技术资料

Aging impairs the regenerative potential of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and skews differentiation towards the myeloid lineage. The bone marrow (BM) microenvironment has recently been suggested to influence HSC aging,however the mechanisms whereby BM stromal cells mediate this effect is unknown. Here we show that aging-associated decreased expression of CXCR4 expression on BM mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) plays a crucial role in the development of the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) aging phenotype. The BM MSC from old mice was sufficient to drive a premature aging phenotype of young HSPC when cultured together ex vivo. The impaired ability of old MSC to support HSPC function is associated with reduced expression of CXCR4 on BM MSC of old mice. Deletion of the CXCR4 gene in young MSC accelerates an aging phenotype in these cells characterized by increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS),DNA damage,senescence,and reduced proliferation. Culture of HSPC from young mice with CXCR4 deficient MSC also from young mice led to a premature aging phenotype in the young HSPC,as evidenced by reduced hematopoietic regeneration and enhanced myeloid differentiation. Mechanistically,CXCR4 signaling prevents BM MSC dysfunction by suppressing oxidative stress,as treatment of old or CXCR4 deficient MSC with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC),improved their niche supporting activity,and attenuated the HSPC aging phenotype. Our studies suggest that age-associated reduction in CXCR4 expression on BM MSC impairs hematopoietic niche activity with increased ROS production,driving an HSC aging phenotype. Thus,modulation of the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis in MSC may lead to novel interventions to alleviate the age-associated decline in immune/hematopoietic function. View Publication

The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is initiated after the occurrence of motor symptoms,such as resting tremors,rigidity,and bradykinesia. According to previous reports,non-motor symptoms,notably gastrointestinal dysfunction,could potentially be early biomarkers in PD patients as such symptoms occur earlier than motor symptoms. However,connecting PD to the intestine is methodologically challenging. Thus,we generated in vitro human intestinal organoids from PD patients and ex vivo mouse small intestinal organoids from aged transgenic mice. Both intestinal organoids (IOs) contained the human LRRK2 G2019S mutation,which is the most frequent genetic cause of familial and sporadic PD. By conducting comprehensive genomic comparisons with these two types of IOs,we determined that a particular gene,namely,Iroquois homeobox protein 2 (IRX2),showed PD-related expression patterns not only in human pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived neuroectodermal spheres but also in human PSC-derived neuronal cells containing dopaminergic neurons. We expected that our approach of using various cell types presented a novel technical method for studying the effects of multi-organs in PD pathophysiology as well as for the development of diagnostic markers for PD. View Publication

The cerebellum plays a critical role in all vertebrates,and many neurological disorders are associated with cerebellum dysfunction. A major limitation in cerebellar research has been the lack of adequate disease models. As an alternative to animal models,cerebellar neurons differentiated from pluripotent stem cells have been used. However,previous studies only produced limited amounts of Purkinje cells. Moreover,in vitro generation of Purkinje cells required co-culture systems,which may introduce unknown components to the system. Here we describe a novel differentiation strategy that uses defined medium to generate Purkinje cells,granule cells,interneurons,and deep cerebellar nuclei projection neurons,that self-formed and differentiated into electrically active cells. Using a defined basal medium optimized for neuronal cell culture,we successfully promoted the differentiation of cerebellar precursors without the need for co-culturing. We anticipate that our findings may help developing better models for the study of cerebellar dysfunctions,while providing an advance toward the development of autologous replacement strategies for treating cerebellar degenerative diseases. View Publication

