Down syndrome (DS), caused by triplication of human chromosome 21 (HSA21), is the most common genetic origin of intellectual disability. Despite the limited success of current pharmacological interventions, little has been achieved to reverse the abnormal brain developmental in DS. Here, using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based brain organoid and in vivo human neuronal chimeric mouse brain models, we demonstrate that the HSA21 genes OLIG1 and OLIG2 exhibit distinct temporal expression patterns during neuronal differentiation. The population of OLIG2-expressing ventral forebrain neural progenitors is overabundant in DS, which results in excessive production of calretinin- and somatostatin-expressing GABAergic interneurons and causes impaired recognition memory in DS chimeric mice. Furthermore, we find that overexpression of OLIG2 in DS alters the expression of GABAergic neuron lineage-determining transcription factors such as DLX1 and LHX8. We further show that OLIG2 can directly bind to promoter regions of DLX1 and LHX8 to increase their expression, leading to lineage specification of interneurons. Importantly, knockdown of OLIG2 largely reverses the abnormal global gene expression profile of early stage DS neural progenitors, reduces inhibitory neuronal population in DS organoids and chimeric mouse brains, as well as improves behavioral performance of DS chimeric mice. Therefore, OLIG2 potentially is a target for developing prenatal personalized therapeutics for intellectual disability in subjects with DS Overall design: Organoids (5-week old) generated from hiPSC lines derived from two DS patients (patient DS1 and DS3 and corresponding cell lines include DS1, control1, isogenic Tri-DS3 and Di-DS3, Tri-DS3+ContshRNA, and Tri-DS3+OLIG2shRNA hiPSCs) were used for RNA-sequencing. For each cell line, total 40-60 organoids collected from three batches of organoid cultures were pool together for RNA extraction and sample preparation. By pooling organoids, we increased the chances of identifying genes that were commonly up- or down-regulated in the three batches of cultures, whereas on the other hand, we decreased the chances of identifying genes that had varied expression levels in the three batches of cultures.
OLIG2 Drives Abnormal Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human iPSC-Based Organoid and Chimeric Mouse Models of Down Syndrome.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesDevelopment of systems allowing the maintenance of native properties of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) is a critical challenge for studying physiological functions of skeletal progenitors, as well as towards cellular therapy and regenerative medicine applications. Conventional stem cell culture in monolayer on plastic dishes (2D) is associated with progressive loss of functionality, likely due to the absence of a biomimetic microenvironment and the selection of adherent populations. Here we demonstrate that 2D MSC expansion can be entirely bypassed by culturing freshly isolated bone marrow cells within the pores of 3D scaffolds in a perfusion-based bioreactor system, followed by enzymatic digestion for cell retrieval. The 3D-perfusion system supported MSC growth while maintaining cells of the hematopoietic lineage, and thus generated a cellular environment mimicking some features of the bone marrow stroma. As compared to 2D-expansion, sorted CD45- cells derived from 3D-perfusion culture after the same time (3 weeks) or a similar extent of proliferation (7-8 doublings) maintained a 4.3-fold higher clonogenicity and exhibited a superior differentiation capacity towards all typical mesenchymal lineages, with similar immunomodulatory function in vitro. Transcriptomic analysis performed on MSC from 5 donors validated the robustness of the process and indicated a reduced inter-donor variability as well as a significant upregulation of multipotency-related gene clusters following 3D-perfusion as compared to 2D expansion. The described system offers a model to study how factors of a 3D engineered niche may regulate MSC function and, by streamlining conventional labor-intensive processes, is prone to automation and scalability within closed bioreactor systems.
Expansion of human mesenchymal stromal cells from fresh bone marrow in a 3D scaffold-based system under direct perfusion.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe cultured tumor cells from 22 GBM under medium conditions favoring the growth of neural stem cells. 11 out of 15 primary GBM contained a significant CD133+ subpopulation that comprised cells showing all hallmarks of neural stem cells. Cell lines derived from these CD133+ GBM showed a neurosphere-like, non-adherent growth pattern. In contrast, 4 out of 15 cell lines derived from primary GBM grew adherent in vitro and were driven by CD133- tumor cells that fulfilled stem cell criteria. In vivo, these GBM were characterized by a significantly lower proliferation index but similar GFAP staining as compared to CD133+ GBM. Gene arrays from 2x3 representative cells lines are given.
CD133(+) and CD133(-) glioblastoma-derived cancer stem cells show differential growth characteristics and molecular profiles.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) induces cytoprotective genes, but has also been linked to the regulation of hepatic energy metabolism. In order to assess the pharmacological potential of hepatic Nrf2 activation in metabolic disease, Nrf2 was activated over 8 weeks in mice on Western diet using two different siRNAs against kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), the inhibitory protein of Nrf2. Whole genome expression analysis followed by pathway analysis demonstrated that the suppression of Keap1 expression induced genes that are involved in anti-oxidative stress defense and biotransformation, pathways proving the activation of Nrf2 by the siRNAs against Keap1. The expression of neither fatty acid- nor carbohydrate-handling proteins was regulated by the suppression of Keap1. Metabolic profiling of the animals did also not show effects on plasma and hepatic lipids, energy expenditure or glucose tolerance by the activation of Nrf2. The data indicate that hepatic Nrf2 is not a major regulator of intermediary metabolism in mice.
