技术资料

Virus-specific CD8(+) T cells are associated with declining viremia in acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)1 infection,but do not correlate with control of viremia in chronic infection,suggesting a progressive functional defect not measured by interferon gamma assays presently used. Here,we demonstrate that HIV-1-specific CD8(+) T cells proliferate rapidly upon encounter with cognate antigen in acute infection,but lose this capacity with ongoing viral replication. This functional defect can be induced in vitro by depletion of CD4(+) T cells or addition of interleukin 2-neutralizing antibodies,and can be corrected in chronic infection in vitro by addition of autologous CD4(+) T cells isolated during acute infection and in vivo by vaccine-mediated induction of HIV-1-specific CD4(+) T helper cell responses. These data demonstrate a loss of HIV-1-specific CD8(+) T cell function that not only correlates with progressive infection,but also can be restored in chronic infection by augmentation of HIV-1-specific T helper cell function. This identification of a reversible defect in cell-mediated immunity in chronic HIV-1 infection has important implications for immunotherapeutic interventions. View Publication

Most polyreactive and antinuclear antibodies are removed from the human antibody repertoire during B cell development. To elucidate how B cell receptor (BCR) signaling may regulate human B cell tolerance,we tested the specificity of recombinant antibodies from single peripheral B cells isolated from patients suffering from X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). These patients carry mutations in the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) gene that encode an essential BCR signaling component. We find that in the absence of Btk,peripheral B cells show a distinct antibody repertoire consistent with extensive secondary V(D)J recombination. Nevertheless,XLA B cells are enriched in autoreactive clones. Our results demonstrate that Btk is essential in regulating thresholds for human B cell tolerance. View Publication

Bacterial magnetic particles (BacMPs) are efficient platforms of proteins for surface display systems. In this study,mononuclear cells from peripheral blood were separated using BacMPs expressing protein A on the BacMP membrane surface (protein A-BacMPs),which were complexed with the Fc fragment of anti-mouse IgG antibody. The procedure of positive selection involves incubation of mononuclear cells and mouse monoclonal antibodies against different cell surface antigens (CD8,CD14,CD19,CD20) prior to treatment with protein A-BacMP binding with rabbit anti-mouse IgG secondary antibodies. Flow cytometric analysis showed that approximately 97.5 +/- 1.7% of CD19(+) and CD20(+) cells were involved in the positive fraction after magnetic separation. The ratio of the negative cells in the negative fraction was approximately 97.6 +/-1.4%. This indicates that CD19(+) and CD20(+) cells can be efficiently separated from mononuclear cells. Stem cell marker (CD34) positive cells were also separated using protein A-BacMP binding with antibody. May-Grunwald Giemsa stain showed a high nuclear/cytoplasm ratio,which indicates a typical staining pattern of stem cells. The separated cells had the capability of colony formation as hematopoietic stem cells. Furthermore,the inhibitory effect of magnetic cell separation on CD14(+) cells was evaluated by measurement of cytokine in the culture supernatant by ELISA when the cells were cultured with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The induction of IL1-beta,TNFalpha,and IL6 was observed in the presence of 1 ng/mL LPS in all fractions. On the other hand,in the absence of LPS,BacMPs had little immunopotentiation to CD14(+) cells as well as that of artificial magnetic particles,although TNFalpha and IL6 were slightly induced in the absence of LPS in the positive fraction. View Publication

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC),a chronic inflammatory liver disease characterized by progressive bile duct destruction,develops as an extra-intestinal complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Chapman,R.W. 1991. Gut. 32:1433-1435). However,the liver and bowel inflammation are rarely concomitant,and PSC can develop in patients whose colons have been removed previously. We hypothesized that PSC is mediated by long-lived memory T cells originally activated in the gut,but able to mediate extra-intestinal inflammation in the absence of active IBD (Grant,A.J.,P.F. Lalor,M. Salmi,S. Jalkanen,and D.H. Adams. 2002. Lancet. 359:150-157). In support of this,we show that liver-infiltrating lymphocytes in PSC include mucosal T cells recruited to the liver by aberrant expression of the gut-specific chemokine CCL25 that activates alpha4beta7 binding to mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 on the hepatic endothelium. This is the first demonstration in humans that T cells activated in the gut can be recruited to an extra-intestinal site of disease and provides a paradigm to explain the pathogenesis of extra-intestinal complications of IBD. View Publication

