技术资料

The number of colony forming unit-endothelial cells (CFU-EC) in human peripheral blood was found to be a biological marker for several vascular diseases. In this study,the heterogeneous composition of immune cells in the CFU-ECs was investigated. We confirmed that monocytes are essential for the formation of CFU-ECs. Also,however,CD4(+) T cells were found to be indispensable for the induction of CFU-EC colonies,mainly through cell-cell contact. By blocking or activating CD3 receptors on CD4(+) T cells or blocking MHC class II molecules on monocytes,it was shown that TCR-MHCII interactions are required for induction of CFU-EC colonies. Because the supernatant from preactivated T cells could also induce colony formation from purified monocytes,the T cell support turned out to be cytokine mediated. Gene expression analysis of the endothelial-like colonies formed by CD14(+) cells showed that colony formation is a proangiogenic differentiation and might reflect the ability of monocytes to facilitate vascularization. This in vitro study is the first to reveal the role of TCR-MHC class II interactions between T cells and monocytes and the subsequent inflammatory response as stimulus of monocytic properties that are associated with vascularization. View Publication

Expansion of the CGG.CCG-repeat tract in the 5' UTR of the FMR1 gene to textgreater200 repeats leads to heterochromatinization of the promoter and gene silencing. This results in Fragile X syndrome (FXS),the most common heritable form of mental retardation. The mechanism of gene silencing is unknown. We report here that a Class III histone deacetylase,SIRT1,plays an important role in this silencing process and show that the inhibition of this enzyme produces significant gene reactivation. This contrasts with the much smaller effect of inhibitors like trichostatin A (TSA) that inhibit Class I,II and IV histone deacetylases. Reactivation of silenced FMR1 alleles was accompanied by an increase in histone H3 lysine 9 acetylation as well as an increase in the amount of histone H4 that is acetylated at lysine 16 (H4K16) by the histone acetyltransferase,hMOF. DNA methylation,on the other hand,is unaffected. We also demonstrate that deacetylation of H4K16 is a key downstream consequence of DNA methylation. However,since DNA methylation inhibitors require DNA replication in order to be effective,SIRT1 inhibitors may be more useful for FMR1 gene reactivation in post-mitotic cells like neurons where the effect of the gene silencing is most obvious. View Publication

The clinical success of stem cell therapy for myocardial repair hinges on a better understanding of cardiac fate mechanisms. We have identified small molecules involved in cardiac fate by screening a chemical library for activators of the signature gene Nkx2.5,using a luciferase knockin bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) in mouse P19CL6 pluripotent stem cells. We describe a family of sulfonyl-hydrazone (Shz) small molecules that can trigger cardiac mRNA and protein expression in a variety of embryonic and adult stem/progenitor cells,including human mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (M-PBMCs). Small-molecule-enhanced M-PBMCs engrafted into the rat heart in proximity to an experimental injury improved cardiac function better than control cells. Recovery of cardiac function correlated with persistence of viable human cells,expressing human-specific cardiac mRNAs and proteins. Shz small molecules are promising starting points for drugs to promote myocardial repair/regeneration by activating cardiac differentiation in M-PBMCs. View Publication

Neuropilin-1 (Nrp1) is a multifunctional protein,identified principally as a receptor for the class 3 semaphorins and members of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family,but it is capable of other interactions. It is a marker of regulatory T cells (Tr),which often carry Nrp1 and latency-associated peptide (LAP)-TGF-beta1 (the latent form). The signaling TGF-beta1 receptors bind only active TGF-beta1,and we hypothesized that Nrp1 binds the latent form. Indeed,we found that Nrp1 is a high-affinity receptor for latent and active TGF-beta1. Free LAP,LAP-TGF-beta1,and active TGF-beta1 all competed with VEGF165 for binding to Nrp1. LAP has a basic,arginine-rich C-terminal motif similar to VEGF and peptides that bind to the b1 domain of Nrp1. A C-terminal LAP peptide (QSSRHRR) bound to Nrp1 and inhibited the binding of VEGF and LAP-TGF-beta1. We also analyzed the effects of Nrp1/LAP-TGF-beta1 coexpression on T cell function. Compared with Nrp1(-) cells,sorted Nrp1+ T cells had a much greater capacity to capture LAP-TGF-beta1. Sorted Nrp1(-) T cells captured soluble Nrp1-Fc,and this increased their ability to capture LAP-TGF-beta1. Conventional CD4+CD25(-)Nrp1(-) T cells coated with Nrp1-Fc/LAP-TGF-beta1 acquired strong Tr activity. Moreover,LAP-TGF-beta was activated by Nrp1-Fc and also by a peptide of the b2 domain of Nrp1 (RKFK; similar to a thrombospondin-1 peptide). Breast cancer cells,which express Nrp1,also captured and activated LAP-TGF-beta1 in a Nrp1-dependent manner. Thus,Nrp1 is a receptor for TGF-beta1,activates its latent form,and is relevant to Tr activity and tumor biology. View Publication

