参考文献

ETV6-RUNX1 gene fusion is usually an early,prenatal event in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Transformation results in the generation of a persistent (> 14 years) preleukemic clone,which postnatally converts to ALL after the acquisition of necessary secondary genetic alterations. Many cancer cells show some expression of the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) gene,although the functionality" of any EPOR complexes and their relevant signaling pathways in nonerythroid cells has not been validated. EPOR mRNA is selectively and ectopically expressed in ETV6-RUNX1(+) ALL but the presence of a functional EPOR on the cell surface and its role in leukemogenesis driven by ETV6-RUNX1 remains to be identified. Here we show that ETV6-RUNX1 directly binds the EPOR promoter and that expression of ETV6-RUNX1 alone in normal pre-B cells is sufficient to activate EPOR transcription. We further reveal that murine and human ETV6-RUNX1(+) cells expressing EPOR mRNA have EPO ligand binding activity that correlates with an increased cell survival through activation of the JAK2-STAT5 pathway and up-regulation of antiapoptotic BCL-XL. These data support the contention that ETV6-RUNX1 directly activates ectopic expression of a functional EPOR and provides cell survival signals that may contribute critically to persistence of covert premalignant clones in children. View Publication

The combination of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology and targeted gene modification by homologous recombination (HR) represents a promising new approach to generate genetically corrected,patient-derived cells that could be used for autologous transplantation therapies. This strategy has several potential advantages over conventional gene therapy including eliminating the need for immunosuppression,avoiding the risk of insertional mutagenesis by therapeutic vectors,and maintaining expression of the corrected gene by endogenous control elements rather than a constitutive promoter. However,gene targeting in human pluripotent cells has remained challenging and inefficient. Recently,engineered zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) have been shown to substantially increase HR frequencies in human iPSCs,raising the prospect of using this technology to correct disease causing mutations. Here,we describe the generation of iPSC lines from sickle cell anemia patients and in situ correction of the disease causing mutation using three ZFN pairs made by the publicly available oligomerized pool engineering method (OPEN). Gene-corrected cells retained full pluripotency and a normal karyotype following removal of reprogramming factor and drug-resistance genes. By testing various conditions,we also demonstrated that HR events in human iPSCs can occur as far as 82 bps from a ZFN-induced break. Our approach delineates a roadmap for using ZFNs made by an open-source method to achieve efficient,transgene-free correction of monogenic disease mutations in patient-derived iPSCs. Our results provide an important proof of principle that ZFNs can be used to produce gene-corrected human iPSCs that could be used for therapeutic applications. View Publication

UNLABELLED The current protocols for generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells involve genome integrating viral vectors which may induce tumorgenesis. The aim of this study was to develop and optimize a non-viral method without genetic manipulation for reprogramming of skeletal myoblasts (SMs) using small molecules. METHODS AND RESULTS SMs from young male Oct3/4-GFP(+) transgenic mouse were treated with DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor,RG108. Two weeks later,GFP(+) colonies of SM derived iPS cells (SiPS) expressing GFP and with morphological similarity of mouse embryonic stem (ESCs) were formed and propagated in vitro. SiPS were positive for alkaline phosphatase activity,expressed SSEA1,displayed ES cell specific pluripotency markers and formed teratoma in nude mice. Optimization of culture conditions for embryoid body (EBs) formation yielded spontaneously contracting EBs having morphological,molecular,and ultra-structural similarities with cardiomyocytes and expressed early and late cardiac markers. miR profiling showed abrogation of let-7 family and upregulation of ESCs specific miR-290-295 cluster thus indicating that SiPS were similar to ESCs in miR profile. Four weeks after transplantation into the immunocompetent mice model of acute myocardial infarction (n = 12 per group),extensive myogenesis was observed in SiPS transplanted hearts as compared to DMEM controls (n = 6 per group). A significant reduction in fibrosis and improvement in global heart function in the hearts transplanted with SiPS derived cardiac progenitor cells were observed. CONCLUSIONS Reprogramming of SMs by DNMT inhibitor is a simple,reproducible and efficient technique more likely to generate transgene integration-free iPS cells. Cardiac progenitors derived from iPS cells propagated extensively in the infarcted myocardium without tumorgenesis and improved cardiac function. View Publication

Pluripotency,the ability of a cell to differentiate and give rise to all embryonic lineages,defines a small number of mammalian cell types such as embryonic stem (ES) cells. While it has been generally held that pluripotency is the product of a transcriptional regulatory network that activates and maintains the expression of key stem cell genes,accumulating evidence is pointing to a critical role for epigenetic processes in establishing and safeguarding the pluripotency of ES cells,as well as maintaining the identity of differentiated cell types. In order to better understand the role of epigenetic mechanisms in pluripotency,we have examined the dynamics of chromatin modifications genome-wide in human ES cells (hESCs) undergoing differentiation into a mesendodermal lineage. We found that chromatin modifications at promoters remain largely invariant during differentiation,except at a small number of promoters where a dynamic switch between acetylation and methylation at H3K27 marks the transition between activation and silencing of gene expression,suggesting a hierarchy in cell fate commitment over most differentially expressed genes. We also mapped over 50 000 potential enhancers,and observed much greater dynamics in chromatin modifications,especially H3K4me1 and H3K27ac,which correlate with expression of their potential target genes. Further analysis of these enhancers revealed potentially key transcriptional regulators of pluripotency and a chromatin signature indicative of a poised state that may confer developmental competence in hESCs. Our results provide new evidence supporting the role of chromatin modifications in defining enhancers and pluripotency. View Publication

