技术资料

Circulating cancer cells (CCCs) are closely related to the process of distant metastasis. In early step of the metastasis cascade,CCCs must evade the detachment-induced cell death (anoikis) for their survival. Here,we examined whether Na + /K + -ATPase α3-isoform (α3NaK) in CCCs contributes to avoidance of anoikis. In CCCs isolated from gastric cancer patients,α3NaK was predominantly localized in the plasma membrane (PM),but it moved to the cytoplasm when the CCCs were attached to culture dishes. The CCCs showed significant expression of integrin α5 but not fibronectin,one of components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In human gastric cancer MKN45 cells,digoxin (20 and 50 nM),a cardiac glycoside,significantly inhibited the enzyme activity and translocation (from cytoplasm to PM) of α3NaK,while they had no significant effect on ubiquitous Na + /K + -ATPase α1-isoform (α1NaK) in the PM. The translocation of α3NaK required the loss of ECM components from the cells. Additionally,digoxin significantly enhanced caspase 3/7 activity,as well as the expression of cleaved caspase 3,while reducing the viability of detached (floating) cells. In the MKN45 xenograft mouse model,intraperitoneal administration of digoxin (2 mg/kg/day) significantly decreased the number of CCCs and suppressed their liver metastasis. Our results suggest that α3NaK plays an essential role in the survival of CCCs in gastric cancer,and that digoxin enhances anoikis in detached (metastatic) gastric cancer cells by inhibiting the α3NaK translocation from cytoplasm to PM,thereby reducing CCCs. Targeting α3NaK may be a promising therapeutic strategy against CCC survival. Subject terms: Metastasis,Gastric cancer,Apoptosis View Publication

Malaria elimination faces challenges from drug resistance,stemming from mutations within the parasite’s genetic makeup. Genetic adaptations in key erythrocyte proteins offer malaria protection in endemic regions. Emulating nature’s approach,and implementing methodologies to render indispensable host proteins inactive,holds the potential to reshape antimalarial therapy. This study delves into the functional implication of the single-span membrane protein Kell ectodomain,which shares consensus sequence with the zinc endopeptidase family,possesses extracellular enzyme activity crucial for parasite invasion into host erythrocytes. Through generating Kell-null erythrocytes from an erythroid progenitor,BEL-A,we demonstrate the indispensable nature of Kell activity in P. falciparum invasion. Additionally,thiorphan,a metallo-endopeptidase inhibitor,which specifically inhibits Kell activity,inhibited Plasmodium infection at nanomolar concentrations. Interestingly,individuals in malaria-endemic regions exhibit low Kell expression and activity,indicating a plausible Plasmodium-induced evolutionary pressure. Both thiorphan and its prodrug racecadotril,demonstrated potent antimalarial activity in vivo,highlighting Kell’s protease role in invasion and proposing thiorphan as a promising host-oriented antimalarial therapeutic. Subject terms: Parasite biology,Parasite host response View Publication

Natural killer (NK) cells are an important innate defense against malignancies,and exogenous sources of NK cells have been developed as anti-cancer agents. Nevertheless,the apparent limitations of NK cells in clearing cancers have suggested that their efficacy might be augmented by combination with other treatments. We have developed cell-penetrating peptides that target the transcription factors ATF5,CEBPB,and CEBPD and that promote apoptotic cancer cell death both in vitro and in vivo without apparent toxicity to non-transformed cells. We report here that one such peptide,Dpep,significantly sensitizes a variety of tumor cell types to the cytotoxic activity of the NK cell line,NK-92MI. Such sensitization requires pre-exposure of tumor cells to Dpep and does not appear due to effects of Dpep on NK cells themselves. Our findings suggest that Dpep acts in this context to lower the apoptotic threshold of tumor cells to NK cell toxicity. Additionally,while Dpep pre-treatment does not prevent tumor cells from causing NK cell “inactivation”,it sensitizes cancer cells to repeated rounds of exposure to fresh NK cells. These findings thus indicate that Dpep pre-treatment is an effective strategy to sensitize cancer cells to the cytotoxic actions of NK cells. View Publication

