技术资料

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

A capability for analyzing complex cellular communication among tissues is important in drug discovery and development,and in vitro technologies for doing so are required for human applications. A prominent instance is communication between the gut and the liver,whereby perturbations of one tissue can influence behavior of the other. Here,we present a study on human gut-liver tissue interactions under normal and inflammatory contexts,via an integrative multi-organ platform comprising human liver (hepatocytes and Kupffer cells),and intestinal (enterocytes,goblet cells,and dendritic cells) models. Our results demonstrated long-term (>2 weeks) maintenance of intestinal (e.g.,barrier integrity) and hepatic (e.g.,albumin) functions in baseline interaction. Gene expression data comparing liver in interaction with gut,versus isolation,revealed modulation of bile acid metabolism. Intestinal FGF19 secretion and associated inhibition of hepatic CYP7A1 expression provided evidence of physiologically relevant gut-liver crosstalk. Moreover,significant non-linear modulation of cytokine responses was observed under inflammatory gut-liver interaction; for example,production of CXCR3 ligands (CXCL9,10,11) was synergistically enhanced. RNA-seq analysis revealed significant upregulation of IFNα/β/γ signaling during inflammatory gut-liver crosstalk,with these pathways implicated in the synergistic CXCR3 chemokine production. Exacerbated inflammatory response in gut-liver interaction also negatively affected tissue-specific functions (e.g.,liver metabolism). These findings illustrate how an integrated multi-tissue platform can generate insights useful for understanding complex pathophysiological processes such as inflammatory organ crosstalk. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 2648-2659. textcopyright 2017 Wiley Periodicals,Inc. View Publication

Inhibition of cytosolic DNA sensing represents a strategy that tumor cells use for immune evasion,but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here we have shown that CD47-signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) axis dictates the fate of ingested DNA in DCs for immune evasion. Although macrophages were more potent in uptaking tumor DNA,increase of DNA sensing by blocking the interaction of SIRPα with CD47 preferentially occurred in dendritic cells (DCs) but not in macrophages. Mechanistically,CD47 blockade enabled the activation of NADPH oxidase NOX2 in DCs,which in turn inhibited phagosomal acidification and reduced the degradation of tumor mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in DCs. mtDNA was recognized by cyclic-GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) in the DC cytosol,contributing to type I interferon (IFN) production and antitumor adaptive immunity. Thus,our findings have demonstrated how tumor cells inhibit innate sensing in DCs and suggested that the CD47-SIRPα axis is critical for DC-driven antitumor immunity. View Publication

During pancreatic development,proliferating pancreatic progenitors activate the proendocrine transcription factor neurogenin 3 (NEUROG3),exit the cell cycle,and differentiate into islet cells. The mechanisms that direct robust NEUROG3 expression within a subset of progenitor cells control the size of the endocrine population. Here we demonstrate that NEUROG3 is phosphorylated within the nucleus on serine 183,which catalyzes its hyperphosphorylation and proteosomal degradation. During progression through the progenitor cell cycle,NEUROG3 phosphorylation is driven by the actions of cyclin-dependent kinases 2 and 4/6 at G1/S cell-cycle checkpoint. Using models of mouse and human pancreas development,we show that lengthening of the G1 phase of the pancreatic progenitor cell cycle is essential for proper induction of NEUROG3 and initiation of endocrine cell differentiation. In sum,these studies demonstrate that progenitor cell-cycle G1 lengthening,through its actions on stabilization of NEUROG3,is an essential variable in normal endocrine cell genesis. View Publication

Proof of drug-target engagement in physiologically-relevant contexts is a key pillar of successful therapeutic target validation. We developed two orthogonal technologies,the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and a covalent chemical probe reporter approach (harnessing sulfonyl fluoride tyrosine labeling and subsequent click chemistry) to measure the occupancy of the mRNA-decapping scavenger enzyme DcpS by a small molecule inhibitor in live cells. Enzyme affinity determined using isothermal dose response fingerprinting (ITDRFCETSA) and the concentration required to occupy 50% of the enzyme (OC50) using the chemical probe reporter assay were very similar. In this case,the chemical probe method worked well due to the long offset kinetics of the reversible inhibitor (determined using a fluorescent dye-tagged probe). This work suggests that CETSA could become the first choice assay to determine in-cell target engagement due to its simplicity. View Publication

Routine techniques for the isolation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) include density centrifugation with Ficoll-Paque and isolation by cell preparation tubes (CPTs) and SepMate tubes with Lymphoprep. In a series of experiments,these three PBMC isolation techniques were compared for cell recovery and viability,PBMC population composition,and cell functionality,aiming to provide a starting basis for the selection of the most appropriate method of PBMC isolation for a specific downstream application. PBMCs were freshly isolated from venous blood of healthy male donors,applying the different techniques in parallel. Cell recovery and viability were assessed using a hemacytometer and trypan blue. Immunophenotyping was performed by flow cytometry. Cell functionality was assessed in stimulated (100 ng/mL staphylococcal enterotoxin B [SEB]) and unstimulated 24 hours PBMC cultures,with cytokine production and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release as readout measures. PBMC isolation by SepMate and CPT resulted in a 70% higher recovery than Ficoll isolation. CPT-isolated populations contained more erythrocyte contamination. Cell viability,assessed by trypan blue exclusion,was 100% for all three isolation techniques. SepMate and CPT isolation gave higher SEB-induced cytokine responses in cell cultures,for IFNγ and for secondary cytokines. IL-6 and IL-8 release in unstimulated cultures was higher for CPT-isolated PBMCs compared to Ficoll- and SepMate-isolated PBMCs. LDH release did not differ between cell isolation techniques. In addition to criteria such as cost and application practicalities,these data may support selection of a specific PBMC isolation technique for downstream analysis. View Publication

Innate Defense Regulators (IDRs) are short synthetic peptides that target the host innate immune system via an intracellular adaptor protein which functions at key signaling nodes. In this work,further details of the mechanism of action of IDRs have been discovered. The studies reported here show that the lead clinical IDR,SGX94,has broad-spectrum activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections caused by intracellular or extracellular bacteria and also complements the actions of standard of care antibiotics. Based on in vivo and primary cell culture studies,this activity is shown to result from the primary action of SGX94 on tissue-resident cells and subsequent secondary signaling to activate myeloid-derived cells,resulting in enhanced bacterial clearance and increased survival. Data from non-clinical and clinical studies also show that SGX94 treatment modulates pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels,thereby mitigating the deleterious inflammatory consequences of innate immune activation. Since they act through host pathways to provide both broad-spectrum anti-infective capability as well as control of inflammation,IDRs are unlikely to be impacted by resistance mechanisms and offer potential clinical advantages in the fight against emerging and antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. View Publication