Some cancers evade targeted therapies through a mechanism known as lineage plasticity, whereby tumor cells acquire phenotypic characteristics of a cell lineage whose survival no longer depends on the drug target. Here we show, using in vitro and in vivo prostate cancer models, that these tumors can develop resistance to the antiandrogen drug enzalutamide by a phenotypic shift from androgen receptor (AR) dependent luminal epithelial cells to AR independent basal-like cells. This lineage plasticity is enabled by loss of TP53 and RB1 function, is mediated by increased expression of the reprogramming transcription factor SOX2 and can be reversed by restoring TP53 and RB1 function or by inhibiting SOX2 expression. Thus, mutations in tumor suppressor genes can create a state of increased cellular plasticity that, when challenged with antiandrogen therapy, promotes resistance through lineage switching. Overall design: LNCaP/AR prostate cell line was transduced with shNT or shTP53:RB1 hairpins and then RNA was harvested from these cell lines for gene epxression analysis.
SOX2 promotes lineage plasticity and antiandrogen resistance in TP53- and RB1-deficient prostate cancer.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesHalf of prostate cancers are caused by a gene-fusion that enables androgens to drive expression of the normally silent ETS transcription factor ERG in luminal prostate cells1-4. Recent prostate cancer genomic landscape studies5-10 have reported rare but recurrent point mutations in the ETS repressor ERF11. Here we show these ERF mutations cause decreased protein stability and ERF mutant tumours are mostly exclusive from those with ERG fusions. ERF loss recapitulates the morphologic and phenotypic features of ERG gain in primary mouse prostate tissue, including expansion of the androgen receptor (AR) transcriptional repertoire, and ERF has tumour suppressor activity in the same genetic background of PTEN loss that yields oncogenic activity by ERG. Furthermore, in a human prostate cancer model of ERG gain and wild-type ERF, ChIP-seq studies indicate that ERG inhibits the ability of ERF to bind DNA at consensus ETS sites. Consistent with a competition model, ERF loss rescues ERG-positive prostate cancer cells from ERG dependency. Collectively, these data provide evidence that the oncogenicity of ERG is mediated, in part, by displacement of ERF and raise the larger question of whether other gain-of-function oncogenic transcription factors might also inactivate endogenous tumour suppressors. Overall design: Murine Pten+/+ prostates were infected with shNT or shErf lentivirus, selected with antibiotics and 2 rounds of FACS. For each condition, 2 sets of equal numbers of cells were plated and then processed for RNA extraction and RNA-seq independently.
ERF mutations reveal a balance of ETS factors controlling prostate oncogenesis.
Subject
View SamplesTransient regulation of Plasmodium numbers below the density that induces fever has been observed in chronic malaria infections in humans and this species transcending control cannot be explained by immunity alone. Using an in vitro system we have observed density dependent regulation of malaria parasitemia as a mechanism to possibly explain these in vivo observations.
