genet (Hoboken) ; 2(1): e10036, 2021 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36618440

ABSTRACT

ERBB3 is a pseudokinase domain-containing member of the ERBB family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Following ligand binding, ERBB receptors homo- or hetero-dimerize, leading to a head-to-tail arrangement of the intracellular kinase domains, where the "receiver" kinase domain of one ERBB is activated by the "activator" domain of the other ERBB in the dimer. In ERBB3, a conserved valine at codon 943 (V943) in the kinase C-terminal domain has been shown to be important for its function as an "activator" kinase in vitro. Here we report a knock-in mouse model where we have modified the endogenous Erbb3 allele to allow for tissue-specific conditional expression of Erbb3 V943R (Erbb3 CKI-V943R ). Additionally, we generated an Erbb3 D850N (Erbb3 CKI-D850N ) conditional knock-in mouse model where the conserved aspartate in the DFG motif of the pseudokinase domain was mutated to abolish any potential residual kinase activity. While Erbb3 D850N/D850N animals developed normally, homozygous Erbb3 V943R/V943R expression during development resulted in embryonic lethality. Further, tissue specific expression of Erbb3 V943R/V943R in the mammary gland epithelium following its activation using MMTV-Cre resulted in delayed elongation of the ductal network during puberty. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of Erbb3 V943R/V943R mammary glands showed a reduction in a specific subset of fibrinogen-producing luminal epithelial cells.

10.
Nat Commun ; 11(1): 4225, 2020 08 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32839463

ABSTRACT

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is an aggressive gastrointestinal malignancy with no approved targeted therapy. Here, we analyze exomes (n = 160), transcriptomes (n = 115), and low pass whole genomes (n = 146) from 167 gallbladder cancers (GBCs) from patients in Korea, India and Chile. In addition, we also sequence samples from 39 GBC high-risk patients and detect evidence of early cancer-related genomic lesions. Among the several significantly mutated genes not previously linked to GBC are ETS domain genes ELF3 and EHF, CTNNB1, APC, NSD1, KAT8, STK11 and NFE2L2. A majority of ELF3 alterations are frame-shift mutations that result in several cancer-specific neoantigens that activate T-cells indicating that they are cancer vaccine candidates. In addition, we identify recurrent alterations in KEAP1/NFE2L2 and WNT pathway in GBC. Taken together, these define multiple targetable therapeutic interventions opportunities for GBC treatment and management.


Subject(s)
DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , Frameshift Mutation , Gallbladder Neoplasms/genetics , Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets/genetics , Transcription Factors/genetics , Cancer Vaccines/genetics , Cancer Vaccines/immunology , Chile , DNA-Binding Proteins/immunology , DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Gallbladder Neoplasms/diagnosis , Gallbladder Neoplasms/metabolism , Gene Expression Profiling/methods , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Genomics/methods , Humans , India , Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1/genetics , Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1/metabolism , NF-E2-Related Factor 2/genetics , NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets/immunology , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets/metabolism , Republic of Korea , Transcription Factors/immunology , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Wnt Signaling Pathway/genetics , beta Catenin/genetics , beta Catenin/metabolism
11.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 117(33): 19854-19865, 2020 08 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32759214

ABSTRACT

The blood-retina barrier and blood-brain barrier (BRB/BBB) are selective and semipermeable and are critical for supporting and protecting central nervous system (CNS)-resident cells. Endothelial cells (ECs) within the BRB/BBB are tightly coupled, express high levels of Claudin-5 (CLDN5), a junctional protein that stabilizes ECs, and are important for proper neuronal function. To identify novel CLDN5 regulators (and ultimately EC stabilizers), we generated a CLDN5-P2A-GFP stable cell line from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), directed their differentiation to ECs (CLDN5-GFP hPSC-ECs), and performed flow cytometry-based chemogenomic library screening to measure GFP expression as a surrogate reporter of barrier integrity. Using this approach, we identified 62 unique compounds that activated CLDN5-GFP. Among them were TGF-ß pathway inhibitors, including RepSox. When applied to hPSC-ECs, primary brain ECs, and retinal ECs, RepSox strongly elevated barrier resistance (transendothelial electrical resistance), reduced paracellular permeability (fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran), and prevented vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA)-induced barrier breakdown in vitro. RepSox also altered vascular patterning in the mouse retina during development when delivered exogenously. To determine the mechanism of action of RepSox, we performed kinome-, transcriptome-, and proteome-profiling and discovered that RepSox inhibited TGF-ß, VEGFA, and inflammatory gene networks. In addition, RepSox not only activated vascular-stabilizing and barrier-establishing Notch and Wnt pathways, but also induced expression of important tight junctions and transporters. Taken together, our data suggest that inhibiting multiple pathways by selected individual small molecules, such as RepSox, may be an effective strategy for the development of better BRB/BBB models and novel EC barrier-inducing therapeutics.


