技术资料

Identification of agents that target human leukemia stem cells is an important consideration for the development of new therapies. The present study demonstrates that rocaglamide and silvestrol,closely related natural products from the flavagline class of compounds,are able to preferentially kill functionally defined leukemia stem cells,while sparing normal stem and progenitor cells. In addition to efficacy as single agents,flavaglines sensitize leukemia cells to several anticancer compounds,including front-line chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat leukemia patients. Mechanistic studies indicate that flavaglines strongly inhibit protein synthesis,leading to the reduction of short-lived antiapoptotic proteins. Notably though,treatment with flavaglines,alone or in combination with other drugs,yields a much stronger cytotoxic activity toward leukemia cells than the translational inhibitor temsirolimus. These results indicate that the underlying cell death mechanism of flavaglines is more complex than simply inhibiting general protein translation. Global gene expression profiling and cell biological assays identified Myc inhibition and the disruption of mitochondrial integrity to be features of flavaglines,which we propose contribute to their efficacy in targeting leukemia cells. Taken together,these findings indicate that rocaglamide and silvestrol are distinct from clinically available translational inhibitors and represent promising candidates for the treatment of leukemia. View Publication

We recently reported that chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) subgroups with distinct clonotypic BCRs present discrete patterns of TLR expression,function,and/or tolerance. In this study,to explore whether specific types of BCR/TLR collaboration exist in CLL,we studied the effect of single versus concomitant BCR and/or TLR stimulation on CLL cells from mutated (M-CLL) and unmutated CLL (U-CLL) cases. We stimulated negatively isolated CLL cells by using anti-IgM,imiquimod,and CpG oligodeoxynucleotide for BCR,TLR7,and TLR9,respectively,alone or in combination for different time points. After in vitro culture in the absence of stimulation,differences in p-ERK were identified at any time point,with higher p-ERK levels in U-CLL versus M-CLL. Pronounced p-ERK induction was seen by single stimulation in U-CLL,whereas BCR/TLR synergism was required in View Publication

The impact of shipping temperatures and preservation media used during transport of either peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or Jurkat cells was assessed,in view of implementing of a proficiency testing scheme on mononuclear cell viability. Samples were analyzed before and after shipment at different temperatures (ambient temperature,dry ice,and liquid nitrogen) and in different preservation media (serum with cryoprotectant,commercial cryopreservation solution,and room temperature transport medium). Sample quality was assessed by viability assays (Trypan Blue dye exclusion,flow cytometry,Cell Analysis System cell counting (CASY)),and by ELISpot functional assay. The liquid nitrogen storage and shipment were found to be the most stable conditions to preserve cell viability and functionality. However,we show that alternative high quality shipment conditions for viable cells are dry ice shipment and commercial cryopreservation solution. These were also cost-efficient shipment conditions,satisfying the requirements of a proficiency testing scheme for viable mononuclear cells. Room temperature transport medium dramatically and adversely affected the integrity of mononuclear cells. View Publication

Bacteriophage are abundant at sites of bacterial infection,but their effects on mammalian hosts are unclear. We have identified pathogenic roles for filamentous Pf bacteriophage produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) in suppression of immunity against bacterial infection. Pf promote Pa wound infection in mice and are associated with chronic human Pa wound infections. Murine and human leukocytes endocytose Pf,and internalization of this single-stranded DNA virus results in phage RNA production. This triggers Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)- and TIR domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-beta (TRIF)-dependent type I interferon production,inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF),and the suppression of phagocytosis. Conversely,immunization of mice against Pf prevents Pa wound infection. Thus,Pf triggers maladaptive innate viral pattern-recognition responses,which impair bacterial clearance. Vaccination against phage virions represents a potential strategy to prevent bacterial infection. View Publication

Positive expectations contribute to the clinical benefits of the placebo effect. Such positive expectations are mediated by the brain's reward system; however,it remains unknown whether and how reward system activation affects the body's physiology and,specifically,immunity. Here we show that activation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA),a key component of the reward system,strengthens immunological host defense. We used 'designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs' (DREADDs) to directly activate dopaminergic neurons in the mouse VTA and characterized the subsequent immune response after exposure to bacteria (Escherichia coli),using time-of-flight mass cytometry (CyTOF) and functional assays. We found an increase in innate and adaptive immune responses that were manifested by enhanced antibacterial activity of monocytes and macrophages,reduced in vivo bacterial load and a heightened T cell response in the mouse model of delayed-type hypersensitivity. By chemically ablating the sympathetic nervous system (SNS),we showed that the reward system's effects on immunity are,at least partly,mediated by the SNS. Thus,our findings establish a causal relationship between the activity of the VTA and the immune response to bacterial infection. View Publication

