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MicroRNAs (miRNA) are central regulators of diverse biological processes and are important in the regulation of stem cell self-renewal. One of the widely studied miRNA-protein regulators is the Lin28-Let-7 pair. In this study,we demonstrate that contrary to the well-established models of mouse ES cells (mESC) and transformed human cancer cells,the pluripotent state of human ES cells (hESC) involves expression of mature Let-7 family miRNAs with concurrent expression of all LIN28 proteins. We show that mature Let-7 miRNAs are regulated during hESC differentiation and have opposite expression profile with LIN28B. Moreover,mature Let-7 miRNAs fine tune the expression levels of LIN28B protein in pluripotent hESCs,whereas silencing of LIN28 proteins have no effect on mature Let-7 levels. These results bring novel information to the highly complex network of human pluripotency and suggest that maintenance of hESC pluripotency differs greatly from the mESCs in regard to LIN28-Let-7 regulation. View Publication

No treatments exist to effectively treat many retinal diseases. Retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and neural retina can be generated from human embryonic stem cells/induced pluripotent stem cells (hESCs/hiPSCs). The efficacy of current protocols is,however,limited. It was hypothesised that generation of laminated neural retina and/or RPE from hiPSCs/hESCs could be enhanced by three dimensional (3D) culture in hydrogels. hiPSC- and hESC-derived embryoid bodies (EBs) were encapsulated in 0.5% RGD-alginate; 1% RGD-alginate; hyaluronic acid (HA) or HA/gelatin hydrogels and maintained until day 45. Compared with controls (no gel),0.5% RGD-alginate increased: the percentage of EBs with pigmented RPE foci; the percentage EBs with optic vesicles (OVs) and pigmented RPE simultaneously; the area covered by RPE; frequency of RPE cells (CRALBP+); expression of RPE markers (TYR and RPE65) and the retinal ganglion cell marker,MATH5. Furthermore,0.5% RGD-alginate hydrogel encapsulation did not adversely affect the expression of other neural retina markers (PROX1,CRX,RCVRN,AP2α or VSX2) as determined by qRT-PCR,or the percentage of VSX2 positive cells as determined by flow cytometry. 1% RGD-alginate increased the percentage of EBs with OVs and/or RPE,but did not significantly influence any other measures of retinal differentiation. HA-based hydrogels had no significant effect on retinal tissue development. The results indicated that derivation of retinal tissue from hESCs/hiPSCs can be enhanced by culture in 0.5% RGD-alginate hydrogel. This RGD-alginate scaffold may be useful for derivation,transport and transplantation of neural retina and RPE,and may also enhance formation of other pigmented,neural or epithelial tissue. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The burden of retinal disease is ever growing with the increasing age of the world-wide population. Transplantation of retinal tissue derived from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) is considered a promising treatment. However,derivation of retinal tissue from PSCs using defined media is a lengthy process and often variable between different cell lines. This study indicated that alginate hydrogels enhanced retinal tissue development from PSCs,whereas hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels did not. This is the first study to show that 3D culture with a biomaterial scaffold can improve retinal tissue derivation from PSCs. These findings indicate potential for the clinical application of alginate hydrogels for the derivation and subsequent transplantation retinal tissue. This work may also have implications for the derivation of other pigmented,neural or epithelial tissue. View Publication

Neurotrophins and their receptors are frequently expressed in malignant gliomas,yet their functions are largely unknown. Previously,we have shown that p75 neurotrophin receptor is required for glioma invasion and proliferation. However,the role of Trk receptors has not been examined. In this study,we investigated the importance of TrkB and TrkC in survival of brain tumor-initiating cells (BTICs). Here,we show that human malignant glioma tissues and also tumor-initiating cells isolated from fresh human malignant gliomas express the neurotrophin receptors TrkB and TrkC,not TrkA,and they also express neurotrophins NGF,BDNF,and neurotrophin 3 (NT3). Specific activation of TrkB and TrkC receptors by ligands BDNF and NT3 enhances tumor-initiating cell viability through activation of ERK and Akt pathways. Conversely,TrkB and TrkC knockdown or pharmacologic inhibition of Trk signaling decreases neurotrophin-dependent ERK activation and BTIC growth. Further,pharmacological inhibition of both ERK and Akt pathways blocked BDNF,and NT3 stimulated BTIC survival. Importantly,attenuation of BTIC growth by EGFR inhibitors could be overcome by activation of neurotrophin signaling,and neurotrophin signaling is sufficient for long term BTIC growth as spheres in the absence of EGF and FGF. Our results highlight a novel role for neurotrophin signaling in brain tumor and suggest that Trks could be a target for combinatorial treatment of malignant glioma. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiovascular progenitor cells (hESC-CVPCs) hold great promise for cell-based therapies of heart diseases. However,little is known about their niche microenvironment and in particular the required extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Here we screened combinations of surface-immobilized ECM proteins to identify substrates that support the attachment and survival of hESC-CVPCs. Covalent immobilization of ECM proteins laminin (Lm),fibronectin (Fn),collagen I (CI),collagen III (CIII),and collagen IV (CIV) in multiple combinations and concentrations was achieved by reductive amination on transparent acetaldehyde plasma polymer (AAPP) interlayer coatings. We identified that CI,CIII,CIV,and Fn and their combinations were important for hESC-CVPC attachment and survival,while Lm was dispensable. Moreover,for coatings displaying single ECM proteins,CI and CIII performed better than CIV and Fn,while coatings displaying the combined ECM proteins CIII + CIV and Fn + CIII + CIV at 100 µg/mL were comparable to Matrigel in regard to supporting hESC-CVPC attachment and viability. Our results identify ECM proteins required for hESC-CVPCs and demonstrate that coatings displaying multiple immobilized ECM proteins offer a suitable microenvironment for the attachment and survival of hESC-CVPCs. This knowledge contributes to the development of approaches for maintaining hESC-CVPCs and therefore to advances in cardiovascular regeneration. textcopyright 2017 Wiley Periodicals,Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1094-1104,2017. View Publication