This study investigates the use of silver nanoparticles as a potential new treatment for colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide,and finding more effective treatments is essential. The researchers tested silver nanoparticles AgNPs with two different surface coatings to see how they affect cancer cells compared to healthy cells. One type of nanoparticles showed significant effects,reducing cancer cell growth and inducing cell death,while the other had minimal impact. These findings suggest that modifying the surface of nanoparticles could help target cancer cells more specifically,leading to treatments that are both more effective and have fewer side effects. This research could pave the way for new therapies for colorectal cancer and other types of cancer,ultimately improving patient outcomes and advancing cancer treatment strategies. View Publication

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is associated with unfavorable patient outcomes primarily related to disease relapse. Since specific types of leukemic hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are suggested to contribute to AML propagation,this study aimed to identify and explore relapse-initiating HSPC subpopulations present at diagnosis,using single-cell analysis (SCA). We developed unique high-resolution techniques capable of tracking single-HSPC-derived subclones during AML evolution. Each subclone was evaluated for chemo-resistance,in vivo leukemogenic potential,mutational profile,and the cell of origin. In BM samples of 15 AML patients,GMP-like and MLP-like HSPC subpopulations were identified as prevalent at relapse,exhibiting chemo-resistance to commonly used chemotherapy agents cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) and daunorubicin. Reconstruction of phylogenetic lineage trees combined with genetic analysis of single HSPCs and single-HSPC-derived subclones demonstrated two distinct clusters,originating from MLP-like or GMP-like subpopulations,observed both at diagnosis and relapse. These subpopulations induced leukemia development ex vivo and in vivo. Genetic SCA showed that these relapse-related subpopulations harbored mutated EZH2 and TP53,detected already at diagnosis. This study,using combined molecular,functional,and genomic analyses at the level of single cells,identified patient-specific chemo-resistant HSPC subpopulations at the time of diagnosis,promoting AML relapse. View Publication

The tumor microenvironment and healing wounds both contain extremely high concentrations of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) compared to normal tissue. The P2Y2 receptor,an ATP-activated purinergic receptor,is typically associated with pulmonary,endothelial,and neurological cell signaling. Here,we examine ATP-dependent signaling in breast epithelial cells and how it is altered in metastatic breast cancer. Using rapid imaging techniques,we show how ATP-activated P2Y2 signaling causes an increase in intracellular Ca 2+ in non-tumorigenic breast epithelial cells,approximately 3-fold higher than their tumorigenic and metastatic counterparts. The non-tumorigenic cells respond to increased Ca 2+ with actin polymerization and localization to the cell edges after phalloidin staining,while the metastatic cells remain unaffected. The increase in intracellular Ca 2+ after ATP stimulation was blunted to control levels using a P2Y2 antagonist,which also prevented actin mobilization and significantly increased cell dissemination from spheroids in non-tumorigenic cells. Furthermore,the lack of Ca 2+ changes and actin mobilization in metastatic breast cancer cells could be due to the reduced P2Y2 expression,which correlates with poorer overall survival in breast cancer patients. This study elucidates the rapid changes that occur after elevated intracellular Ca 2+ in breast epithelial cells and how metastatic cancer cells have adapted to evade this cellular response. View Publication

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IVA is a bone-affecting lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by impaired degradation of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) keratan sulfate (KS) and chondroitin 6-sulfate (C6S) due to deficient N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS) enzyme activity. Previously,we successfully developed and validated a CRISPR/nCas9-based gene therapy (GT) to insert an expression cassette at the AAVS1 and ROSA26 loci in human MPS IVA fibroblasts and MPS IVA mice,respectively. In this study,we have extended our approach to evaluate the effectiveness of our CRISPR/nCas9-based GT in editing human CD34+ cells to mediate cross-correction of MPS IVA fibroblasts. CD34+ cells were electroporated with the CRISPR/nCas9 system,targeting the AAVS1 locus. The nCas9-mediated on-target donor template insertion,and the stemness of the CRISPR/nCas-edited CD34+ cells was evaluated. Additionally,MPS IVA fibroblasts were co-cultured with CRISPR/nCas-edited CD34+ cells to assess cross-correction. CRISPR/nCas9-based gene editing did not affect the stemness of CD34+ cells but did lead to supraphysiological levels of the GALNS enzyme. Upon co-culture,MPS IVA fibroblasts displayed a significant increase in the GALNS enzyme activity along with lysosomal mass reduction,pro-oxidant profile amelioration,mitochondrial mass recovery,and pro-apoptotic and pro-inflammatory profile improvement. These results show the potential of our CRISPR/nCas9-based GT to edit CD34+ cells to mediate cross-correction. View Publication

Nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD) is a highly conserved RNA turnover pathway that influences several biological processes. Specific features in messenger RNAs (mRNAs) have been found to trigger decay by NMD,leading to the assumption that NMD sensitivity is an intrinsic quality of a given transcript. Here,we provide evidence that,instead,an overriding factor dictating NMD sensitivity is the cell environment. Using several genome-wide techniques to detect NMD-target mRNAs,we find that hundreds of mRNAs are sensitized to NMD as human embryonic stem cells progress to form neural progenitor cells. Another class of mRNAs escape from NMD during this developmental progression. We show that the differential sensitivity to NMD extends to in vivo scenarios,and that the RNA-binding protein,HNRNPL,has a role in cell type-specific NMD. We also addressed another issue in the field—whether NMD factors are core or branch-specific in their action. Surprisingly,we found that UPF3B,an NMD factor critical for the nervous system,shares only 30% of NMD-target transcripts with the core NMD factor UPF2. Together,our findings have implications for how NMD is defined and measured,how NMD acts in different biological contexts,and how different NMD branches influence human diseases. View Publication

Treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) requires new therapy options,especially for patients uneligible for intense chemotherapy or with relapsed or refractory disease. CLEVER-1 is a myeloid checkpoint protein,which can be targeted with a therapeutic function blocking antibody,bexmarilimab. Bexmarilimab has shown clinical efficacy in different solid tumors. Here,we show preclinical data demonstrating expression of CLEVER-1 on immature malignant myeloid cells and their derivates in MDS and AML bone marrow samples and AML cell lines. Highest CLEVER-1 levels were observed in AML with monocytic differentiation. Ex vivo treatment of AML/MDS bone marrow samples with bexmarilimab led to an increase in antigen-presenting human leukocyte antigen DR isotype (HLA-DR) molecule expression. Combination of bexmarilimab with current standard-of-care (SoC) drugs,azacitidine and venetoclax,showed potential for HLA-DR induction and enhanced killing of leukemic cells,respectively. Our non-clinical findings support the feasibility of CLEVER-1 inhibition in AML/MDS to induce antigen presentating molecule expression and potentially,an anti-leukemic effect together with SoC. Therapeutic targeting of CLEVER-1 with bexmarilimab is currently undergoing clinical investigation in the BEXMAB trial ( NCT05428969 ). The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-01675-y. View Publication

Hematologic adverse events are common dose-limiting toxicities in drug development. Classical animal models for preclinical safety assessment of immunotherapies are often limited due to insufficient cross-reactivity with non-human homologous proteins,immune system differences,and ethical considerations. Therefore,we evaluate a human bone marrow (BM) microphysiological system (MPS) for its ability to predict expected hematopoietic liabilities of immunotherapeutics. The BM-MPS consists of a closed microfluidic circuit containing a ceramic scaffold covered with human mesenchymal stromal cells and populated with human BM-derived CD34+ cells in chemically defined growth factor-enriched media. The model supports on-chip differentiation of erythroid,myeloid and NK cells from CD34+ cells over 31 days. The hematopoietic lineage balance and output is responsive to pro-inflammatory factors and cytokines. Treatment with a transferrin receptor-targeting IgG1 antibody results in inhibition of on-chip erythropoiesis. The immunocompetence of the chip is established by the addition of peripheral blood T cells in a fully autologous setup. Treatment with T cell bispecific antibodies induces T cell activation and target cell killing consistent with expected on-target off-tumor toxicities. In conclusion,this study provides a proof-of-concept that this BM-MPS is applicable for in vitro hematopoietic safety profiling of immunotherapeutics. Subject terms: Biologics,Haematopoiesis,Lab-on-a-chip,Drug safety View Publication

