技术资料

Innate lymphoid cells 2 (ILC2) play a significant role in the tumorigenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). An important aspect of ILC2-mediated tumorigenesis is the expansion of the resident ILC2 and simultaneous recruitment of the peripheral ILC2. Here,we describe a protocol for isolation,enrichment,and DiD labeling of ILC2 for in vivo tracking of ILC2s in the mouse. Further,we describe steps for the adoptive transfer of ILC2 to a recipient mouse model of PDAC. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol,please refer to Alam et al. (2022). View Publication

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) have been implicated as having a role in antifungal immunity,but mechanisms of their interaction with fungi and the resulting cellular responses are not well understood. In this study,we identify the direct and indirect biological response of human pDCs to the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus and characterize the expression and regulation of antifungal receptors on the pDC surface. Results indicate pDCs do not phagocytose Aspergillus conidia,but instead bind hyphal surfaces and undergo activation and maturation via the upregulation of costimulatory and maturation markers. Measuring the expression of C-type lectin receptors dectin-1,dectin-2,dectin-3,and mannose receptor on human pDCs revealed intermediate expression of each receptor compared with monocytes. The specific dectin-1 agonist curdlan induced pDC activation and maturation in a cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic manner. The indirect activation of pDCs by curdlan was much stronger than direct stimulation and was mediated through cytokine production by other PBMCs. Overall,our data indicate pDCs express various C-type lectin receptors,recognize and respond to Aspergillus hyphal Ag,and serve as immune enhancers or modulators in the overarching fungal immune response. View Publication

BACKGROUND Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using genetically modified T cells has evolved into a promising treatment option for patients with cancer. However,even for the best-studied and clinically validated CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy,many patients face the challenge of lack of response or occurrence of relapse. There is increasing need to improve the efficacy of ACT so that durable,curative outcomes can be achieved in a broad patient population. METHODS Here,we investigated the impact of indomethacin (indo),a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID),on the efficacy of ACT in multiple preclinical models. Mice with established B-cell lymphoma received various combinations of preconditioning chemotherapy,infusion of suboptimal dose of tumor-reactive T cells,and indo administration. Donor T cells used in the ACT models included CD4+ T cells expressing a tumor-specific T cell receptor (TCR) and T cells engineered to express CD19CAR. Mice were monitored for tumor growth and survival. The effects of indo on donor T cell phenotype and function were evaluated. The molecular mechanisms by which indo may influence the outcome of ACT were investigated. RESULTS ACT coupled with indo administration led to improved tumor growth control and prolonged mouse survival. Indo did not affect the activation status and tumor infiltration of the donor T cells. Moreover,the beneficial effect of indo in ACT did not rely on its inhibitory effect on the immunosuppressive cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2)/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) axis. Instead,indo-induced oxidative stress boosted the expression of death receptor 5 (DR5) in tumor cells,rendering them susceptible to donor T cells expressing TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Furthermore,the ACT-potentiating effect of indo was diminished against DR5-deficient tumors,but was amplified by donor T cells engineered to overexpress TRAIL. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that the pro-oxidative property of indo can be exploited to enhance death receptor signaling in cancer cells,providing rationale for combining indo with genetically modified T cells to intensify tumor cell killing through the TRAIL-DR5 axis. These findings implicate indo administration,and potentially similar use of other NSAIDs,as a readily applicable and cost-effective approach to augment the efficacy of ACT. View Publication

