技术资料

Kinase inhibitors constitute an important new class of cancer drugs,whose selective efficacy is largely determined by underlying tumor cell genetics. We established a high-throughput platform to profile 500 cell lines derived from diverse epithelial cancers for sensitivity to 14 kinase inhibitors. Most inhibitors were ineffective against unselected cell lines but exhibited dramatic cell killing of small nonoverlapping subsets. Cells with exquisite sensitivity to EGFR,HER2,MET,or BRAF kinase inhibitors were marked by activating mutations or amplification of the drug target. Although most cell lines recapitulated known tumor-associated genotypes,the screen revealed low-frequency drug-sensitizing genotypes in tumor types not previously associated with drug susceptibility. Furthermore,comparing drugs thought to target the same kinase revealed striking differences,predictive of clinical efficacy. Genetically defined cancer subsets,irrespective of tissue type,predict response to kinase inhibitors,and provide an important preclinical model to guide early clinical applications of novel targeted inhibitors. View Publication

microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles are often characteristic of specific cell types. The mouse mammary epithelial cell line,Comma-Dbeta,contains a population of self-renewing progenitor cells that can reconstitute the mammary gland. We purified this population and determined its miRNA signature. Several microRNAs,including miR-205 and miR-22,are highly expressed in mammary progenitor cells,while others,including let-7 and miR-93,are depleted. Let-7 sensors can be used to prospectively enrich self-renewing populations,and enforced let-7 expression induces loss of self-renewing cells from mixed cultures. View Publication

The relatively new field of stem cell biology is hampered by a lack of sufficient means to accurately determine the phenotype of cells. Cell-type-specific markers,such as cell surface proteins used for flow cytometry or fluorescence-activated cell sorting,are limited and often recognize multiple members of a stem cell lineage. We sought to develop a complementary approach that would be less dependent on the identification of particular markers for the subpopulations of cells and would instead measure their overall character. We tested whether a microfluidic system using dielectrophoresis (DEP),which induces a frequency-dependent dipole in cells,would be useful for characterizing stem cells and their differentiated progeny. We found that populations of mouse neural stem/precursor cells (NSPCs),differentiated neurons,and differentiated astrocytes had different dielectric properties revealed by DEP. By isolating NSPCs from developmental ages at which they are more likely to generate neurons,or astrocytes,we were able to show that a shift in dielectric property reflecting their fate bias precedes detectable marker expression in these cells and identifies specific progenitor populations. In addition,experimental data and mathematical modeling suggest that DEP curve parameters can indicate cell heterogeneity in mixed cultures. These findings provide evidence for a whole cell property that reflects stem cell fate bias and establish DEP as a tool with unique capabilities for interrogating,characterizing,and sorting stem cells. View Publication

It is well known that hepatic stellate cells (HSC) develop into cells,which are thought to contribute to liver fibrogenesis. Recent data suggest that HSC are progenitor cells with the capacity to differentiate into cells of endothelial and hepatocyte lineages. The present study shows that beta-catenin-dependent canonical Wnt signaling is active in freshly isolated HSC of rats. Mimicking of the canonical Wnt pathway in cultured HSC by TWS119,an inhibitor of the glycogen synthase kinase 3beta,led to reduced beta-catenin phosphorylation,induced nuclear translocation of beta-catenin,elevated glutamine synthetase production,impeded synthesis of alpha-smooth muscle actin and Wnt5a,but promoted the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein,Wnt10b,and paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 2c. In addition,canonical Wnt signaling lowered DNA synthesis and hindered HSC from entering the cell cycle. The findings demonstrate that beta-catenin-dependent Wnt signaling maintains the quiescent state of HSC and,similar to stem and progenitor cells,influences their developmental fate. View Publication

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and PUF (for Pumilio and FBF [fem-3 binding factor]) RNA-binding proteins control many cellular processes critical for animal development and tissue homeostasis. In the present work,we report that PUF proteins act directly on MAPK/ERK-encoding mRNAs to downregulate their expression in both the Caenorhabditis elegans germline and human embryonic stem cells. In C. elegans,FBF/PUF binds regulatory elements in the mpk-1 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) and coprecipitates with mpk-1 mRNA; moreover,mpk-1 expression increases dramatically in FBF mutants. In human embryonic stem cells,PUM2/PUF binds 3'UTR elements in both Erk2 and p38alpha mRNAs,and PUM2 represses reporter constructs carrying either Erk2 or p38alpha 3' UTRs. Therefore,the PUF control of MAPK expression is conserved. Its biological function was explored in nematodes,where FBF promotes the self-renewal of germline stem cells,and MPK-1 promotes oocyte maturation and germ cell apoptosis. We found that FBF acts redundantly with LIP-1,the C. elegans homolog of MAPK phosphatase (MKP),to restrict MAPK activity and prevent apoptosis. In mammals,activated MAPK can promote apoptosis of cancer cells and restrict stem cell self-renewal,and MKP is upregulated in cancer cells. We propose that the dual negative regulation of MAPK by both PUF repression and MKP inhibition may be a conserved mechanism that influences both stem cell maintenance and tumor progression. View Publication