Chronic Activation of Hepatic Nrf2 Has No Major Effect on Fatty Acid and Glucose Metabolism in Adult Mice.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesWe report the differential gene expression differences between control and Ovol2-deficent newborn keratinocytes Overall design: Two control and two Ovol2-deficent samples were isolated
An Ovol2-Zeb1 transcriptional circuit regulates epithelial directional migration and proliferation.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesIntroduction: Sepsis is a complex immunological response to infection characterized by early hyperinflammation followed by severe and protracted immunosuppression, suggesting that a multi-marker approach has the greatest clinical utility for early detection, within a clinical environment focused on SIRS differentiation. Pre-clinical research using an equine sepsis model identified a panel of gene expression biomarkers that define the early aberrant immune activation. Thus, the primary objective was to apply these gene expression biomarkers to distinguish patients with sepsis from those who had undergone major open surgery and had clinical outcomes consistent with systemic inflammation due to physical trauma and wound healing.
Development and validation of a novel molecular biomarker diagnostic test for the early detection of sepsis.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe study was designed to identify differential expressed genes between human oral cavity carcinoma cell lines with and without LDBI knockout Overall design: Three parental human oral cavity carcinoma cell lines were used as control, LDB1 was knocked out in the three parent cell lines to create KO cell lines.
LIM-Only Protein 4 (LMO4) and LIM Domain Binding Protein 1 (LDB1) Promote Growth and Metastasis of Human Head and Neck Cancer (LMO4 and LDB1 in Head and Neck Cancer).
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesHigh-grade gliomas are amongst the most deadly human tumors. Treatment results are overall disappointing. Nevertheless, in several trials around 20% of patients respond to therapy. Diagnostic strategies to identify those patients that will ultimately profit from a specific targeted therapy are urgently needed. Gene expression profiling of untreated tumors is a well established approach for identifying biomarkers or diagnostic signatures. However, reliable signatures predicting treatment response in gliomas do not exist. Here we suggest a novel strategy for developing diagnostic signatures. We postulate that predictive gene expression patterns emerge only after tumor cells have been treated with the agent in vitro. Moreover, we postulate that enriching specimens for tumor initiating cells sharpens predictive expression patterns. Here, we report on the prediction of treatment response of cancer cells in vitro. As a proof of principle we analyzed gene expression in 18 short-term serum-free cultures of high-grade gliomas enhanced for brain tumor initiating cells (BTIC) before and after in vitro treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor Sunitinib. Profiles from treated but not from untreated glioma cells allowed to predict therapy-induced impairment of proliferation of glioma cells in vitro. Prediction can be achieved with as little as 6 genes allowing for a straightforward translation into the clinic once the predictive power of the signature is shown also in vivo. Our strategy of using expression profiles from in vitro treated BTIC-enriched cultures opens new ways for trial design for patients with malignant gliomas.
Response-predictive gene expression profiling of glioma progenitor cells in vitro.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesAn unexplored consequence of epigenetic alterations associated with cancer is the ectopic expression of tissue-restricted genes. Here, a new strategy was developed to decipher genome-wide expression data in search for these off-context gene activations, which consisted first, in identifying a large number of tissue-specific genes normally epigenetically silenced in most somatic cells and second, in using them as cancer biomarkers on an on/off basis. Applying this concept to analyze whole-genome transcriptome data in lung cancer, we discovered a specific group of 26 genes whose expression was a strong and independent predictor of poor prognosis in our cohort of 293 lung tumours, as well as in two independent external populations. In addition, these 26 classifying genes enabled us to isolate a homogenous group of metastatic-prone highly aggressive tumours, whose characteristic gene expression profile revealed a high proliferative potential combined to a significant decrease in immune and signaling functions. This work illustrates a new approach for a personalized management of cancer, with applications to any cancer type.
Ectopic activation of germline and placental genes identifies aggressive metastasis-prone lung cancers.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesAge-related frailty may in part be due to a decreased competency in skeletal muscle regeneration. The role of the closely related TGFbeta amily molecules myostatin and GDF11 in regeneration is unclear. The commercially available antibody which in a prior report was used to demonstrate an age-related decrease in GDF11 was found to detect both GDF11 and myostatin, and with this reagent it appears that the combination of GDF11 and myostatin increases with age in serum. Mechanistically, GDF11 and myostatin induce SMAD2/3 phosphorylation, and both inhibit myoblast differentiation and regulate identical downstream signaling. GDF11 injected into adult mice in a model of regeneration induces an increase in smaller fibers and a decrease in satellite cell expansion. There are no signs of benefit from GDF11 to regeneration. Thus, GDF11 appears to be an age-associated myokine that inhibits muscle differentiation, and is thus a target for blockade to treat frailty
GDF11 Increases with Age and Inhibits Skeletal Muscle Regeneration.
Treatment, Time
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