Dendritic cells (DCs) are a heterogeneous population of professional antigen-presenting cells and are key cells of the immune system,acquiring different phenotypes in accordance with their localization during the immune response. A subset of inflammatory DCs is derived from circulating monocytes (Mo) and has a key role in inflammation and infection. The pathways controlling Mo-DC differentiation are not fully understood. Our objective was to investigate the possible role of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate reduced form oxidases (NOXs) in Mo-DC differentiation. In this study,we revealed that Mo-DC differentiation was inhibited by NOX inhibitors and reactive oxygen species scavengers. We show that the Mo-DC differentiation was dependent on p22phox,and not on gp91phox/NOX2,as shown by the reduced Mo-DC differentiation observed in chronic granulomatous disease patients lacking p22phox. Moreover,we revealed that NOX5 expression was strongly increased during Mo-DC differentiation,but not during Mo-macrophage differentiation. NOX5 was expressed in circulating myeloid DC,and at a lower level in plasmacytoid DC. Interestingly,NOX5 was localized at the outer membrane of the mitochondria and interacted with p22phox in Mo-DC. Selective inhibitors and small interfering RNAs for NOX5 indicated that NOX5 controlled Mo-DC differentiation by regulating the JAK/STAT/MAPK and NFκB pathways. These data demonstrate that the NOX5-p22phox complex drives Mo-DC differentiation,and thus could be critical for immunity and inflammation. View Publication

Severe asthma represents a major unmet clinical need; understanding the pathophysiology is essential for the development of new therapies. Using microarray analysis,we previously found three immunological clusters in asthma: Th2-high,Th17-high,and Th2/17-low. Although new therapies are emerging for Th2-high disease,identifying molecular pathways in Th2-low disease remains an important goal. Further interrogation of our previously described microarray dataset revealed upregulation of gene expression for carcinoembryonic Ag cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM) family members in the bronchi of patients with severe asthma. Our aim was therefore to explore the distribution and cellular localization of CEACAM6 using immunohistochemistry on bronchial biopsy tissue obtained from patients with mild-to-severe asthma and healthy control subjects. Human bronchial epithelial cells were used to investigate cytokine and corticosteroid in vitro regulation of CEACAM6 gene expression. CEACAM6 protein expression in bronchial biopsies was increased in airway epithelial cells and lamina propria inflammatory cells in severe asthma compared with healthy control subjects. CEACAM6 in the lamina propria was localized to neutrophils predominantly. Neutrophil density in the bronchial mucosa was similar across health and the spectrum of asthma severity,but the percentage of neutrophils expressing CEACAM6 was significantly increased in severe asthma,suggesting the presence of an altered neutrophil phenotype. CEACAM6 gene expression in cultured epithelial cells was upregulated by wounding and neutrophil elastase. In summary,CEACAM6 expression is increased in severe asthma and primarily associated with airway epithelial cells and tissue neutrophils. CEACAM6 may contribute to the pathology of treatment-resistant asthma via neutrophil and airway epithelial cell-dependent pathways. View Publication

