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The use of an interleukin beta$ antibody is currently being investigated in the clinic for the treatment of acne,a dermatological disorder affecting 650M persons globally. Inhibiting the protease responsible for the cleavage of inactive pro-IL1beta$ into active IL-1beta$,caspase-1,could be an alternative small molecule approach. This report describes the discovery of uracil 20,a potent (38 nM in THP1 cells assay) caspase-1 inhibitor for the topical treatment of inflammatory acne. The uracil series was designed according to a published caspase-1 pharmacophore model involving a reactive warhead in P1 for covalent reversible inhibition and an aryl moiety in P4 for selectivity against the apoptotic caspases. Reversibility was assessed in an enzymatic dilution assay or by using different substrate concentrations. In addition to classical structure-activity-relationship exploration,topical administration challenges such as phototoxicity,organic and aqueous solubility,chemical stability in solution,and skin metabolic stability are discussed and successfully resolved. View Publication

Accurate modeling of human neuronal cell biology has been a long-standing challenge. However,methods to differentiate human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to neurons have recently provided experimentally tractable cell models. Numerous methods that use small molecules to direct iPSCs into neuronal lineages have arisen in recent years. Unfortunately,these methods entail numerous challenges,including poor efficiency,variable cell type heterogeneity,and lengthy,expensive differentiation procedures. We recently developed a new method to generate stable transgenic lines of human iPSCs with doxycycline-inducible transcription factors at safe-harbor loci. Using a simple two-step protocol,these lines can be inducibly differentiated into either cortical (i3 Neurons) or lower motor neurons (i3 LMN) in a rapid,efficient,and scalable manner (Wang et al.,2017). In this manuscript,we describe a set of protocols to assist investigators in the culture and genetic engineering of iPSC lines to enable transcription factor-mediated differentiation of iPSCs into i3 Neurons or i3 LMNs,and we present neuronal culture conditions for various experimental applications. {\textcopyright} 2018 by John Wiley & Sons,Inc. View Publication

The lymph node periphery is an important site for many immunological functions,from pathogen containment to the differentiation of helper T cells,yet the cues that position cells in this region are largely undefined. Here,through the use of a reporter for the signaling lipid S1P (sphingosine 1-phosphate),we found that cells sensed higher concentrations of S1P in the medullary cords than in the T cell zone and that the S1P transporter SPNS2 on lymphatic endothelial cells generated this gradient. Natural killer (NK) cells are located at the periphery of the lymph node,predominantly in the medulla,and we found that expression of SPNS2,expression of the S1P receptor S1PR5 on NK cells,and expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 were all required for NK cell localization during homeostasis and rapid production of interferon-$\gamma$ by NK cells after challenge. Our findings elucidate the spatial cues for NK cell organization and reveal a previously unknown role for S1P in positioning cells within the medulla. View Publication

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that foamy viral (FV) vectors are a promising alternative to gammaretroviral and lentiviral vectors and also that insulators can improve FV vector safety. However,in a previous analysis of insulator effects on FV vector safety,strong viral promoters were used to elicit genotoxic events. In the present study,we developed and analyzed the efficacy and safety of a high-titer,clinically relevant FV vector driven by the housekeeping promoter elongation factor-1alpha$ and insulated with an enhancer blocking A1 insulator (FV-EGW-A1). METHODS Human CD34+ cord blood cells were exposed to an enhanced green fluorescent protein expressing vector,FV-EGW-A1,at a multiplicity of infection of 10 and then maintained in vitro or transplanted into immunodeficient mice. Flow cytometry was used to measure engraftment and marking in vivo. FV vector integration sites were analyzed to assess safety. RESULTS FV-EGW-A1 resulted in high-marking,multilineage engraftment of human repopulating cells with no evidence of silencing. Engraftment was highly polyclonal with no clonal dominance and a promising safety profile based on integration site analysis. CONCLUSIONS An FV vector with an elongation factor-1alpha$ promoter and an A1 insulator is a promising vector design for use in the clinic. View Publication