In the present study,we assessed the susceptibility of freshly isolated neuroblastoma cells to killing mediated by normal human natural killer (NK) cells and analyzed the receptor-ligand interactions that regulate this event. We show that killing of freshly isolated neuroblasts,similar to neuroblastoma cell lines,involves NKp46 and NKp30 (natural cytotoxicity receptors). However,freshly isolated neuroblasts were generally more resistant to NK-mediated lysis than conventional neuroblastoma cell lines. Moreover,a significant heterogeneity in susceptibility to lysis existed among neuroblastomas derived from different patients. Remarkably,susceptibility to lysis directly correlated with the surface expression,on neuroblasts,of poliovirus receptor [PVR (CD155)],a ligand for the DNAX accessory molecule-1 [DNAM-1 (CD226)] triggering receptor expressed by NK cells. Indeed,PVR-expressing neuroblastomas were efficiently killed by NK cells. Moreover,monoclonal antibody-mediated masking of either DNAM-1 (on NK cells) or PVR (on neuroblasts) resulted in strong inhibition of tumor cell lysis. Thus,assessment of the PVR surface levels may represent a novel useful criterion to predict the susceptibility/resistance of neuroblastomas to NK-mediated killing. View Publication

A series of substituted 2-(aminopyridyl)- and 2-(aminopyrimidinyl)thiazole-5-carboxamides was identified as potent Src/Abl kinase inhibitors with excellent antiproliferative activity against hematological and solid tumor cell lines. Compound 13 was orally active in a K562 xenograft model of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML),demonstrating complete tumor regressions and low toxicity at multiple dose levels. On the basis of its robust in vivo activity and favorable pharmacokinetic profile,13 was selected for additional characterization for oncology indications. View Publication

The leukocyte activation marker CD69 is a novel regulator of the immune response,modulating the production of cytokines including transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). We have generated an antimurine CD69 monoclonal antibody (mAb),CD69.2.2,which down-regulates CD69 expression in vivo but does not deplete CD69-expressing cells. Therapeutic administration of CD69.2.2 to wild-type mice induces significant natural killer (NK) cell-dependent antitumor responses to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I low RMA-S lymphomas and to RM-1 prostatic carcinoma lung metastases. These in vivo antitumor responses are comparable to those seen in CD69(-/-) mice. Enhanced host NK cytotoxic activity correlates with a reduction in NK-cell TGF-beta production and is independent of tumor priming. In vitro studies demonstrate the novel ability of anti-CD69 mAbs to activate resting NK cells in an Fc receptor-independent manner,resulting in a substantial increase in both NK-cell cytolytic activity and interferon gamma (IFNgamma) production. Modulation of the innate immune system with monoclonal antibodies to host CD69 thus provides a novel means to antagonize tumor growth and metastasis. View Publication

Ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is important for many clinical applications,and knowledge of the surface phenotype of ex vivo-expanded HSCs will be critical to their purification and analysis. Here,we developed a simple culture system for bone marrow (BM) HSCs using low levels of stem cell factor (SCF),thrombopoietin (TPO),insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2),and fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1) in serum-free medium. As measured by competitive repopulation analyses,there was a more than 20-fold increase in numbers of long-term (LT)-HSCs after a 10-day culture of total BM cells. Culture of BM side population" (SP) cells� View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) self-renew indefinitely and give rise to derivatives of all three primary germ layers,yet little is known about the signaling cascades that govern their pluripotent character. Because it plays a prominent role in the early cell fate decisions of embryonic development,we have examined the role of TGFbeta superfamily signaling in hESCs. We found that,in undifferentiated cells,the TGFbeta/activin/nodal branch is activated (through the signal transducer SMAD2/3) while the BMP/GDF branch (SMAD1/5) is only active in isolated mitotic cells. Upon early differentiation,SMAD2/3 signaling is decreased while SMAD1/5 signaling is activated. We next tested the functional role of TGFbeta/activin/nodal signaling in hESCs and found that it is required for the maintenance of markers of the undifferentiated state. We extend these findings to show that SMAD2/3 activation is required downstream of WNT signaling,which we have previously shown to be sufficient to maintain the undifferentiated state of hESCs. Strikingly,we show that in ex vivo mouse blastocyst cultures,SMAD2/3 signaling is also required to maintain the inner cell mass (from which stem cells are derived). These data reveal a crucial role for TGFbeta signaling in the earliest stages of cell fate determination and demonstrate an interconnection between TGFbeta and WNT signaling in these contexts. View Publication