Subject(s)
Endothelial Cells/drug effects , Pluripotent Stem Cells/drug effects , Small Molecule Libraries/pharmacology , Animals , Blood-Brain Barrier/drug effects , Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism , Blood-Retinal Barrier/drug effects , Blood-Retinal Barrier/metabolism , Cell Differentiation , Cell Line , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Claudin-5/genetics , Claudin-5/metabolism , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Endothelial Cells/cytology , Endothelial Cells/metabolism , Gene Editing , Genome , Humans , Mice , Mice, Knockout , Pluripotent Stem Cells/cytology , Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism , Pyrazoles/pharmacology , Pyridines/pharmacology , Tight Junctions/metabolism , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism
12.
J Am Soc Nephrol ; 31(10): 2341-2354, 2020 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32651223

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The glomerulus is a specialized capillary bed that is involved in urine production and BP control. Glomerular injury is a major cause of CKD, which is epidemic and without therapeutic options. Single-cell transcriptomics has radically improved our ability to characterize complex organs, such as the kidney. Cells of the glomerulus, however, have been largely underrepresented in previous single-cell kidney studies due to their paucity and intractability. METHODS: Single-cell RNA sequencing comprehensively characterized the types of cells in the glomerulus from healthy mice and from four different disease models (nephrotoxic serum nephritis, diabetes, doxorubicin toxicity, and CD2AP deficiency). RESULTS: All cell types in the glomerulus were identified using unsupervised clustering analysis. Novel marker genes and gene signatures of mesangial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells of the afferent and efferent arterioles, parietal epithelial cells, and three types of endothelial cells were identified. Analysis of the disease models revealed cell type-specific and injury type-specific responses in the glomerulus, including acute activation of the Hippo pathway in podocytes after nephrotoxic immune injury. Conditional deletion of YAP or TAZ resulted in more severe and prolonged proteinuria in response to injury, as well as worse glomerulosclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: Generation of comprehensive high-resolution, single-cell transcriptomic profiles of the glomerulus from healthy and injured mice provides resources to identify novel disease-related genes and pathways.


Subject(s)
Kidney Diseases/etiology , Kidney Glomerulus/pathology , Animals , Disease Models, Animal , Gene Expression Profiling , Kidney Diseases/metabolism , Kidney Diseases/pathology , Kidney Glomerulus/metabolism , Mesangial Cells/pathology , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Podocytes/pathology
13.
J Am Osteopath Assoc ; 120(7): 479-482, 2020 Jul 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32598462

ABSTRACT

Dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation, is a common cause of acute pelvic pain that affects approximately two-thirds of women who are postmenarchal in the United States. Dysmenorrhea pain is frequently severe enough to disrupt daily activities and often accompanied by other symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, and dizziness. Primary dysmenorrhea is likely due to an excess of prostaglandins and is traditionally treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hormonal therapy. Secondary dysmenorrhea can have multiple origins and requires targeted therapy. Currently, musculoskeletal dysfunction and psychosocial factors are not listed as causes of secondary dysmenorrhea. The authors present a case in which the cause of secondary dysmenorrhea was thought to be related to both musculoskeletal dysfunction and emotional stress. Osteopathic manipulative treatment and lifestyle changes helped resolve secondary dysmenorrhea.


Subject(s)
Dysmenorrhea , Manipulation, Osteopathic , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Dysmenorrhea/drug therapy , Female , Humans
14.
Nature ; 579(7798): 274-278, 2020 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32103181

ABSTRACT

Despite the resounding clinical success in cancer treatment of antibodies that block the interaction of PD1 with its ligand PDL11, the mechanisms involved remain unknown. A major limitation to understanding the origin and fate of T cells in tumour immunity is the lack of quantitative information on the distribution of individual clonotypes of T cells in patients with cancer. Here, by performing deep single-cell sequencing of RNA and T cell receptors in patients with different types of cancer, we survey the profiles of various populations of T cells and T cell receptors in tumours, normal adjacent tissue, and peripheral blood. We find clear evidence of clonotypic expansion of effector-like T cells not only within the tumour but also in normal adjacent tissue. Patients with gene signatures of such clonotypic expansion respond best to anti-PDL1 therapy. Notably, expanded clonotypes found in the tumour and normal adjacent tissue can also typically be detected in peripheral blood, which suggests a convenient approach to patient identification. Analyses of our data together with several external datasets suggest that intratumoural T cells, especially in responsive patients, are replenished with fresh, non-exhausted replacement cells from sites outside the tumour, suggesting continued activity of the cancer immunity cycle in these patients, the acceleration of which may be associated with clinical response.


