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Lupus nephritis (LN) is a potentially dangerous end organ pathology that affects upwards of 60% of lupus patients. Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) is important for B cell development,Fc receptor signaling,and macrophage polarization. In this study,we investigated the effects of a novel,highly selective and potent BTK inhibitor,BI-BTK-1,in an inducible model of LN in which mice receive nephrotoxic serum (NTS) containing anti-glomerular antibodies. Mice were treated once daily with vehicle alone or BI-BTK-1,either prophylactically or therapeutically. When compared with control treated mice,NTS-challenged mice treated prophylactically with BI-BTK-1 exhibited significantly attenuated kidney disease,which was dose dependent. BI-BTK-1 treatment resulted in decreased infiltrating IBA-1+ cells,as well as C3 deposition within the kidney. RT-PCR on whole kidney RNA and serum profiling indicated that BTK inhibition significantly decreased levels of LN-relevant inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Renal RNA expression profiling by RNA-seq revealed that BI-BTK-1 dramatically modulated pathways related to inflammation and glomerular injury. Importantly,when administered therapeutically,BI-BTK-1 reversed established proteinuria and improved renal histopathology. Our results highlight the important role for BTK in the pathogenesis of immune complex-mediated nephritis,and BTK inhibition as a promising therapeutic target for LN. View Publication

Chronic viruses and cancers thwart immune responses in humans by inducing T cell dysfunction. Using a murine chronic virus that models human infections,we investigated the function of the adhesion molecule,P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1),that is upregulated on responding T cells. PSGL-1-deficient mice cleared the virus due to increased intrinsic survival of multifunctional effector T cells that had downregulated PD-1 as well as other inhibitory receptors. Notably,this response resulted in CD4(+)-T-cell-dependent immunopathology. Mechanistically,PSGL-1 ligation on exhausted CD8(+) T cells inhibited T cell receptor (TCR) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) signaling and upregulated PD-1,leading to diminished survival with TCR stimulation. In models of melanoma cancer in which T cell dysfunction occurs,PSGL-1 deficiency led to PD-1 downregulation,improved T cell responses,and tumor control. Thus,PSGL-1 plays a fundamental role in balancing viral control and immunopathology and also functions to regulate T cell responses in the tumor microenvironment. View Publication

Electrospun scaffolds with varied stiffness promote distinct colony morphology of human induced pluripotent stem cells,which affects their subsequent differentiation. On soft scaffolds,induced pluripotent stem cells develop 3D colonies due to the pliability of the electrospun fibrous networks,leading to greater differentiation tendency to ectodermal lineage. View Publication

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) has a central role in regulating blood pressure in humans. Recently,microRNA-425 (miR-425) was found to regulate ANP production by binding to the mRNA of NPPA,the gene encoding ANP. mRNAs typically contain multiple predicted microRNA (miRNA)-binding sites,and binding of different miRNAs may independently or coordinately regulate the expression of any given mRNA. We used a multifaceted screening strategy that integrates bioinformatics,next-generation sequencing data,human genetic association data,and cellular models to identify additional functional NPPA-targeting miRNAs. Two novel miRNAs,miR-155 and miR-105,were found to modulate ANP production in human cardiomyocytes and target genetic variants whose minor alleles are associated with higher human plasma ANP levels. Both miR-155 and miR-105 repressed NPPA mRNA in an allele-specific manner,with the minor allele of each respective variant conferring resistance to the miRNA either by disruption of miRNA base pairing or creation of wobble base pairing. Moreover,miR-155 enhanced the repressive effects of miR-425 on ANP production in human cardiomyocytes. Our study combines computational,genomic,and cellular tools to identify novel miRNA regulators of ANP production that could be targeted to raise ANP levels,which may have applications for the treatment of hypertension or heart failure. View Publication

