搜索结果: 'gmp t cell activator'

The role of miRNAs in regulating megakaryocyte differentiation was examined using bipotent K562 human leukemia cells. miR-34a is strongly up-regulated during phorbol ester-induced megakaryocyte differentiation,but not during hemin-induced erythrocyte differentiation. Enforced expression of miR-34a in K562 cells inhibits cell proliferation,induces cell-cycle arrest in G(1) phase,and promotes megakaryocyte differentiation as measured by CD41 induction. miR-34a expression is also up-regulated during thrombopoietin-induced differentiation of CD34(+) hematopoietic precursors,and its enforced expression in these cells significantly increases the number of megakaryocyte colonies. miR-34a directly regulates expression of MYB,facilitating megakaryocyte differentiation,and of CDK4 and CDK6,to inhibit the G(1)/S transition. However,these miR-34a target genes are down-regulated rapidly after inducing megakaryocyte differentiation before miR-34a is induced. This suggests that miR-34a is not responsible for the initial down-regulation but may contribute to maintaining their suppression later on. Previous studies have implicated miR-34a as a tumor suppressor gene whose transcription is activated by p53. However,in p53-null K562 cells,phorbol esters induce miR-34a expression independently of p53 by activating an alternative phorbol ester-responsive promoter to produce a longer pri-miR-34a transcript. View Publication

Acute myelogenous leukemia is driven by leukemic stem cells (LSCs) generated by mutations that confer (or maintain) self-renewal potential coupled to an aberrant differentiation program. Using retroviral mutagenesis,we identified genes that generate LSCs in collaboration with genetic disruption of the gene encoding interferon response factor 8 (Irf8),which induces a myeloproliferation in vivo. Among the targeted genes,we identified Mef2c,encoding a MCM1-agamous-deficiens-serum response factor transcription factor,and confirmed that overexpression induced a myelomonocytic leukemia in cooperation with Irf8 deficiency. Strikingly,several of the genes identified in our screen have been reported to be up-regulated in the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) subtype. High MEF2C expression levels were confirmed in acute myelogenous leukemia patient samples with MLL gene disruptions,prompting an investigation of the causal interplay. Using a conditional mouse strain,we demonstrated that Mef2c deficiency does not impair the establishment or maintenance of LSCs generated in vitro by MLL/ENL fusion proteins; however,its loss led to compromised homing and invasiveness of the tumor cells. Mef2c-dependent targets included several genes encoding matrix metalloproteinases and chemokine ligands and receptors,providing a mechanistic link to increased homing and motility. Thus,MEF2C up-regulation may be responsible for the aggressive nature of this leukemia subtype. View Publication

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been extensively studied and gained wide popularity due to their therapeutic potential. Spontaneous transformation of MSC,from both human and murine origin,has been reported in many studies. MSC transformation depends on the culture conditions,the origin of the cells and the time on culture; however,the precise biological characteristics involved in this process have not been fully defined yet. In this study,we investigated the role of p53 in the biology and transformation of murine bone marrow (BM)-derived MSC. We demonstrate that the MSC derived from p53KO mice showed an augmented proliferation rate,a shorter doubling time and also morphologic and phenotypic changes,as compared to MSC derived from wild-type animals. Furthermore,the MSC devoid of p53 had an increased number of cells able to generate colonies. In addition,not only proliferation but also MSC differentiation is controlled by p53 since its absence modifies the speed of the process. Moreover,genomic instability,changes in the expression of c-myc and anchorage independent growth were also observed in p53KO MSC. In addition,the absence of p53 implicates the spontaneous transformation of MSC in long-term cultures. Our results reveal that p53 plays a central role in the biology of MSC. View Publication

Retroviruses can establish persistent infection despite induction of a multipartite antiviral immune response. Whether collective failure of all parts of the immune response or selective deficiency in one crucial part underlies the inability of the host to clear retroviral infections is currently uncertain. We examine here the contribution of virus-specific CD4(+) T cells in resistance against Friend virus (FV) infection in the murine host. We show that the magnitude and duration of the FV-specific CD4(+) T-cell response is directly proportional to resistance against acute FV infection and subsequent disease. Notably,significant protection against FV-induced disease is afforded by FV-specific CD4(+) T cells in the absence of a virus-specific CD8(+) T-cell or B-cell response. Enhanced spread of FV infection in hosts with increased genetic susceptibility or coinfection with Lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV) causes a proportional increase in the number of FV-specific CD4(+) T cells required to control FV-induced disease. Furthermore,ultimate failure of FV/LDV coinfected hosts to control FV-induced disease is accompanied by accelerated contraction of the FV-specific CD4(+) T-cell response. Conversely,an increased frequency or continuous supply of FV-specific CD4(+) T cells is both necessary and sufficient to effectively contain acute infection and prevent disease,even in the presence of coinfection. Thus,these results suggest that FV-specific CD4(+) T cells provide significant direct protection against acute FV infection,the extent of which critically depends on the ratio of FV-infected cells to FV-specific CD4(+) T cells. View Publication

