技术资料

Hemangiosarcoma and angiosarcoma are soft-tissue sarcomas of blood vessel–forming cells in dogs and humans,respectively. These vasoformative sarcomas are aggressive and highly metastatic,with disorganized,irregular blood-filled vascular spaces. Our objective was to define molecular programs which support the niche that enables progression of canine hemangiosarcoma and human angiosarcoma. Dog-in-mouse hemangiosarcoma xenografts recapitulated the vasoformative and highly angiogenic morphology and molecular characteristics of primary tumors. Blood vessels in the tumors were complex and disorganized,and they were lined by both donor and host cells. In a series of xenografts,we observed that the transplanted hemangiosarcoma cells created exuberant myeloid hyperplasia and gave rise to lymphoproliferative tumors of mouse origin. Our functional analyses indicate that hemangiosarcoma cells generate a microenvironment that supports expansion and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor populations. Furthermore,gene expression profiling data revealed hemangiosarcoma cells expressed a repertoire of hematopoietic cytokines capable of regulating the surrounding stromal cells. We conclude that canine hemangiosarcomas,and possibly human angiosarcomas,maintain molecular properties that provide hematopoietic support and facilitate stromal reactions,suggesting their potential involvement in promoting the growth of hematopoietic tumors. We demonstrate that hemangiosarcomas regulate molecular programs supporting hematopoietic expansion and differentiation,providing insights into their potential roles in creating a permissive stromal-immune environment for tumor progression. View Publication

Hematopoiesis continues throughout life to produce all types of blood cells from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Metabolic state is a known regulator of HSC self-renewal and differentiation,but whether and how metabolic sensor O -GlcNAcylation,which can be modulated via an inhibition of its cycling enzymes O -GlcNAcase (OGA) and O -GlcNAc transferase (OGT),contributes to hematopoiesis remains largely unknown. Herein,isogenic,single-cell clones of OGA -depleted (OGAi) and OGT -depleted (OGTi) human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) were successfully generated from the master hiPSC line MUSIi012-A,which were reprogrammed from CD34 + hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) containing epigenetic memory. The established OGAi and OGTi hiPSCs exhibiting an increase or decrease in cellular O -GlcNAcylation concomitant with their loss of OGA and OGT,respectively,appeared normal in phenotype and karyotype,and retained pluripotency,although they may favor differentiation toward certain germ lineages. Upon hematopoietic differentiation through mesoderm induction and endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition,we found that OGA inhibition accelerates hiPSC commitment toward HSPCs and that disruption of O -GlcNAc homeostasis affects their commitment toward erythroid lineage. The differentiated HSPCs from all groups were capable of giving rise to all hematopoietic progenitors,thus confirming their functional characteristics. Altogether,the established single-cell clones of OGTi and OGAi hiPSCs represent a valuable platform for further dissecting the roles of O -GlcNAcylation in blood cell development at various stages and lineages of blood cells. The incomplete knockout of OGA and OGT in these hiPSCs makes them susceptible to additional manipulation,i.e.,by small molecules,allowing the molecular dynamics studies of O -GlcNAcylation. View Publication

Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) and Moraxella catarrhalis (Mcat) are two common respiratory tract pathogens often associated with acute exacerbations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as well as with otitis media (OM) in children. Although there is evidence that these pathogens can adopt persistence mechanisms such as biofilm formation,the precise means through which they contribute to disease severity and chronicity remains incompletely understood,posing challenges for their effective eradication. The identification of potential vaccine candidates frequently entails the characterization of the host-pathogen interplay in vitro even though this approach is limited by the fact that conventional models do not permit long term bacterial infections. In the present work,by using air-liquid-interface (ALI) human airway in vitro models,we aimed to recreate COPD-related persistent bacterial infections. In particular,we explored an alternative use of the ALI system consisting in the assembly of an inverted epithelium grown on the basal part of a transwell membrane with the aim to enable the functionality of natural defense mechanisms such as mucociliary clearance and cellular extrusion that are usually hampered during conventional ALI infection experiments. The inversion of the epithelium did not affect tissue differentiation and considerably delayed NTHi or Mcat infection progression,allowing one to monitor host-pathogen interactions for up to three weeks. Notably,the use of these models,coupled with confocal and transmission electron microscopy,revealed unique features associated with NTHi and Mcat infection,highlighting persistence strategies including the formation of intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs) and surface-associated biofilm-like structures. Overall,this study demonstrates the possibility to perform long term host-pathogen investigations in vitro with the aim to define persistence mechanisms adopted by respiratory pathogens and individuate potential new vaccine targets. View Publication

Glioblastoma (GBM) poses a significant challenge in oncology and stands as the most aggressive form of brain cancer. A primary contributor to its relentless nature is the stem‐like cancer cells,called glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). GSCs have the capacity for self‐renewal and tumorigenesis,leading to frequent GBM recurrences and complicating treatment modalities. While natural killer (NK) cells exhibit potential in targeting and eliminating stem‐like cancer cells,their efficacy within the GBM microenvironment is limited due to constrained infiltration and function. To address this limitation,novel investigations focusing on boosting NK cell activity against GSCs are imperative. This study presents two streamlined image‐based assays assessing NK cell migration and cytotoxicity towards GSCs. It details protocols and explores the strengths and limitations of these methods. These assays could aid in identifying novel targets to enhance NK cell activity towards GSCs,facilitating the development of NK cell‐based immunotherapy for improved GBM treatment. View Publication