The canonical Wnt signaling pathway can determine human bone marrow stromal (mesenchymal) stem cell (hMSC) differentiation fate into osteoblast or adipocyte lineages. However,its downstream targets in MSC are not well characterized. Thus,using DNA microarrays,we compared global gene expression patterns induced by Wnt3a treatment in two hMSC lines: hMSC-LRP5(T253) and hMSC-LRP5(T244) cells carrying known mutations of Wnt co-receptor LRP5 (T253I or T244M) that either enhances or represses canonical Wnt signaling,respectively. Wnt3a treatment of hMSC activated not only canonical Wnt signaling,but also the non-canonical Wnt/JNK pathway through upregulation of several non-canonical Wnt components e.g. naked cuticle 1 homolog (NKD1) and WNT11. Activation of the non-canonical Wnt/JNK pathway by anisomycin enhanced osteoblast differentiation whereas its inhibition by SP600125 enhanced adipocyte differentiation of hMSC. In conclusion,canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling cooperate in determining MSC differentiation fate. View Publication

Direct cell-cell contact between haematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and their cellular microenvironment is essential to maintain 'stemness'. In cancer biology,focal adhesion (FA) proteins are involved in survival signal transduction in a wide variety of human tumours. To define the role of FA proteins in the haematopoietic microenvironment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS),CD73-positive mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were immunostained for paxillin,pFAK [Y(397)],and HSP90α/β and p130CAS,and analysed for reactivity,intensity and cellular localisation. Immunofluorescence microscopy allowed us to identify qualitative and quantitative differences,and subcellular localisation analysis revealed that in pathological MSCs,paxillin,pFAK [Y(397)],and HSP90α/β formed nuclear molecular complexes. Increased expression of paxillin,pFAK [Y(397)],and HSP90α/β and enhanced nuclear co-localisation of these proteins correlated with a consistent proliferative advantage in MSCs from patients with refractory anaemia with excess blasts (RAEB) and negatively impacted clonogenicity of HPCs. These results suggest that signalling via FA proteins could be implicated in HPC-MSC interactions. Further,because FAK is an HSP90α/β client protein,these results suggest the utility of HSP90α/β inhibition as a target for adjuvant therapy for myelodysplasia. View Publication

Microbial growth in damp indoor environments has been correlated with risks to human health. This study was aimed to determine the cytotoxicity of 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom alcohol")� View Publication

Interferon beta (IFN-β) is a mainline treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS); however its exact mechanism of action is not completely understood. IFN-β is known as an immunomodulator; although recent evidence suggests that IFN-β may also act directly on neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs) in the central nervous system (CNS). NPCs can differentiate into all neural lineage cells,which could contribute to the remyelination and repair of MS lesions. Understanding how IFN-β influences NPC physiology is critical to develop more specific therapies that can better assist this repair process. In this study,we investigated the effects of IFN β-1b (Betaseron®) on human NPCs in vitro (hNPCs). Our data demonstrate a dose-dependent response of hNPCs to IFN β-1b treatment via sustained proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore,we offer insight into the signaling pathways involved in these mechanisms. Overall,this study shows a direct effect of IFN β-1b on hNPCs and highlights the need to further understand how current MS treatments can modulate endogenous NPC populations within the CNS. View Publication

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their differentiated progeny allow for investigation of important changes/events during normal embryonic development. Currently most of the research is focused on proteinacous changes occurring as a result of differentiation of stem cells and little is known about changes in cell surface glycosylation patterns. Identification of cell lineage specific glycans can help in understanding their role in maintenance,proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore,these glycans can serve as markers for isolation of homogenous populations of cells. Using a panel of eight biotinylated lectins,the glycan expression of hESCs,hESCs-derived human neural progenitors (hNP) cells,and hESCs-derived mesenchymal progenitor (hMP) cells was investigated. Our goal was to identify glycans that are unique for hNP cells and use the corresponding lectins for cell isolation. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry were used to determine expression and localization of glycans,respectively,in each cell type. These results show that the glycan expression changes upon differentiation of hESCs and is different for neural and mesenchymal lineage. For example,binding of PHA-L lectin is low in hESCs (14±4.4%) but significantly higher in differentiated hNP cells (99±0.4%) and hMP cells (90±3%). Three lectins: VVA,DBA and LTL have low binding in hESCs and hMP cells,but significantly higher binding in hNP cells. Finally,VVA lectin binding was used to isolate hNP cells from a mixed population of hESCs,hNP cells and hMP cells. This is the first report that compares glycan expression across these human stem cell lineages and identifies significant differences. Also,this is the first study that uses VVA lectin for isolation for human neural progenitor cells. View Publication

BACKGROUND: Stem cell-based therapy for repair and replacement of lost neural cells is a promising treatment for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into neural phenotypes and be isolated and expanded for autotransplantation with no risk of rejection. OBJECTIVE: The authors examined whether transplanted neurally induced human MSCs (NI hMSCs),developed by a new procedure,can survive,differentiate,and promote tissue protection and functional recovery in injured spinal cord (ISC) rats. METHODS: Neural induction was achieved by exposing cells simultaneously to inhibitors of DNA methylation,histone deacetylation,and pharmacological agents that increased cAMP levels. Three groups of adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected immediately rostral and caudal to the midline lesion with phosphate-buffered saline,MSCs,or NI hMSCs,1 week after a spinal cord impact injury at T-8. Functional outcome was measured using the Basso Beattie Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale and thermal sensitivity test on a weekly basis up to 12 weeks postinjury. Graft integration and anatomy of spinal cord was assessed by stereological,histochemical,and immunohistochemical techniques. RESULTS: The transplanted NI hMSCs survived,differentiated,and significantly improved locomotor recovery of ISC rats. Transplantation also reduced the volume of lesion cavity and white matter loss. CONCLUSION: This method of hMSC modification may provide an alternative source of autologous adult stem cells for CNS repair. View Publication