Multiple myeloma is characterized by the clonal expansion of neoplastic plasma cells within the bone marrow,elevated serum immunoglobulin,and osteolytic bone disease. The disease is highly responsive to a wide variety of anticancer treatments including conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy,corticosteroids,radiation therapy,and a growing number of agents with novel mechanisms of action. However,few if any patients are cured with these modalities and relapse remains a critical issue. A better understanding of clonogenic multiple myeloma cells is essential to ultimately improving long-term outcomes,but the nature of the cells responsible for myeloma regrowth and disease relapse is unclear. We review evidence that functional heterogeneity exists in multiple myeloma and discuss potential strategies and clinical implications of the stem-cell model of cancer in this disease. View Publication

To better understand endogenous parameters that influence pluripotent cell differentiation we used human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) as a model system. We demonstrate that differentiation trajectories in aggregate (embryoid body [EB])-induced differentiation,a common approach to mimic some of the spatial and temporal aspects of in vivo development,are affected by three factors: input hESC composition,input hESC colony size,and EB size. Using a microcontact printing approach,size-specified hESC colonies were formed by plating single-cell suspensions onto micropatterned (MP) extracellular matrix islands. Subsequently,size-controlled EBs were formed by transferring entire colonies into suspension culture enabling the independent investigation of colony and aggregate size effects on differentiation induction. Gene and protein expression analysis of MP-hESC populations revealed that the ratio of Gata6 (endoderm-associated marker) to Pax6 (neural-associated marker) expression increased with decreasing colony size. Moreover,upon forming EBs from these MP-hESCs,we observed that differentiation trajectories were affected by both colony and EB size-influenced parameters. In MP-EBs generated from endoderm-biased (high Gata6/Pax6) input hESCs,higher mesoderm and cardiac induction was observed at larger EB sizes. Conversely,neural-biased (low Gata6/Pax6) input hESCs generated MP-EBs that exhibited higher cardiac induction in smaller EBs. Our analysis demonstrates that heterogeneity in hESC colony and aggregate size,typical in most differentiation strategies,produces subsets of appropriate conditions for differentiation into specific cell types. Moreover,our findings suggest that the local microenvironment modulates endogenous parameters that can be used to influence pluripotent cell differentiation trajectories. View Publication

Murine embryonic stem (mES) cells are self-renewing pluripotent cells that bear the capacity to differentiate into ectoderm-,endoderm-,and mesoderm-derived tissues. In suspension culture,embryonic stem (ES) cells grow into spherical embryoid bodies (EBs) and are useful for the study of specific gene products in the development and function of various tissue types. Osteoclasts are hematopoietic stem cell-derived cells that participate in bone turnover by secreting resorptive molecules such as hydrochloric acid and acidic proteases,which degrade the bone extracellular matrix. Aberrant osteoclast function leads to dysplastic,erosive,and sclerosing bone diseases. Previous studies have reported the derivation of osteoclasts from mES cells; however,most of these protocols require coculture with stromal cell lines. We describe two simplified,novel methods of stromal cell-independent ES cell-derived osteoclast development. View Publication

TLR4 is a unique TLR because downstream signaling occurs via two separate pathways,as follows: MyD88 and Toll IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing adaptor-inducing IFN-beta (TRIF). In this study,we compared and contrasted the interplay of these pathways between murine dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages during LPS stimulation. During TLR4 activation,neither pathway on its own was critical for up-regulation of costimulatory molecules in DCs,whereas the up-regulation of costimulatory molecules was largely TRIF dependent in macrophages. LPS-induced secreted factors,of which type I IFNs were one of the active components,played a larger role in promoting the up-regulation of costimulatory molecules in macrophages than DCs. In both cell types,MyD88 and TRIF pathways together accounted for the inflammatory response to LPS activation. Furthermore,signaling of both adaptors allowed maximal T cell priming by LPS-matured DCs,with MyD88 playing a larger role than TRIF. In sum,in our experimental systems,TRIF signaling plays a more important role in LPS-induced macrophage activation than in DC activation. View Publication

