技术资料

There is little insight into or agreement about the signals that control differentiation of memory B cells (MBCs) and long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs). By performing BrdU pulse-labeling studies,we found that MBC formation preceded the formation of LLPCs in an adoptive transfer immunization system,which allowed for a synchronized Ag-specific response with homogeneous Ag-receptor,yet at natural precursor frequencies. We confirmed these observations in wild-type (WT) mice and extended them with germinal center (GC) disruption experiments and variable region gene sequencing. We thus show that the GC response undergoes a temporal switch in its output as it matures,revealing that the reaction engenders both MBC subsets with different immune effector function and,ultimately,LLPCs at largely separate points in time. These data demonstrate the kinetics of the formation of the cells that provide stable humoral immunity and therefore have implications for autoimmunity,for vaccine development,and for understanding long-term pathogen resistance. View Publication

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an inherited neuromuscular disease primarily characterized by degeneration of spinal motor neurons,and caused by reduced levels of the SMN protein. Previous studies to understand the proteomic consequences of reduced SMN have mostly utilized patient fibroblasts and animal models. We have derived human motor neurons from type I SMA and healthy controls by creating their induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Quantitative mass spectrometry of these cells revealed increased expression of 63 proteins in control motor neurons compared to respective fibroblasts,whereas 30 proteins were increased in SMA motor neurons vs. their fibroblasts. Notably,UBA1 was significantly decreased in SMA motor neurons,supporting evidence for ubiquitin pathway defects. Subcellular distribution of UBA1 was predominantly cytoplasmic in SMA motor neurons in contrast to nuclear in control motor neurons; suggestive of neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Many of the proteins that were decreased in SMA motor neurons,including beta III-tubulin and UCHL1,were associated with neurodevelopment and differentiation. These neuron-specific consequences of SMN depletion were not evident in fibroblasts,highlighting the importance of iPSC technology. The proteomic profiles identified here provide a useful resource to explore the molecular consequences of reduced SMN in motor neurons,and for the identification of novel biomarker and therapeutic targets for SMA. View Publication

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane poly(carbonate-urea) urethane (POSS-PCU) is a versatile nanocomposite biomaterial with growing applications as a bioscaffold for tissue engineering. Integration of synthetic implants with host tissue can be problematic but could be improved by topographical modifications. We describe optimization of POSS-PCU by dispersion of porogens (sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3),sodium chloride (NaCl) and sucrose) onto the material surface,with the principle aim of increasing surface porosity,thus providing additional opportunities for improved cellular and vascular ingrowth. We assess the effect of the porogens on the material's mechanical strength,surface chemistry,wettability and cytocompatibilty. Surface porosity was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). There was no alteration in surface chemistry and wettability and only modest changes in mechanical properties were detected. The size of porogens correlated well with the porosity of the construct produced and larger porogens improved interconnectivity of spaces within constructs. Using primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) we demonstrate moderate in vitro cytocompatibility for all surface modifications; however,larger pores resulted in cellular aggregation. These cells were able to differentiate on POSS-PCU scaffolds. Implantation of the scaffold in vivo demonstrated that larger pore sizes favor cellular integration and vascular ingrowth. These experiments demonstrate that surface modification with large porogens can improve POSS-PCU nanocomposite scaffold integration and suggest the need to strike a balance between the non-porous surfaces required for epithelial coverage and the porous structure required for integration and vascularization of synthetic scaffolds in future construct design. View Publication

Strategies to prevent organ transplant rejection whilst minimizing long-term immunosuppression are currently under intense investigation with regulatory T cells (Tregs) nearing clinical application. The clinical trial,ThRIL,recently commenced at King's College London,proposes to use Treg cell therapy to induce tolerance in liver transplant recipients,the success of which has the potential to revolutionize the management of these patients and enable a future of drug-free transplants. This is the first report of the manufacture of clinical grade Tregs from prospective liver transplant recipients via a CliniMACS-based GMP isolation technique and expanded using anti-CD3/CD28 beads,IL-2 and rapamycin. We report the enrichment of a pure,stable population of Tregs (textgreater95% CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+)),reaching adequate numbers for their clinical application. Our protocol proved successful in,influencing the expansion of superior functional Tregs,as compared to freshly isolated cells,whilst also preventing their conversion to Th17 cells under pro-inflammatory conditions. We conclude with the manufacture of the final Treg product in the clinical research facility (CRF),a prerequisite for the clinical application of these cells. The data presented in this manuscript together with the much-anticipated clinical results from ThRIL,will undoubtedly inform the improved management of the liver transplant recipient. View Publication