Acute monocytic leukemia (AML-M5),a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML),affects mostly young children and has poor prognosis. The mechanisms of treatment failure of AML-M5 are still unclear. In this study,we generated iPSC from THP-1 cells from a patient with AML-M5,using retroviruses encoding the pluripotency-associated genes (OCT3/4,SOX2,KLF4 and c-MYC). These AML-M5-derived iPSC showed features similar with those of human embryonic stem cells in terms of the morphology,gene expression,protein/antigen expression and differentiation capability. Parental-specific markers were down-regulated in these AML-M5-derived iPSCs. Expression of MLL-AF9 fusion gene (previously identified to be associated with pathogenesis of AML-M5) was observed in all iPSC clones as well as parental cells. We conclude that AML-M5-specific iPSC clones have been successfully developed. This disease model may provide a novel approach for future study of pathogenesis and therapeutic intervention of AML-M5. View Publication

Class I HLA molecules mark infected cells for immune targeting by presenting pathogen-encoded peptides on the cell surface. Characterization of viral peptides unique to infected cells is important for understanding CD8(+) T cell responses and for the development of T cell-based immunotherapies. Having previously reported a series of West Nile virus (WNV) epitopes that are naturally presented by HLA-A*02:01,in this study we generated TCR mimic (TCRm) mAbs to three of these peptide/HLA complexes-the immunodominant SVG9 (E protein),the subdominant SLF9 (NS4B protein),and the immunorecessive YTM9 (NS3 protein)-and used these TCRm mAbs to stain WNV-infected cell lines and primary APCs. TCRm staining of WNV-infected cells demonstrated that the immunorecessive YTM9 appeared several hours earlier and at 5- to 10-fold greater density than the more immunogenic SLF9 and SVG9 ligands,respectively. Moreover,staining following inhibition of the TAP demonstrated that all three viral ligands were presented in a TAP-dependent manner despite originating from different cellular compartments. To our knowledge,this study represents the first use of TCRm mAbs to define the kinetics and magnitude of HLA presentation for a series of epitopes encoded by one virus,and the results depict a pattern whereby individual epitopes differ considerably in abundance and availability. The observations that immunodominant ligands can be found at lower levels and at later time points after infection suggest that a reevaluation of the factors that combine to shape T cell reactivity may be warranted. View Publication

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are defined as non-hematopoietic,plastic-adherent,self-renewing cells that are capable of tri-lineage differentiation into bone,cartilage or fat in vitro. Thus,MSCs are promising candidates for cell-based medicine. However,classifications of MSCs have been defined retrospectively; moreover,this conventional criterion may be inaccurate due to contamination with other hematopoietic lineage cells. Human MSCs can be enriched by selection for LNGFR and THY-1,and this population may be analogous to murine PDGFR??+Sca-1+ cells,which are developmentally derived from neural crest cells (NCCs). Murine NCCs were labeled by fluorescence,which provided definitive proof of neural crest lineage,however,technical considerations prevent the use of a similar approach to determine the origin of human LNGFR+THY-1+ MSCs. To further clarify the origin of human MSCs,human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were used in this study. Under culture conditions required for the induction of neural crest cells,human ESCs and iPSCs-derived cells highly expressed LNGFR and THY-1. These LNGFR+THY-1+ neural crest-like cells,designated as LT-NCLCs,showed a strong potential to differentiate into both mesenchymal and neural crest lineages. LT-NCLCs proliferated to form colonies and actively migrated in response to serum concentration. Furthermore,we transplanted LT-NCLCs into chick embryos,and traced their potential for survival,migration and differentiation in the host environment. These results suggest that LNGFR+THY-1+ cells identified following NCLC induction from ESCs/iPSCs shared similar potentials with multipotent MSCs. View Publication

Many pathogens evade cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) by downregulating HLA molecules on infected cells,but the loss of HLA can trigger NK cell-mediated lysis. HIV-1 is thought to subvert CTLs while preserving NK cell inhibition by Nef-mediated downregulation of HLA-A and -B but not HLA-C molecules. We find that HLA-C is downregulated by most primary HIV-1 clones,including transmitted founder viruses,in contrast to the laboratory-adapted NL4-3 virus. HLA-C reduction is mediated by viral Vpu and reduces the ability of HLA-C restricted CTLs to suppress viral replication in CD4+ cells in vitro. HLA-A/B are unaffected by Vpu,and primary HIV-1 clones vary in their ability to downregulate HLA-C,possibly in response to whether CTLs or NK cells dominate immune pressure through HLA-C. HIV-2 also suppresses HLA-C expression through distinct mechanisms,underscoring the immune pressure HLA-C exerts on HIV. This viral immune evasion casts new light on the roles of CTLs and NK cells in immune responses against HIV. View Publication

