BACKGROUND. Poorly-differentiated (PDTC) and anaplastic (ATC) thyroid cancers are rare and frequently lethal tumors, which so far have not been subjected to comprehensive genetic characterization. METHODS. We performed next generation sequencing of 341 cancer genes in 117 PDTCs and ATCs, and a transcriptomic analysis of a representative subset of 37 tumors. Results were analyzed in the context of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) study of papillary thyroid cancers (PTC). RESULTS. ATCs have a greater mutation burden than PDTCs, and higher mutation frequency of TP53, TERT promoter, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway effectors, SWI/SNF subunits and histone methyltransferases. BRAF and RAS are the predominant drivers, and dictate remarkably distinct tropism for nodal vs. distant metastases in PDTC. RAS and BRAF sharply distinguish between PDTCs defined by the Turin (PDTC-Turin) vs. MSKCC (PDTC-MSK) criteria, respectively. Mutations of EIF1AX, a component of the translational preinitiation complex, are markedly enriched in PDTCs and ATCs, and have a striking pattern of co-occurrence with RAS. TERT promoter mutations are rare and subclonal in PTCs, whereas they are clonal and highly prevalent in advanced cancers. Application of the TCGA-derived BRAF-RAS score (a measure of MAPK transcriptional output) shows a preserved relationship with BRAF/RAS mutation in PDTCs, whereas ATCs are BRAF-like irrespective of driver mutation. CONCLUSIONS. These data support a model of tumorigenesis whereby PDTCs and ATCs arise from well-differentiated tumors through the accumulation of key additional genetic abnormalities, many of which have prognostic and possible therapeutic relevance. The widespread genomic disruptions in ATC compared to PDTC underscore their greater virulence and higher mortality.
Genomic and transcriptomic hallmarks of poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancers.
Sex, Specimen part
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 SamplesTolerogenic dendritic cells (tol-DCs) offer a promising therapeutic potential for autoimmune diseases. Tol-DCs have been reported to inhibit immunogenic responses, yet little is known about the mechanisms controlling their tolerogenic status, as well as associated specific markers. Here we show that the anti-inflammatory TAM receptor tyrosine kinase MERTK, is highly expressed on clinical grade dexamethasone-induced human tol-DCs and mediates their tolerogenic effect. Neutralization of MERTK in allogenic mixed lymphocyte reactions as well as autologous DC-T cell cultures leads to increased T cell proliferation and IFN-g production. Additionally, we identify a previously unrecognized non-cell autonomous regulatory function of MERTK expressed on DCs. Recombinant Mer-Fc protein, used to mimic MERTK on DCs, suppresses nave and antigen-specific memory T cell activation. This mechanism is mediated by the neutralization of the MERTK agonist Protein S (PROS1) expressed by T cells. We find that MERTK and PROS1 are expressed in human T cells upon TCR activation and drive an autocrine pro-proliferative mechanism. Collectively, these results suggest that MERTK on tol-DCs directly inhibits T cell activation through the competition for PROS1 interaction with MERTK in the T cells. Targeting MERTK may provide an interesting approach to effectively increase or suppress tolerance for the purpose of immunotherapy.
MERTK as negative regulator of human T cell activation.
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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 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
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Surgery-Induced Weight Loss Is Associated With the Downregulation of Genes Targeted by MicroRNAs in Adipose Tissue.
Sex, Specimen part, Subject
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 SamplesMolecular mechanisms associated with pathophysiological variations in adipose tissue (AT) are not fully recognized. The main aim of this study was to identify novel candidate genes and miRNAs that may contribute to the pathophysiology of hyperplastic AT. Therefore, wide gene and microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns were assessed in subcutaneous AT of 16 morbidly obese women before and after surgery-induced weight loss. Validation of microarray data was performed by quantitative real-time PCR both longitudinally (n=25 paired samples) and cross-sectionally (25 obese vs. 26 age-matched lean women). Analyses in macrophages and differentiated human adipocytes were also performed to try to comprehend the associations found in AT. 5,018 different probe sets identified significant variations in gene expression after treatment (adjusted p-value<0.05). A set of 16 miRNAs also showed significant modifications. Functional analysis revealed changes in genes and miRNAs associated with cell cycle, development and proliferation, lipid metabolism, and the inflammatory response. Canonical affected pathways included TREM1, PI3K, and EIF2 signaling, hepatic stellate cell activation, and mitochondrial function. Increased expression of SLC27A2, ELOVL6, FASN, GYS2, LGALS12, PKP2, ACLY, and miR-575, as well as decreased FOS, EGFL6, PRG4, AQP9, DUSP1, RGS1, EGR1, SPP1, LYZ, miR-130b, miR-221, and miR-155, were further validated. The clustering of similar expression patterns for gene products with related functions revealed molecular footprints, some of them described for the first time, which elucidate changes in biological processes after the surgery-induced weight loss.
Surgery-Induced Weight Loss Is Associated With the Downregulation of Genes Targeted by MicroRNAs in Adipose Tissue.
Sex, Specimen part, Subject
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 SamplesChronic inflammation leading to pro-inflammatory macrophage infiltration contributes to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and subsequently the development of diabetic nephropathy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess unique immunomodulatory and cytoprotective properties making them an ideal candidate for therapeutic intervention
Human mesenchymal stem cells alter the gene profile of monocytes from patients with Type 2 diabetes and end-stage renal disease.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease
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