The optimization of a purely negative depletion,enrichment process for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood of head and neck cancer patients is presented. The enrichment process uses a red cell lysis step followed by immunomagnetic labeling,and subsequent depletion,of CD45 positive cells. A number of relevant variables are quantified,or attempted to be quantified,which control the performance of the enrichment process. Six different immunomagnetic labeling combinations were evaluated as well as the significant difference in performance with respect to the blood source: buffy coats purchased from the Red Cross,fresh,peripheral blood from normal donors,and fresh peripheral blood from human cancer patients. After optimization,the process is able to reduce the number of normal blood cells in a cancer patient's blood from 4.05 x 10(9) to 8.04 x 10(3) cells/mL and still recover,on average,2.32 CTC per mL of blood. For all of the cancer patient blood samples tested in which CTC were detected (20 out of 26 patients) the average recovery of CTCs was 21.7 per mL of blood,with a range of 282 to 0.53 CTC. Since the initial number of CTC in a patient's blood is unknown,and most probably varies from patient to patient,the recovery of the CTC is unknown. However,spiking studies of a cancer cell line into normal blood,and subsequent enrichment using the optimized protocol indicated an average recovery of approximately 83%. Unlike a majority of other published studies,this study focused on quantifying as many factors as possible to facilitate both the optimization of the process as well as provide information for current and future performance comparisons. The authors are not aware any other reported study which has achieved the performance reported here (a 5.66 log(10)) in a purely negative enrichment mode of operation. Such a mode of operation of an enrichment process provides significant flexibility in that it has no bias with respect to what attributes define a CTC; thereby allowing the researcher or clinician to use any maker they choose to define whether the final,enrich product contains CTCs or other cell type relevant to the specific question (i.e.,does the CTC have predominantly epithelial or mesenchymal characteristics?). View Publication

Endogenous neural stem/precursor cells (NPCs) are considered a functional reservoir for promoting tissue homeostasis and repair after injury,therefore regenerative strategies that mobilize these cells have recently been proposed. Despite evidence of increased neurogenesis upon acute inflammatory insults (e.g. ischaemic stroke),the plasticity of the endogenous brain stem cell compartment in chronic CNS inflammatory disorders remains poorly characterized. Here we show that persistent brain inflammation,induced by immune cells targeting myelin,extensively alters the proliferative and migratory properties of subventricular zone (SVZ)-resident NPCs in vivo leading to significant accumulation of non-migratory neuroblasts within the SVZ germinal niche. In parallel,we demonstrate a quantitative reduction of the putative brain stem cells proliferation in the SVZ during persistent brain inflammation,which is completely reversed after in vitro culture of the isolated NPCs. Together,these data indicate that the inflamed brain microenvironment sustains a non cell-autonomous dysfunction of the endogenous CNS stem cell compartment and challenge the potential efficacy of proposed therapies aimed at mobilizing endogenous precursors in chronic inflammatory brain disorders. View Publication

Human B cells can be cultured ex vivo for a few weeks,following stimulation of the CD40 cell surface molecule in the presence of recombinant cytokines such as interleukin-4 (IL-4). However,attempts to produce polyclonal antigen-specific human antibodies by in vitro culture of human B cells obtained from immunized donors have not been successful. It has been shown in mice that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a potent mitogen for B cells and plays an important role in the generation of antigen-specific antibody responses. Although it has long been believed that LPS has no direct effect on human B cells,recent data indicating that IL-4-activated human B cells are induced to express Toll-like receptor-4,the main LPS receptor,prompted us to study the effects of LPS on the proliferation and antibody secretion of human B cells. Our results showed that LPS caused a reduction in the expansion of CD40-activated human B cells,accompanied by an increase in antigen-specific antibody secretion. This result suggested that some,but not all,B cells were able to differentiate into antibody-secreting cells in response to LPS. This increased differentiation could be explained by the observation that LPS-stimulated human B cells were induced to secrete higher amounts of IL-6,a pleiotropic cytokine well-known for its B-cell differentiation activity. In vivo,the effect of LPS on cytokine secretion by B cells may not only enhance B-cell differentiation but also help to sustain a local ongoing immune response to invading Gram-negative bacteria,until all pathogens have been cleared from the organism. View Publication

Decay-accelerating factor (DAF) is a cell surface regulator that accelerates the dissociation of C3/C5 convertases and thereby prevents the amplification of complement activation on self cells. In the context of transplantation,DAF has been thought to primarily regulate antibody-mediated allograft injury,which is in part serum complement-dependent. Based on our previously delineated link between DAF and CD4 T cell responses,we evaluated the effects of donor Daf1 (the murine homolog of human DAF) deficiency on CD8 T cell-mediated cardiac allograft rejection. MHC-disparate Daf1(-/-) allografts were rejected with accelerated kinetics compared with wild-type grafts. The accelerated rejection predominantly tracked with DAF's absence on bone marrow-derived cells in the graft and required allograft production of C3. Transplantation of Daf1(-/-) hearts into wild-type allogeneic hosts augmented the strength of the anti-donor (direct pathway) T cell response,in part through complement-dependent proliferative and pro-survival effects on alloreactive CD8 T cells. The accelerated allograft rejection of Daf1(-/-) hearts occurred in recipients lacking anti-donor Abs. The results reveal that donor DAF expression,by controlling local complement activation on interacting T cell APC partners,regulates the strength of the direct alloreactive CD8(+) T cell response. The findings provide new insights into links between innate and adaptive immunity that could be exploited to limit T cell-mediated injury to an allograft following transplantation. View Publication