技术资料

Mutational inactivation of ATRX ($\alpha$-thalassemia mental retardation X-linked) represents a defining molecular alteration in large subsets of malignant glioma. Yet the pathogenic consequences of ATRX deficiency remain unclear,as do tractable mechanisms for its therapeutic targeting. Here we report that ATRX loss in isogenic glioma model systems induces replication stress and DNA damage by way of G-quadruplex (G4) DNA secondary structure. Moreover,these effects are associated with the acquisition of disease-relevant copy number alterations over time. We then demonstrate,both in vitro and in vivo,that ATRX deficiency selectively enhances DNA damage and cell death following chemical G4 stabilization. Finally,we show that G4 stabilization synergizes with other DNA-damaging therapies,including ionizing radiation,in the ATRX-deficient context. Our findings reveal novel pathogenic mechanisms driven by ATRX deficiency in glioma,while also pointing to tangible strategies for drug development. View Publication

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is life-threatening,for which efficient nonsurgical treatment strategy has not been available so far. Several previous studies investigating the therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in AAA indicated that MSCs could inhibit aneurysmal inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix destruction,and suppress aneurysm occurrence and expansion. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic plasticity is reported to be predisposed in AAA initiation and progression. However,little is known about the effect of MSCs on VSMC phenotypic modulation in AAA. In this study,we investigate the therapeutic efficacy of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) in elastase-induced AAA model and evaluate the effect of UC-MSC on VSMC phenotypic regulation. We demonstrate that the intravenous injection of UC-MSC attenuates elastase-induced aneurysmal expansion,reduces elastin degradation and fragmentation,inhibits MMPs and TNF-$\alpha$ expression,and preserves and/or restores VSMC contractile phenotype in AAA. Taken together,these results highlight the therapeutic and VSMC phenotypic modulation effects of UC-MSC in AAA progression,which further indicates the potential of applying UC-MSC as an alternative treatment candidate for AAA. View Publication

H7 avian influenza viruses represent a major public health concern,and worldwide outbreaks raise the risk of a potential pandemic. Understanding the memory B cell response to avian (H7) influenza virus infection in humans could provide insights in the potential key to human infection risks. We investigated an epizootic of the highly pathogenic A(H7N7) in the Netherlands,which in 2003 led to infection of 89 persons and one fatal case. Subtype-specificity of antibodies were determined for confirmed H7N7 infected individuals (cases) (n = 19),contacts of these cases (n = 21) and a comparison group controls (n = 16),by microarray,using recombinant hemagglutinin (HA)1 proteins. The frequency and specificity of memory B cells was determined by detecting subtype-specific antibodies in the culture supernatants from in vitro stimulated oligoclonal B cell cultures,from peripheral blood of cases and controls. All cases (100{\%}) had high antibody titers specific for A(H7N7)2003 (GMT {\textgreater} 100),whereas H7-HA1 antigen binding was detected in 29{\%} of contacts and 31{\%} of controls,suggesting that some of the H7 reactivity stems from cross reactive antibodies. To unravel homotypic and heterotypic responses,the frequency and specificity of memory B cells were determined in 2 cases. Ten of 123 HA1 reactive clones isolated from the cases bound to only H7- HA1,whereas 5 bound both H7 and other HA1 antigens. We recovered at least four different epitopal reactivities,though none of the H7 reactive antibodies were able to neutralize H7 infections in vitro. Our study serologically confirms the infection with H7 avian influenza viruses,and shows that H7 infection triggers a mixture of strain -specific and cross-reactive antibodies. View Publication

