Human engeneered skin carrying GFP positive melanoma cells was transplanted in immunocompromised rats.
low neurotrophin receptor CD271 regulates phenotype switching in melanoma.
Specimen part, Time
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
A novel crosstalk between CCAR2 and AKT pathway in the regulation of cancer cell proliferation.
Cell line
View SamplesCCAR2 is a nuclear protein recently emerged as a pivotal player of the DNA damage response since it has been found involved in both apoptosis induction and DNA repair. Differently, its role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression is still elusive. In our studies we found that CCAR2 depletion impairs the proliferation of human cancer cell lines, but leaves unaffected the growth of normal immortalized cells. To better investigate this point we performed a genome wide gene expression analyses in U2OS and BJ-hTERT depleted of CCAR2 and we found that loss of this protein causes the deregulation of genes implicated in the AKT pathway specifically in U2OS cells, but not in BJ-hTERT. In accordance with these results we found a reduction in AKT activation in all the tested cancer cell lines depleted of CCAR2, but not in the normal ones. The defective activation of AKT is caused by the upregulation of TRB3 gene in cancer cells depleted of CCAR2 and finally results in the reduction of GSK3 phosphorylation, prevention of G1/S transition and inhibition of cancer cell growth.
A novel crosstalk between CCAR2 and AKT pathway in the regulation of cancer cell proliferation.
Cell line
View SamplesCCAR2 is a nuclear protein recently emerged as a pivotal player of the DNA damage response since it has been found involved in both apoptosis induction and DNA repair. Differently, its role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression is still elusive. In our studies we found that CCAR2 depletion impairs the proliferation of human cancer cell lines, but leaves unaffected the growth of normal immortalized cells. To better investigate this point we performed a genome wide gene expression analyses in U2OS and BJ-hTERT depleted of CCAR2 and we found that loss of this protein causes the deregulation of genes implicated in the AKT pathway specifically in U2OS cells, but not in BJ-hTERT. In accordance with these results we found a reduction in AKT activation in all the tested cancer cell lines depleted of CCAR2, but not in the normal ones. The defective activation of AKT is caused by the upregulation of TRB3 gene in cancer cells depleted of CCAR2 and finally results in the reduction of GSK3 phosphorylation, prevention of G1/S transition and inhibition of cancer cell growth.
A novel crosstalk between CCAR2 and AKT pathway in the regulation of cancer cell proliferation.
Cell line
View SamplesMyeloid-derived cells comprising the tumor stroma represent a heterogeneous population of cells critical to the structure, function and growth of established cancers. We have recently found that engineering tumor-specific CD8+ T cells to secrete IL-12 (IL-12TD) can lead to striking improvements in T-cell activity against established melanomas in murine models. Surprisingly, IL-12-dependent enhancement of CD8+ T-cell anti-tumor function did not occur through direct ligation of receptors on lymphocytes or NK cells. Instead, IL-12 sensitized host bone marrow-derived tumor-stromal cells, partly through interferon-gamma, to indirectly enhance the effects of adoptively-transferred T cells. Direct presentation of antigen by tumor was not necessary, but MHC class I expression on endogenous cells was essential for IL-12 mediated anti-tumor enhancements. Upon successful treatment with IL-12TD cells, we observed the selective elimination of tumor-infiltrating CD11b+ F4/80+ macrophages, CD11b+/ClassII+/CD11c+ dendritic cells and CD11b+/Ly6C+/Ly6G- but not CD11b+/Ly6C+/Ly6G+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells within regressing lesions. These results are consistent with a model whereby IL-12 triggers the maturation of myeloid-derived cells into competent antigen cross-presenting cells. Licensed recognition of these antigens by effector T cells may in turn trigger the collapse of the tumor stroma and aid in the regression of large vascularized lesions.
IL-12 triggers a programmatic change in dysfunctional myeloid-derived cells within mouse tumors.
Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage
View SamplesVaccination reduces morbidity and mortality from pneumonia but its effect on the tissue-level response to infection is still poorly understood. We evaluated pneumonia disease progression, acute phase response and lung gene expression profiles in mice inoculated intranasally with virulent gram-positive Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype (ST) 3, with and without prior immunization with pneumococcal polysaccharide ST 3 (PPS3), or co-immunization with PPS3 and with a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Pneumonia severity was assessed in the acute phase, 5, 12, 24 and 48 h post-inoculation (p.i.) and the resolution phase of 7 days p.i. Primary PPS3 specific antibody production was upregulated and IgM binding to pneumococci increased in PPS3-immunized mice. Immunizations with PPS3 or PPS3 + LPS decreased bacterial recovery the lung and blood at 24 and 48 h and increased survival. Microarray analysis of whole lung RNA revealed significant changes in the acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) between noninfected and infected mice, which were attenuated by immunization. SAA transcripts were higher in the liver and lungs of infected controls, and SAA protein was elevated in serum, but decreased in PPS3-immunized mice. Thus, during a virulent pneumonia infection, prior immunization with PPS3 in an IgM-dependent manner as well as co-immunization with PPS3 + LPS attenuated pneumonia severity and promoted resolution of infection, concomitant with significant regulation of cytokine gene expression in the lungs, and acute phase proteins in the lungs, liver and serum.
