技术资料

Dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis1 (DAAM1) is a member of the evolutionarily conserved Formin family and plays a significant role in the malignant progression of various human cancers. This study aims to explore the clinical and biological significance of DAAM1 in pancreatic cancer. Multiple public datasets and an in-house cohort were utilized to assess the clinical relevance of DAAM1 in pancreatic cancer. The LinkedOmics platform was employed to perform enrichment analysis of DAAM1-associated molecular pathways in pancreatic cancer. Subsequently,a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate the biological roles of DAAM1 in pancreatic cancer cells and its effects on intratumoral T cells. DAAM1 was found to be upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues,with higher expression levels observed in tumor cells. Additionally,high expression of DAAM1 was associated with poor prognosis. DAAM1 acted as an oncogene in pancreatic cancer,and its inhibition suppressed tumor cell proliferation,migration,and invasion,while promoted apoptosis. Furthermore,DAAM1 was involved in the JAK1/STAT1 signaling pathway and regulated PD-L1 expression in pancreatic cancer cells. The inhibition of DAAM1 also significantly reduced the exhaustion levels of CD8+ T cells. In conclusion,DAAM1 functions as an oncogene and is immunologically implicated in pancreatic cancer,these findings suggest that DAAM1 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for the clinical management of pancreatic cancer. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-024-03631-8. View Publication

Chordoma is a slow-growing,primary malignant bone tumor that arises from notochordal tissue in the midline of the axial skeleton. Surgical excision with negative margins is the mainstay of treatment,but high local recurrence rates are reported even with negative margins. High-dose radiation therapy (RT),such as with proton or carbon ions,has been used as an alternative to surgery,but late local failure remains a problem. B7-H3 is an immune checkpoint,transmembrane protein that is dysregulated in many cancers,including chordoma. This study explores the efficacy of B7-H3 chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) therapy in vitro and in vivo. Chordoma cancer stem cells (CCSCs) were identified using flow cytometry,sphere formation,and western blot analysis. The expression of B7-H3 in paraffin-embedded chordoma tissue was determined by immunohistochemical staining,and the expression of B7-H3 in chordoma cells was measured by flow cytometry. Retroviral particles containing either B7-H3 or CD19 CAR-expressing virus were transduced into T cells derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from healthy human donor blood to prepare CAR-T cells. Animal bioluminescent imaging was used to evaluate the killing effect of CAR-T cells on chordoma cells in vivo. An irradiator was used for all irradiation (IR) experiments. The combination of B7-H3 CAR-T cell therapy and IR has a greater killing effect on killing radiation-resistant CCSCs and bulk chordoma cells compared with CAR-T cell or IR monotherapy. Additionally,increased expression of B7-H3 antigens on CCSCs and bulk tumor cells is associated with enhanced CAR-T cell killing in vitro and in vivo xenograft mouse models. Upregulation of B7-H3 expression by IR increases CCSCs sensitivity to B7-H3 CAR-T cell-mediated killing. Our preliminary data show that IR and B7-H3 CAR-T cell therapy is synergistically more effective than either IR or CAR-T cell monotherapy in killing chordoma cells in vitro and in a xenograft mouse model. These results provide preclinical evidence for further developing this combinatorial RT and B7-H3 CAR-T cell therapy model in chordoma View Publication

Growing evidence shows that the reprogramming of fatty acid (FA) metabolism plays a key role in HER2-positive (HER2 +) breast cancer (BC) aggressiveness,therapy resistance and cancer stemness. In particular,HER2 + BC has been defined as a "lipogenic disease" due to the functional and bi-directional crosstalk occurring between HER2-mediated oncogenic signaling and FA biosynthesis via FA synthase activity. In this context,the functional role exerted by the reprogramming of CD36-mediated FA uptake in HER2 + BC poor prognosis and therapy resistance remains unclear. In this study,we aimed to elucidate whether enhanced CD36 in mesenchymal HER2 + cancer stem cells (CSCs) is directly involved in anti-HER2 treatment refractoriness in HER2 + BC and to design future metabolism-based approaches targeting both FA reprogramming and the “root” of cancer. Molecular,biological and functional characterization of CD36-mediated FA uptake was investigated in HER2 + BC patients,cell lines,epithelial and mesenchymal CSCs. Cell proliferation was analyzed by SRB assay upon treatment with lapatinib,CD36 inhibitor,or Wnt antagonist/agonist. Engineered cell models were generated via lentivirus infection and transient silencing. CSC-like properties and tumorigenesis of HER2 + BC cells with or without CD36 depletion were examined by mammosphere forming efficiency assay,flow cytometry,cell sorting,ALDH activity assay and xenograft mouse model. FA uptake was examined by flow cytometry with FA BODIPY FL C16. Intratumor expression of CSC subsets was evaluated via multiplex immunostaining and immunolocalization analysis. Molecular data demonstrated that CD36 is significantly upmodulated on treatment in therapy resistant HER2 + BC patients and its expression levels in BC cells is correlated with FA uptake. We provided evidence of a consistent enrichment of CD36 in HER2 + epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like CSCs from all tested resistant cell models that mechanistically occurs via Wnt signaling pathway activation. Consistently,both in vitro and in vivo dual blockade of CD36 and HER2 increased the anti-CSC efficacy of anti-HER2 drugs favoring the transition of the therapy resistant mesenchymal CSCs into therapy-sensitive mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET)-like epithelial state. In addition,expression of CD36 in intratumor HER2 + mesenchymal CSCs is significantly associated with resistance to trastuzumab in HER2 + BC patients. These results support the metabolo-oncogenic nature of CD36-mediated FA uptake in HER2 + therapy-refractory BC. Our study provides evidence that targeting CD36 might be an effective metabolic therapeutic strategy in the treatment of this malignancy. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-025-03276-z. View Publication