Experimental evidence indicates that shear stress (SS) exerts a morphogenetic function during cardiac development of mouse and zebrafish embryos. However,the molecular basis for this effect is still elusive. Our previous work described that in adult endothelial cells,SS regulates gene expression by inducing epigenetic modification of histones and activation of transcription complexes bearing acetyltransferase activity. In this study,we evaluated whether SS treatment could epigenetically modify histones and influence cell differentiation in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Cells were exposed to a laminar SS of 10 dyne per cm2/s(-1),or kept in static conditions in the presence or absence of the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA). These experiments revealed that SS enhanced lysine acetylation of histone H3 at position 14 (K14),as well as serine phosphorylation at position 10 (S10) and lysine methylation at position 79 (K79),and cooperated with TSA,inducing acetylation of histone H4 and phosphoacetylation of S10 and K14 of histone H3. In addition,ES cells exposed to SS strongly activated transcription from the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 promoter. This effect was paralleled by an early induction of cardiovascular markers,including smooth muscle actin,smooth muscle protein 22-alpha,platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1,VEGF receptor 2,myocyte enhancer factor-2C (MEF2C),and alpha-sarcomeric actin. In this condition,transcription factors MEF2C and Sma/MAD homolog protein 4 could be isolated from SS-treated ES cells complexed with the cAMP response element-binding protein acetyltransferase. These results provide molecular basis for the SS-dependent cardiovascular commitment of mouse ES cells and suggest that laminar flow may be successfully applied for the in vitro production of cardiovascular precursors. View Publication

Ex vivo amplification of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) without loss of their self-renewing potential represents an important target for transplantation,gene and cellular therapies. Valproic acid is a safe and widely used neurologic agent that acts as a potent inhibitor of histone deacetylase activities. Here,we show that valproic acid addition to liquid cultures of human CD34+ cells isolated from cord blood,mobilized peripheral blood,and bone marrow strongly enhances the ex vivo expansion potential of different cytokine cocktails as shown by morphologic,cytochemical,immunophenotypical,clonogenic,and gene expression analyses. Notably,valproic acid highly preserves the CD34 positivity after 1 week (range,40-89%) or 3 weeks (range,21-52%) amplification cultures with two (Flt3L + thrombopoietin) or four cytokines (Flt3L + thrombopoietin + stem cell factor + interleukin 3). Moreover,valproic acid treatment increases histone H4 acetylation levels at specific regulatory sites on HOXB4,a transcription factor gene with a key role in the regulation of HSC self-renewal and AC133,a recognized marker gene for stem cell populations. Overall,our results relate the changes induced by valproic acid on chromatin accessibility with the enhancement of the cytokine effect on the maintenance and expansion of a primitive hematopoietic stem cell population. These findings underscore the potentiality of novel epigenetic approaches to modify HSC fate in vitro. View Publication

The coding region determinant-binding protein/insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein (CRD-BP/IMP1) is an RNA-binding protein specifically recognizing c-myc,leader 3' IGF-II and tau mRNAs,and the H19 RNA. CRD-BP/IMP1 is predominantly expressed in embryonal tissues but is de novo activated and/or overexpressed in various human neoplasias. To address the question of whether CRD-BP/IMP1 expression characterizes certain cell types displaying distinct proliferation and/or differentiation properties (i.e. stem cells),we isolated cell subpopulations from human bone marrow,mobilized peripheral blood,and cord blood,all sources known to contain stem cells,and monitored for its expression. CRD-BP/IMP1 was detected only in cord blood-derived CD34(+) stem cells and not in any other cell type of either adult or cord blood origin. Adult BM CD34(+) cells cultured in the presence of 5'-azacytidine expressed de novo CRD-BP/IMP1,suggesting that epigenetic modifications may be responsible for its silencing in adult non-expressing cells. Furthermore,by applying the short interfering RNA methodology in MCF-7 cells,we observed,subsequent to knocking down CRD-BP/IMP1,decreased c-myc expression,increased IGF-II mRNA levels,and reduced cell proliferation rates. These data 1) suggest a normal role for CRD-BP/IMP1 in pluripotent stem cells with high renewal capacity,like the CB CD34(+) cells,2) indicate that altered methylation may directly or indirectly affect its expression in adult cells,3) imply that its de novo activation in cancer cells may affect the expression of c-Myc and insulin-like growth factor II,and 4) indicate that the inhibition of CRD-BP/IMP1 expression might affect cancer cell proliferation. View Publication