Understanding metabolic pathways that regulate Th17 development is important to broaden therapeutic options for Th17-mediated autoimmunity. Here,we report a pivotal role of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for lineage specification toward pathogenic Th17 differentiation. Th17 cells rapidly increase mitochondrial respiration during development,and this is necessary for metabolic reprogramming following T cell activation. Surprisingly,specific inhibition of mitochondrial ATP synthase ablates Th17 pathogenicity in a mouse model of autoimmunity by preventing Th17 pathogenic signature gene expression. Notably,cells activated under OXPHOS-inhibited Th17 conditions preferentially express Foxp3,rather than Th17 genes,and become suppressive Treg cells. Mechanistically,OXPHOS promotes the Th17 pioneer transcription factor,BATF,and facilitates T cell receptor (TCR) and mTOR signaling. Correspondingly,overexpression of BATF rescues Th17 development when ATP synthase activity is restricted. Together,our data reveal a regulatory role of mitochondrial OXPHOS in dictating the fate decision between Th17 and Treg cells by supporting early molecular events necessary for Th17 commitment. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cells including induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and embryonic stem cells hold great promise for cell-based therapies,but safety concerns that complicate consideration for routine clinical use remain. Installing a safety switch" based on the inducible caspase-9 (iCASP9) suicide gene system should offer added control over undesirable cell replication or activity. Previous studies utilized lentiviral vectors to integrate the iCASP9 system into T cells and iPSCs. This method results in random genomic insertion of the suicide switch and inefficient killing of the cells after the switch is "turned on" with a small molecule (eg AP1903). To improve the safety and efficiency of the iCASP9 system for use in iPSC-based therapy we precisely installed the system into a genomic safe harbor the AAVS1 locus in the PPP1R12C gene. We then evaluated the efficiencies of different promoters to drive iCASP9 expression in human iPSCs. We report that the commonly used EF1$\alpha$ promoter is silenced in iPSCs and that the endogenous promoter of the PPP1R12C gene is not strong enough to drive high levels of iCASP9 expression. However the CAG promoter induces strong and stable iCASP9 expression in iPSCs and activation of this system with AP1903 leads to rapid killing and complete elimination of iPSCs and their derivatives including MSCs and chondrocytes in vitro. Furthermore iPSC-derived teratomas shrank dramatically or were completely eliminated after administration of AP1903 in mice. Our data suggest significant improvements on existing iCASP9 suicide switch technologies and may serve as a guide to other groups seeking to improve the safety of stem cell-based therapies." View Publication

This study traced intravenously administered induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and assessed the impact of iPSC-MSC on preserving renal function in SD rat after 5/6 nephrectomy. The results of in vitro study showed that FeraTrack™Direct contrast particles (ie intracellular magnetic labelling) in the iPSC-MSC (ie iPS-MSCSPIONs ) were clearly identified by Prussian blue stain. Adult-male SD rats (n = 40) were categorized into group 1 (SC),group 2 [SC + iPS-MSCSPIONs (1.0 × 106 cells)/intravenous administration post-day-14 CKD procedure],group 3 (CKD),group 4 [CKD + iPS-MSCSPIONs (0.5 × 106 cells)] and group 5 [CKD + iPS-MSCSPIONs (1.0 × 106 cells)]. By day-15 after CKD induction,abdominal MRI demonstrated that iPS-MSCSPIONs were only in the CKD parenchyma of groups 4 and 5. By day 60,the creatinine level/ratio of urine protein to urine creatinine/kidney injury score (by haematoxylin and eosin stain)/fibrotic area (Masson's trichrome stain)/IF microscopic finding of kidney injury molecule-1 expression was lowest in groups 1 and 2,highest in group 3,and significantly higher in group 4 than in group 5,whereas IF microscopic findings of podocyte components (ZO-1/synaptopodin) and protein levels of anti-apoptosis ((Bad/Bcl-xL/Bcl-2) exhibited an opposite pattern to creatinine level among the five groups (all P {\textless} .0001). The protein expressions of cell-proliferation signals (PI3K/p-Akt/m-TOR,p-ERK1/2,FOXO1/GSK3$\beta$/p90RSK),apoptotic/DNA-damage (Bax/caspases8-10/cytosolic-mitochondria) and inflammatory (TNF-$\alpha$/TNFR1/TRAF2/NF-$\kappa$B) biomarkers displayed an identical pattern to creatinine level among the five groups (all P {\textless} .0001). The iPS-MSCSPIONs that were identified only in CKD parenchyma effectively protected the kidney against CKD injury. View Publication