The adaptation of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR associated endonuclease 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) machinery from prokaryotic organisms has resulted in a gene editing system that is highly versatile,easily constructed,and can be leveraged to generate human cells knocked out (KO) for a specific gene. While standard transfection techniques can be used for the introduction of CRISPR-Cas9 expression cassettes to many cell types,delivery by this method is not efficient in many primary cell types,including primary human airway epithelial cells (AECs). More efficient delivery in AECs can be achieved through lentiviral-mediated transduction,allowing the CRISPR-Cas9 system to be integrated into the genome of the cell,resulting in stable expression of the nuclease machinery and increasing editing rates. In parallel,advancements have been made in the culture,expansion,selection,and differentiation of AECs,which allow the robust generation of a bulk edited AEC population from transduced cells. Applying these methods,we detail here our latest protocol to generate mucociliary epithelial cultures knocked out for a specific gene from donor-isolated primary human basal airway epithelial cells. This protocol includes methods to: (1) design and generate lentivirus which targets a specific gene for KO with CRISPR-Cas9 machinery,(2) efficiently transduce AECs,(3) culture and select for a bulk edited AEC population,(4) molecularly screen AECs for Cas9 cutting and specific sequence edits,and (5) further expand and differentiate edited cells to a mucociliary airway epithelial culture. The AEC knockouts generated using this protocol provide an excellent primary cell model system with which to characterize the function of genes involved in airway dysfunction and disease. View Publication

Whipworms are parasitic nematodes that live in the gut of more than 500 million people worldwide. Owing to the difficulty in obtaining parasite material,the mouse whipwormTrichuris murishas been extensively used as a model to study human whipworm infections. These nematodes secrete a multitude of compounds that interact with host tissues where they orchestrate a parasitic existence. Herein we provide the first comprehensive characterization of the excretory/secretory products ofT. muris. We identify 148 proteins secreted byT. murisand show for the first time that the mouse whipworm secretes exosome-like extracellular vesicles (EVs) that can interact with host cells. We use an Optiprep{\textregistered} gradient to purify the EVs,highlighting the suitability of this method for purifying EVs secreted by a parasitic nematode. We also characterize the proteomic and genomic content of the EVs,identifying {\textgreater}350 proteins,56 miRNAs (22 novel) and 475 full-length mRNA transcripts mapping toT. murisgene models. Many of the miRNAs putatively mapped to mouse genes are involved in regulation of inflammation,implying a role in parasite-driven immunomodulation. In addition,for the first time to our knowledge,colonic organoids have been used to demonstrate the internalization of parasite EVs by host cells. Understanding how parasites interact with their host is crucial to develop new control measures. This first characterization of the proteins and EVs secreted byT. murisprovides important information on whipworm-host communication and forms the basis for future studies. View Publication

BACKGROUND Therapies targeting certain CFTR mutants have been approved,yet variations in clinical response highlight the need for in-vitro and genetic tools that predict patient-specific clinical outcomes. Toward this goal,the CF Canada-Sick Kids Program in Individual CF Therapy (CFIT) is generating a first of its kind" View Publication

Recent advances in the differentiation and production of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) have stimulated development of strategies to use these cells in human cardiac regenerative therapies. A prerequisite for clinical trials and translational implementation of hPSC-derived CMs is the ability to manufacture safe and potent cells on the scale needed to replace cells lost during heart disease. Current differentiation protocols generate fetal-like CMs that exhibit proarrhythmogenic potential. Sufficient maturation of these hPSC-derived CMs has yet to be achieved to allow these cells to be used as a regenerative medicine therapy. Insights into the native cardiac environment during heart development may enable engineering of strategies that guide hPSC-derived CMs to mature. Specifically,considerations must be made in regard to developing methods to incorporate the native intercellular interactions and biomechanical cues into hPSC-derived CM production that are conducive to scale-up. View Publication