The intestinal epithelium of human infants is developmentally immature compared to that of adults. Exactly how this immaturity affects key epithelial functions and their interactions with nearby immune cells remains an understudied area of research,partly due to limited access to non-diseased infant gut tissues. Human intestinal organoids,or “mini guts” generated from tissue stem cells,are promising models for investigating intestinal biology and disease mechanisms. These three-dimensional structures closely mimic their tissue of origin,including cellular physiology and genetics. We have also previously shown that neonatal Th17 cells represent a distinct cell population with a cytokine profile skewed toward IL-22 production rather than IL-17A,as seen in adult Th17 cells. In this study,we sought to model the impact of neonatal-derived Th17 cytokine,namely IL-22 and the intestinal epithelium using infant-derived ileal enteroids. We generated enteroids from ileal biopsies from infants (< 6 months old) and cultured them for seven days with standard organoid growth media,organoid media supplemented with conditioned media from cord-blood-derived Th17 cells,or media supplemented with recombinant IL-22. We assessed morphological changes and conducted transcriptomics profiling via RNAseq. Exposing enteroids to neonatal Th17-cells-derived conditioned media led to enhanced growth,maturation,and differentiation as compared to control media. These effects were ablated when an IL-22 neutralizing antibody was used,while conversely,supplementing with recombinant IL-22 mimicked the Th17 effects,increasing intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and inducing marked differentiation of secretory cells. Our transcriptomic profiling similarly demonstrated significant changes in response to IL-22 with downregulation of Wnt and Notch signaling and upregulation of immune pathways,particularly interferon signaling. The transcriptomic data also suggested that IL-22 treatment led to changes in cell type composition with an increase in stem- and progenitor cells at the expense of enterocytes. Taken together,our data suggests that early-life intestinal development is likely influenced by IL-22-dependent crosstalk between the infant epithelium and exposure to neighboring Th17 cells. This promotes epithelial cell maturation and immune readiness,reflected at both the morphological and molecular levels. Our work also provides a relevant framework for studying healthy infant gut development,which can be further leveraged to examine early-life gastrointestinal disorders,model complex human disease,and therapeutic testing while reducing reliance on animal models. View Publication

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation and spread of Tau intraneuronal inclusions throughout most of the telencephalon,leaving hindbrain regions like the cerebellum and spinal cord largely spared. These neuropathological observations,along with the identification of specific vulnerable sub-populations from AD brain-derived single nuclei transcriptomics,suggest that a subset of brain regions and neuronal subtypes possess a selective vulnerability to Tau pathology. Given the inability to culture neurons from patient brains,a disease-relevant in vitro model which recapitulates these features would serve as a critical tool to validate modulators of vulnerability and resilience. Using our recently established platform for inducing endogenous Tau aggregation in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cortical excitatory neurons via application of AD brain-derived exogenous Tau aggregates,we explored whether Tau aggregates preferentially induce aggregation in specific neuronal subtypes. We compared Tau seeding in hiPSC-derived neuron subtypes representing regional identities across the forebrain,midbrain,and hindbrain. Higher susceptibility (i.e. more Tau aggregation) was consistently observed among cortical neuron subtypes,with CTIP2-positive,somatostatin (SST)-positive cortical inhibitory neurons showing the greatest aggregation levels across hiPSC lines from multiple donors. hiPSC-neurons also delineated between the disease-specific vulnerabilities of different protein aggregates,as α-synuclein preformed fibrils showed an increased propensity to induce aggregates in midbrain dopaminergic (mDA)-like neurons,mimicking Parkinson’s disease (PD)-specific susceptibility. Aggregate uptake and degradation rates were insufficient to explain differential susceptibility. The absence of a consistent transcriptional response following aggregate seeding further indicated that intrinsic neuronal subtype-specific properties could drive susceptibility. The present data provides evidence that hiPSC-neurons exhibit features of selective neuronal vulnerability which manifest in a cell autonomous manner,suggesting that mining intrinsic (or basal) transcriptomic signatures of more vulnerable compared to more resilient hiPSC-neurons could uncover the molecular underpinnings of differential susceptibility to protein aggregation found in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40478-025-02000-4. View Publication