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IntroductionPlasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are capable of triggering broad immune responses,yet,their scarcity in blood coupled to their reduced functionality in cancer,makes their therapeutic use for in situ activation or vaccination challenging. MethodsWe designed an in vitro differentiation protocol tailored for human pDCs from cord blood (CB) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with StemRegenin 1 (SR-1) and GM-CSF supplementation. Next,we evaluated the identity and function of CB-pDCs compared to human primary pDCs. Furthermore,we tested the potential of CB-pDCs to support anti-tumor immune responses in co-culture with tumor explants from CRC patients. ResultsHere,we report an in vitro differentiation protocol enabling the generation of 200 pDCs per HSC and highlight the role of GM-CSF and SR-1 in CB-pDC differentiation and function. CB-pDCs exhibited a robust resemblance to primary pDCs phenotypically and functionally. Transcriptomic analysis confirmed strong homology at both,baseline and upon TLR9 or TLR7 stimulation. Further,we could confirm the potential of CB-pDCs to promote inflammation in the tumor microenvironment by eliciting cytokines associated with NK and T cell recruitment and function upon TLR7 stimulation ex vivo in patient tumor explants. DiscussionThis study highlights CB-pDCs as surrogates for primary pDCs to investigate their biology and for their potential use as cell therapy in cancer. View Publication

This study aimed to identify unique characteristics in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of endometriosis patients and develop a non-invasive early diagnostic tool. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq),we constructed the first single-cell atlas of PBMCs from endometriosis patients based on 107,964 cells and 25,847 genes. Within CD16+ monocytes,we discovered JUP as a dysregulated gene. To assess its diagnostic potential,we measured peritoneal fluid (PF) and serum JUP levels in a large cohort of 199 patients including 20 women with ovarian cancer (OC). JUP was barely detectable in PF but was significantly elevated in the serum of patients with endometriosis and OC,with levels 1.33 and 2.34 times higher than controls,respectively. Additionally,JUP was found in conditioned culture media of CD14+/CD16+ monocytes aligning with our scRNA-seq data. Serum JUP levels correlated with endometriosis severity and endometrioma presence but were unaffected by dysmenorrhea,menstrual cycle,or adenomyosis. When combined with CA125 (cancer antigen 125) JUP enhanced the specificity of endometriosis diagnosis from 89.13% (CA125 measured alone) to 100%. While sensitivity remains a challenge at 19%,our results suggest that JUP’s potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy warrants additional investigation. Furthermore,employing serum JUP as a stratification marker unlocked the potential to identify additional endometriosis-related genes,offering novel insights into disease pathogenesis. View Publication

The role of the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment in regulating the antitumor immune response in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) remains poorly understood. Here we transcriptionally and phenotypically profiled non-malignant (CD19- CD138-) BM cells from WM patients with a focus on myeloid derived suppressive cells (MDSCs) to provide a deeper understanding of their role in WM. We found that HLA-DRlowCD11b+CD33+ MDSCs were significantly increased in WM patients as compared to normal controls,with an expansion of predominantly polymorphonuclear (PMN)-MDSCs. Single-cell immunogenomic profiling of WM MDSCs identified an immune-suppressive gene signature with upregulated inflammatory pathways associated with interferon and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling. Gene signatures associated with an inflammatory and immune suppressive environment were predominately expressed in PMN-MDSCs. In vitro,WM PMN-MDSCs demonstrated robust T-cell suppression and their viability and expansion was notably enhanced by granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and TNFα. Furthermore,BM malignant B-cells attracted PMN-MDSCs to a greater degree than monocytic MDSCs. Collectively,these data suggest that malignant WM B cells actively recruit PMN-MDSCs which promote an immunosuppressive BM microenvironment through a direct T cell inhibition,while release of G-CSF/TNFα in the microenvironment further promotes PMN-MDSC expansion and in turn immune suppression. Targeting PMN-MDSCs may therefore represent a potential therapeutic strategy in patients with WM. View Publication

BackgroundSickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia patients with elevated gamma globin (HBG1/G2) levels exhibit mild or no symptoms. To recapitulate this natural phenomenon,the most coveted gene therapy approach is to edit the regulatory sequences of HBG1/G2 to reactivate them. By editing more than one regulatory sequence in the HBG promoter,the production of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) can be significantly increased. However,achieving this goal requires precise nucleotide conversions in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) at therapeutic efficiency,which remains a challenge.MethodsWe employed Cas9 RNP-ssODN-mediated homology-directed repair (HDR) gene editing to mimic two naturally occurring HBG promoter point mutations; -175T > C,associated with high HbF levels,and −158 C > T,a common polymorphism in the Indian population that induces HbF under erythropoietic stress,in HSPCs.ResultsAsymmetric,nontarget ssODN induced high rates of complete HDR conversions,with at least 15% of HSPCs exhibiting both the −175T > C and −158 C > T mutations. Optimized conditions and treatment with the small molecule AZD-7648 increased this rate,with up to 57% of long-term engrafting human HSPCs in NBSGW mice containing at least one beneficial mutation. Functionally,in vivo erythroblasts exhibited high levels of HbF,which was sufficient to reverse the cellular phenotype of β-thalassemia. Further support through bone marrow MSC co-culture boosted complete HDR conversion rates to exceed 80%,with minimal InDels,improved cell viability,and induced fetal hemoglobin levels similar to those of Cas9 RNP-mediated indels at BCL11A enhancer and HBG promoter.ConclusionsCas9 RNP-ssODN-based nucleotide conversion at the HBG promoter offers a promising gene therapy approach to ameliorate the phenotypes of β-thalassemia and SCD. The developed approach can simplify and broaden applications that require the cointroduction of multiple nucleotide modifications in HSPCs.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-024-04117-0. View Publication

BackgroundSeveral approaches are being explored for engineering off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. In this study,we engineered chimeric Fcγ receptor (FcγR) T cells and tested their potential as a versatile platform for universal T cell therapy.MethodsChimeric FcγR (CFR) constructs were generated using three distinct forms of FcγR,namely CD16A,CD32A,and CD64. The functionality of CFR T cells was evaluated through degranulation assays,specific target lysis experiments,in vitro cytokine production analysis,and assessment of tumor xenograft destruction specificity in mouse models using different monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs).ResultsThree types of CFR T cells were engineered,16s3,32-8a,64-8a CFR T cells. In the presence of rituximab (RTX),cytotoxicity of all three types of CFR T cells against CD20+ Raji-wt,K562-CD20+,and primary tumor cells was significantly higher than that of the mock T cells (P < 0.001). When herceptin was used,all three types of CFR T cells exhibited significant cytotoxicity against HER2+ cell lines of SK-BR-3,SK-OV-3,and HCC1954 (P < 0.001). The cytotoxicity of 64-8a CFR T cells was significantly inhibited by free human IgG at a physiological dose (P < 0.001),which was not observed in 16s3,32-8a CFR T cells. Compared to 32-8a CFR T cells,16s3 CFR T cells exhibited more prolonged cytotoxicity than 32-8a CFR T cells (P < 0.01). In in vivo assays using xenograft models,16s3 CFR T cells significantly prolonged the survival of mice xenografted with Raji-wt cells in the presence of RTX (P < 0.001),and effectively reduced tumor burden in mice xenografted with SK-OV-3 cells in the presence of herceptin (P < 0.05). No significant non-specific cytotoxicity of CFR T cells was found in vivo.ConclusionThe anti-tumor effects of the CFR T cells in vitro and in xenograft mouse models are mediated by specific MoAbs such as RTX and herceptin. The CFR T cells therefore have the features of universal T cells with specificity directed by MoAbs. 16s3 CFR T cells are chosen for clinical trials.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40164-025-00595-x. View Publication

Single-cell RNA-seq methods can be used to delineate cell types and states at unprecedented resolution but do little to explain why certain genes are expressed. Single-cell ATAC-seq and multiome (ATAC + RNA) have emerged to give a complementary view of the cell state. It is however unclear what additional information can be extracted from ATAC-seq data besides transcription factor binding sites. Here,we show that ATAC-seq telomere-like reads counter-inituively cannot be used to infer telomere length,as they mostly originate from the subtelomere,but can be used as a biomarker for chromatin condensation. Using long-read sequencing,we further show that modern hyperactive Tn5 does not duplicate 9 bp of its target sequence,contrary to common belief. We provide a new tool,Telomemore,which can quantify nonaligning subtelomeric reads. By analyzing several public datasets and generating new multiome fibroblast and B-cell atlases,we show how this new readout can aid single-cell data interpretation. We show how drivers of condensation processes can be inferred,and how it complements common RNA-seq-based cell cycle inference,which fails for monocytes. Telomemore-based analysis of the condensation state is thus a valuable complement to the single-cell analysis toolbox. View Publication

BackgroundMyeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in tumor microenvironment reduce the efficacy of immunotherapy. PKN2 plays a role in colon cancer,but its function in esophageal cancer (EC) remains unclear. This study investigated PKN2 expression in MDSCs derived from EC tissues and determined whether PKN2 regulates immunosuppressive activity of MDSCs by mediating fatty acid oxidation (FAO).Materials and methodsPKN2 expression was determined in GEO database,EC patients,and 4-NQO-induced EC mice,as well as in different types of immune cells. The effect of PKN2 on the function of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) was investigated by co-culture of PMN-MDSCs and CD4+/CD8+ T cells. The co-culture of patient-derived organoids and autologous immune cells was performed to observe the effect of PKN2 on the immunosuppressive function of PMN-MDSCs.ResultsPKN2 is highly expressed in EC tumor tissues compared to normal tissues,especially in tumor-infiltrated PMN-MDSCs. Overexpressing PKN2 in PMN-MDSCs contributes to the immunosuppressive activity of PMN-MDSCs in vitro. PKN2-overexpressing PMN-MDSCs inhibited the killing ability of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and promoted EC organoid growth. PKN2 promotes FAO in PMN-MDSCs via CPT1B (a key enzyme of FAO). Mechanistically,PKN2 promotes CPT1B transcription by upregulating STAT3 phosphorylation.ConclusionsPKN2 expression was increased in PMN-MDSCs derived from human and mouse EC tissues. PKN2 plays a role in enhancing the immunosuppressive activity of PMN-MDSCs by facilitating STAT3 phosphorylation and CPT1B transcription,which in turn leads to increased CPT1B-mediated FAO in PMN-MDSCs. Targeted inhibition of PKN2 is expected to improve immunotherapeutic efficacy in EC patients.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s10020-025-01132-6. View Publication

AbstractThe landscape of cancer treatment has been transformed by immune checkpoint inhibitors; however,the failure to benefit a large number of patients with cancer has underlined the need to identify promising targets for more effective interventions. In this study,we leverage 23andMe,Inc.’s large-scale human germline genetic and health database to uncover the previously unknown role of UL16-binding protein 6 (ULBP6),a high-affinity NK group 2D (NKG2D) ligand,in cancer and its promise as an immuno-oncology therapeutic target. We confirm ULBP6 expression in human tumors and demonstrate that soluble ULBP6 shed from tumors circumvents NKG2D activation provided by membrane-anchored NKG2D ligands to inhibit immune cell activation and tumor cell killing. Based on these findings,we developed 23ME-01473,a humanized Fc effector–enhanced antibody that binds to ULBP6 and its closely related family members,ULBP2 and ULBP5. 23ME-01473 effectively blocks soluble ULBP6-mediated immunosuppression to restore the NKG2D axis on NK and T cells to elicit tumor growth control. Moreover,the Fc effector–enhanced design of 23ME-01473 increases its binding affinity to fragment crystallizable gamma receptor IIIa,which,together with 23ME-01473’s binding to membrane-anchored ULBP6/2/5 on cancer cells,allows for augmented antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity induction,providing a second activation node for NK cells. Our studies demonstrate the therapeutic potential of an Fc effector–enhanced anti-ULBP6/2/5 antibody to reinvigorate NK cell and T-cell activation and cytotoxicity for the treatment of cancer.Significance:This study emphasizes the utility of population-based genome-wide assessments for discovering naturally occurring genetic variants associated with lifetime risks for cancer or immune diseases as novel drug targets. We identify ULBP6 as a potential keystone member of the NKG2D pathway,which is important for antitumor immunity. Targeting ULBP6 may hold therapeutic promise for patients with cancer. View Publication

The excessive accumulation of neutrophils within the epidermis is a significant hallmark of cutaneous diseases; however,the mechanisms governing neutrophil transepidermal migration (NTEM) remain inadequately understood. In this study,we develop trichromatic-fluorescence-labeled chimeric mice by utilizing Cx3cr1GFP/+Lyz2RFP/+ mice as bone marrow donors and Krt14YFP/+ mice as recipients. This approach enables us to visualize the process of NTEM and the crosstalk between neutrophils and monocytes in a murine model of irritant contact dermatitis (ICD). Intravital imaging reveals a preferential transmigration of neutrophils through hair follicle (HF),where dermal neutrophils exhibit limited mobility and interact with dermal monocytes. Notably,18 h following hapten exposure,dermal neutrophils continuously migrate toward HF regions and form clusters within 3 h. Importantly,MMP-9 is identified as essential for the NTEM process; the depletion of dermal monocytes results in a significant reduction of MMP-9 expression in the skin and inhibits the NTEM process in ICD. Mechanistically,dermal monocytes are found to be a crucial source of the cytokines TNF-α and CXCL2,which promote the upregulation of MMP-9 in neutrophils. Therefore,our results highlight HF regions as crucial gateways for dermal monocyte-modulated NTEM and provide visual insights into the crosstalk between neutrophils and monocytes in inflammatory skin disorders. Intravital imaging reveals that dermal monocytes orchestrate neutrophil transepidermal migration through hair follicles in skin inflammation via TNF-α and CXCL2,driving enhanced MMP-9 expression in neutrophils for epidermal infiltration. View Publication

PurposeNuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a crucial cytoprotective protein that shields cells from electrophilic and oxidative stress. Mice lacking Nrf2 exhibit heightened susceptibility to myelosuppression due to impaired hematopoietic reconstitution. In this study,we examined the altered sensitivity to ionizing radiation (IR) and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) in Nrf2−/− mice separately.Materials and MethodsIrradiate Nrf2−/− or wild-type mice with a dose of 4 Gy to observe changes in body weight,survival rate,and blood routine at 12 months. DMBA was used to treat Nrf2−/− and wild-type mice,and the body weight and survival rate of the mice were measured. The changes of heme oxygenase-1(HO1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1) in mice treated with IR or DMBA were detected by RT-qPCR and western blotting.ResultsOur results indicate that Nrf2 deficiency leads to more severe blood and immune system injury in mice exposed to IR or DMBA. Additionally,long-term monitoring revealed that Nrf2 deletion resulted in more severe myelosuppression,leukemia-like symptoms,and higher cancer rates. At the mRNA and protein levels,there was no significant increase in HO1 and NQO1 levels in the Nrf2−/− mice treated with IR or DMBA. These adverse effects might be attributed to the inhibited protein levels of HO1 and NQO1 and significant DNA damage in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs).ConclusionsWe demonstrate that the genetic deficiency of Nrf2 in mice leads to reduced antioxidant capacity and suppression of hematopoietic and immune system function,resulting in increased sensitivity to IR or DMBA. Graphical Abstract View Publication

The lack of curative therapies for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) remains an ongoing challenge despite recent advances in the understanding of the molecular basis of the disease. Here we identify the WNK1-OXSR1/STK39 pathway as a previously uncharacterised dependency in AML. We show that genetic depletion and pharmacological inhibition of WNK1 or its downstream phosphorylation targets OXSR1 and STK39 strongly reduce cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in leukaemia cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore,we show that the WNK1-OXSR1/STK39 pathway controls mTORC1 signalling via regulating amino acid uptake through a mechanism involving the phosphorylation of amino acid transporters,such as SLC38A2. Our findings underscore an important role of the WNK1-OXSR1/STK39 pathway in regulating amino acid uptake and driving AML progression. With-No-lysine (K) kinase 1 (WNK1) is an atypical serine-threonine kinase that has been implicated in ion transport. Here,the authors show that WNK1 regulates amino acid transport and mTORC1 activity,and that the axis is a vulnerability for acute myeloid leukemia View Publication

Background: Virotherapy eradicates tumors by directly killing cancer cells and causing adjuvant effects. However,the mechanism by which non-replicating virotherapy exerts anti-tumor effects is unclear. Methods: In this study,we investigated the genes that mediate the anti-tumor effects of ultraviolet (UV)-irradiated Hemagglutinating Virus of Japan envelope (HVJ-E) using RNA sequencing,gene knockout,and a drug-inducible gene expression system. We examined the antitumor effects of Apolipoprotein d (Apod) using genome-wide CRISPR library screening,in situ biotinylation combined with mass spectrometry,flow cytometry,biochemistry,and tumor-bearing mouse models. Results: Here,we show that HVJ-E represses tumor growth via Irf7-induced Apod expression in tumor cells in vivo. Irf7 in B16F10 cells is a pivotal transcription factor for HVJ-E-induced anti-tumor effects. Apod substantially suppresses tumor growth even in HVJ-E-insensitive tumors. Apod is required to increase NKG2D-ligand genes in HVJ-E-treated tumors. Genome-wide CRISPR library screening and in situ biotinylation of Apod reveal an association of Apod with ERK2. Mechanistically,Apod prevents the nuclear translocation of ERK2 and Importin7,increasing NKG2D-ligands expression in B16F10 cells and attenuating tumor growth. Treating a local tumor with a combination therapy of Apod with the anti-OX40,T cell costimulatory molecule,antibody substantially repressed tumor growth in target and non-target lesions alongside T cell activation. Conclusion: Our findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of how HVJ-E induces anti-tumor effects and can aid the development of therapeutic strategies for eliciting anti-tumor immunity. View Publication