Oct4 is considered a key transcription factor for pluripotent stem cell self-renewal. It binds to specific regions within target genes to regulate their expression and is downregulated upon induction of differentiation of pluripotent stem cells; however,the mechanisms that regulate the levels of human Oct4 expression remain poorly understood. Here we show that expression of human Oct4 is directly repressed by germ cell nuclear factor (GCNF),an orphan nuclear receptor,in hES cells. Knockdown of GCNF by siRNA resulted in maintenance of Oct4 expression during RA-induced hES cell differentiation. While overexpression of GCNF promoted repression of Oct4 expression in both undifferentiated and differentiated hES cells. The level of Oct4 repression was dependent on the level of GCNF expression in a dose-dependent manner. mRNA microarray analysis demonstrated that overexpression of GCNF globally regulates gene expression in undifferentiated and differentiated hES cells. Within the group of altered genes,GCNF down-regulated 36% of the genes,and up-regulated 64% in undifferentiated hES cells. In addition,GCNF also showed a regulatory gene pattern that is different from RA treatment during hES cell differentiation. These findings increase our understanding of the mechanisms that maintain hES cell pluripotency and regulate gene expression during the differentiation process. View Publication

Tumor suppressor p53 is frequently mutated or inactivated in colorectal cancer. In contrast,p53 family member p73 is rarely mutated in colorectal cancer and p73 activation elicits p53-like tumor suppression. Colorectal cancer stem cells (CRCSC) comprise a rare self-renewing subpopulation that contributes to tumor maintenance and chemoresistance. p53 restoration is known to target CRCSCs,but p73 restoration in CRCSCs has not been examined. In this study,we investigated the effects of the small-molecule prodigiosin,which restores the p53 pathway in tumor cells via p73 activation,on CRCSCs in vitro and in vivo Prodigiosin prevented colonosphere formation independent of p53 status and reduced the viability of self-renewing,5-fluorouracil-resistant Aldefluor positive [Aldefluor(+)] CRCSCs in vitro Furthermore,prodigiosin inhibited the growth of xenograft tumors initiated with Aldefluor+ cells without toxic effects and limited the tumorigenic potential of these cells. Consistently,prodigiosin induced activation of a p53-responsive luciferase reporter in colonospheres,Aldefluor(+) cells,and tumor xenografts. Mechanistic studies revealed that prodigiosin increased the levels of p73 and reduced levels of the oncogenic N-terminally truncated isoform $$Np73 in Aldefluor(+) cells. Accordingly,p73 knockdown or $$Np73 overexpression suppressed prodigiosin-mediated inhibition of colonosphere formation. Moreover,prodigiosin increased levels of the transcription factor c-Jun,a regulator of p73 and $$Np73,in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. c-Jun knockdown attenuated prodigiosin-mediated p53-reporter activation,$$Np73 downregulation,p73 activation,and cell death. Collectively,our findings highlight the previously uncharacterized use of p73-activating therapeutics to target CRCSCs. Cancer Res; 76(7); 1989-99. textcopyright2016 AACR. View Publication

The prostate transmembrane protein,androgen-induced 1 (PMEPA1) has been previously shown to promote solid malignancies in a variety of cancers,but the role and mechanisms of PMEPA1 in breast cancer has not been fully addressed. Here,we found that PMEPA1 was upregulated in breast cancer cell lines as well as in a set of clinical invasive breast ductal carcinomas. Interestingly,depletion of PMEPA1 decreased breast cancer stem cell (CSC)-enriched populations,while ectopic overexpression of PMEPA1 increased breast CSC-enriched populations. Furthermore,transforming growth factor-$$ (TGF-$$) treatment was also found to upregulate PMEPA1 expression and the CSC-enriched populations in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. TGF-$$-induced PMEPA1 expression partially contributed to TGF-$$-induced breast CSC maintenance. These findings suggest that TGF-$$-PMEPA1 axis might provide new diagnosis and therapeutic targets for breast cancer treatment. View Publication

The differentiation of effector CD8(+) T cells is a dynamically regulated process that varies during different infections and is influenced by the inflammatory milieu of the host. In this study,we define three signals regulating CD8(+) T cell responses during tuberculosis by focusing on cytokines known to affect disease outcome: IL-12,type I IFN,and IL-27. Using mixed bone marrow chimeras,we compared wild-type and cytokine receptor knockout CD8(+) T cells within the same mouse following aerosol infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Four weeks postinfection,IL-12,type 1 IFN,and IL-27 were all required for efficient CD8(+) T cell expansion in the lungs. We next determined if these cytokines directly promote CD8(+) T cell priming or are required only for expansion in the lungs. Using retrogenic CD8(+) T cells specific for the M. tuberculosis Ag TB10.4 (EsxH),we observed that IL-12 is the dominant cytokine driving both CD8(+) T cell priming in the lymph node and expansion in the lungs; however,type I IFN and IL-27 have nonredundant roles supporting pulmonary CD8(+) T cell expansion. Thus,IL-12 is a major signal promoting priming in the lymph node,but a multitude of inflammatory signals converge in the lung to promote continued expansion. Furthermore,these cytokines regulate the differentiation and function of CD8(+) T cells during tuberculosis. These data demonstrate distinct and overlapping roles for each of the cytokines examined and underscore the complexity of CD8(+) T cell regulation during tuberculosis. View Publication