Subject(s)
Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/cytology , Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/metabolism , Neoplasms/pathology , Pharmacogenomic Variants , Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics , T-Lymphocytes/cytology , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Clone Cells , Humans , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Neoplasms/immunology , T-Lymphocytes/metabolism , Transcriptome
15.
MAbs ; 12(1): 1722541, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32041466

ABSTRACT

Antibodies from B-cell clonal lineages share sequence and structural properties as well as epitope specificity. Clonally unrelated antibodies can similarly share sequence and specificity properties and are said to be convergent. Convergent antibody responses against several antigens have been described in humans and mice and include different classes of shared sequence features. In particular, some antigens and epitopes can induce convergent responses of clonally unrelated antibodies with restricted heavy (VH) and light (VL) chain variable region germline segment usage without similarity in the heavy chain third complementarity-determining region (CDR H3), a critical specificity determinant. Whether these V germline segment-restricted responses reflect a general epitope specificity restriction of antibodies with shared VH/VL pairing is not known. Here, we investigated this question by determining patterns of antigen binding competition between clonally unrelated antigen-specific rat antibodies from paired-chain deep sequencing datasets selected based solely on VH/VL pairing. We found that antibodies with shared VH/VL germline segment pairings but divergent CDR H3 sequences almost invariably have restricted epitope specificity indicated by shared binding competition patterns. This epitope restriction included 82 of 85 clonally unrelated antibodies with 13 different VH/VL pairings binding in 8 epitope groups in 2 antigens. The corollary that antibodies with shared VH/VL pairing and epitope-restricted binding can accommodate widely divergent CDR H3 sequences was confirmed by in vitro selection of variants of anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 antibodies known to mediate critical antigen interactions through CDR H3. Our results show that restricted epitope specificity determined by VH/VL germline segment pairing is a general property of rodent antigen-specific antibodies.


Subject(s)
Antibody Specificity/immunology , Epitopes/immunology , Immunoglobulin Variable Region/chemistry , Immunoglobulin Variable Region/immunology , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/chemistry , Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/immunology , Immunoglobulin Light Chains/chemistry , Immunoglobulin Light Chains/immunology , Rats
16.
Cell Rep ; 30(5): 1491-1503.e6, 2020 02 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32023464

ABSTRACT

How satellite cells and their progenitors balance differentiation and self-renewal to achieve sustainable tissue regeneration is not well understood. A major roadblock to understanding satellite cell fate decisions has been the difficulty of studying this process in vivo. By visualizing expression dynamics of myogenic transcription factors during early regeneration in vivo, we identify the time point at which cells undergo decisions to differentiate or self-renew. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals heterogeneity of satellite cells, including a subpopulation enriched in Notch2 receptor expression, during both muscle homeostasis and regeneration. Furthermore, we reveal that differentiating cells express the Dll1 ligand. Using antagonistic antibodies, we demonstrate that the DLL1 and NOTCH2 signaling pair is required for satellite cell self-renewal. Thus, differentiating cells provide the self-renewing signal during regeneration, enabling proportional regeneration in response to injury while maintaining the satellite cell pool. These findings have implications for therapeutic control of muscle regeneration.


Subject(s)
Calcium-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Cell Self Renewal , Receptor, Notch2/metabolism , Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Animals , Cell Differentiation , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Muscle Development , RNA-Seq , Regeneration , Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle/pathology , Transcription Factors/metabolism
17.
Cell Rep ; 30(4): 1246-1259.e6, 2020 01 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31995762

ABSTRACT

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss. To better understand disease pathogenesis and identify causal genes in GWAS loci for AMD risk, we present a comprehensive database of human retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Our database comprises macular and non-macular RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) profiles from 129 donors, a genome-wide expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) dataset that includes macula-specific retina and RPE/choroid, and single-nucleus RNA-seq (NucSeq) from human retina and RPE with subtype resolution from more than 100,000 cells. Using NucSeq, we find enriched expression of AMD candidate genes in RPE cells. We identify 15 putative causal genes for AMD on the basis of co-localization of genetic association signals for AMD risk and eye eQTL, including the genes TSPAN10 and TRPM1. These results demonstrate the value of our human eye database for elucidating genetic pathways and potential therapeutic targets for ocular diseases.


Subject(s)
Disease Susceptibility/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation/genetics , Macular Degeneration/metabolism , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/metabolism , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Alleles , Choroid/metabolism , Databases, Genetic , Female , Genome-Wide Association Study , Humans , Macular Degeneration/genetics , Male , Middle Aged , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Quantitative Trait Loci , RNA-Seq , Risk Factors , Single-Cell Analysis , TRPM Cation Channels/genetics , TRPM Cation Channels/metabolism , Tetraspanins/genetics , Tetraspanins/metabolism , Transcriptome/genetics
18.
Nat Genet ; 52(1): 106-117, 2020 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31907489