OBJECTIVE: Bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMCs) improve the functional recovery after ischemia. However,BMCs comprise a heterogeneous mixture of cells,and it is not known which cell types are responsible for the induction of neovascularization after cell therapy. Because cell recruitment is critically dependent on the expression of the SDF-1-receptor CXCR4,we examined whether the expression of CXCR4 may identify a therapeutically active population of BMCs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Human CXCR4(+) and CXCR4(-) BMCs were sorted by magnetic beads. CXCR4(+) BMCs showed a significantly higher invasion capacity under basal conditions and after SDF-1 stimulation. Hematopoietic or mesenchymal colony-forming capacity did not differ between CXCR4(+) and CXCR4(-) BMCs. Injection of CXCR4(+) BMCs in mice after induction of hindlimb ischemia significantly improved the recovery of perfusion compared to injection of CXCR4(-) BMCs. Likewise,capillary density was significantly increased in CXCR4(+) BMC-treated mice. Because part of the beneficial effects of cell therapy were attributed to the release of paracrine effectors,we analyzed BMC supernatants for secreted factors. Importantly,supernatants of CXCR4(+) BMCs were enriched in the proangiogenic cytokines HGF and PDGF-BB. CONCLUSIONS: CXCR4(+) BMCs exhibit an increased therapeutic potential for blood flow recovery after acute ischemia. Mechanistically,their higher migratory capacity and their increased release of paracrine factors may contribute to enhanced tissue repair. View Publication

Mesenteric lymph node (mLN) CD103 (alphaE integrin)(+) dendritic cells (DCs) induce regulatory T cells and gut tolerance. However,the function of intestinal CD103(-) DCs remains to be clarified. CD47 is the ligand of signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPalpha) and promotes SIRPalpha(+) myeloid cell migration. We first show that mucosal CD103(-) DCs selectively express SIRPalpha and that their frequency was augmented in the lamina propria and mLNs of mice that developed Th17-biased colitis in response to trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid. In contrast,the percentage of SIRPalpha(+)CD103(-) DCs and Th17 responses were decreased in CD47-deficient (CD47 knockout [KO]) mice,which remained protected from colitis. We next demonstrate that transferring wild-type (WT),but not CD47 KO,SIRPalpha(+)CD103(-) DCs in CD47 KO mice elicited severe Th17-associated wasting disease. CD47 expression was required on the SIRPalpha(+)CD103(-) DCs for efficient trafficking to mLNs in vivo,whereas it was dispensable on both DCs and T cells for Th17 polarization in vitro. Finally,administration of a CD47-Fc molecule resulted in reduced SIRPalpha(+)CD103(-) DC-mediated Th17 responses and the protection of WT mice from colitis. We thus propose SIRPalpha(+)CD103(-) DCs as a pathogenic DC subset that drives Th17-biased responses and colitis,and the CD47-SIRPalpha axis as a potential therapeutic target for inflammatory bowel disease. View Publication

Antiangiogenic effects of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib were analyzed on tumor xenografts in vivo. Bortezomib strongly inhibited angiogenesis and vascularization in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane. Bortezomib's inhibitory effects on chorioallantoic membrane vascularization were abrogated in the presence of distinct tumor xenografts,thanks to a soluble factor secreted by tumor cells. Through size-exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography as well as mass spectroscopy,we identified GRP-78,a chaperone protein of the unfolded protein response,as being responsible for bortezomib resistance. Indeed,a variety of bortezomib-resistant solid tumor cell lines (PC-3,HRT-18),but not myeloma cell lines (U266,OPM-2),were able to secrete high amounts of GRP-78. Recombinant GRP-78 conferred bortezomib resistance to endothelial cells and OPM-2 myeloma cells. Knockdown of GRP78 gene expression in tumor cells and immunodepletion of GRP-78 protein from tumor cell supernatants restored bortezomib sensitivity. GRP-78 did not bind or complex bortezomib but induced prosurvival signals by phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase and inhibited p53-mediated expression of proapoptotic Bok and Noxa proteins in endothelial cells. From our data,we conclude that distinct solid tumor cells are able to secrete GRP-78 into the tumor microenvironment,thus demonstrating a hitherto unknown mechanism of resistance to bortezomib. View Publication

Genetic reprogramming of somatic cells to a pluripotent state (induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs) by over-expression of specific genes has been accomplished using mouse and human cells. However,it is still unclear how similar human iPSCs are to human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs). Here,we describe the transcriptional profile of human iPSCs generated without viral vectors or genomic insertions,revealing that these cells are in general similar to hESCs but with significant differences. For the generation of human iPSCs without viral vectors or genomic insertions,pluripotent factors Oct4 and Nanog were cloned in episomal vectors and transfected into human fetal neural progenitor cells. The transient expression of these two factors,or from Oct4 alone,resulted in efficient generation of human iPSCs. The reprogramming strategy described here revealed a potential transcriptional signature for human iPSCs yet retaining the gene expression of donor cells in human reprogrammed cells free of viral and transgene interference. Moreover,the episomal reprogramming strategy represents a safe way to generate human iPSCs for clinical purposes and basic research. View Publication