PRDX2 is significantly expressed in various cancers and is associated with the proliferation of tumor cells. Nonetheless,the precise mechanism of PRDX2 in tumor immunity remains incompletely understood. This study aims to investigate the impact of PRDX2,which is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma,on T cells in the tumor immune microenvironment,and its immune action target to promote the immune escape of lung cancer cells,to provide a theoretical basis for lung adenocarcinoma treatment with PRDX2 as the target. Mouse animal models to verify the effect of Conoidin A treatment on tumor growth and T cell infiltration. Flow cytometry and Western blot verified tumor cell apoptosis in the in vitro co-culture system as well as granzyme B and perforin expression in T cells. RNA-Seq was used to obtain the downstream immune molecule. si-RNA knockdown of Galectin-9 was co-cultured with T cells in vitro. Immunofluorescence and Western blot verified that PRDX2 regulates Galectin-9 expression through HDAC3. PRDX2 expression was negatively correlated with CD8 + T cell expression in LUAD patients. Inhibition of PRDX2 significantly enhanced T-cell killing of LUAD cells and reduced tumor load in both in vitro and in vivo models. Mechanistically,Conoidin A or shRNA_PRDX2 decreased Galectin-9 expression by down-regulating the phosphorylation of HDAC3,consequently enhancing the infiltration and function of CD8 + T cells. This study reveals the role of the PRDX2/HDAC3/Galectin-9 axis in LUAD immune escape and indicates Galectin-9 as a promising target for immunotherapy. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-024-05888-z. View Publication

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium that is notorious for airway infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) subjects. Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) coordinates virulence factor expression and biofilm formation at population level. Better understanding of QS in the bacterium-host interaction is required. Here,we set up a new P. aeruginosa infection model,using 2D upper airway nasal organoids that were derived from 3D organoids. Using dual RNA-sequencing,we dissected the interaction between organoid epithelial cells and WT or QS-mutant P. aeruginosa strains. Since only a single healthy individual and a single CF subject were used as donors for the organoids,conclusions about CF-specific effects could not be deduced. However,P. aeruginosa induced epithelial inflammation,whereas QS signaling did not affect the epithelial airway cells. Conversely,the epithelium influenced infection-related processes of P. aeruginosa,including QS-mediated regulation. Comparison of our model with samples from the airways of CF subjects indicated that our model recapitulates important aspects of infection in vivo. Hence,the 2D airway organoid infection model is relevant and may help to reduce the future burden of P. aeruginosa infections in CF. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-024-82500-w. View Publication

LRRK2 is a kinase whose activity is linked to Parkinson’s disease. This study identifies a pathway that links LRRK2 activation to lysosome perturbations. This pathway involves the process known as CASM and culminates in an interaction between LRRK2 and GABARAP at the surface of lysosomes. View Publication

The only cure of HIV has been achieved in a small number of people who received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) comprising allogeneic cells carrying a rare,naturally occurring,homozygous deletion in the CCR5 gene. The rarity of the mutation and the significant morbidity and mortality of such allogeneic transplants precludes widespread adoption of this HIV cure. Here,we show the application of CRISPR/Cas9 to achieve >90% CCR5 editing in human,mobilized hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPC),resulting in a transplant that undergoes normal hematopoiesis,produces CCR5 null T cells,and renders xenograft mice refractory to HIV infection. Titration studies transplanting decreasing frequencies of CCR5 edited HSPCs demonstrate that <90% CCR5 editing confers decreasing protective benefit that becomes negligible between 54% and 26%. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of using CRISPR/Cas9/RNP to produce an HSPC transplant with high frequency CCR5 editing that is refractory to HIV replication. These results raise the potential of using CRISPR/Cas9 to produce a curative autologous HSCT and bring us closer to the development of a cure for HIV infection. Subject terms: HIV infections,CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing,Retrovirus,Translational research View Publication