Small Kinetochore-Associated Protein (SKAP)/Kinastrin is a multifunctional protein with proposed roles in mitosis,apoptosis and cell migration. Exact mechanisms underlying its activities in these cellular processes are not completely understood. SKAP is predicted to have different isoforms,however,previous studies did not differentiate between them. Since distinct molecular architectures of protein isoforms often influence their localization and functions,this study aimed to examine the expression profile and functional differences between SKAP isoforms in human and mouse. Analyses of various human tissues and cells of different origin by RT-PCR,and by Western blotting and immunocytochemistry applying newly generated anti-SKAP monoclonal antibodies revealed that human SKAP exists in two protein isoforms: ubiquitously expressed SKAP16 and testis/sperm-specific SKAP1. In mouse,SKAP1 expression is detectable in testis at 4 weeks postnatally,when the first wave of spermatogenesis in mice is complete and the elongated spermatids are present in the testes. Furthermore,we identified Pontin as a new SKAP1 interaction partner. SKAP1 and Pontin co-localized in the flagellar region of human sperm suggesting a functional relevance for SKAP1-Pontin interaction in sperm motility. Since most previous studies on SKAP were performed with the testis-specific isoform SKAP1,our findings provide a new basis for future studies on the role of SKAP in both human somatic cells and male germ cells,including studies on male fertility. View Publication

Not provided. View Publication

Pluripotent stem cell derived hepatocyte-like cells (hPSC-HLCs) are an attractive alternative to primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) used in applications ranging from therapeutics to drug safety testing studies. It would be critical to improve and maintain mature hepatocyte functions of the hPSC-HLCs,especially for long-term studies. If 3D culture systems were to be used for such purposes,it would be important that the system can support formation and maintenance of optimal-sized spheroids for long periods of time,and can also be directly deployed in liver drug testing assays. We report the use of 3-dimensional (3D) cellulosic scaffold system for the culture of hPSC-HLCs. The scaffold has a macroporous network which helps to control the formation and maintenance of the spheroids for weeks. Our results show that culturing hPSC-HLCs in 3D cellulosic scaffolds increases functionality,as demonstrated by improved urea production and hepatic marker expression. In addition,hPSC-HLCs in the scaffolds exhibit a more mature phenotype,as shown by enhanced cytochrome P450 activity and induction. This enables the system to show a higher sensitivity to hepatotoxicants and a higher degree of similarity to PHHs when compared to conventional 2D systems. These results suggest that 3D cellulosic scaffolds are ideal for the long-term cultures needed to mature hPSC-HLCs. The mature hPSC-HLCs with improved cellular function can be continually maintained in the scaffolds and directly used for hepatotoxicity assays,making this system highly attractive for drug testing applications. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are promising in regenerative medicine (RM) due to their differentiation plasticity and proliferation potential. However,a major challenge in RM is the generation of a vascular system to support nutrient flow to newly synthesized tissues. Here we refined an existing method to generate tight vessels by differentiating hESCs in CD34(+) vascular progenitor cells using chemically defined media and growth conditions. We selectively purified these cells from CD34(-) outgrowth populations also formed. To analyze these differentiation processes,we compared the proteomes of the hESCs with those of the CD34(+) and CD34(-) populations using high resolution mass spectrometry,label-free quantification,and multivariate analysis. Eighteen protein markers validate the differentiated phenotypes in immunological assays; nine of these were also detected by proteomics and show statistically significant differential abundance. Another 225 proteins show differential abundance between the three cell types. Sixty-three of these have known functions in CD34(+) and CD34(-) cells. CD34(+) cells synthesize proteins implicated in endothelial cell differentiation and smooth muscle formation,which support the bipotent phenotype of these progenitor cells. CD34(-) cells are more heterogeneous synthesizing muscular/osteogenic/chondrogenic/adipogenic lineage markers. The remaining textgreater150 differentially abundant proteins in CD34(+) or CD34(-) cells raise testable hypotheses for future studies to probe vascular morphogenesis. View Publication