A high parasite density environment induces transcriptional changes and cell death in Plasmodium falciparum blood stages.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesMesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been shown to promote angiogenesis in the ischemic myocardium. This study examines the difference in vascular density, myocardial perfusion, molecular signaling, and gene expression between normal diet (ND) and high fat diet (HFD) groups at baseline and following intra-myocardial injection of EVs
Effects of High Fat Versus Normal Diet on Extracellular Vesicle-Induced Angiogenesis in a Swine Model of Chronic Myocardial Ischemia.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesAim: Differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts (Fb) into myofibroblasts (MyoFb) is responsible for connective tissue buildup in myocardial remodeling. We examined reversibility of MyoFb differentiation. Methods and Results: Adult rat cardiac Fb were cultured on a plastic substratum providing mechanical stress, with conditions to obtain different Fb phenotypes. Fb spontaneously differentiated to proliferating MyoFb (p-MyoFb) with stress fiber formation decorated with alpha-smooth muscle actin (-SMA). Transforming growth factor-1 (TGF-1) promoted terminal differentiation into -SMA positive MyoFb showing near absence of proliferation i.e. non-p-MyoFb (2-fold increase in cell number after 12 days vs 11-fold for p-MyoFb). SD-208, a TGF--receptor-I kinase blocker, inhibited p-MyoFb differentiation as shown by stress fiber absence, low levels of -SMA protein expression, and high levels of proliferation (32-fold increase after 12 days). Fb seeded in collagen matrices induced no contraction, whereas p-MyoFb and non-p-MyoFb induced 2.5- and 4-fold contraction. Fb produced low levels of collagen and secreted high levels of IL-10. Non-p-MyoFb showed high collagen production and high MCP-1 and TIMP-1 secretion. Transcriptome analysis indicated differential gene expression between all phenotypes. Dedifferentiation of p-MyoFb, but not of non-p-MyoFb, was induced by SD-208 despite maintained stress, shown by stress fiber de-polymerization in 30% of p-MyoFb vs in 8% of non-p-MyoFb. Stress fiber de-polymerization could be induced by mechanical strain release in p-MyoFb and non-p-MyoFb (2 day culture in unrestrained 3-D collagen matrices). Only p-MyoFb showed true dedifferentiation after long-term 3-D culture. Conclusions: Both reduction in mechanical strain and TGF--receptor-I kinase inhibition can reverse p-MyoFb differentiation but not in non-p-MyoFb.
Reversible and irreversible differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesOrgan transplant recipients (OTRs) on Cyclosporine A (CSA) are prone to catastrophic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Allograft-sparing, cancer-targeting systemic treatments are unavailable. We have shown increased risk for catastrophic SCC in OTRs via CSA-mediated induction of Interleukin-22 (IL-22). Herein, we found CSA drives SCC proliferation and tumor growth through IL-22 and JAK/STAT pathway induction. We in turn inhibited SCC growth with an FDA-approved JAK 1/2 inhibitor, Ruxolitinib. In human SCC cells, greatest proliferative response to IL-22 and CSA treatment occurred in non-metastasizing lines. IL-22 treatment upregulated JAK1 and STAT1/3 in A431 SCC cells. JAK/STAT pathway genes were highly expressed in tumors from a cohort of CSA-exposed OTRs, and in SCC with high risk for metastasis. Compared to immunocompetent SCC, genes associated with innate immunity, response to DNA damage and p53 regulation were differentially expressed in SCC from OTRs. In nude mice engrafted with human A431 cells, IL-22 and CSA treatment increased tumor growth and upregulated IL-22 receptor, JAK1 and STAT 1/3 expression. Ruxolitinib treatment significantly reduced tumor volume and reversed the accelerated tumor growth. CSA and IL-22 exacerbate aggressive behavior in SCC. Targeting the IL-22 axis via selective JAK/STAT inhibition may reduce the progression of aggressive SCC in OTRs, without compromising immunosuppression.
Ruxolitinib inhibits cyclosporine-induced proliferation of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesPD-L1 suppresses host immunity and promotes tumor growth. We investigated how IFN- regulates PD-L1 in the ovarian cancer microenvironment. In clinical samples, the number of stromal CTLs in peritoneally disseminated tumors was correlated with PD-L1 expression on the tumor cells, and the lymphocyte number was significantly related to the IFN- signature score. In mouse models, PD-L1 was induced in peritoneal disseminated tumors, where lymphocytes were prominent, but not in subcutaneous tumors. Depleting IFNGR1 resulted in lower PD-L1 expression and longer survival in peritoneal dissemination model. Injection of IFN- into subcutaneous tumors increased PD-L1 expression and tumor size, and PD-L1 depletion abrogated tumor growth. These data suggest that IFN- works as a tumor progressor through PD-L1 induction. The source of IFN- in ovarian cancer microenvironment and its biological effect to the tumor cells is unclear. The immortalized human ovarian surface epithelial cell line, HOSE-E7/hTERT (HOSE) was treated with IFN- and expression microarray analysis was performed, and probes showing significantly higher values in IFN--added group were termed IFN- signature genes (295 probes). We then applied this signature to our ovarian cancer microarray data, which included 75 ovarian cancer clinical samples, by means of ss-GSEA. IFN- signature score was strongly correlated to the number of infiltrating CD4-positive or CD8-positive lymphocytes in the tumors. These data suggest that the IFN- in the ovarian cancer microenvironment is derived from lymphocytes, and an IFN--rich microenvironment is strongly correlated to a lymphocyte-rich microenvironment.
