Carcinoma associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have recently been implicated in important aspects of epithelial solid tumor biology such as neoplastic progression, tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. However, neither the source of CAFs nor the differences between CAFs and fibroblasts from non-neoplastic tissue have been well defined. In this study we demonstrate that human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) exposed to tumor-conditioned medium (TCM) over a prolonged period of time assume a CAF-like myofibroblastic phenotype. More importantly, these cells exhibit functional properties of CAFs including sustained expression of stromal derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and the ability to promote tumor cell growth both in vitro and in an in vivo co-implantation model and expression of myofibroblast markers including -smooth muscle actin and fibroblast surface protein. hMSCs induced to differentiate to a myofibroblast-like phenotype using 5-azacytidine do not promote tumor cells growth as efficiently as hMSCs cultured in tumor-conditioned medium nor do they demonstrate increased SDF-1 expression. Furthermore, gene expression profiling revealed similarities between TCM exposed hMSCs and carcinoma associated fibroblasts. Taken together these data suggest that hMSCs are a source of carcinoma associated fibroblasts and can be used in the modeling of tumor-stroma interactions. To our knowledge this is the first report demonstrating that hMSCs become activated and resemble carcinoma associated myofibroblasts upon prolonged exposure to conditioned medium from MDAMB231 human breast cancer cells.
Carcinoma-associated fibroblast-like differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesAplidin (plitidepsin) is a novel marine-derived antitumor agent presently undergoing phase II clinical trials in hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Lack of bone marrow toxicity has encouraged further development of this drug for treatment of leukemia and lymphoma. Multiple signaling pathways have been shown to be involved in Aplidin-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in G1 and G2 phase. However, the exact mechanism(s) of Aplidin action remains to be elucidated. Here we demonstrate that mitochondria-associated or -localized processes are the potential cellular targets of Aplidin. Whole genome gene-expression profiling (GEP) revealed that fatty acid metabolism, sterol biosynthesis and energy metabolism, including the tricarboxylic acid cycle and ATP synthesis are affected by Aplidin treatment. Moreover, mutant MOLT-4, human leukemia cells lacking functional mitochondria, were found to be resistant to Aplidin. Cytosine arabinoside (araC), which also generates oxidative stress but does not affect the ATP pool, showed synergism with Aplidin in our leukemia and lymphoma models in vitro and in vivo. These studies provide new insights into the mechanism of action of Aplidin. The efficacy of the combination of Aplidin and araC is currently being evaluated in clinical phase I/II program for the treatment of patients with relapsed leukemia and high-grade lymphoma.
Aplidin synergizes with cytosine arabinoside: functional relevance of mitochondria in Aplidin-induced cytotoxicity.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesCystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (Cftr) knockout mice present the clinical features of low body weight and intestinal disease permitting an assessment of the interrelatedness of these phenotypes in a controlled environment. To identify intestinal alterations which affect body weight in CF mice the histological phenotypes of crypt-villus axis height, goblet cell hyperplasia, and mast cell infiltrate were measured, cardiac blood samples assessed, and gene expression profiling of the ileum was completed for 12 week old (C57BL/6xBALB) F2 Cftrtm1UNC and non-CF mice presenting a range of body weight. Crypt-villus axis height decreased with increasing weight in CF, but not control, mice. Goblet cell hyperplasia and mast cell infiltration in the submucosa and muscularis externa layers of the CF intestine, were identified to be independent of bodyweight. Blood triglyceride levels were found to be significantly lower in CF mice than control mice (p = 3.02 x 10-5) but were not dependent on CF mouse body weight. By expression profiling, genes of DNA replication and lipid metabolism were among those altered in CF mice relative to non-CF controls; and no differences in gene expression were measured between samples from CF mice in the 25th and 75th percentile for weight. This study indicates that the absence of Cftr leads to altered morphology in the CF intestine the extent of which is correlated with body weight in CF mice while CF related changes in blood triglyceride levels and in the intestinal gene expression profile were not dependent on body weight in this model.
Intestinal phenotype of variable-weight cystic fibrosis knockout mice.
Sex
View SamplesMacrophages are amongst the major targets of glucocorticoids (GC) as therapeutic anti-inflammatory agents. Here we show that GC treatment of mouse and human macrophages initiates a cascade of induced gene expression including many anti-inflammatory genes. Inducible binding of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was detected at candidate enhancers in the vicinity of induced genes in both species and this was strongly associated with canonical GR binding motifs. However, the sets of inducible genes, the candidate enhancers, and the GR motifs within them, were highly-divergent between the two species.
Enhancer Turnover Is Associated with a Divergent Transcriptional Response to Glucocorticoid in Mouse and Human Macrophages.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment, Time
View SamplesMacrophages are amongst the major targets of glucocorticoids (GC) as therapeutic anti-inflammatory agents. Here we show that GC treatment of mouse and human macrophages initiates a cascade of induced gene expression including many anti-inflammatory genes. Inducible binding of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was detected at candidate enhancers in the vicinity of induced genes in both species and this was strongly associated with canonical GR binding motifs. However, the sets of inducible genes, the candidate enhancers, and the GR motifs within them, were highly-divergent between the two species.. The data cast further doubt upon the predictive value of mouse models of inflammatory disease.
Enhancer Turnover Is Associated with a Divergent Transcriptional Response to Glucocorticoid in Mouse and Human Macrophages.
Specimen part, Treatment, Time
View SamplesThe specialisation of mammalian cells in time and space requires genes associated with specific pathways and functions to be co-ordinately expressed. Here we have combined a large number of publically available microarray datasets (745 samples, from over 100 separate studies) derived from human primary cells and analysed on the Affymetrix U133plus2.0 array. Using the network analysis tool BioLayout Express3D we have constructed and clustered large correlation graphs of these data in order to identify robust co-associations of genes expressed in a wide variety of cell lineages. We discuss the biological significance of a number of these associations, in particular the coexpression of key transcription factors with the genes that they are likely to control. We consider the regulation of genes in human primary cells and specifically in the human mononuclear phagocyte system. Of particular note is the fact that these data do not support the identity of putative markers of antigen-presenting dendritic cells, nor classification of M1 and M2 activation states, a current subject of debate within immunological field. We have provided this data resource on the BioGPS web site (www.biogps.org) and on macrophages.com (www.macrophages.com).
An expression atlas of human primary cells: inference of gene function from coexpression networks.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe activation profiles of macrophages under different immune and inflammatory conditions have generated great interest. LPS, in particular, is a commonly used in vitro model of infection and inflammation studies in macrophages. We have used gene expression microarrays to define the effects of each of three variables; LPS dose, LPS vs. interferons beta and gamma, and genetic background on the transcriptional response of mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages
Analysis of the transcriptional networks underpinning the activation of murine macrophages by inflammatory mediators.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesAlveolar macrophages are the first line of defense against pathogens in the lungs of all mammalian species and therefore may constitute an appropriate therapeutic target cell in the treatment and prevention of opportunistic airway infections. Analysis of alveolar macrophages from several species has revealed a unique cellular phenotype and transcriptome, presumably linked to their distinct airway environment and function in host defense. The current study extends these findings to the horse.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of equine alveolar macrophages.
Treatment
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Assembly of a Parts List of the Human Mitotic Cell Cycle Machinery.
Specimen part
View SamplesTranscriptional programmes involved in the eukaryotic cell cycle are activated sequentially throughout the process. In particular, the set of genes required for S and G2-M phases are highly conserved and induced one after the other.
Assembly of a Parts List of the Human Mitotic Cell Cycle Machinery.
Specimen part
View Samples