HCMV is a highly sophisticated virus that has developed various mechanisms for immune evasion and viral dissemination throughout the body (partially mediated by neutrophils). NK cells play an important role in elimination of HCMV-infected cells. Both neutrophils and NK cells utilize similar sets of chemokine receptors to traffic,to and from,various organs. However,the mechanisms by which HCMV attracts neutrophils and not NK cells are largely unknown. Here,we show a unique viral protein,vCXCL1,which targets three chemokine receptors: CXCR1 and CXCR2 expressed on neutrophils and CXCR1 and CX3CR1 expressed on NK cells. Although vCXCL1 attracted both cell types,neutrophils migrated faster and more efficiently than NK cells through the binding of CXCR2. Therefore,we propose that HCMV has developed vCXCL1 to orchestrate its rapid systemic dissemination through preferential attraction of neutrophils and uses alternative mechanisms to counteract the later attraction of NK cells. View Publication

Effector T cells and fibroblasts are major components in the tumor microenvironment. The means through which these cellular interactions affect chemoresistance is unclear. Here,we show that fibroblasts diminish nuclear accumulation of platinum in ovarian cancer cells,resulting in resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. We demonstrate that glutathione and cysteine released by fibroblasts contribute to this resistance. CD8(+) T cells abolish the resistance by altering glutathione and cystine metabolism in fibroblasts. CD8(+) T-cell-derived interferon (IFN)γ controls fibroblast glutathione and cysteine through upregulation of gamma-glutamyltransferases and transcriptional repression of system xc(-) cystine and glutamate antiporter via the JAK/STAT1 pathway. The presence of stromal fibroblasts and CD8(+) T cells is negatively and positively associated with ovarian cancer patient survival,respectively. Thus,our work uncovers a mode of action for effector T cells: they abrogate stromal-mediated chemoresistance. Capitalizing upon the interplay between chemotherapy and immunotherapy holds high potential for cancer treatment. View Publication

Preferential activation of regulatory T (Treg) cells limits autoimmune tissue damage during chronic immune responses but can also facilitate tumor growth. Here,we show that tissue-produced inflammatory mediators prime maturing dendritic cells (DC) for the differential ability of attracting anti-inflammatory Treg cells. Our data show that prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)),a factor overproduced in chronic inflammation and cancer,induces stable Treg-attracting properties in maturing DC,mediated by CCL22. The elevated production of CCL22 by PGE(2)-matured DC persists after the removal of PGE(2) and is further elevated after secondary stimulation of DC in a neutral environment. This PGE(2)-induced overproduction of CCL22 and the resulting attraction of FOXP3(+) Tregs are counteracted by IFN alpha,a mediator of acute inflammation,which also restores the ability of the PGE(2)-exposed DC to secrete the Th1-attracting chemokines: CXCL9,CXCL10,CXCL11,and CCL5. In accordance with these observations,different DCs clinically used as cancer vaccines show different Treg-recruiting abilities,with PGE(2)-matured DC,but not type 1-polarized DC,generated in the presence of type I and type II IFNs,showing high Treg-attracting activity. The current data,showing that the ability of mature DC to interact with Treg cells is predetermined at the stage of DC maturation,pave the way to preferentially target the regulatory versus proinflammatory T cells in autoimmunity and transplantation,as opposed to intracellular infections and cancer. View Publication

In systemic lupus erythematosus,defective clearance of apoptotic debris and activation of innate cells result in a chronically activated type 1 IFN response,which can be measured in PBMCs of most patients. Metformin,a widely used prescription drug for Type 2 diabetes,has a therapeutic effect in several mouse models of lupus through mechanisms involving inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation and a decrease in CD4+ T cell activation. In this study,we report that in CD4+ T cells from human healthy controls and human systemic lupus erythematosus patients,metformin inhibits the transcription of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) after IFN-alpha treatment. Accordingly,metformin inhibited the phosphorylation of pSTAT1 (Y701) and its binding to IFN-stimulated response elements that control ISG expression. These effects were independent of AMPK activation or mTORC1 inhibition but were replicated using inhibitors of the electron transport chain respiratory complexes I,III,and IV. This indicates that mitochondrial respiration is required for ISG expression in CD4+ T cells and provides a novel mechanism by which metformin may exert a therapeutic effect in autoimmune diseases. View Publication