技术资料

Natural killer (NK) cells play a pivotal role in the immune response against infections and malignant transformation,and adopted transfer of NK cells is thought to be a promising therapeutic approach for cancer patients. Previous reports describing the phenotypic features of canine NK cells have produced inconsistent results. Canine NK cells are still defined as non-B and non-T (CD3-CD21-) large granular lymphocytes. However,a few reports have demonstrated that canine NK cells share the phenotypic characteristics of T lymphocytes,and that CD3+CD5dimCD21- lymphocytes are putative canine NK cells. Based on our previous reports,we hypothesized that phenotypic modulation could occur between these two populations during activation. In this study,we investigated the phenotypic and functional differences between CD3+CD5dimCD21- (cytotoxic large granular lymphocytes) and CD3-CD5-CD21- NK lymphocytes before and after culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from normal dogs. The results of this study show that CD3+CD5dimCD21- lymphocytes can be differentiated into non-B,non-T NK (CD3-CD5-CD21-TCRalpha$beta$-TCRgamma$delta$-GranzymeB+) lymphocytes through phenotypic modulation in response to cytokine stimulation. In vitro studies of purified CD3+CD5dimCD21- cells showed that CD3-CD5-CD21- cells are derived from CD3+CD5dimCD21- cells through phenotypic modulation. CD3+CD5dimCD21- cells share more NK cell functional characteristics compared with CD3-CD5-CD21- cells,including the expression of T-box transcription factors (Eomes,T-bet),the production of granzyme B and interferon-gamma$,and the expression of NK cell-related molecular receptors such as NKG2D and NKp30. In conclusion,the results of this study suggest that CD3+CD5dimCD21- and CD3-CD5-CD21- cells both contain a subset of putative NK cells,and the difference between the two populations may be due to the degree of maturation. View Publication

Expression of miR-143 and miR-145 is reduced in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) of myelodysplastic syndrome patients with a deletion in the long arm of chromosome 5. Here we show that mice lacking miR-143/145 have impaired HSPC activity with depletion of functional hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs),but activation of progenitor cells (HPCs). We identify components of the transforming growth factor beta$ (TGFbeta$) pathway as key targets of miR-143/145. Enforced expression of the TGFbeta$ adaptor protein and miR-145 target,Disabled-2 (DAB2),recapitulates the HSC defect seen in miR-143/145-/- mice. Despite reduced HSC activity,older miR-143/145-/- and DAB2-expressing mice show elevated leukocyte counts associated with increased HPC activity. A subset of mice develop a serially transplantable myeloid malignancy,associated with expansion of HPC. Thus,miR-143/145 play a cell context-dependent role in HSPC function through regulation of TGFbeta$/DAB2 activation,and loss of these miRNAs creates a preleukemic state. View Publication

Targeted cancer immunotherapy with irradiated,granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-secreting,allogeneic cancer cell lines has been an effective approach to reduce tumor burden in several patients. It is generally assumed that to be effective,these cell lines need to express immunogenic antigens coexpressed in patient tumor cells,and antigen-presenting cells need to take up such antigens then present them to patient T cells. We have previously reported that,in a phase I pilot study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00095862),a subject with stage IV breast cancer experienced substantial regression of breast,lung,and brain lesions following inoculation with clinical formulations of SV-BR-1-GM,a GM-CSF-secreting breast tumor cell line. To identify diagnostic features permitting the prospective identification of patients likely to benefit from SV-BR-1-GM,we conducted a molecular analysis of the SV-BR-1-GM cell line and of patient-derived blood,as well as a tumor specimen. Compared to normal human breast cells,SV-BR-1-GM cells overexpress genes encoding tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) such as PRAME,a cancer/testis antigen. Curiously,despite its presumptive breast epithelial origin,the cell line expresses major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes (HLA-DRA,HLA-DRB3,HLA-DMA,HLA-DMB),in addition to several other factors known to play immunostimulatory roles. These factors include MHC class I components (B2M,HLA-A,HLA-B),ADA (encoding adenosine deaminase),ADGRE5 (CD97),CD58 (LFA3),CD74 (encoding invariant chain and CLIP),CD83,CXCL8 (IL8),CXCL16,HLA-F,IL6,IL18,and KITLG. Moreover,both SV-BR-1-GM cells and the responding study subject carried an HLA-DRB3*02:02 allele,raising the question of whether SV-BR-1-GM cells can directly present endogenous antigens to T cells,thereby inducing a tumor-directed immune response. In support of this,SV-BR-1-GM cells (which also carry the HLA-DRB3*01:01 allele) treated with yellow fever virus (YFV) envelope (Env) 43-59 peptides reactivated YFV-DRB3*01:01-specific CD4+ T cells. Thus,the partial HLA allele match between SV-BR-1-GM and the clinical responder might have enabled patient T lymphocytes to directly recognize SV-BR-1-GM TAAs as presented on SV-BR-1-GM MHCs. Taken together,our findings are consistent with a potentially unique mechanism of action by which SV-BR-1-GM cells can act as APCs for previously primed CD4+ T cells. View Publication