Introduction: Pathogenic variants in the OFD1 gene are linked to a spectrum of syndromes that exhibit partial clinical overlap. Hemizygous loss-of-function variants are considered lethal in males,while heterozygous loss-of-function variants generally result in oro-facial-digital syndrome type 1. A reported phenotype,Simpson–Golabi–Behmel syndrome type 2,was published once but remains controversial,with many specialists questioning its validity and arguing about its continued listing in the OMIM database. Methods: To investigate the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of the patients,we performed clinical exome sequencing,family-based genetic analysis,X-inactivation studies,electron microscopy,and detailed clinical assessments. Results: Three patients from unrelated families carrying loss-of-function variants in the OFD1 gene were identified,emphasizing the diverse phenotypic spectrum of OFD1 -associated disorders. The first patient,a female with a heterozygous frameshift variant p.(Gln398LeufsTer2),was diagnosed with oro-facial-digital syndrome type 1. The second patient,a male with a heterozygous nonsense variant p.(Gln892Ter),presented with features resembling Simpson–Golabi–Behmel syndrome type 2,as previously reported under this diagnosis. The third patient,a male with another heterozygous nonsense variant p.(Glu879Ter),exhibited isolated primary ciliary dyskinesia without any syndromic features. Conclusions: This study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the expanding phenotypic spectrum of OFD1 -associated disorders. It underscores the need for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying the diverse presentations and the necessity of re-evaluating diagnostic classifications for conditions such as SGBS2 in the context of variants in the OFD1 gene. View Publication

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a key role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) chemoresistance and metastasis. In this study,we used two NSCLC cell lines to investigate the regulating effect of hypoxia in the induction and maintenance of CSC traits. Our study demonstrated hypoxia-induced stemness and chemoresistance at levels comparable to those in typical CSC sphere culture. Activation of the NF-κB pathway (by transfection of NF-κB-p65) plays a key role in NSCLC CSCs and chemoresistance. Disulfiram (DS),an anti-alcoholism drug,showed a strong in vitro anti-CSC effect. It blocked cancer cell sphere reformation and clonogenicity,synergistically enhanced the cytotoxicity of four anti-NSCLC drugs (doxorubicin,gemcitabine,oxaliplatin and paclitaxel) and reversed hypoxia-induced resistance. The effect of DS on CSCs is copper-dependent. A very short half-life in the bloodstream is the major limitation for the translation of DS into a cancer treatment. Our team previously developed a poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticle encapsulated DS (DS-PLGA) with a long half-life in the bloodstream. Intra venous injection of DS-PLGA in combination with the oral application of copper gluconate has strong anticancer efficacy in a metastatic NSCLC mouse model. Further study may be able to translate DS-PLGA into cancer applications. View Publication

This study aimed to evaluate different combinations of three dietary supplements for potential additive or synergistic effects in an in vitro Parkinson’s Disease model. The complex and diverse processes leading to neurodegeneration in each patient with a neurodegenerative disorder cannot be effectively addressed by a single medication. Instead,various combinations of potentially neuroprotective agents targeting different disease mechanisms simultaneously may show improved additive or synergistic efficacy in slowing the disease progression and allowing the agents to be utilized at lower doses to minimize side effects. We evaluated four possible combinations of the three selected supplements: tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA),co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10),and creatine,chosen for their effects on different targets that had previously shown neuroprotective effects in preclinical models. We evaluated the following combinations: (1) TUDCA+CoQ10,(2) TUDCA+Creatine,(3) CoQ10 + Creatine,and (4) TUDCA+CoQ10 + Creatine. We used induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived human dopaminergic neurons from a patient with Parkinson’s disease and healthy control,as well as microglial cells,to evaluate for an additive or synergistic effect of these combinations on neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. We used neurofilament heavy chain,tubulin filament,and proinflammatory cytokines as metrics. We have identified a triple combination of these supplements that showed an additive protective effect across all these endpoints. Indeed,the agents in that combination could address the majority of the known pathways leading to neurodegeneration,such as accumulation of misfolded α -synuclein,mitochondrial dysfunction,reactive oxygen species,and neuroinflammation. We demonstrated that the combination of TUDCA,CoQ10,and creatine exerts an additive effect in in vitro models of a neurodegenerative disease,surpassing the efficacy of each compound individually. This combination shows strong potential as a candidate for further preclinical confirmatory studies and clinical trials as a neuroprotective treatment for patients with,or at risk for,Parkinson’s disease. View Publication