PURPOSE Recent advances in immunotherapy of advanced human cancers underscored the need to address and eliminate tumor immune evasion. The myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are important inhibitors of T-cell responses in solid tumors,such as prostate cancers. However,targeting MDSCs proved challenging due to their phenotypic heterogeneity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Myeloid cell populations were evaluated using flow cytometry on blood samples,functional assays,and immunohistochemical/immunofluorescent stainings on specimens from healthy subjects,localized and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients. RESULTS Here,we identify a population of Lin(-)CD15(HI)CD33(LO) granulocytic MDSCs that accumulate in patients' circulation during prostate cancer progression from localized to metastatic disease. The prostate cancer-associated MDSCs potently inhibit autologous CD8(+) T cells' proliferation and production of IFNγ and granzyme-B. The circulating MDSCs have high levels of activated STAT3,which is a central immune checkpoint regulator. The granulocytic pSTAT3(+) cells are also detectable in patients' prostate tissues. We previously generated an original strategy to silence genes specifically in Toll-like Receptor-9 (TLR9) positive myeloid cells using CpG-siRNA conjugates. We demonstrate that human granulocytic MDSCs express TLR9 and rapidly internalize naked CpG-STAT3siRNA,thereby silencing STAT3 expression. STAT3 blocking abrogates immunosuppressive effects of patients-derived MDSCs on effector CD8(+) T cells. These effects depended on reduced expression and enzymatic activity of Arginase-1,a downstream STAT3 target gene and a potent T-cell inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS Overall,we demonstrate the accumulation of granulocytic MDSCs with prostate cancer progression and the feasibility of using TLR9-targeted STAT3siRNA delivery strategy to alleviate MDSC-mediated immunosuppression. View Publication

BACKGROUND: Excessive maturation of hematopoietic cells leads to a reduction of long-term proliferative capability during cord blood (CB) expansion. In this study,we report the effects of anit-CD52 (Alemtuzumab,Campath) on both short- and long-term ex vivo expansion of CB hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) by evaluating the potential role of Alemtuzumab in preserving the repopulating capability in CB HSC and nonlymphoid progenitors. METHODS: Ex vivo expansion experiments were carried out using freshly purified CB CD34(+)cells in StemSpantrade mark SFEM medium in the presence of stem cell factor,Flt3-Ligand and thrombopoietin at 50 ng/ml. Alemtuzumab (10 microg/ml) was used to deplete CD52(+) cells during the cultures. Flow cytometry was used to monitor CB HSC and their differentiation. Colony forming unit (CFU) assays and long term culture-initiating cell (LTC-IC) assays were performed on cells obtained from day 0 (before culture) and day 14 after cultures. Secondary cultures was performed using CD34(+) cells isolated at 35 days from primary cultures and further cultured in StemSpantrade mark SFEM medium for another 14 days to confirm the long term effect of alemtuzumab in liquid cultures. RESULTS: Compared to cytokines alone,addition of alemtuzumab resulted in a significant increase in total nucleated cells,absolute CD34(+) cells,myeloid and megakaryocytic progenitors,multi-lineage and myeloid CFU and LTC-IC. CONCLUSION: The results from current study suggested that the use of alemtuzumab for ex vivo expansion of CBHSC maybe advantageous. Our findings may improve current technologies for CBHSC expansion and increase the availability of CB units for transplantation. However,in vivo studies using animal models are likely needed in further studies to test the hematopoietic effects using such expanded CB products. View Publication

The discovery of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has dramatically increased the tools available to medical scientists interested in regenerative medicine. However,direct injection of hESCs,and cells differentiated from hESCs,into living organisms has thus far been hampered by significant cell death,teratoma formation,and host immune rejection. Understanding the in vivo hESC behavior after transplantation requires novel imaging techniques to longitudinally monitor hESC localization,proliferation,and viability. Molecular imaging has given investigators a high-throughput,inexpensive,and sensitive means for tracking in vivo cell proliferation over days,weeks,and even months. This advancement has significantly increased the understanding of the spatio-temporal kinetics of hESC engraftment,proliferation,and teratoma-formation in living subjects. A major advance in molecular imaging has been the extension of noninvasive reporter gene assays from molecular and cellular biology into in vivo multi-modality imaging platforms. These reporter genes,under control of engineered promoters and enhancers that take advantage of the host cell s transcriptional machinery,are introduced into cells using a variety of vector and non-vector methods. Once in the cell,reporter genes can be transcribed either constitutively or only under specific biological or cellular conditions,depending on the type of promoter used. Transcription and translation of reporter genes into bioactive proteins is then detected with sensitive,noninvasive instrumentation (e.g.,CCD cameras) using signal-generating probes such as D-luciferin. To avoid the need for excitatory light to track stem cells in vivo as is required for fluorescence imaging,bioluminescence reporter gene imaging systems require only an exogenously administered probe to induce light emission. Firefly luciferase,derived from the firefly Photinus pyralis,encodes an enzyme that catalyzes D-luciferin to the optically active metabolite,oxyluciferin. Optical activity can then be monitored with an external CCD camera. Stably transduced cells that carry the reporter construct within their chromosomal DNA will pass the reporter construct DNA to daughter cells,allowing for longitudinal monitoring of hESC survival and proliferation in vivo. Furthermore,because expression of the reporter gene product is required for signal generation,only viable parent and daughter cells will create bioluminescence signal; apoptotic or dead cells will not. In this video,the specific materials and methods needed for tracking stem cell proliferation and teratoma formation with bioluminescence imaging will be described. View Publication