We report that SHIP(-/-) mice,compared to SHIP(+/+) mice,are Th2 skewed with elevated serum IgE and twice as many splenic CD4(+) Th2 cells that,when stimulated with anti-CD3,produce more IL-4 and less IFN-$\gamma$. Exploring the reason for this Th2 skewing,we found that freshly isolated SHIP(-/-) splenic and bone marrow basophils are present in elevated numbers and secrete far more IL-4 in response to IL-3 or to Fc$\epsilon$RI stimulation than do WT basophils. These SHIP(-/-) basophils markedly skew wild-type macrophage colony stimulating factor-derived macrophages toward an M2 phenotype,stimulate OT-II CD4(+) Th cells to differentiate into Th2 cells,and trigger SHIP(+/+) B cells to become IgE-producing cells. All these effects are completely abrogated with neutralizing anti-IL-4 Ab. Exploring the cell signaling pathways responsible for hyperproduction of IL-4 by SHIP(-/-) basophils,we found that IL-3-induced activation of the PI3K pathway is significantly enhanced and that PI3K inhibitors,especially a p110$\alpha$ inhibitor,dramatically suppresses IL-4 production from these cells. In vivo studies,in which basophils were depleted from mast cell-deficient SHIP(+/+) and SHIP(-/-) mice,confirmed the central role that basophils play in the Th2 skewing of naive SHIP-deficient mice. Taken together,these studies demonstrate that SHIP is a potent negative regulator of IL-4 production from basophils and thus may be a novel therapeutic target for Th1- and Th2-related diseases. View Publication

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is soon predicted to become the third leading cause of death and disability worldwide. After the primary injury,a complex set of secondary injuries develops hours and days later with prolonged neuroinflammation playing a key role. TBI and other inflammatory conditions are currently being treated in preclinical and clinical trials by a number of cellular therapies. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are of great interest due to their widespread usage,safety,and relative ease to isolate and culture. However,there has been a wide range in efficacy reported using MSC clinically and in preclinical models,likely due to differences in cell preparations and a significant amount of donor variability. In this study,we seek to find a correlation between in vitro activity and in vivo efficacy. We designed assays to explore the responsiveness of MSC to immunological cues to address the immunomodulatory properties of MSC,one of their primary modes of therapeutic activity in TBI. Our results showed intrinsic differences in the immunomodulatory capacity of MSC preparations from different bone marrow and amniotic fluid donors. This difference mirrored the therapeutic capacity of the MSC in an experimental model of TBI,an effect confirmed using siRNA knockdown of COX2 followed by overexpressing COX2. Among the immunomodulatory factors assessed,the therapeutic benefit correlated with the secretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 ) by MSC prior to treatment,suggesting that measurement of PGE2 could be a very useful potency marker to create an index of predicted efficacy for preparations of MSC to treat TBI. Stem Cells 2017;35:1416-1430. View Publication

