To determine the molecular basis of gene regulation in pancreatic ductal epithelial cells, we developed methods for the isolation of this cell population during mouse development and normal adult homeostasis, as well as in conditions with ductal features (acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM), pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)). Our technique utilizes the specificity of Dolichos biflorus Agglutinin (DBA) lectin marking the entire normal ductal tree, including terminal intercalated ducts (putative sites of stem or progenitor cells) and ductal structures in ADM and PanIN. We used ferromagnetic-labeled DBA lectin to isolate ductal structures. Ductal cells were isolated under the following conditions: (1) Embryonic Development in wild type mice: E14.5, E15.5, E16.5, and postnatal day 1 (P1); (2) Injury and regeneration (pancreatitis) 0, 1, 3, 5 days following cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis. Cerulein is a cholecystokinin analog which produces a self-limited pancreatitis with injury and subsequent regeneration and repair, completed five days after insult; and (3) Pdx1-Cre;LSL-KrasG12D/+ mice aged 10 and 20 weeks that harbor PanIN lesions and a subset develop PDAC. Ductal/PanIN cells were isolated from these mice and appropriate control mice (Pdx1-Cre;Kras+/+).
The Prrx1 homeodomain transcription factor plays a central role in pancreatic regeneration and carcinogenesis.
Age, Specimen part, Treatment, Time
View SamplesIn this study we could show that the treatment of primary murine prostate cancer(PCa) cells derived from the well-established TRAMP (transgenic adenocarcinoma ofmouse prostate) model with the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDI) valproic acid (VPA) has an anti-proliferative, anti-migrative and anti-invasive effect on the cells.To our knowledge this is the first study that identified that treatment of PCa cells with VPA leads to the re-expression of cyclin D2, which is known to be frequently inactive in patients with PCa. Additionally, we could demonstrate that VPA specifically induces re-expression of cyclin D2 as a family member of the highly conserved Dtype cyclins in human colorectal and mammary gland adenocarcinoma cell lines, whereas VPA treatment has no effect in NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. The observed cyclin D2 re-expression in cancer cells is activated by an increase of histone acetylation in the promoter region of the cyclin D2 gene and might be the underlying molecular mechanism of the inhibition of proliferation of cancer cells after VPA treatment. Taken together, our results confirm VPA as an anticancer therapeutic option in tumors with epigenetically repressed cyclin D2 expression.
Valproic acid inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells by re-expressing cyclin D2.
Specimen part
View SamplesWe disprove that the impaired Myd88-dependent proinflammatory response of neonatal monocytes is a correlate for immaturity and confirm it as display of transient alarmin-mediated stress tolerization. We find a strong inducibility of TRIF-dependent genes in neonatal monocytes by LPS but a barely detectable expression at baseline.
S100-alarmin-induced innate immune programming protects newborn infants from sepsis.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesA lactobacilli dominated microbiota in most pre and post-menopausal women is an indicator of vaginal health. A Nugent scoring system serves as a proxy for determining the ratio of lactobacilli to other vaginal inhabitants where a high score usually represents a diseased state, whilst an intermediate score represents a warning zone. The objective of this double blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study was to evaluate in 14 post-menopausal women with an intermediate score, the effect of vaginal administration of probiotic L. rhamnosus GR-1 and L. reuteri RC-14 on the microbiota and host response. The probiotic treatment did not result in changes to clinical parameters such as dryness, irritation and comfort, compared to when placebo was applied. Analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolomics profiling revealed that the proportional abundance of Lactobacillus was increased following probiotic administration as compared to placebo, which was weakly associated with an increase in lactate levels. Analysis of host responses by microarray showed the probiotics had an immune-modulatory response and multiplex cytokine analysis showed up-regulation of IL-5. This is the first study to use an interactomic approach for the study of vaginal probiotic administration in post-menopausal women. It shows that in some cases multifaceted approaches are required to detect the subtle trigger molecular changes induced by the host to instillation of probiotic strains.
A systems biology approach investigating the effect of probiotics on the vaginal microbiome and host responses in a double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of post-menopausal women.
Specimen part
View SamplesEwing Tumors (ET) are highly malignant tumors, localized in bone or soft tissue and are molecularly defined by ews/ets translocations. We identified histone methyl-transferase Enhancer of Zeste, Drosophila, Homolog 2 (EZH2) to be increased in ET. EZH2s suppressive activity maintains stemness in normal and malignant cells. Here we found EZH2 to be upregulated by the pathognomonic fusion oncogene EWS-FLI1 in ET and mesenchymal stem cells. Downregulation of EZH2 by RNA interference in ET suppressed oncogenic transformation by inhibiting clonogenicity in vitro. Similarly, tumor development and metastasis in immunodeficient Rag2-/-C-/- mice was suppressed. EZH2-mediated gene silencing was shown to be dependent on histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. Subsequent microarray analysis of EZH2 knock down, HDAC-inhibitor treatment and confirmation in independent assays revealed an undifferentiated phenotype maintained by EZH2 in ET. Downregulation of EZH2 decreased histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) at target loci. EZH2 regulated stemness genes such as nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) as well as genes involved in neuroectodermal differentiation (EMP1, EPHB2, GFAP, GAP43). These data suggest that EZH2 might play a central role in Ewing Tumor pathology shaping the oncogenicity and stem cell phenotype of this tumor presumably by epigenetic regulation.