We demonstrated previously that mouse hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) suppress T cells via programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1),but it remains unknown whether they exert any effects on B cells,the other component of the adaptive immune system. In this study,we found that mouse HSCs directly inhibited B cells and that PD-L1 was also integrally involved. We found that HSCs inhibited the upregulation of activation markers on activated B cells,as well as the proliferation of activated B cells and their cytokine/Ig production in vitro,and that pharmaceutically or genetically blocking the interaction of PD-L1 with programmed cell death protein 1 impaired the ability of HSCs to inhibit B cells. To test the newly discovered B cell-inhibitory activity of HSCs in vivo,we developed a protocol of intrasplenic artery injection to directly deliver HSCs into the spleen. We found that local delivery of wild-type HSCs into the spleens of mice that had been immunized with 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenylacetyl-Ficoll,a T cell-independent Ag,significantly suppressed Ag-specific IgM and IgG production in vivo,whereas splenic artery delivery of PD-L1-deficient HSCs failed to do so. In conclusion,in addition to inhibiting T cells,mouse HSCs concurrently inhibit B cells via PD-L1. This direct B cell-inhibitory activity of HSCs should contribute to the mechanism by which HSCs maintain the liver's immune homeostasis. View Publication

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) exhibit unrestricted and indefinite,but stringently controlled,proliferation,and can differentiate into any lineage in the body. In the current study,we test the hypothesis that expression of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and ribosomal protein genes (RPGs) contribute to the ability of hESCs to proliferate indefinitely. Consistent with the accelerated growth rate of hESCs,we find that hESC lines H1 and H9 both exhibit significantly higher levels of rRNA when compared to a panel of normal and cancer human cell lines. Although many RPGs are expressed at levels that comparable to other human cell lines,a few RPGs also exhibit higher expression levels. In situ nuclear run-on assays reveal that both nucleoli in hESCs actively transcribe nascent rRNA. Employing genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation-deep sequencing and bioinformatics approaches,we discovered that,RPGs are dominantly marked by the activating H3K4me3 histone mark in the G1,M,and G2 phases of the cell cycle. Interestingly,the rDNA repeats are marked by the activating H3K4me3 only in the M phase,and repressive H3K27me3 histone mark in all three cell cycle phases. Bioinformatics analyses also reveal that Myc,a known regulator of cell growth and proliferation,occupies both the rRNA genes and RPGs. Functionally,down-regulation of Myc expression by siRNA results in a concomitant decrease in rRNA levels. Together,our results show that expression of rRNA,which is regulated by the Myc pluripotency transcription factor,and of RPGs in hESCs is associated with the activating H3K4me3 modification. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 2007-2013,2016. textcopyright 2016 Wiley Periodicals,Inc. View Publication

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are capable of unlimited self-renewal and can generate nearly all cells in the body. Changes induced by different LSD1 activities on the regulation of hiPSC self-renewal and differentiation and the mechanism underlying such changes were determined. We used two different LSD1 inhibitors (phenelzine sulfate and tranylcypromine) and RNAi technique to inhibit LSD1 activity,and we obtained hiPSCs showing 71.3%,53.28%,and 31.33% of the LSD1 activity in normal hiPSCs. The cells still maintained satisfactory self-renewal capacity when LSD1 activity was at 71.3%. The growth rate of hiPSCs decreased and cells differentiated when LSD1 activity was at approximately 53.28%. The hiPSCs were mainly arrested in the G0/G1 phase and simultaneously differentiated into endodermal tissue when LSD1 activity was at 31.33%. Teratoma experiments showed that the downregulation of LSD1 resulted in low teratoma volume. When LSD1 activity was below 50%,pluripotency of hiPSCs was impaired,and the teratomas mainly comprised endodermal and mesodermal tissues. This phenomenon was achieved by regulating the critical balance between histone methylation and demethylation at regulatory regions of several key pluripotent and developmental genes. View Publication

Elevated levels of the proinflammatory cytokine IL6 are associated with poor survival outcomes in many cancers. Antibodies targeting IL6 and its receptor have been developed for chronic inflammatory disease,but they have not yet been shown to clearly benefit cancer patients,possibly due to antibody potency or the settings in which they have been tested. In this study,we describe the development of a novel high-affinity anti-IL6 antibody,MEDI5117,which features an extended half-life and potent inhibitory effects on IL6 biologic activity. MEDI5117 inhibited IL6-mediated activation of STAT3,suppressing the growth of several tumor types driven by IL6 autocrine signaling. In the same models,MEDI5117 displayed superior preclinical activity relative to a previously developed anti-IL6 antibody. Consistent with roles for IL6 in promoting tumor angiogenesis,we found that MEDI5117 inhibited the growth of endothelial cells,which can produce IL6 and support tumorigenesis. Notably,in tumor xenograft assays in mice,we documented the ability of MEDI5117 to enhance the antitumor activities of chemotherapy or gefitinib in combination treatment regimens. MEDI5117 also displayed robust activity on its own against trastuzumab-resistant HER2(+) tumor cells by targeting the CD44(+)CD24(-) cancer stem cell population. Collectively,our findings extend the evidence of important pleiotropic roles of IL6 in tumorigenesis and drug resistance,and offer a preclinical proof of concept for the use of IL6 antibodies in combination regimens to heighten therapeutic responses and overcome drug resistance. View Publication