Mitochondria are a major target for aging and are instrumental in the age-dependent deterioration of the human brain,but studying mitochondria in aging human neurons has been challenging. Direct fibroblast-to-induced neuron (iN) conversion yields functional neurons that retain important signs of aging,in contrast to iPSC differentiation. Here,we analyzed mitochondrial features in iNs from individuals of different ages. iNs from old donors display decreased oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-related gene expression,impaired axonal mitochondrial morphologies,lower mitochondrial membrane potentials,reduced energy production,and increased oxidized proteins levels. In contrast,the fibroblasts from which iNs were generated show only mild age-dependent changes,consistent with a metabolic shift from glycolysis-dependent fibroblasts to OXPHOS-dependent iNs. Indeed,OXPHOS-induced old fibroblasts show increased mitochondrial aging features similar to iNs. Our data indicate that iNs are a valuable tool for studying mitochondrial aging and support a bioenergetic explanation for the high susceptibility of the brain to aging. View Publication

Bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) from healthy children inhibit human lung fibroblast (HLF) expression of collagen and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT),whereas asthmatic BECs do so less effectively,suggesting that diminished epithelial-derived regulatory factors contribute to airway remodeling. Preliminary data demonstrated that secretion of the activin A inhibitor follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) by healthy BECs was greater than that by asthmatic BECs. We sought to determine the relative secretion of FSTL3 and activin A by asthmatic and healthy BECs,and whether FSTL3 inhibits FMT. To quantify the abundance of the total proteome FSTL3 and activin A in supernatants of differentiated BEC cultures from healthy children and children with asthma,we performed mass spectrometry and ELISA. HLFs were cocultured with primary BECs and then HLF expression of collagen I and alpha$-smooth muscle actin (alpha$-SMA) was quantified by qPCR,and FMT was quantified by flow cytometry. Loss-of-function studies were conducted using lentivirus-delivered shRNA. Using mass spectrometry and ELISA results from larger cohorts,we found that FSTL3 concentrations were greater in media conditioned by healthy BECs compared with asthmatic BECs (4,012 vs. 2,553 pg/ml; P = 0.002),and in media conditioned by asthmatic BECs from children with normal lung function relative to those with airflow obstruction (FEV1/FVC ratio {\textless} 0.8; n = 9; 3,026 vs. 1,922 pg/ml; P = 0.04). shRNA depletion of FSTL3 in BECs (n = 8) increased HLF collagen I expression by 92{\%} (P = 0.001) and alpha$-SMA expression by 88{\%} (P = 0.02),and increased FMT by flow cytometry in cocultured HLFs,whereas shRNA depletion of activin A (n = 6) resulted in decreased alpha$-SMA (22{\%}; P = 0.01) expression and decreased FMT. Together,these results indicate that deficient FSTL3 expression by asthmatic BECs impairs epithelial regulation of HLFs and FMT. View Publication

Suprachiasmatic nucleus circadian oscillatory protein (SCOP) (a.k.a. PHLPP1) regulates long-term memory consolidation in the brain. Using a mouse model of controlled cortical impact (CCI) we tested if (1) brain tissue levels of SCOP/PHLPP1 increase after a traumatic brain injury (TBI),and (2) if SCOP/PHLPP1 gene knockout (KO) mice have improved (or worse) neurologic outcomes. Blood chemistry (pH,pCO2,pO2,pSO2,base excess,sodium bicarbonate,and osmolarity) and arterial pressure (MAP) differed in isoflurane anesthetized WT vs. KOs at baseline and up to 1 h post-injury. CCI injury increased cortical/hippocampal SCOP/PHLPP1 levels in WTs 7d and 14d post-injury. Injured KOs had higher brain tissue levels of phosphorylated AKT (pAKT) in cortex (14d post-injury),and higher levels of phosphorylated MEK (pMEK) in hippocampus (7d and 14d post-injury) and in cortex (7d post-injury). Consistent with an important role of SCOP/PHLPP1 on memory function,injured-KOs had near normal performance on the probe trial of the Morris water maze,whereas injured-WTs were impaired. CA1/CA3 hippocampal survival was lower in KOs vs. WTs 24 h post-injury but equivalent by 7d. No difference in 21d cortical lesion volume was detected. SCOP/PHLPP1 overexpression in cultured rat cortical neurons had no effect on 24 h cell death after a mechanical stretch-injury. View Publication