BACKGROUND Detailed molecular analyses of cells from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovium hold promise in identifying cellular phenotypes that drive tissue pathology and joint damage. The Accelerating Medicines Partnership RA/SLE Network aims to deconstruct autoimmune pathology by examining cells within target tissues through multiple high-dimensional assays. Robust standardized protocols need to be developed before cellular phenotypes at a single cell level can be effectively compared across patient samples. METHODS Multiple clinical sites collected cryopreserved synovial tissue fragments from arthroplasty and synovial biopsy in a 10{\%} DMSO solution. Mechanical and enzymatic dissociation parameters were optimized for viable cell extraction and surface protein preservation for cell sorting and mass cytometry,as well as for reproducibility in RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Cryopreserved synovial samples were collectively analyzed at a central processing site by a custom-designed and validated 35-marker mass cytometry panel. In parallel,each sample was flow sorted into fibroblast,T-cell,B-cell,and macrophage suspensions for bulk population RNA-seq and plate-based single-cell CEL-Seq2 RNA-seq. RESULTS Upon dissociation,cryopreserved synovial tissue fragments yielded a high frequency of viable cells,comparable to samples undergoing immediate processing. Optimization of synovial tissue dissociation across six clinical collection sites with {\~{}} 30 arthroplasty and {\~{}} 20 biopsy samples yielded a consensus digestion protocol using 100 mu$g/ml of Liberase™ TL enzyme preparation. This protocol yielded immune and stromal cell lineages with preserved surface markers and minimized variability across replicate RNA-seq transcriptomes. Mass cytometry analysis of cells from cryopreserved synovium distinguished diverse fibroblast phenotypes,distinct populations of memory B cells and antibody-secreting cells,and multiple CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell activation states. Bulk RNA-seq of sorted cell populations demonstrated robust separation of synovial lymphocytes,fibroblasts,and macrophages. Single-cell RNA-seq produced transcriptomes of over 1000 genes/cell,including transcripts encoding characteristic lineage markers identified. CONCLUSIONS We have established a robust protocol to acquire viable cells from cryopreserved synovial tissue with intact transcriptomes and cell surface phenotypes. A centralized pipeline to generate multiple high-dimensional analyses of synovial tissue samples collected across a collaborative network was developed. Integrated analysis of such datasets from large patient cohorts may help define molecular heterogeneity within RA pathology and identify new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. View Publication

The sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) branches of the autonomic nervous system have been implicated in the modulation of the renewal of many tissues,including the intestinal epithelium. However,it is not known whether these mechanisms are direct,requiring an interaction between autonomic neurotransmitters and receptors on proliferating epithelial cells. To evaluate the existence of a molecular framework for a direct effect of the SNS or PNS on intestinal epithelial renewal,we measured gene expression for the main autonomic neurotransmitter receptors in this tissue. We separately evaluated intestinal epithelial regions comprised of the stem,progenitor,and mature cells,which allowed us to investigate the distinct contributions of each cell population to this proposed autonomic effect. Notably,we found that the stem cells expressed the receptors for the SNS-associated alpha2A adrenoreceptor and the PNS-associated muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M1 and M3). In a separate experiment,we found that the application of norepinephrine or acetylcholine decreases the expression of cyclin D1,a gene necessary for cell cycle progression,in intestinal epithelial organoids compared with controls (P {\textless} 0.05). Together,these results provide evidence of a direct mechanism for the autonomic nervous system influence on intestinal epithelial stem cell proliferation. View Publication

The intestine is maintained by stem cells located at the base of crypts and distinguished by the expression of LGR5. Genetically engineered mouse models have provided a wealth of information about intestinal stem cells,whereas less is known about human intestinal stem cells owing to difficulty detecting and isolating these cells. We established an organoid repository from patient-derived adenomas,adenocarcinomas and normal colon,which we analyzed for variants in 71 colorectal cancer (CRC)-associated genes. Normal and neoplastic colon tissue organoids were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and fluorescent-activated cell sorting for LGR5. LGR5-positive cells were isolated from four adenoma organoid lines and were subjected to RNA sequencing. We found that LGR5 expression in the epithelium and stroma was associated with tumor stage,and by integrating functional experiments with LGR5-sorted cell RNA sequencing data from adenoma and normal organoids,we found correlations between LGR5 and CRC-specific genes,including dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 4 (DKK4) and SPARC-related modular calcium binding 2 (SMOC2). Collectively,this work provides resources,methods and new markers to isolate and study stem cells in human tissue homeostasis and carcinogenesis. View Publication

Sperm associated antigen 6 (SPAG6),a component of the central apparatus of the 9 + 2" axoneme View Publication