Immunization with pneumococcal polysaccharide serotype 3 and lipopolysaccharide modulates lung and liver inflammation during a virulent Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in mice.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage
View SamplesExponentially growing cells and type II persister cells from the DS1-(hipQ)-strain
Novel protocol for persister cells isolation.
Specimen part, Disease, Cell line
View SamplesMouse CD8+ T cells affected by ID3 (Inhibitor of DNA binding 3) display patterns of gene expression suggesting enhanced persistance and survival. In this study, we identified genes differentially expressed between ID32a transduced and mock transduced, and ID32a knockout and wild type mouse CD8+ T cells. Most prominent functions of differentially expressed genes include DNA replication-associated repair, maintenance of chromosome stability and mitotic cell divison machinery. Overall, these data suggest that ID3 acts in favor of maintained survival in CD8+ mouse T cells.
Repression of the DNA-binding inhibitor Id3 by Blimp-1 limits the formation of memory CD8+ T cells.
Treatment
View SamplesAdoptive immunotherapy using ex vivo expanded tumor reactive lymphocytes can mediate durable cancer regression in selected melanoma patients. Analyses of these trials have associated the in vivo engraftment ability of the transferred cells with their anti-tumor efficacy. Thus, there is significant clinical interest in the prospective isolation of tumor specific T cells that can reliably persist after transfer. Animal studies have suggested that central memory CD8+ T cells (TCM) have divergent capabilities including effector differentiation to target antigen and stem cell-like self renewal that enable long term survival after adoptive transfer. In this study, we sought to isolate human melanoma specific TCM to define their in vivo fate and function after autologous therapeutic transfer to metastatic patients. To facilitate the high throughput identification of these rare cells from patients, we report that TCM have a defined stoichiometric production of IL-2 and IFN-g mRNA after antigen stimulation. Melanoma specific T cells screened for high relative IL-2 production possessed a TCM phenotype and superior in vitro proliferative capacity compared to cells with low IL-2 production. To investigate in vivo effector function and self renewal capability, melanoma specific TCM underwent in vitro expansion and differentiation into lytic effector clones and then were adoptively transferred back into their hosts. These clones targeted skin melanocytes in all five patients and persisted long term and reacquired parental TCM attributes in four patients after transfer. These findings demonstrate the favorable engraftment fitness for human TCM-derived clones, but further efforts to improve their anti-tumor efficacy are still necessary.
The stoichiometric production of IL-2 and IFN-γ mRNA defines memory T cells that can self-renew after adoptive transfer in humans.
Specimen part
View SamplesNumerous pathways underlie brain invasion by tumors, a critical element underpinning recurrence and lethality in human glioblastomas (hGBMs). The identification of the master factors that elicit these pathways globally, driving invasion altogether, eludes us. We report that high expression levels of non-canonical Wnt5a characterize the most invasive gliomas, epitomize dismal prognosis and discriminate the most infiltrating mesenchymal hGBMs from proneural and classical ones. Exacerbated Wnt5a defines mesenchymal hGBM cells (Wnt5aHigh) possessing prototypical invasiveness and tumor-promoting stem-like characteristics (TPCs), but not their Wnt5aLow siblings. While inhibition of Wnt5a suppresses infiltration in mesenchymal hGBM TPCs, administration or over-expression of Wnt5a elicits the opposite effects, turning on infiltrative mesenchymal-like molecular programs in poorly motile, classical hGBM TPCs and Wnt5aLow mesenchymal TPCs, ex vivo and intracranially. Anti-Wnt5a antibodies or antagonist Wnt5a peptides block invasion, increasing survival in clinically relevant intracranial hGBM models. Wnt5a emerges as a master regulator in gliomatous invasion, endowing hGBM TPCs with archetypal, infiltratory transcriptional and functional profiles, providing a unique target to tackle brain invasion by hGBM cancer stem cells.
Wnt5a Drives an Invasive Phenotype in Human Glioblastoma Stem-like Cells.
Specimen part
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