BACKGROUND Several miRNAs are now known to have clear connections to the pathogenesis of asthma. The present study focused on the potential role of miR-3934 during asthma development. METHODS miR-3934 was detected as a down-regulated miRNA in basophils by sequencing analysis. Next,the expression levels of miR-3934 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 50 asthma patients and 50 healthy volunteers were examined by RT-qPCR methods. The basophils were then treated with AGEs and transfected with miR-3934 mimics. The apoptosis levels were examined by flow cytometry assay; and the expression levels of cytokines were detected using the ELISA kits. Finally,the Western blot was performed to examined the expression of key molecules in the TGF-$\beta$/Smad signaling pathway. RESULTS miR-3934 was down-regulated in the basophils of asthmatic patients. The expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6,IL-8 and IL-33 was enhanced in basophils from asthmatic patients,and this effect was partially reversed by transfection of miR-3934 mimics. Furthermore,receiver operating characteristics analysis showed that miR-3934 levels can be used to distinguish asthma patients from healthy individuals. miR-3934 partially inhibited advanced glycation end products-induced increases in basophil apoptosis by suppressing expression of RAGE. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that miR-3934 acts to mitigate the pathogenesis of asthma by targeting RAGE and suppressing TGF-$\beta$/Smad signaling. View Publication

Cardiovascular calcification is the lead predictor of cardiovascular events and the top cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. To date,only invasive surgical options are available to treat cardiovascular calcification despite the growing understanding of underlying pathological mechanisms. Key players in vascular calcification are vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs),which transform into calcifying SMCs and secrete mineralizing extracellular vesicles that form microcalcifications,subsequently increasing plaque instability and consequential plaque rupture. There is an increasing,practical need for a large scale and inexhaustible source of functional SMCs. Here we describe an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived model of SMCs by differentiating iPSCs toward SMCs to study the pathogenesis of vascular calcification. Specifically,we characterize the proteome during iPSC differentiation to better understand the cellular dynamics during this process. First,we differentiated human iPSCs toward an induced-SMC (iSMC) phenotype in a 10-day protocol. The success of iSMC differentiation was demonstrated through morphological analysis,immunofluorescent staining,flow cytometry,and proteomics characterization. Proteomics was performed throughout the entire differentiation time course to provide a robust,well-defined starting and ending cell population. Proteomics data verified iPSC differentiation to iSMCs,and functional enrichment of proteins on different days showed the key pathways changing during iSMC development. Proteomics comparison with primary human SMCs showed a high correlation with iSMCs. After iSMC differentiation,we initiated calcification in the iSMCs by culturing the cells in osteogenic media for 17 days. Calcification was verified using Alizarin Red S staining and proteomics data analysis. This study presents an inexhaustible source of functional vascular SMCs and calcifying vascular SMCs to create an in vitro model of vascular calcification in osteogenic conditions,with high potential for future applications in cardiovascular calcification research. View Publication

Lymphopenia is a common observation in patients with COVID-19. To explore the cause of T cell lymphopenia in the disease,laboratory results of 64 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were retrospectively analyzed and six patients were randomly selected to trace their changes of T lymphocytes and plasma concentration of IL-6 for the course of disease. Results confirmed that the T-cell lymphopenia,especially CD4+ T cell reduction in COVID-19 patients,was a reliable indicator of severity and hospitalization in infected patients. And CD4+ T cell count below 200 cells/$\mu$L predicts critical illness in COVID-19 patients. In vitro assay supported that exposure to key contributors (IL-1$\beta$,IL-6,TNF-$\alpha$ and IFN-$\gamma$) of COVID-19 cytokine storm caused substantial death of activated T cells. Among these contributors,IL-6 level was found to probably reversely correlate with T cell counts in patients. And IL-6 alone was potent to induce T cell reduction by gasderminE-mediated pyroptosis,inferring IL-6 took a part in affecting the function and status of T cells in COVID-19 patients. Intervention of IL-6 mediated T cell pryprotosis may effectively delay disease progression,maintain normal immune status at an early stage of infection. View Publication