Freshly isolated,uncultured,autologous adipose derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) have emerged as a promising tool for regenerative cell therapy. The Transpose RT system (InGeneron,Inc.,Houston,TX,USA) is a system for isolating ADRCs from adipose tissue,commercially available in Europe as a CE-marked medical device and under clinical evaluation in the United States. This system makes use of the proprietary,enzymatic Matrase Reagent for isolating cells. The present study addressed the question whether the use of Matrase Reagent influences cell yield,cell viability,live cell yield,biological characteristics,physiological functions or structural properties of the ADRCs in final cell suspension. Identical samples of subcutaneous adipose tissue from 12 subjects undergoing elective lipoplasty were processed either with or without the use of Matrase Reagent. Then,characteristics of the ADRCs in the respective final cell suspensions were evaluated. Compared to non-enzymatic isolation,enzymatic isolation resulted in approximately twelve times higher mean cell yield (i.e.,numbers of viable cells/ml lipoaspirate) and approximately 16 times more colony forming units. Despite these differences,cells isolated from lipoaspirate both with and without the use of Matrase Reagent were independently able to differentiate into cells of all three germ layers. This indicates that biological characteristics,physiological functions or structural properties relevant for the intended use were not altered or induced using Matrase Reagent. A comprehensive literature review demonstrated that isolation of ADRCs from lipoaspirate using the Transpose RT system and the Matrase Reagent results in the highest viable cell yield among published data regarding isolation of ADRCs from lipoaspirate. View Publication

Emerging evidence indicates that in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS),the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment may also contribute to the ineffective,malignant haematopoiesis in addition to the intrinsic abnormalities of haematopoietic stem precursor cells (HSPCs). The BM microenvironment influences malignant haematopoiesis through indirect mechanisms,but the processes by which the BM microenvironment directly contributes to MDS initiation and progression have not yet been elucidated. Our previous data showed that BM-derived stromal cells (BMSCs) from MDS patients have an abnormal expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). In this study,we characterise the morpho-phenotypic features and the functional alterations of BMSCs from MDS patients and in FAK knock-downed HS-5 cells. The decreased expression of FAK or its phosphorylated form in BMSCs from low-risk (LR) MDS directly correlates with BMSCs' functional deficiency and is associated with a reduced level of haemoglobin. The downregulation of FAK in HS-5 cells alters their morphology,proliferation,and differentiation capabilities and impairs the expression of several adhesion molecules. In addition,we examine the CD34+ healthy donor (HD)-derived HSPCs' properties when co-cultured with FAK-deficient BMSCs. Both abnormal proliferation and the impaired erythroid differentiation capacity of HD-HSPCs were observed. Together,these results demonstrate that stromal adhesion mechanisms mediated by FAK are crucial for regulating HSPCs' homeostasis. View Publication

Background Nab-paclitaxel has been widely used in treating breast cancer and pancreatic patients for its low toxicity and high efficiency. However,its role in gastric cancer (GC) remains ambiguous. The aim of our study was to test the anti-tumor activity of nab-paclitaxel using GC patient-derived organoids. Methods By using the organoid culture system,we describe the establishment of human gastric cancer organoid lines from surgical samples of three patients with gastric cancer. The consistency of these organoids with original cancer tissues was evaluated by histopathological examination. The characteristics of the cancer organoids were tested using immunofluorescence (IF) staining. Using organoids,the anti-tumor efficiencies of nab-paclitaxel,5-Fu and epirubicin were compared by CCK8 assay and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining. Results Three organoids were successfully established and passaged. The morphology of the established GC organoids was consistent with original cancer tissues. The IC50 of nab-paclitaxel was 3.68 $\mu$mol/L in hGCO1,2.41 $\mu$mol/L in hGCO2 and 2.91 $\mu$mol/L in hGCO3,which was significantly lower than those of 5-FU (72.99 $\mu$mol/L in hGCO1,28.32 $\mu$mol/L in hGCO2 and 2.91 $\mu$mol/L in hGCO3) and epirubicin (25.85$\mu$mol/L in hGCO1,15.15 $\mu$mol/L in hGCO2 and 7.60 $\mu$mol/L in hGCO3). When each organoid lines were treated with nab-paclitaxel for increasing period of time,the percentage of the apoptotic cells in each organoid increased accordingly. Conclusion Nab-paclitaxel showed strong anti-tumor activity and had the potential to become front-line drug for treating GC patients. Gastric cancer organoid may be a good tool to predict in vivo response to drugs. View Publication