Many agents are active in multiple myeloma,but the majority of patients relapse. This clinical pattern suggests most cancer cells are eliminated,but cells with the clonogenic potential to mediate tumor regrowth are relatively chemoresistant. Our previous data suggested that CD138(+) multiple myeloma plasma cells cannot undergo long-term proliferation but rather arise from clonogenic CD138(neg) B cells. We compared the relative sensitivity of these distinct cell types to clinical antimyeloma agents and found that dexamethasone,lenadilomide,bortezomib,and 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide inhibited CD138(+) multiple myeloma plasma cells but had little effect on CD138(neg) precursors in vitro. We further characterized clonogenic multiple myeloma cells and stained cell lines using the Hoechst side population and Aldefluor assays. Each assay identified CD138(neg) cells suggesting that they possess high drug efflux capacity and intracellular drug detoxification activity. We also found that multiple myeloma cells expressing the memory B-cell markers CD20 and CD27 could give rise to clonogenic multiple myeloma growth in vitro and engraft immunodeficient nonobese diabetes/severe combined immunodeficient mice during both primary and secondary transplantation. Furthermore,both the side population and Aldefluor assays were capable of identifying circulating clonotypic memory B-cell populations within the peripheral blood of multiple myeloma patients. Our results suggest that circulating clonotypic B-cell populations represent multiple myeloma stem cells,and the relative drug resistance of these cells is mediated by processes that protect normal stem cells from toxic injury. View Publication

OBJECTIVE: In this study,the alternative splicing product of vasohibin 1 (VASH1B) was analyzed in direct comparison to the major isoform (VASH1A) for antiangiogenic effects on endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) from peripheral blood and on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). METHODS AND RESULTS: Expression studies in primary human endothelial cells revealed that both vasohibin proteins,hVASH1A and hVASH1B,localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Adenoviruses carrying the cDNA for VASH1A/B and purified recombinant proteins were used to study the function of both molecules in ECFCs and HUVECs. Recombinant VASH1A protein did not inhibit cell proliferation,tube formation,or vessel growth in vivo in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay,but promoted endothelial cell migration in vitro. The VASH1B protein had an inhibitory effect on cell proliferation,migration,tube formation,and inhibited blood vessel formation in the CAM assay. Adenoviral overexpression of VASH1B,but not of VASH1A,resulted in inhibition of endothelial cell growth,migration,and capillary formation. Interestingly,overexpression of VASH1A and B induced apoptosis in proliferating human fibroblasts,but did not affect cell growth of keratinocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Our data point out that alternative splicing of the VASH1 pre-mRNA transcript generates a potent antiangiogenic protein. View Publication

Neural stem cells (NSCs) yield both neuronal and glial progeny,but their differentiation potential toward multiple region-specific neuron types remains remarkably poor. In contrast,embryonic stem cell (ESC) progeny readily yield region-specific neuronal fates in response to appropriate developmental signals. Here we demonstrate prospective and clonal isolation of neural rosette cells (termed R-NSCs),a novel NSC type with broad differentiation potential toward CNS and PNS fates and capable of in vivo engraftment. R-NSCs can be derived from human and mouse ESCs or from neural plate stage embryos. While R-NSCs express markers classically associated with NSC fate,we identified a set of genes that specifically mark the R-NSC state. Maintenance of R-NSCs is promoted by activation of SHH and Notch pathways. In the absence of these signals,R-NSCs rapidly lose rosette organization and progress to a more restricted NSC stage. We propose that R-NSCs represent the first characterized NSC stage capable of responding to patterning cues that direct differentiation toward region-specific neuronal fates. In addition,the R-NSC-specific genetic markers presented here offer new tools for harnessing the differentiation potential of human ESCs. View Publication