As a critical immune checkpoint molecule,PD-L1 is expressed at significantly higher levels in multiple neoplastic tissues compared to normal ones. PD-L1/PD-1 axis is a critical target for tumor immunotherapy,blocking the PD-L1/PD-1 axis is recognized and has achieved unprecedented success in clinical applications. However,the clinical efficacy of therapies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway remains limited,emphasizing the need for the mechanistic elucidation of PD-1/PD-L1 expression. In this study,we found that RNF125 interacted with PD-L1 and regulated PD-L1 protein expression. Mechanistically,RNF125 promoted K48-linked polyubiquitination of PD-L1 and mediated its degradation. Notably,MC-38 and H22 cell lines with RNF125 knockout,transplanted in C57BL/6 mice,exhibited a higher PD-L1 level and faster tumor growth than their parental cell lines. In contrast,overexpression of RNF125 in MC-38 and H22 cells had the opposite effect,resulting in lower PD-L1 levels and delayed tumor growth compared with parental cell lines. In addition,immunohistochemical analysis of MC-38 tumors with RNF125 overexpression showed significantly increased infiltration of CD4+,CD8+ T cells and macrophages. Consistent with these findings,analyses using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) public database revealed a positive correlation of RNF125 expression with CD4+,CD8+ T cell and macrophage tumor infiltration. Moreover,RNF125 expression was significantly downregulated in several human cancer tissues,and was negatively correlated with the clinical stage of these tumors,and patients with higher RNF125 expression had better clinical outcomes. Our findings identify a novel mechanism for regulating PD-L1 expression and may provide a new strategy to increase the efficacy of immunotherapy. View Publication

New strategies that augment T cell responses are required to broaden the therapeutic arsenal against cancer. CD96,TIGIT,and CD226 are receptors that bind to a communal ligand,CD155,and transduce either inhibitory or activating signals. The function of TIGIT and CD226 is established,whereas the role of CD96 remains ambiguous. Using a panel of engineered antibodies,we discovered that the T cell stimulatory activity of anti-CD96 antibodies requires antibody cross-linking and is potentiated by Fc$\gamma$ receptors. Thus,soluble Fc silent" anti-CD96 antibodies failed to stimulate human T cells whereas the same antibodies were stimulatory after coating onto plastic surfaces. Remarkably the activity of soluble anti-CD96 antibodies was reinstated by engineering the Fc domain to a human IgG1 isotype and it was dependent on antibody trans-cross-linking by Fc$\gamma$RI. In contrast neither human IgG2 nor variants with increased Fc$\gamma$ receptor IIB binding possessed stimulatory activity. Anti-CD96 antibodies acted directly on T cells and augmented gene expression networks associated with T cell activation leading to proliferation cytokine secretion and resistance to Treg suppression. Furthermore CD96 expression correlated with survival in HPV+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its cross-linking activated tumor-infiltrating T cells thus highlighting the potential of anti-CD96 antibodies in cancer immunotherapy." View Publication

Despite the effectiveness of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) against chronic myeloid leukemia (CML),they are not usually curative as some patients develop drug-resistance or are at risk of disease relapse when treatment is discontinued. Studies have demonstrated that primitive CML cells display unique miRNA profiles in response to TKI treatment. However,the utility of miRNAs in predicting treatment response is not yet conclusive. Here,we analyzed differentially expressed miRNAs in CD34+ CML cells pre- and post-nilotinib (NL) therapy from 58 patients enrolled in the Canadian sub-analysis of the ENESTxtnd phase IIIb clinical trial which correlated with sensitivity of CD34+ cells to NL treatment in in vitro colony-forming cell (CFC) assays. We performed Cox Proportional Hazard (CoxPH) analysis and applied machine learning algorithms to generate multivariate miRNA panels which can predict NL response at treatment-na{\{i}}ve or post-treatment time points. We demonstrated that a combination of miR-145 and miR-708 are effective predictors of NL response in treatment-na{\"{i}}ve patients whereas miR-150 and miR-185 were significant classifiers at 1-month and 3-month post-NL therapy. Interestingly incorporation of NL-CFC output in these panels enhanced predictive performance. Thus this novel predictive model may be developed into a prognostic tool for use in the clinic." View Publication