The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib is the most successfully applied chemotherapeutic drug for treating multiple myeloma. However,its clinical efficacy reduced due to resistance development. The underlying molecular mechanisms of bortezomib resistance are poorly understood. In this study,by combining in silico analysis and sgRNA library based drug resistance screening assay,we identified SENP2 (Sentrin/SUMO-specific proteases-2) as a bortezomib sensitive gene and found its expression highly downregulated in bortezomib resistant multiple myeloma patient's samples. Furthermore,down regulation of SENP2 in multiple myeloma cell line RPMI8226 alleviated bortezomib induced cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis,whereas,overexpression of SENP2 sensitized these cells to bortezomib treatment. We further demonstrate that knockdown of SENP2 in RPMI8226 cells increased SUMO2 conjugated I$\kappa$B$\alpha$ that resulted in the activation of NF-$\kappa$B. Taken together,we report that silencing of SENP2 and consequent activation of NF-$\kappa$B through the modulation of I$\kappa$B$\alpha$ sumoylation as a novel mechanism inducing bortezomib resistance in multiple myeloma. View Publication

BACKGROUND Recent studies have suggested that both poly(l-lactide-co-1,5-dioxepan-2-one) (or poly(LLA-co-DXO)) and poly(l-lactide-co-$\epsilon$-caprolactone) (or poly(LLA-co-CL)) porous scaffolds are good candidates for use as biodegradable scaffold materials in the field of tissue engineering; meanwhile,their surface properties,such as hydrophilicity,need to be further improved. METHODS We applied several different concentrations of the surfactant Tween 80 to tune the hydrophilicity of both materials. Moreover,the modification was applied not only in the form of solid scaffold as a film but also a porous scaffold. To investigate the potential application for tissue engineering,human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were chosen to test the effect of hydrophilicity on cell attachment,proliferation,and differentiation. First,the cellular cytotoxicity of the extracted medium from modified scaffolds was investigated on HaCaT cells. Then,hMSCs were seeded on the scaffolds or films to evaluate cell attachment,proliferation,and osteogenic differentiation. The results indicated a significant increasing of wettability with the addition of Tween 80,and the hMSCs showed delayed attachment and spreading. PCR results indicated that the differentiation of hMSCs was stimulated,and several osteogenesis related genes were up-regulated in the 3{\%} Tween 80 group. Poly(LLA-co-CL) with 3{\%} Tween 80 showed an increased messenger Ribonucleic acid (mRNA) level of late-stage markers such as osteocalcin (OC) and key transcription factor as runt related gene 2 (Runx2). CONCLUSION A high hydrophilic scaffold may speed up the osteogenic differentiation for bone tissue engineering. View Publication

Human osteogenic progenitors are not precisely defined,being primarily studied as heterogeneous multipotent cell populations and termed mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Notably,select human pericytes can develop into bone-forming osteoblasts. Here,we sought to define the differentiation potential of CD146+ human pericytes from skeletal and soft tissue sources,with the underlying goal of defining cell surface markers that typify an osteoblastogenic pericyte. CD146+CD31-CD45- pericytes were derived by fluorescence-activated cell sorting from human periosteum,adipose,or dermal tissue. Periosteal CD146+CD31-CD45- cells retained canonical features of pericytes/MSC. Periosteal pericytes demonstrated a striking tendency to undergo osteoblastogenesis in vitro and skeletogenesis in vivo,while soft tissue pericytes did not readily. Transcriptome analysis revealed higher CXCR4 signaling among periosteal pericytes in comparison to their soft tissue counterparts,and CXCR4 chemical inhibition abrogated ectopic ossification by periosteal pericytes. Conversely,enrichment of CXCR4+ pericytes or stromal cells identified an osteoblastic/non-adipocytic precursor cell. In sum,human skeletal and soft tissue pericytes differ in their basal abilities to form bone. Diversity exists in soft tissue pericytes,however,and CXCR4+ pericytes represent an osteoblastogenic,non-adipocytic cell precursor. Indeed,enrichment for CXCR4-expressing stromal cells is a potential new tactic for skeletal tissue engineering. View Publication