Natural killer (NK) cells trigger cytotoxicity and interferon (IFN)-gamma secretion on engagement of the natural-killer group (NKG)2D receptor or members of the natural cytotoxicity receptor (NCR) family,such as NKp46,by ligands expressed on tumour cells. However,it remains unknown whether T cells can regulate NK cell-mediated anti-tumour responses. Here,we investigated the early events occurring during T cell-tumour cell interactions,and their impact on NK cell functions. We observed that on co-culture with some melanomas,activated CD4(+) T cells promoted degranulation,and NKG2D- and NKp46-dependent IFN-gamma secretion by NK cells,probably owing to the capture of NKG2D and NKp46 ligands from the tumour-cell surface (trogocytosis). This effect was observed in CD4(+),CD8(+) and resting T cells,which showed substantial amounts of cell surface major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related protein A on co-culture with tumour cells. Our findings identify a new,so far,unrecognized mechanism by which effector T cells support NK cell function through the capture of specific tumour ligands with profound implications at the crossroad of innate and adaptive immunity. View Publication

BACKGROUND AIMS Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) have become the preferred stem cell source for autologous hematopoietic transplantation. A critical aspect of this treatment modality is cryopreservation of the stem cell products,which permits temporal separation of the PBSC mobilization/collection phase from the subsequent high-dose therapy. While controlled rate-freezing and liquid nitrogen storage have become 'routine' practice in many cell-processing facilities,there is clearly room for improvement as current cryopreservation media formulations still result in significant loss and damage to the stem/progenitor cell populations essential for engraftment,and can also expose the patients to relatively undefined serum components and larger volumes of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) that can contribute to the morbidity and mortality of the transplant therapy. METHODS This study compared cryopreservation of PBSC in a novel intracellular-like,fully defined,serum- and protein-free preservation solution,CryoStor (BioLife Solutions Inc.),with a standard formulation used by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC). Briefly,human PBSC apheresis specimens were collected and 5 x 10(7) cells/1 mL sample vial were prepared for cryopreservation in the following solutions: (a) FHCRC standard,Normosol-R,5% human serum albumin (HAS) and 10% DMSO; and (b) CryoStor CS10 (final diluted concentration of 5% DMSO). A standard controlled-rate freezing program was employed,and frozen vials were stored in the vapor phase of a liquid nitrogen freezer for a minimum of 1 week. Vials were then thawed and evaluated for total nucleated cell count (TNC),viability,CD34 and granulocytes by flow cytometry,along with colony-forming activity in methylcellulose. RESULTS The PBSC samples frozen in CryoStor CS10 yielded significantly improved post-thaw recoveries for total viable CD34(+),colony-forming units (CFU) and granulocytes. Specifically,relative to the FHCRC standard formulation,cryopreservation with CS10 resulted in an average 1.8-fold increased recovery of viable CD34(+) cells (P=0.005),a 1.5-fold increase in CFU-granulocyte-macrophage (GM) numbers (P=0.030) and a 2.3-fold increase in granulocyte recovery (P=0.045). CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that use of CryoStor for cryopreservation can yield significantly improved recovery and in vitro functionality of stem/progenitor cells in PBSC products. In addition,it is important to note that these improved recoveries were obtained while not introducing any extra serum or serum-derived proteins,and reducing the final concentration/volume of DMSO by half. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are clearly necessary; however,these findings imply use of CryoStor for cryopreservation could result in improved engraftment for those patients with a lower content of CD34(+) cells in their PBSC collections,along with reducing the requirement for additional apheresis collections and decreasing the risk of adverse infusion reactions associated with higher exposure to DMSO. View Publication

The tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is inactivated in many human cancers. However,it is unknown whether PTEN functions as a tumor suppressor in human Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia that includes chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and is induced by the BCR-ABL oncogene. By using our mouse model of BCR-ABL-induced leukemias,we show that Pten is down-regulated by BCR-ABL in leukemia stem cells in CML and that PTEN deletion causes acceleration of CML development. In addition,overexpression of PTEN delays the development of CML and B-ALL and prolongs survival of leukemia mice. PTEN suppresses leukemia stem cells and induces cell-cycle arrest of leukemia cells. Moreover,PTEN suppresses B-ALL development through regulating its downstream gene Akt1. These results demonstrate a critical role of PTEN in BCR-ABL-induced leukemias and suggest a potential strategy for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia. View Publication