Although activation of the B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL),its clinical impact and the molecular correlates of such response are not clearly defined. T-cell leukemia 1 (TCL1),the AKT modulator and proto-oncogene,is differentially expressed in CLL and linked to its pathogenesis based on CD5(+) B-cell expansions arising in TCL1-transgenic mice. We studied here the association of TCL1 levels and its intracellular dynamics with the in vitro responses to BCR stimulation in 70 CLL cases. The growth kinetics after BCR engagement correlated strongly with the degree and timing of induced AKT phospho-activation. This signaling intensity was best predicted by TCL1 levels and the kinetics of TCL1-AKT corecruitment to BCR membrane activation complexes,which further included the kinases LYN,SYK,ZAP70,and PKC. High TCL1 levels were also strongly associated with aggressive disease features,such as advanced clinical stage,higher white blood cell counts,and shorter lymphocyte doubling time. Higher TCL1 levels independently predicted an inferior clinical outcome (ie,shorter progression-free survival,P textless .001),regardless of therapy regimen,especially for ZAP70(+) tumors. We propose TCL1 as a marker of the BCR-responsive CLL subset identifying poor prognostic cases where targeting BCR-associated kinases may be therapeutically useful. View Publication

Experimentation with the progenitor/stem cells in adult prostate epithelium can be inconvenient due to a tight time line from tissue acquisition to cell isolation and to downstream experiments. To circumvent this inconvenience,we developed a simple technical procedure for culturing epithelial cells derived from human prostate tissue. In this study,benign prostate tissue was enzymatically digested and fractionated into epithelium and stroma,which were then cultured in the medium designed for prostate epithelial and stromal cells,respectively. The cultured cells were analyzed by immunocytochemical staining and flow cytometry. Prostate tissue-regenerating capacity of cultured cells in vitro was determined by co-culturing epithelial and stromal cells in dihydrotestosterone-containing RPMI. Cell lineages in formed acini-like structures were determined by immunohistochemistry. The culture of epithelial cells mainly consisted of basal cells. A minor population was negative for known lineage markers and positive for CD133. The culture also contained cells with high activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase. After co-culturing with stromal cells,the epithelial cells were able to form acini-like structures containing multiple cell lineages. Thus,the established culture of prostate epithelial cells provides an alternative source for studying progenitor/stem cells of prostate epithelium. View Publication

Patients with chronic ulcerative colitis are at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. Although current hypotheses suggest that sporadic colorectal cancer is due to inability to control cancer stem cells,the cancer stem cell hypothesis has not yet been validated in colitis-associated cancer. Furthermore,the identification of the colitis to cancer transition is challenging. We recently showed that epithelial cells with the increased expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase in sporadic colon cancer correlate closely with tumor-initiating ability. We sought to determine whether ALDH can be used as a marker to isolate tumor-initiating populations from patients with chronic ulcerative colitis. We used fluorescence-activated cell sorting to identify precursor colon cancer stem cells from colitis patients and report both their transition to cancerous stem cells in xenografting studies as well as their ability to generate spheres in vitro. Similar to sporadic colon cancer,these colitis-derived tumors were capable of propagation as sphere cultures. However,unlike the origins of sporadic colon cancer,the primary colitic tissues did not express any histologic evidence of dysplasia. To elucidate a potential mechanism for our findings,we compared the stroma of these different environments and determined that at least one paracrine factor is up-regulated in the inflammatory and malignant stroma compared with resting,normal stroma. These data link colitis and cancer identifying potential tumor-initiating cells from colitic patients,suggesting that sphere and/or xenograft formation will be useful to survey colitic patients at risk of developing cancer. View Publication

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH) are a family of enzymes that efficiently detoxify aldehydic products generated by reactive oxygen species and might therefore participate in cell survival. Because ALDH activity has been used to identify normal and malignant cells with stem cell properties,we asked whether human myogenic precursor cells (myoblasts) could be identified and isolated based on their levels of ALDH activity. Human muscle explant-derived cells were incubated with ALDEFLUOR,a fluorescent substrate for ALDH,and we determined by flow cytometry the level of enzyme activity. We found that ALDH activity positively correlated with the myoblast-CD56(+) fraction in those cells,but,we also observed heterogeneity of ALDH activity levels within CD56-purified myoblasts. Using lentiviral mediated expression of shRNA we demonstrated that ALDH activity was associated with expression of Aldh1a1 protein. Surprisingly,ALDH activity and Aldh1a1 expression levels were very low in mouse,rat,rabbit and non-human primate myoblasts. Using different approaches,from pharmacological inhibition of ALDH activity by diethylaminobenzaldehyde,an inhibitor of class I ALDH,to cell fractionation by flow cytometry using the ALDEFLUOR assay,we characterized human myoblasts expressing low or high levels of ALDH. We correlated high ALDH activity ex vivo to resistance to hydrogen peroxide (H(2) O(2) )-induced cytotoxic effect and in vivo to improved cell viability when human myoblasts were transplanted into host muscle of immune deficient scid mice. Therefore detection of ALDH activity,as a purification strategy,could allow non-toxic and efficient isolation of a fraction of human myoblasts resistant to cytotoxic damage. View Publication