Understanding the mechanisms by which cells respond to chemotherapeutics is key to identifying means to improve therapy effiicacy while reducing systemic toxicity of these widely used classes of drugs. While determining the role of NRF2-GSH and ER stress in cells exposed to alkylating compounds such as methyl-methanesulfonate (MMS), we asked if these pathways could also be a general cell damage response relevant to other clinically used chemotherapeutics or if it is an alkylation specific response. With this intent, we performed RNA sequencing of MDA-MB231 breast cancer and U2OS osteosarcoma cells lines treated for 8 hours with a topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide (20 µM), the antimitotic beta-tubulin-interacting drug paclitaxel (0.2 µM), doxorubicin (1 µM) and compared to MMS (40 µg/mL) treated cells. Doses represent IC50 level after 72 hours exposure. We observed that even though non-alkylating drugs, especially etoposide, caused an increase in the mRNA expression of some NRF2 and ER stress signaling markers, the number and magnitude of upregulation of genes markers in either pathway was more pronounced in alkylation treatments compared to other drugs. This indicates that alterations in NRF2 and ER stress pathways could be more likely associated with differential sensitivity to alkylating chemotherapies. Overall design: MDA-MB231 breast cancer and U2OS osteosarcoma cells lines were treated with the 72 h IC50 dose of etoposide (20 µM), paclitaxel (0.2 µM), doxorubicin (1 µM) or MMS (40 µg/mL) for 8 h, and RNA was extracted and analyzed.
Alkylating Agent-Induced NRF2 Blocks Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Apoptosis via Control of Glutathione Pools and Protein Thiol Homeostasis.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesMolecular targeted compounds are emerging as important component to improve the efficacy of classical chemotherapeutics. In this study, we tested whether using low dose sorafenib to reduce off target inhibitions of kinases impacts the antitumor effect of alkylating agents in breast cancer models. Overall design: MDA-MB231 cells were treated with 1 µM sorafenib, 40 µg/mL MMS, or pre-incubated with 1 µM sorafenib for 12 h followed by 40 µg/mL MMS, each in two independent experiments. RNA was harvested 8 and 24 h, or post MMS treatment for combination treatment.
Sorafenib improves alkylating therapy by blocking induced inflammation, invasion and angiogenesis in breast cancer cells.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesEwing's sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) is an aggressive pediatric bone and soft tissue cancer. It is the prototypical example of mesenchymal tumors driven by a fusion oncogene involving the ewing sarcoma break point region 1 (EWSR1) gene, most frequently– EWS-FLI1. We have discovered that loss of EWSR1 leads to accumulation of R-loops, replication stress and impaired homologous recombination, recapitulating breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1) deficiency. EWS-FLI1 acts dominant negatively in ESFT to impart the same phenotypes. Further we demonstrate that in ESFT, BRCA1 predominantly associates with the elongating transcription machinery and is unavailable for DNA strand break repair. Gene expression profiling identified upregulated compensatory mechanisms in ESFT cells to process increased R-loops (RNASEH2 and FEN1) and replication stress (Fanconi Anemia). Taken together, our data identifies BRCA1 sequestration due to transcription stress as the mechanistic basis for ESFT chemosensitivity and suggests potential targets for the much lacking second-line therapy. Overall design: Examination of gene expression of four ESFT cell lines and two control cell lines. Cells were treated to LD65 dose of etoposideand samples collected at 6 hour intervals over 24 hours
EWS-FLI1 increases transcription to cause R-loops and block BRCA1 repair in Ewing sarcoma.
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View SamplesUlcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon with preiods of active disease followed by remission.
Transcriptional analysis of the intestinal mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis in remission reveals lasting epithelial cell alterations.
Sex, Age, Treatment
View SamplesCrohn's Disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract.
Identification of inflammatory mediators in patients with Crohn's disease unresponsive to anti-TNFα therapy.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesGene expression analysis to compare control cells and sorted cells
Identification of two major autoantigens negatively regulating endothelial activation in Takayasu arteritis.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe transcriptional signature of mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in remission reveals long-lasting changes in the epithelial barrier which persist once the inflammatory response has resolved. In order to investigate if these changes are caused by primary defects in the epithelial cells, we generated in vitro epithelial organoid cultures (EpOCs) from colon samples of non-IBD controls and UC patients.
Alterations in the epithelial stem cell compartment could contribute to permanent changes in the mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesUlcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon with preiods of active disease followed by remission.
Usefulness of Transcriptional Blood Biomarkers as a Non-invasive Surrogate Marker of Mucosal Healing and Endoscopic Response in Ulcerative Colitis.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease stage, Treatment
View SamplesTreatment of severely refractory Crohns disease (CD) patients remains a clinical challenge. Recent studies show efficacy of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in these severely compromised patients. HSCT is thought to eliminate auto-reactive cells; however the mechanisms are incompletely understood. We followed a group of patients (n=18) receiving autologous HSCT, with 50% of them achieving endoscopic drug-free remission. To elucidate the mechanism driving efficacy we compared the immunological changes induced by HSCT in responders and non-responders.
Differences in peripheral and tissue immune cell populations following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Crohn's disease patients.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease, Time
View SamplesTreatment of severely refractory Crohn's disease (CD) patients remains a clinical challenge. Recent studies show the efficacy of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in these severely compromised patients. HSCT is thought to eliminate auto-reactive cells; however, no specific studies of immune reconstitution in CD patients are available. We studied a group of CD patients receiving autologous HSCT, with 50% of them achieving endoscopic drug-free remission. To elucidate the mechanism driving efficacy, we studied changes in the immune cell composition in tissue induced by HSCT. Overall design: Biopsy mRNA profiles of 14 CD patients undergoing HSCT were generated by deep sequencing, using HiSeq-4000 platform (Illumina, San Diego, CA).
Differences in Peripheral and Tissue Immune Cell Populations Following Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Crohn's Disease Patients.
Sex, Specimen part, Disease, Subject
View Samples