技术资料

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignancy with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. A deeper understanding of the interaction of cancer cells with other cells in the tumor microenvironment is crucial to devise effective therapeutic strategies. MUC2,a major component of the protective mucus layer in the gastrointestinal tract,has been implicated in CRC progression and immune response regulation. In this study,we sought to elucidate the relationship between MUC2 expression and immune infiltration within CRC using in vitro models involving two well-established cell lines,HT-29 and LS-174T. By employing CRISPR-mediated MUC2 knockout,we investigated the influence of MUC2 on tumor immune infiltration and its interplay with T cells and NK cells enriched peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in 3D spheroid cultures. While MUC2 was more abundant in LS-174T cell line compared to HT-29,its knockout resulted in increased immune infiltration solely in the HT-29 cell line,but not in the LS-174T cell line. We revealed that the removal of MUC2 protein was compensated in LS-174T by the expression of other gel-forming mucin proteins (MUC6,MUC5B) commonly expressed in the gastrointestinal epithelium,while this was not observed in HT-29 cell line. Our study is the first to demonstrate that MUC2 functions as a physical barrier to immune infiltration in colorectal cancer (CRC) in vitro . In HT-29 cells,MUC2 knockout increased immune infiltration,while in LS-174T cells,compensatory expression of other mucins (MUC6,MUC5B) maintained the barrier. These findings reveal the complexity of mucin biology in CRC and suggest that targeting mucin pathways could be a novel therapeutic approach. View Publication

The manufacturing of allogeneic cell therapeutics based on human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) holds considerable potential to revolutionize the accessibility and affordability of modern healthcare. However,achieving the cell yields necessary to ensure robust production hinges on identifying suitable and scalable single-use (SU) bioreactor systems. While specific stirred SU bioreactor types have demonstrated proficiency in supporting hiPSC expansion at L -scale,others,notably instrumented SU multiplate and fixed-bed bioreactors,remain relatively unexplored. By characterizing these bioreactors using both computational fluid dynamics and experimental bioengineering methods,operating ranges were identified for the Xpansion ® 10 and Ascent™ 1 m 2 bioreactors in which satisfactory hiPSC expansion under serum-free conditions was achieved. These operating ranges were shown not only to effectively limit cell exposure to wall shear stress but also facilitated sufficient oxygen transfer and mixing. Through their application,almost 5 × 10 9 viable cells could be produced within 5 days,achieving expansion factors of up to 35 without discernable impact on cell viability,identity,or differentiation potential. Key Points • Bioengineering characterizations allowed the identification of operating ranges that supported satisfactory hiPSC expansion • Both the Xpansion ® 10 multiplate and Ascent™ 1 m 2 fixed-bed reactor accommodated the production of almost 5 × 10 9 viable cells within 5 days • Exposing the hiPSCs to a median wall shear stress of up to 8.2 × 10 −5 N cm −2 did not impair quality The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-024-13373-2. View Publication

To fully utilize the potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for allogeneic stem cell–based therapies,efficient and scalable expansion procedures must be developed. For other adherent human cell types,the combination of microcarriers (MCs) and stirred tank bioreactors has been shown to meet these demands. In this study,a hiPSC quasi-perfusion expansion procedure based on MCs was developed at 100-mL scale in spinner flasks. Process development began by assessing various medium exchange strategies and MC coatings,indicating that the hiPSCs tolerated the gradual exchange of medium well when cultivated on Synthemax II–coated MCs. This procedure was therefore scaled-up to the 1.3-L Eppendorf BioBLU 1c stirred tank bioreactor by applying the lower limit of Zwietering’s suspension criterion ( N s 1 u ),thereby demonstrating proof-of-concept when used in combination with hiPSCs for the first time. To better understand the bioreactor and its bioengineering characteristics,computational fluid dynamics and bioengineering investigations were performed prior to hiPSC cultivation. In this manner,improved process understanding allowed an expansion factor of ≈ 26 to be achieved,yielding more than 3 × 10 9 cells within 5 days. Further quality analyses confirmed that the hiPSCs maintained their viability,identity,and differentiation potential throughout cultivation. • N s 1 u can be used as a scale-up criterion for hiPSC cultivations in MC-operated stirred bioreactors • Uniform distribution and attachment of cells to the MCs are crucial for efficient expansion • Perfusion is advantageous and supports the cultivation of hiPSCs The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-024-13372-3. View Publication

Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a serious systemic disease caused by the deposition of free misfolded immunoglobulin light chains (LCs) in the form of amyloid fibrils within tissues. Cardiac involvement determines prognosis and mortality. An important cytotoxic impact of amyloidogenic prefibrillar LC oligomers on cardiomyocytes is by now established in isolated rodent cardiomyocytes,simple animal models,or cardiomyocyte-like cell lines. However,the response of human cardiomyocytes to this pathogenic condition is currently unknown. In this work,we have set up a human cellular disease model of AL cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA) in the form of cardiac spheroids,to study the cytotoxic effects of amyloidogenic LCs with regard to contractile function and calcium handling. To mimic the disease in a reconstituted system,soluble amyloidogenic LCs purified from urine of AL-CA patients were added to a mixture of induced pluripotent stem cell-issued human cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) and human primary cardiac fibroblasts,which resulted in formation of spheroids within 7 days. This procedure ensured a uniform pericellular LC distribution within spheroids. LC-treated hiPSC-CM cultures and LC-containing spheroids presented structural and functional defects including: (1) decreased levels and subcellular disorganization of sarcomeric protein alpha-actinin; (2) abnormal accumulation of calcium handling SERCA2a protein; (3) impaired contractility of spheroids and altered calcium transients. Three independent patient-derived LCs had similar effects,albeit to varying degrees,highlighting the patient-specific properties of this type of amyloids. Taken together,these results indicate that the present cardiac spheroid disease model could be appropriate to the study of cardiac cytotoxicity caused by different amyloidogenic LCs in AL-CA patients,contributing to a better understanding and therapeutic handling of the disease. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-024-82442-3. View Publication

Functional cellular heterogeneity in tumours often underlies incomplete response to therapy and relapse. Previously,we demonstrated that the growth of the paediatric brain malignancy,sonic hedgehog subgroup medulloblastoma,is rooted in a dysregulated developmental hierarchy,the apex of which is defined by characteristically quiescent SOX2 + stem-like cells. Integrating gene expression and chromatin accessibility patterns in distinct cellular compartments,we identify the transcription factor Olig2 as regulating the stem cell fate transition from quiescence to activation,driving the generation of downstream neoplastic progenitors. Inactivation of Olig2 blocks stem cell activation and tumour output. Targeting this rare OLIG2-driven proliferative programme with a small molecule inhibitor,CT-179,dramatically attenuates early tumour formation and tumour regrowth post-therapy,and significantly increases median survival in vivo. We demonstrate that targeting transition from quiescence to proliferation at the level of the tumorigenic cell could be a pivotal medulloblastoma treatment strategy. Subject terms: Cancer stem cells,Mechanisms of disease,Cancer therapy View Publication

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cell therapy holds promise for treating myeloid malignancies,but challenges remain in bone marrow (BM) infiltration and targeting BM-resident malignant cells. Current autologous CAR-T therapies also face manufacturing and patient selection issues,underscoring the need for off-the-shelf products. In this study,we characterize primary patient samples and identify a unique therapeutic opportunity for CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-NKT) cells. Using stem cell gene engineering and a clinically guided culture method,we generate allogeneic CD33-directed CAR-NKT cells with high yield,purity,and robustness. In preclinical mouse models,CAR-NKT cells exhibit strong BM homing and effectively target BM-resident malignant blast cells,including CD33-low/negative leukemia stem and progenitor cells. Furthermore,CAR-NKT cells synergize with hypomethylating agents,enhancing tumor-killing efficacy. These cells also show minimal off-tumor toxicity,reduced graft-versus-host disease and cytokine release syndrome risks,and resistance to allorejection,highlighting their substantial therapeutic potential for treating myeloid malignancies. Subject terms: Cancer therapy,Immunotherapy,Leukaemia View Publication

Dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis1 (DAAM1) is a member of the evolutionarily conserved Formin family and plays a significant role in the malignant progression of various human cancers. This study aims to explore the clinical and biological significance of DAAM1 in pancreatic cancer. Multiple public datasets and an in-house cohort were utilized to assess the clinical relevance of DAAM1 in pancreatic cancer. The LinkedOmics platform was employed to perform enrichment analysis of DAAM1-associated molecular pathways in pancreatic cancer. Subsequently,a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate the biological roles of DAAM1 in pancreatic cancer cells and its effects on intratumoral T cells. DAAM1 was found to be upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues,with higher expression levels observed in tumor cells. Additionally,high expression of DAAM1 was associated with poor prognosis. DAAM1 acted as an oncogene in pancreatic cancer,and its inhibition suppressed tumor cell proliferation,migration,and invasion,while promoted apoptosis. Furthermore,DAAM1 was involved in the JAK1/STAT1 signaling pathway and regulated PD-L1 expression in pancreatic cancer cells. The inhibition of DAAM1 also significantly reduced the exhaustion levels of CD8+ T cells. In conclusion,DAAM1 functions as an oncogene and is immunologically implicated in pancreatic cancer,these findings suggest that DAAM1 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for the clinical management of pancreatic cancer. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-024-03631-8. View Publication