IFN-γ from lymphocytes induces PD-L1 expression and promotes progression of ovarian cancer.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe patients with locally advanced squamous cervical cancer (SCC) were examined in this study. All patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy. Tumor response against NAC was determined based on RECIST criterior. Gene-expression profiles of SCC were determined using Human Genome GeneChip arrays U133.
Genomic profile predicts the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for cervical cancer patients.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe source of IFN- in ovarian cancer microenvironment and its biological effect to the tumor cells is unclear. The immortalized human ovarian surface epithelial cell line, HOSE-E7/hTERT (HOSE) was treated with IFN- and expression microarray analysis was performed, and probes showing significantly higher values in IFN--added group were termed IFN- signature genes (295 probes). We then applied this signature to our ovarian cancer microarray data, which included 75 ovarian cancer clinical samples, by means of ss-GSEA. IFN- signature score was strongly correlated to the number of infiltrating CD4-positive or CD8-positive lymphocytes in the tumors. These data suggest that the IFN- in the ovarian cancer microenvironment is derived from lymphocytes, and an IFN--rich microenvironment is strongly correlated to a lymphocyte-rich microenvironment.
IFN-γ from lymphocytes induces PD-L1 expression and promotes progression of ovarian cancer.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesMultiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant plasma cell disorder with well-defined clonal genetic/cytogenetic abnormalities. However, cellular heterogeneity is a key factor in MM's progression, therapeutic decision, and response to treatment. Single cell whole transcriptome profiling (scRNA-Seq) offers an opportunity to dissect this molecular heterogeneity during MM progression to better understand the disease and guide rational therapy. Here, we examined 597 CD138 positive cells from 15 patients at different stages of MM progression using scRNA-Seq. We selected 790 genes based on a Coefficient of Variation (CV) approach which organized cells into four clusters (L1-L4) based on unsupervised clustering. Plasma cells from each patient contained a mixed population of plasma cells at different state of aggressiveness based on gene expression signature reflecting the inter-cellular heterogeneous nature of MM. Cells in the L1 group is characterized by low level expression of genes involved in the oxidative phosphorylation, Myc targets, and mTORC1 signaling pathway having most cells from MGUS patients (p < 1.2x10-14). In contrast, low level of these genes in L1 group increased progressively and were the highest in the L4 group containing only cells from high-risk MM patients with t(4;14) translocations. Furthermore, 44 genes consistently overexpressed by pair-wised comparisons of the four groups strongly associated with a reduced overall survival in MM patients (APEX trial, p < 0.0001; Hazard Ratio (HR), 1.83; 95% CI, 1.33 to 2.52), particularly those in the bortezomib treated group (p < 0.0001; HR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.39 to 2.89). No survival significance was observed for the dexamethasone treated group. Our study at the resolution of single cells showed that there is a mixed population of cells in each patient at different stages of MM progression and these cells can be organized into four different subgroups (L1 to L4). Consistent overexpression of the 44 genes from L1 to L4 groups is associated with patient outcome and treatment response. Our results show that oxidative phosphorylation, Myc target, and mTORC1 signaling genes are significant pathways for MM progression and affect MM prognosis and treatment stratification. Overall design: 597 single cell libraries passed QC and were included in the downstream analysis
Molecular signatures of multiple myeloma progression through single cell RNA-Seq.
No sample metadata fields
View Samples