Regulation of AMPA receptor (AMPAR) trafficking is a key modulator of excitatory synaptic transmission; however,intracellular vesicular transport of newly synthesized AMPARs has been little studied due to technical limitations. By combining molecular tools with imaging strategies in cultured rat hippocampal neurons,we found that vesicles containing newly synthesized,GluA1-subunit-containing AMPARs are transported antero- and retrogradely at a mean speed of 1.5 mu$m.s-1. Synaptic activity and variations in intracellular calcium levels bidirectionally modulate GluA1 transport. Chemical long-term potentiation (cLTP) initially induces a halt in GluA1 transport,followed by a sustained increase,while acute glutamate uncaging on synaptic spines arrests vesicular movements. GluA1 phosphomimetic mutants preferentially travel to the dendritic tip,probably to replenish extrasynaptic pools,distal to the soma. Our findings indicate that AMPAR intracellular transport is highly regulated during synaptic plasticity and likely controls AMPAR numbers at the plasma membrane. View Publication

Several studies have reported endothelial cell (EC) derivation from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). However,few have explored their functional properties in depth with respect to line-to-line and batch-to-batch variability and how they relate to primary ECs. We therefore carried out accurate characterization of hiPSC-derived ECs (hiPSC-ECs) from multiple (non-integrating) hiPSC lines and compared them with primary ECs in various functional assays,which included barrier function using real-time impedance spectroscopy with an integrated assay of electric wound healing,endothelia-leukocyte interaction under physiological flow to mimic inflammation and angiogenic responses in in vitro and in vivo assays. Overall,we found many similarities but also some important differences between hiPSC-derived and primary ECs. Assessment of vasculogenic responses in vivo showed little difference between primary ECs and hiPSC-ECs with regard to functional blood vessel formation,which may be important in future regenerative medicine applications requiring vascularization. View Publication

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fibrotic lung disease of unknown etiopathogenesis with limited therapeutic options. IPF is characterized by an abundance of fibroblasts and loss of epithelial progenitors,which cumulates in unrelenting fibrotic lung remodeling and loss of normal oxygenation. IPF has been challenging to model in rodents; nonetheless,mouse models of lung fibrosis provide clues as to the natural progression of lung injury and remodeling,but many have not been useful in predicting efficacy of therapeutics in clinical IPF. We provide a detailed methodologic description of various iterations of humanized mouse models,initiated by the i.v. injection of cells from IPF lung biopsy or explants specimens into severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)/beige or nonobese diabetic SCID gamma$ mice. Unlike cells from normal lung samples,IPF cells promote persistent,nonresolving lung remodeling in SCID mice. Finally,we provide examples and discuss potential advantages and pitfalls of human-specific targeting approaches in a humanized SCID model of pulmonary fibrosis. View Publication

Short-term outcomes of kidney transplantation have improved dramatically,but chronic rejection and regimen-related toxicity continue to compromise overall patient outcomes. Development of regulatory T cells (Tregs) as a means to decrease alloresponsiveness and limit the need for pharmacologic immunosuppression is an active area of preclinical and clinical investigation. Nevertheless,the immunomodulatory effects of end-stage renal disease on the efficacy of various strategies to generate and expand recipient Tregs for kidney transplantation are incompletely characterized. In this study,we show that Tregs can be successfully generated from either freshly isolated or previously cryopreserved uremic recipient (responder) and healthy donor (stimulator) peripheral blood mononuclear cells using the strategy of ex vivo costimulatory blockade with belatacept during mixed lymphocyte culture. Moreover,these Tregs maintain a CD3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) CD127(lo) surface phenotype,high levels of intracellular FOXP3 and significant demethylation of the FOXP3 Treg-specific demethylation region on allorestimulation with donor stimulator cells. These data support evaluation of this simple,brief Treg production strategy in clinical trials of mismatched kidney transplantation. View Publication