PURPOSE Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fatal primary malignant brain tumor. GBM stem cells (GSC) contribute to resistance to the DNA-damaging chemotherapy,temozolomide. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) displays genomic alterations enabling DNA repair mechanisms in half of GBMs. We aimed to investigate EGFR/DNA combi-targeting in GBM. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN ZR2002 is a combi-molecule" designed to inflict DNA damage through its chlorethyl moiety and induce irreversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibition. We assessed its in vitro efficacy in temozolomide-resistant patient-derived GSCs mesenchymal temozolomide-sensitive and resistant in vivo-derived GSC sublines and U87/EGFR isogenic cell lines stably expressing EGFR/wild-type or variant III (EGFRvIII). We evaluated its antitumor activity in mice harboring orthotopic EGFRvIII or mesenchymal TMZ-resistant GSC tumors. RESULTS ZR2002 induced submicromolar antiproliferative effects and inhibited neurosphere formation of all GSCs with marginal effects on normal human astrocytes. ZR2002 inhibited EGF-induced autophosphorylation of EGFR downstream Erk1/2 phosphorylation increased DNA strand breaks and induced activation of wild-type p53; the latter was required for its cytotoxicity through p53-dependent mechanism. ZR2002 induced similar effects on U87/EGFR cell lines and its oral administration significantly increased survival in an orthotopic EGFRvIII mouse model. ZR2002 improved survival of mice harboring intracranial mesenchymal temozolomide-resistant GSC line decreased EGFR Erk1/2 and AKT phosphorylation and was detected in tumor brain tissue by MALDI imaging mass spectrometry. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide the molecular basis of binary EGFR/DNA targeting and uncover the oral bioavailability blood-brain barrier permeability and antitumor activity of ZR2002 supporting potential evaluation of this first-in-class drug in recurrent GBM." View Publication

Emerging evidences have reported that periodontitis can be a risk factor for the pathogenesis of various systemic diseases. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg),one of the crucial pathogens in chronic periodontitis,has been spotlighted as a potential cause for the promotion and acceleration of periodontitis-associated systemic disorders. To investigate the association between Pg and intestinal disease or homeostasis,we treated Pg-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in murine colitis model or intestinal organoid,respectively. Pg-derived LPS (Pg LPS) was administrated into chemically induced murine colitis model and disease symptoms were monitored compared with the infusion of LPS derived from E. coli (Ec LPS). Organoids isolated and cultured from mouse small intestine were treated with Pg or Ec LPS and further analyzed for the generation and composition of organoids. In vivo observations demonstrated that both Pg and Ec LPS exerted slight protective effects against murine colitis. Pg LPS did not affect the generation and growth of intestinal epithelial organoids. Among subtypes of epithelial cells,markers for stem cells,goblet cells or Paneth cells were changed in response to Pg LPS. Taken together,these results indicate that Pg LPS leads to partial improvement in colitis and that its treatment does not significantly affect the self-organization of intestinal organoids but may regulate the epithelial composition. View Publication

The ability to analyze protein function in a native context is central to understanding cellular physiology. This study explores whether tagging endogenous proteins with a reporter is a scalable strategy for generating cell models that accurately quantitate protein dynamics. Specifically,it investigates whether CRISPR-mediated integration of the HiBiT luminescent peptide tag can easily be accomplished on a large-scale and whether integrated reporter faithfully represents target biology. For this purpose,a large set of proteins representing diverse structures and functions,some of which are known or potential drug targets,were targeted for tagging with HiBiT in multiple cell lines. Successful insertion was detected for 86{\%} of the targets,as determined by luminescence-based plate assays,blotting,and imaging. In order to determine whether endogenously tagged proteins yield more representative models,cells expressing HiBiT protein fusions either from endogenous loci or plasmids were directly compared in functional assays. In the tested cases,only the edited lines were capable of accurately reproducing the anticipated biology. This study provides evidence that cell lines expressing HiBiT fusions from endogenous loci can be rapidly generated for many different proteins and that these cellular models provide insight into protein function that may be unobtainable using overexpression-based approaches. View Publication