Our previous studies have shown that z-guggulsterone,a constituent of Indian Ayurvedic medicinal plant Commiphora mukul,inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer cells by causing apoptosis. We now report a novel response to z-guggulsterone involving the inhibition of angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. The z-guggulsterone treatment inhibited capillary-like tube formation (in vitro neovascularization) by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and migration by HUVEC and DU145 human prostate cancer cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The z- and E-isomers of guggulsterone seemed equipotent as inhibitors of HUVEC tube formation. The z-guggulsterone-mediated inhibition of angiogenesis in vitro correlated with the suppression of secretion of proangiogenic growth factors [e.g.,vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor],down-regulation of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGF-R2) protein level,and inactivation of Akt. The z-guggulsterone-mediated suppression of DU145 cell migration was increased by knockdown of VEGF-R2 protein level. Ectopic expression of constitutively active Akt in DU145 cells conferred protection against z-guggulsterone-mediated inhibition of cell migration. Oral gavage of 1 mg z-guggulsterone/d (five times/wk) to male nude mice inhibited in vivo angiogenesis in DU145-Matrigel plug assay as evidenced by a statistically significant decrease in tumor burden,microvessel area (staining for angiogenic markers factor VIII and CD31),and VEGF-R2 protein expression. In conclusion,the present study reveals that z-guggulsterone inhibits angiogenesis by suppressing the VEGF-VEGF-R2-Akt signaling axis. Together,our results provide compelling rationale for further preclinical and clinical investigation of z-guggulsterone for its efficacy against prostate cancer. View Publication

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the basis of bone marrow transplantation and are attractive target cells for hematopoietic gene therapy,but these important clinical applications have been severely hampered by difficulties in ex vivo expansion of HSCs. In particular,the use of cord blood for adult transplantation is greatly limited by the number of HSCs. Previously we identified angiopoietin-like proteins and IGF-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) as new hormones that,together with other factors,can expand mouse bone marrow HSCs in culture. Here,we measure the activity of multipotent human severe combined immunodeficient (SCID)-repopulating cells (SRCs) by transplantation into the nonobese diabetic SCID (NOD/SCID) mice; secondary transplantation was performed to evaluate the self-renewal potential of SRCs. A serum-free medium containing SCF,TPO,and FGF-1 or Flt3-L cannot significantly support expansion of the SRCs present in human cord blood CD133+ cells. Addition of either angiopoietin-like 5 or IGF-binding protein 2 to the cultures led to a sizable expansion of HSC numbers,as assayed by NOD/SCID transplantation. A serum-free culture containing SCF,TPO,FGF-1,angiopoietin-like 5,and IGFBP2 supports an approximately 20-fold net expansion of repopulating human cord blood HSCs,a number potentially applicable to several clinical processes including HSC transplantation. View Publication

The neurosphere assay can detect and expand neural stem cells (NSCs) and progenitor cells,but it cannot discriminate between these two populations. Given two assays have purported to overcome this shortfall,we performed a comparative analysis of the distribution and frequency of NSCs and progenitor cells detected in 400 mum coronal segments along the ventricular neuraxis of the adult mouse brain using the neurosphere assay,the neural colony forming cell assay (N-CFCA),and label-retaining cell (LRC) approach. We observed a large variation in the number of progenitor/stem cells detected in serial sections along the neuraxis,with the number of neurosphere-forming cells detected in individual 400 mum sections varying from a minimum of eight to a maximum of 891 depending upon the rostral-caudal coordinate assayed. Moreover,the greatest variability occurred in the rostral portion of the lateral ventricles,thereby explaining the large variation in neurosphere frequency previously reported. Whereas the overall number of neurospheres (3730 +/- 276) or colonies (4275 +/- 124) we detected along the neuraxis did not differ significantly,LRC numbers were significantly reduced (1186 +/- 188,7 month chase) in comparison to both total colonies and neurospheres. Moreover,approximately two orders of magnitude fewer NSC-derived colonies (50 +/- 10) were detected using the N-CFCA as compared to LRCs. Given only 5% of the LRCs are cycling (BrdU+/Ki-67+) or competent to divide (BrdU+/Mcm-2+),and proliferate upon transfer to culture,it is unclear whether this technique selectively detects endogenous NSCs. Overall,caution should be taken with the interpretation and employment of all these techniques. View Publication

Aurora kinases are essential for chromosomal segregation and cell division and thereby important for maintaining the proper genomic integrity. There are three classes of aurora kinases in humans: A,B,and C. Aurora kinase A is frequently overexpressed in various cancers. The link of the overexpression and tumorigenesis is yet to be understood. By employing virtual screening,we have found that anacardic acid,a pentadecane aliphatic chain containing hydroxylcarboxylic acid,from cashew nut shell liquid could be docked in Aurora kinases A and B. Remarkably,we found that anacardic acid could potently activate the Aurora kinase A mediated phosphorylation of histone H3,but at a similar concentration the activity of aurora kinase B remained unaffected in vitro. Mechanistically,anacardic acid induces the structural changes and also the autophosphorylation of the aurora kinase A to enhance the enzyme activity. This data thus indicate anacardic acid as the first small-molecule activator of Aurora kinase,which could be highly useful for probing the function of hyperactive (overexpressed) Aurora kinase A. View Publication