CDK4/6 inhibitors have significantly improved the survival of patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer,becoming a first-line treatment option. However,the development of resistance to these inhibitors is inevitable. To address this challenge,novel strategies are required to overcome resistance,necessitating a deeper understanding of its mechanisms. Recent research has identified several dysregulated genes in CDK4/6 inhibitors-resistant breast cancer,but the underlying mechanism is complex due to tumor heterogeneity and warrants further investigation. RNA sequencing and KEGG pathway analysis was carried out to identify the mainly dysregulated genes in CDK4/6 inhibitors-resistant breast cancer cells. The effects of CXCR4 knockdown and overexpression via siRNAs and plasmids transfection were examined by mammosphere formation,RT-qPCR,flow cytometry,MTT and colony formation assays. The regulation mechanisms were analyzed by RT-qPCR,western blotting and immunofluorescence experiments. Mouse xenografts were used to analyze the role of CXCR4 in regulation palbociclib sensitivity in vivo. Additionally,we collected the clinical samples and performed immunohistochemistry to analyze the clinical significance of CXCR4. In our study,we focused on cancer stem cells,a critical contributor to cancer metastasis and therapy resistance,and detected an upregulation of stemness in our established palbociclib-resistant ER-positive breast cancer cells. Additionally,our research pinpointed CXCR4 as a pivotal gene responsible for maintaining cancer stemness and promoting palbociclib resistance. Mechanistically,CXCR4 activates the WNT5A/β-catenin signaling pathway by enhancing the expression of WNT5A and β-catenin,facilitating the nuclear translocation of β-catenin protein. Targeting CXCR4 using siRNAs or small molecular inhibitors effectively reduces cancer stemness and reverses palbociclib resistance both in vitro and in vivo. Clinical sample analysis further underscores the overactivation of the CXCR4/WNT5A/β-catenin axis in palbociclib-resistant breast cancer,suggesting CXCR4 as a potential biomarker for predicting resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Collectively,our study demonstrates that CXCR4 overexpression plays a vital role in maintaining breast cancer stemness and promoting resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors through the activation of the WNT5A/β-catenin pathway. Targeting CXCR4 may offer a promising therapeutic approach for advanced CDK4/6 inhibitor-resistant ER-positive breast cancer. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13058-025-01965-3. View Publication

Neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (h-iPSC-Ns) provide an invaluable model for studying the physiological aspects of human neuronal development under healthy and pathological conditions. However,multiple studies have demonstrated that h-iPSC-Ns exhibit a high degree of functional and epigenetic diversity. Due to the imprecise characterization and significant variation among the currently available maturation protocols,it is essential to establish a set of criteria to standardize models and accurately characterize and define the developmental properties of human neurons derived from iPSCs. In this study,we conducted comprehensive cellular and network level analysis of the functional development of human neurons,generated from iPSCs obtained from healthy young female peripheral blood mononuclear cells by BDNF and GDNF treatment. We provide a thorough description of the maturation process of h-iPSC-Ns over a 10-week in vitro period using conventional whole-cell patch clamp and dynamic clamp techniques,alongside with morphometry and immunocytochemistry. Additionally,we utilized calcium imaging to monitor the progression of synaptic activity and network communication. At the single cell level,human neurons exhibited gradually decreasing membrane resistance in parallel with improved excitability. By the fifth week of maturation,firing profiles were consistent with those of mature regular firing type of neurons. At the network level,fast glutamatergic and depolarizing GABAergic synaptic connections were abundant together with synchronized network activity from the sixth week of maturation. Alterations in the expression of GABA A receptor subunits were also observed during the process of maturation. The sequence of differentiation events was consistent,providing a robust temporal framework to execute experiments at defined stages of neuronal maturation as well as to use a specific set of experiments to assess a culture’s maturation. The uncovered progression of differentiation events provides a powerful tool to aid the planning and designing of targeted experiments during defined stages of neuronal maturation. View Publication