BACKGROUND Endometriosis is a common,complex disorder which is underrecognized and subject to prolonged delays in diagnosis. It is accompanied by significant changes in the eutopic endometrial lining. METHODS We have undertaken the first single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-Seq) comparison of endometrial tissues in freshly collected menstrual effluent (ME) from 33 subjects,including confirmed endometriosis patients (cases) and controls as well as symptomatic subjects (who have chronic symptoms suggestive of endometriosis but have not been diagnosed). RESULTS We identify a unique subcluster of proliferating uterine natural killer (uNK) cells in ME-tissues from controls that is almost absent from endometriosis cases,along with a striking reduction of total uNK cells in the ME of cases (p?? View Publication

Gas gangrene caused by Clostridium perfringens type A infection is a highly lethal infection of soft tissue characterized by rapid spread of tissue necrosis. This tissue destruction is related to profound attenuation of blood flow accompanied by formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates in the blood vessels. Several studies have identified $\alpha$-toxin,which has both sphingomyelinase and phospholipase C activities,as a major virulence factor in the aggregate formation via activation of the platelet gpIIbIIIa. Here,we show that $\alpha$-toxin greatly and rapidly increases plasma membrane localization of CD11b,which binds to the platelet gpIIbIIIa via fibrinogen,in mouse neutrophils. Interestingly,short-term treatment of $\alpha$-toxin has little effect on gene expression profiles in neutrophils,and the toxin does not change the total protein expression levels of CD11b in whole cell lysates. The following analysis demonstrated that CD11b localizes to intracellular vesicles in intact cells,but the localization changed to the cytoplasmic membrane in $\alpha$-toxin-treated cells. These results suggest that CD11b is recruited to the cytoplasmic membrane by $\alpha$-toxin. Previously,we reported that $\alpha$-toxin promotes the formation of ceramide by its sphingomyelinase activity in mouse neutrophils. Interestingly,a synthetic cell-permeable ceramide analog,C2-ceramide,increases plasma membrane localization of CD11b,suggesting that ceramide production by $\alpha$-toxin recruits CD11b to the cytoplasmic membrane to promote platelet-leukocyte aggregation. Together,our results illustrate that the increase of cell membrane CD11b expression by $\alpha$-toxin might be crucial for the pathogenesis of C. perfringens to promote formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates,leading to rapid tissue necrosis due to ischemia. View Publication

BACKGROUND Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease characterized by antigen-triggered neutrophilic exacerbations. Although CD4+ T cells are sufficient for HP pathogenesis,this never translated into efficient T cell-specific therapies. Increasing evidence shows that B cells also play decisive roles in HP. Here,we aimed to further define the respective contributions of B and T cells in subacute experimental HP. METHODS Mice were subjected to a protocol of subacute exposure to the archaeon Methanosphaera stadmanae to induce experimental HP. Using models of adoptive transfers of B cells and T cells in Rag1-deficient mice and of B cell-specific S1P1 deletion,we assessed the importance of B cells in the development of HP by evaluating inflammation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. We also aimed to determine if injected antibodies targeting B and/or T cells could alleviate HP exacerbations using a therapeutic course of intervention. RESULTS Even though B cells are not sufficient to induce HP,they strongly potentiate CD4+ T cell-induced HP?‘associated neutrophilic inflammation in the airways. However,the reduction of 85% of lung B cells in mice with a CD19-driven S1P1 deletion does not dampen HP inflammation,suggesting that lung B cells are not necessary in large numbers to sustain local inflammation. Finally,we found that injecting antibodies targeting B cells after experimental HP was induced does not dampen neutrophilic exacerbation. Yet,injection of antibodies directed against B cells and T cells yielded a potent 76% inhibition of neutrophilic accumulation in the lungs. This inhibition occurred despite partial,sometimes mild,depletion of B cells and T cells subsets. CONCLUSIONS Although B cells are required for maximal inflammation in subacute experimental HP,partial reduction of B cells fails to reduce HP-associated inflammation by itself. However,co-modulation of T cells and B cells yields enhanced inhibition of HP exacerbation caused by an antigenic rechallenge. View Publication