Efficient generation of antibodies by B cells is one of the prerequisites of protective immunity. B cell activation by cognate antigens via B cell receptors (BCRs),or pathogen-associated molecules through pattern-recognition receptors,such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs),leads to transcriptional and metabolic changes that ultimately transform B cells into antibody-producing plasma cells or memory cells. BCR signaling and a number of steps downstream of it rely on coordinated action of cellular membranes and the actin cytoskeleton,tightly controlled by concerted action of multiple regulatory proteins,some of them exclusive to B cells. Here,we dissect the role of Missing-In-Metastasis (MIM),or Metastasis suppressor 1 (MTSS1),a cancer-associated membrane and actin cytoskeleton regulating protein,in B cell-mediated immunity by taking advantage of MIM knockout mouse strain. We show undisturbed B cell development and largely normal composition of B cell compartments in the periphery. Interestingly,we found that MIM-/- B cells are defected in BCR signaling in response to surface-bound antigens but,on the other hand,show increased metabolic activity after stimulation with LPS or CpG. In vivo,MIM knockout animals exhibit impaired IgM antibody responses to immunization with T cell-independent antigen. This study provides the first comprehensive characterization of MIM in B cells,demonstrates its regulatory role for B cell-mediated immunity,as well as proposes new functions for MIM in tuning receptor signaling and cellular metabolism,processes,which may also contribute to the poorly understood functions of MIM in cancer. View Publication

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) butyrate and propionate are metabolites from dietary fiber's fermentation by gut microbiota that can affect differentiation or functions of T cells,macrophages and dendritic cells. We show here that at low doses these SCFAs directly impact B cell intrinsic functions to moderately enhance class-switch DNA recombination (CSR),while decreasing at higher doses over a broad physiological range,AID and Blimp1 expression,CSR,somatic hypermutation and plasma cell differentiation. In human and mouse B cells,butyrate and propionate decrease B cell Aicda and Prdm1 by upregulating select miRNAs that target Aicda and Prdm1 mRNA-3'UTRs through inhibition of histone deacetylation (HDAC) of those miRNA host genes. By acting as HDAC inhibitors,not as energy substrates or through GPR-engagement signaling in these B cell-intrinsic processes,these SCFAs impair intestinal and systemic T-dependent and T-independent antibody responses. Their epigenetic impact on B cells extends to inhibition of autoantibody production and autoimmunity in mouse lupus models. View Publication

Microelectrode material and cell culture medium have significant roles in the signal-to-noise ratio and cell well-being in in vitro electrophysiological studies. Here,we report an ion beam assisted e-beam deposition (IBAD) based process as an alternative titanium nitride (TiN) deposition method for sputtering in the fabrication of state-of-the-art TiN microelectrode arrays (MEAs). The effects of evaporation and nitrogen flow rates were evaluated while developing the IBAD TiN deposition process. Moreover,the produced IBAD TiN microelectrodes were characterized by impedance,charge transfer capacity (CTC) and noise measurements for electrical properties,AFM and SEM for topological imaging,and EDS for material composition. The impedance (at 1 kHz) of brand new 30 $\mu$m IBAD TiN microelectrodes was found to be double but still below 100 k$\Omega$ compared with commercial reference MEAs with sputtered TiN microelectrodes of the same size. On the contrary,the noise level of IBAD TiN MEAs was lower compared with that of commercial sputtered TiN MEAs in equal conditions. In CTC IBAD TiN electrodes (3.3 mC/cm2) also outperformed the sputtered counterparts (2.0 mC/cm2). To verify the suitability of IBAD TiN microelectrodes for cell measurements,human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neuronal networks were cultured on IBAD TiN MEAs and commercial sputtered TiN MEAs in two different media: neural differentiation medium (NDM) and BrainPhys (BPH). The effect of cell culture media to hPSC derived neuronal networks was evaluated to gain more stable and more active networks. Higher spontaneous activity levels were measured from the neuronal networks cultured in BPH compared with those in NDM in both MEA types. However,BPH caused more problems in cell survival in long-term cultures by inducing neuronal network retraction and clump formation after 1-2 weeks. In addition,BPH was found to corrode the Si3N4 insulator layer more than NDM medium. The developed IBAD TiN process gives MEA manufacturers more choices to choose which method to use to deposit TiN electrodes and the medium evaluation results remind that not only electrode material but also insulator layer and cell culturing medium have crucial role in successful long term MEA measurements. View Publication