Purpose The topical application of exosomes secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-Exos) on the skin is a very new and interesting topic in the medical field. In this study,we aimed to investigate whether marine sponge Haliclona sp. spicules (SHSs) could effectively enhance the skin delivery of human umbilical cord-derived MSC-Exos (hucMSC-Exos),and further evaluate the topical application of hucMSC-Exos combined with SHSs in rejuvenating photoaged mouse skin. Materials and Methods SHSs were isolated from the explants of sponge Haliclona sp. with our proprietary method,and hucMSC-Exos were prepared from the conditioned medium of hucMSCs using ultracentrifugation. The effects of SHSs on the skin penetration of fluorescently labeled hucMSC-Exos were determined using confocal microscopy in vitro (porcine skin) and in vivo (mouse skin). The therapeutic effects of hucMSC-Exos coupled with SHSs against UV-induced photoaging in mice were assessed by using microwrinkles analysis,pathohistological examination and real-time RT-PCR. We also tested the skin irritation caused by the combination of hucMSC-Exos and SHSs in guinea pigs. Results In vitro results showed that hucMSC-Exos could not readily penetrate through porcine skin by themselves. However,SHSs increased the skin absorption of exosomes by a factor of 5.87 through creating microchannels. Similar penetration enhancement of hucMSC-Exos was observed after SHSs treatment in mice. The combined use of hucMSC-Exos and SHSs showed significant anti-photoaging effects in mice,including reducing microwrinkles,alleviating histopathological changes,and promoting the expression of extracellular matrix constituents,whereas hucMSC-Exos alone produced considerably weaker effects. Skin irritation test showed that the combination of hucMSC-Exos and SHSs caused slight irritation,and the skin recovered shortly. Conclusion SHSs provide a safe and effective way to enhance the skin delivery of MSC-Exos. Moreover,the combination of MSC-Exos and SHSs may be of much use in the treatment of photoaging. View Publication

Endogenous repair of osteochondral defect is usually limited by the insufficient number of cells in the early stage and incomplete cell differentiation in the later stage. The development of drug delivery systems for sequential release of pro-migratory and pro-chondrogenic molecules to induce endogenous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) recruitment and chondrogenic differentiation is highly desirable for in situ osteochondral regeneration. In this study,a novel,all-silk-derived sequential delivery system was fabricated by incorporating the tunable drug-loaded silk fibroin (SF) nanospheres into a SF porous matrix. The loading efficiency and release kinetics of biomolecules depended on the initial SF/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) concentrations (0.2{\%},1{\%} and 5{\%}) of the nanospheres,as well as the hydrophobicity of the loaded molecules,resulting in controllable and programmed delivery profiles. Our findings indicated that the 5{\%} nanosphere-incorporated matrix showed a rapid release of E7 peptide during the first 120 h,whereas the 0.2{\%} nanosphere-incorporated matrix provided a slow and sustained release of Kartogenin (KGN) longer than 30 days. During in vitro culture of BMSCs,this functional SF matrix incorporated with E7/KGN nanospheres showed good biocompatibility,as well as enhanced BMSCs migration and chondrogenic differentiation through the release of E7 and KGN. Furthermore,when implanted into rabbit osteochondral defect,the SF nanosphere matrix with sequential E7/KGN release promoted the regeneration of both cartilage and subchondral bone. This work not only provided a novel all-silk-derived drug delivery system for sequential release of molecules,but also a functional tissue-engineered scaffold for osteochondral regeneration. View Publication

Several HIV-1 and SIV vaccine candidates have shown partial protection against viral challenges in rhesus macaques. However,the protective efficacy of vaccine-elicited polyclonal antibodies has not previously been demonstrated in adoptive transfer studies in nonhuman primates. In this study,we show that passive transfer of purified antibodies from vaccinated macaques can protect naive animals against SIVmac251 challenges. We vaccinated 30 rhesus macaques with Ad26-SIV Env/Gag/Pol and SIV Env gp140 protein vaccines and assessed the induction of antibody responses and a putative protective signature. This signature included multiple antibody functions and correlated with upregulation of interferon pathways in vaccinated animals. Adoptive transfer of purified immunoglobulin G (IgG) from the vaccinated animals with the most robust protective signatures provided partial protection against SIVmac251 challenges in naive recipient rhesus macaques. These data demonstrate the protective efficacy of purified vaccine-elicited antiviral antibodies in this model,even in the absence of virus neutralization. View Publication