ABSTRACT

Snakebite envenoming is a serious and neglected tropical disease that kills ~100,000 people annually. High-quality, genome-enabled comprehensive characterization of toxin genes will facilitate development of effective humanized recombinant antivenom. We report a de novo near-chromosomal genome assembly of Naja naja, the Indian cobra, a highly venomous, medically important snake. Our assembly has a scaffold N50 of 223.35 Mb, with 19 scaffolds containing 95% of the genome. Of the 23,248 predicted protein-coding genes, 12,346 venom-gland-expressed genes constitute the 'venom-ome' and this included 139 genes from 33 toxin families. Among the 139 toxin genes were 19 'venom-ome-specific toxins' (VSTs) that showed venom-gland-specific expression, and these probably encode the minimal core venom effector proteins. Synthetic venom reconstituted through recombinant VST expression will aid in the rapid development of safe and effective synthetic antivenom. Additionally, our genome could serve as a reference for snake genomes, support evolutionary studies and enable venom-driven drug discovery.


Subject(s)
Computational Biology/methods , Elapid Venoms/analysis , Elapid Venoms/genetics , Genome , Naja naja/genetics , Transcriptome , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Gene Expression Profiling , India , Sequence Homology
19.
Breast Cancer Res ; 21(1): 152, 2019 12 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31881983

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: PIK3CA mutations are frequent in human breast cancer. Pik3caH1047R mutant expression in mouse mammary gland promotes tumorigenesis. TP53 mutations co-occur with PIK3CA mutations in human breast cancers. We previously generated a conditionally activatable Pik3caH1047R;MMTV-Cre mouse model and found a few malignant sarcomatoid (spindle cell) carcinomas that had acquired spontaneous dominant-negative Trp53 mutations. METHODS: A Pik3caH1047R;Trp53R270H;MMTV-Cre double mutant mouse breast cancer model was generated. Tumors were characterized by histology, marker analysis, transcriptional profiling, single-cell RNA-seq, and bioinformatics. Cell lines were developed from mutant tumors and used to identify and confirm genes involved in metastasis. RESULTS: We found Pik3caH1047R and Trp53R270H cooperate in driving oncogenesis in mammary glands leading to a shorter latency than either alone. Double mutant mice develop multiple histologically distinct mammary tumors, including adenocarcinoma and sarcomatoid (spindle cell) carcinoma. We found some tumors to be invasive and a few metastasized to the lung and/or the lymph node. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of the tumors identified epithelial, stromal, myeloid, and T cell groups. Expression analysis of the metastatic tumors identified S100a4 as a top candidate gene associated with metastasis. Metastatic tumors contained a much higher percentage of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-signature positive and S100a4-expressing cells. CRISPR/CAS9-mediated knockout of S100a4 in a metastatic tumor-derived cell line disrupted its metastatic potential indicating a role for S100a4 in metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Pik3caH1047R;Trp53R270H;MMTV-Cre mouse provides a preclinical model to mimic a subtype of human breast cancers that carry both PIK3CA and TP53 mutations. It also allows for understanding the cooperation between the two mutant genes in tumorigenesis. Our model also provides a system to study metastasis and develop therapeutic strategies for PIK3CA/TP53 double-positive cancers. S100a4 found involved in metastasis in this model can be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target.


Subject(s)
Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism , Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/etiology , Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/metabolism , Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse , Mutation , S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4/metabolism , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism , Tumor Virus Infections/complications , Animals , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic , Cell Transformation, Viral , Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics , Disease Models, Animal , Female , Gene Targeting , Humans , Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology , Mice , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics , Tumor Virus Infections/virology , Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
20.
Commun Biol ; 2: 304, 2019.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31428692

ABSTRACT

Obtaining full-length antibody heavy- and light-chain variable regions from individual B cells at scale remains a challenging problem. Here we use high-throughput single-cell B-cell receptor sequencing (scBCR-seq) to obtain accurately paired full-length variable regions in a massively parallel fashion. We sequenced more than 250,000 B cells from rat, mouse and human repertoires to characterize their lineages and expansion. In addition, we immunized rats with chicken ovalbumin and profiled antigen-reactive B cells from lymph nodes of immunized animals. The scBCR-seq data recovered 81% (n = 56/69) of B-cell lineages identified from hybridomas generated from the same set of B cells subjected to scBCR-seq. Importantly, scBCR-seq identified an additional 710 candidate lineages not recovered as hybridomas. We synthesized, expressed and tested 93 clones from the identified lineages and found that 99% (n = 92/93) of the clones were antigen-reactive. Our results establish scBCR-seq as a powerful tool for antibody discovery.


Subject(s)
Antibodies/metabolism , Antigens/metabolism , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods , Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell/genetics , Single-Cell Analysis , Animals , Germ Cells/metabolism , Humans , Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/genetics , Immunoglobulin Light Chains/genetics , Mice , Rats , Reproducibility of Results
SELECTION OF CITATIONS
SEARCH DETAIL
...