Melanoma brain metastasis is linked to dismal prognosis and low overall survival and is detected in up to 80% of patients at autopsy. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are the smallest functional units of cancer and precursors of fatal metastasis. We previously used an unbiased multilevel approach to discover a unique ribosomal protein large/small subunit (RPL/RPS) CTC gene signature associated with melanoma brain metastasis. In this study,we hypothesized that CTC-driven melanoma brain metastasis secondary metastasis (“metastasis of metastasis” per clinical scenarios) has targeted organ specificity for the liver. We injected parallel cohorts of immunodeficient and newly developed humanized NBSGW (huNBSGW) mice with cells from CTC-derived melanoma brain metastasis to identify secondary metastatic patterns. We found the presence of a melanoma brain–liver metastasis axis in huNBSGW mice. Furthermore,RNA sequencing analysis of tissues showed a significant upregulation of the RPL/RPS CTC gene signature linked to metastatic spread to the liver. Additional RNA sequencing of CTCs from huNBSGW blood revealed extensive CTC clustering with human B cells in these mice. CTC:B-cell clusters were also upregulated in the blood of patients with primary melanoma and maintained either in CTC-driven melanoma brain metastasis or melanoma brain metastasis CTC–derived cells promoting liver metastasis. CTC-generated tumor tissues were interrogated at single-cell gene and protein expression levels (10x Genomics Xenium and HALO spatial biology platforms,respectively). Collectively,our findings suggest that heterotypic CTC:B-cell interactions can be critical at multiple stages of metastasis. This study provides important insights into the relevance of prometastatic CTC:B-cell clusters in melanoma progression,extends the importance of the CTC RPL/RPS gene signature beyond primary metastasis/melanoma brain metastasis driving targeted organ specificity for liver metastasis (“metastasis of metastasis”),and identifies new targets for clinical melanoma metastasis therapies. View Publication

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium that is notorious for airway infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) subjects. Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) coordinates virulence factor expression and biofilm formation at population level. Better understanding of QS in the bacterium-host interaction is required. Here,we set up a new P. aeruginosa infection model,using 2D upper airway nasal organoids that were derived from 3D organoids. Using dual RNA-sequencing,we dissected the interaction between organoid epithelial cells and WT or QS-mutant P. aeruginosa strains. Since only a single healthy individual and a single CF subject were used as donors for the organoids,conclusions about CF-specific effects could not be deduced. However,P. aeruginosa induced epithelial inflammation,whereas QS signaling did not affect the epithelial airway cells. Conversely,the epithelium influenced infection-related processes of P. aeruginosa,including QS-mediated regulation. Comparison of our model with samples from the airways of CF subjects indicated that our model recapitulates important aspects of infection in vivo. Hence,the 2D airway organoid infection model is relevant and may help to reduce the future burden of P. aeruginosa infections in CF. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-024-82500-w. View Publication

Many respiratory viruses attack the airway epithelium and cause a wide spectrum of diseases for which we have limited therapies. To date,a few primary human stem cell-based models of the proximal airway have been reported for drug discovery but scaling them up to a higher throughput platform remains a significant challenge. As a result,most of the drug screening assays for respiratory viruses are performed on commercial cell line-based 2D cultures that provide limited translational ability. We optimized a primary human stem cell-based mucociliary airway epithelium model of SARS-CoV-2 infection,in 96-well air–liquid-interface (ALI) format,which is amenable to moderate throughput drug screening. We tested the model against SARS-CoV-2 parental strain (Wuhan) and variants Beta,Delta,and Omicron. We applied this model to screen 2100 compounds from targeted drug libraries using a high throughput-high content image-based quantification method. The model recapitulated the heterogeneity of infection among patients with SARS-CoV-2 parental strain and variants. While there were heterogeneous responses across variants for host factor targeting compounds,the two direct-acting antivirals we tested,Remdesivir and Paxlovid,showed consistent efficacy in reducing infection across all variants and donors. Using the model,we characterized a new antiviral drug effective against both the parental strain and the Omicron variant. This study demonstrates that the 96-well ALI model of primary human mucociliary epithelium can recapitulate the heterogeneity of infection among different donors and SARS-CoV-2 variants and can be used for moderate throughput screening. Compounds that target host factors showed variability among patients in response to SARS-CoV-2,while direct-acting antivirals were effective against SARS-CoV-2 despite the heterogeneity of patients tested. View Publication