EZH2 is a mediator of EWS/FLI1 driven tumor growth and metastasis blocking endothelial and neuro-ectodermal differentiation.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesBlood consists of different cell populations with distinct functions and correspondingly, distinct gene expression profiles. In this study, global miRNA expression profiling was performed across a panel of nine human immune cell subsets (neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, B cells, NK cells, CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, mDCs and pDCs) to identify cell-type specific miRNAs. mRNA expression profiling was performed on the same samples, to determine if miRNAs specific to certain cell types down-regulated expression levels of their target genes. Six cell-type specific miRNAs (miR-143; neutrophil specific, miR-125; T cells and neutrophil specific, miR-500; monocytes and pDC specific, miR-150; lymphoid cells specific, miR-652 and miR-223; both myeloid cells specific) were negatively correlated with expression of their predicted target genes. These results were further validated using an independent cohort where similar immune cell subsets were isolated and profiled for both miRNA and mRNA expression. miRNAs negatively correlated with target gene expression in both cohorts were identified as candidates for miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs and were used to construct a cell-type specific regulatory network. miRNA-mRNA pairs formed two distinct clusters in the network corresponding to myeloid (nine miRNAs) and lymphoid lineages (two miRNAs). Several myeloid specific miRNAs targeted common genes including ABL2, EIF4A2, EPC1 and INO80D; these common targets were enriched for genes involved in the regulation of gene expression (p < 9.0E-7). Those miRNA might therefore have significant further effect on gene expression by repressing the expression of genes involved in transcriptional regulation. The miRNA and mRNA expression profiles reported in this study form a comprehensive transcriptome database of various human blood cells and serve as a valuable resource for elucidating the role of miRNA mediated regulation in the establishment of immune cell identity.
Expression profiling of human immune cell subsets identifies miRNA-mRNA regulatory relationships correlated with cell type specific expression.
Specimen part
View SamplesBlood consists of different cell populations with distinct functions and correspondingly, distinct gene expression profiles. In this study, global miRNA expression profiling was performed across a panel of nine human immune cell subsets (neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, B cells, NK cells, CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, mDCs and pDCs) to identify cell-type specific miRNAs. mRNA expression profiling was performed on the same samples, to determine if miRNAs specific to certain cell types down-regulated expression levels of their target genes. Six cell-type specific miRNAs (miR-143; neutrophil specific, miR-125; T cells and neutrophil specific, miR-500; monocytes and pDC specific, miR-150; lymphoid cells specific, miR-652 and miR-223; both myeloid cells specific) were negatively correlated with expression of their predicted target genes. These results were further validated using an independent cohort where similar immune cell subsets were isolated and profiled for both miRNA and mRNA expression. miRNAs negatively correlated with target gene expression in both cohorts were identified as candidates for miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs and were used to construct a cell-type specific regulatory network. miRNA-mRNA pairs formed two distinct clusters in the network corresponding to myeloid (nine miRNAs) and lymphoid lineages (two miRNAs). Several myeloid specific miRNAs targeted common genes including ABL2, EIF4A2, EPC1 and INO80D; these common targets were enriched for genes involved in the regulation of gene expression (p < 9.0E-7). Those miRNA might therefore have significant further effect on gene expression by repressing the expression of genes involved in transcriptional regulation. The miRNA and mRNA expression profiles reported in this study form a comprehensive transcriptome database of various human blood cells and serve as a valuable resource for elucidating the role of miRNA mediated regulation in the establishment of immune cell identity.
Expression profiling of human immune cell subsets identifies miRNA-mRNA regulatory relationships correlated with cell type specific expression.
Specimen part
View SamplesBlood consists of different cell populations with distinct functions and correspondingly, distinct gene expression profiles. In this study, global miRNA expression profiling was performed across a panel of nine human immune cell subsets (neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, B cells, NK cells, CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, mDCs and pDCs) to identify cell-type specific miRNAs. mRNA expression profiling was performed on the same samples, to determine if miRNAs specific to certain cell types down-regulated expression levels of their target genes. Six cell-type specific miRNAs (miR-143; neutrophil specific, miR-125; T cells and neutrophil specific, miR-500; monocytes and pDC specific, miR-150; lymphoid cells specific, miR-652 and miR-223; both myeloid cells specific) were negatively correlated with expression of their predicted target genes. These results were further validated using an independent cohort where similar immune cell subsets were isolated and profiled for both miRNA and mRNA expression. miRNAs negatively correlated with target gene expression in both cohorts were identified as candidates for miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs and were used to construct a cell-type specific regulatory network. miRNA-mRNA pairs formed two distinct clusters in the network corresponding to myeloid (nine miRNAs) and lymphoid lineages (two miRNAs). Several myeloid specific miRNAs targeted common genes including ABL2, EIF4A2, EPC1 and INO80D; these common targets were enriched for genes involved in the regulation of gene expression (p < 9.0E-7). Those miRNA might therefore have significant further effect on gene expression by repressing the expression of genes involved in transcriptional regulation. The miRNA and mRNA expression profiles reported in this study form a comprehensive transcriptome database of various human blood cells and serve as a valuable resource for elucidating the role of miRNA mediated regulation in the establishment of immune cell identity.
Expression profiling of human immune cell subsets identifies miRNA-mRNA regulatory relationships correlated with cell type specific expression.
Specimen part
View SamplesDiagnostic samples of peripheral blood form acute myeloid leukemia were analysed for gene expression differences
NFATc1 as a therapeutic target in FLT3-ITD-positive AML.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesPersistent severe asthma is associated with hyper-contractile airways and structural changes in the airway wall, including an increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass. This study used gene expression profiles from asthmatic and healthy airway smooth muscle cells grown in culture to identify novel receptors and pathways that potentially contributed to asthma pathogenesis.
Latrophilin receptors: novel bronchodilator targets in asthma.
Sex, Disease, Treatment
View Samples