T cells protect tissues from cancer. Although investigations in mice showed that amino acids (AA) critically regulate T cell immunity,this remains poorly understood in humans. Here,we describe the AA composition of interstitial fluids in keratinocyte-derived skin cancers (KDSCs) and study the effect of AA on T cells using models of primary human cells and tissues. Gln contributed to ∼15% of interstitial AAs and promoted interferon gamma (IFN-γ),but not granzyme B (GzB) expression,in CD8 + T cells. Furthermore,the Toll-like receptor 7 agonist imiquimod (IMQ),a common treatment for KDSCs,down-regulated the metabolic gatekeepers c-MYC and mTORC1,as well as the AA transporter ASCT2 and intracellular Gln,Asn,Ala,and Asp in T cells. Reduced proliferation and IFN-γ expression,yet increased GzB,paralleled IMQ effects on AA. Finally,Gln was sufficient to promote IFN-γ-production in IMQ-treated T cells. Our findings indicate that Gln metabolism can be harnessed for treating KDSCs. Subject areas: Dermatology,Immunology View Publication

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a specific subpopulation of cancer cells with the ability of self‐renewal,infinite proliferation,multidifferentiation and tumorigenicity,and play critical roles in cancer progression and treatment resistance. CSCs are tightly regulated by the tumor microenvironment,such as hypoxia; however,how hypoxia regulates CSCs in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. The proportion of ALDH hi cells was examined using the Aldefluor assay. Tankyrase inhibitor XAV939 and siRNA were used to inhibit β‐catenin while pcDNA3‐β‐catenin (S33Y) plasmid enhanced the expression of β‐catenin. Western blot was administered for protein detection. The mRNA expression was measured by quantitative real‐time PCR. We found that hypoxia led to an increase in the proportion of ALDH hi cells in lung squamous carcinoma (LUSC) H520 cells,while causing a decrease in the ALDH hi cell proportion in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) A549 cells. Similarly,β‐catenin expression was upregulated in H520 cells but downregulated in A549 cells upon exposure to hypoxia. Mechanically,the proportion of ALDH hi cells in both cell lines was decreased by β‐catenin inhibitor or siRNA knockdown,whereas increased after β‐catenin overexpression. Furthermore,hypoxia treatment suppressed E‐cadherin expression in H520 cells and enhanced N‐cadherin and β‐catenin expression,while this effect was completely opposite in A549 cells. The hypoxia‐EMT‐β‐catenin axis functions as an important regulator for the proportion of CSCs in NSCLC and could potentially be explored as therapeutic targets in the future. View Publication

The transition of naive T lymphocytes into antigenically activated effector cells is associated with a metabolic shift from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis. This shift facilitates production of the key anti-tumor cytokine interferon (IFN)-γ; however,an associated loss of mitochondrial efficiency in effector T cells ultimately limits anti-tumor immunity. Memory phenotype (MP) T cells are a newly recognized subset that arises through homeostatic activation signals following hematopoietic transplantation. We show here that human CD4 + MP cell differentiation is associated with increased glycolytic and oxidative metabolic activity,but MP cells retain less compromised mitochondria compared to effector CD4 + T cells,and their IFN-γ response is less dependent on glucose and more reliant on glutamine. MP cells also produced IFN-γ more efficiently in response to weak T cell receptor (TCR) agonism than effectors and mediated stronger responses to transformed B cells. MP cells may thus be particularly well suited to carry out sustained immunosurveillance against neoplastic cells. Subject areas: immunity,cell biology View Publication

Solid cancers Myeloid cells are prevalent in solid cancers,but they frequently exhibit an anti-inflammatory pro-tumor phenotype that contribute to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME),which hinders the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies. Myeloid cells’ natural ability of tumor trafficking makes engineered myeloid cell therapy an intriguing approach to tackle the challenges posed by solid cancers,including tumor infiltration,tumor cell heterogenicity and the immunosuppressive TME. One such engineering approach is to target the checkpoint molecule PD-L1,which is often upregulated by solid cancers to evade immune responses. Here we devised an adoptive cell therapy strategy based on myeloid cells expressing a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-like immune receptor (CARIR). The extracellular domain of CARIR is derived from the natural inhibitory receptor PD-1,while the intracellular domain(s) are derived from CD40 and/or CD3ζ. To assess the efficacy of CARIR-engineered myeloid cells,we conducted proof-of-principle experiments using co-culture and flow cytometry-based phagocytosis assays in vitro. Additionally,we employed a fully immune-competent syngeneic tumor mouse model to evaluate the strategy’s effectiveness in vivo. Co-culturing CARIR-expressing human monocytic THP-1 cells with PD-L1 expressing target cells lead to upregulation of the costimulatory molecule CD86 along with expression of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-1α and IL-1β. Moreover,CARIR expression significantly enhanced phagocytosis of multiple PD-L1 expressing cancer cell lines in vitro. Similar outcomes were observed with CARIR-expressing human primary macrophages. In experiments conducted in syngeneic BALB/c mice bearing 4T1 mammary tumors,infusing murine myeloid cells that express a murine version of CARIR significantly slowed tumor growth and prolonged survival. Taken together,these results demonstrate that adoptive transfer of PD-1 CARIR-engineered myeloid cells represents a promising strategy for treating PD-L1 positive solid cancers. View Publication

Solar ultraviolet (sUV) exposure is known to cause skin damage. However,the pathological mechanisms of sUV on hair follicles have not been extensively explored. Here,we established a model of sUV-exposed skin and its appendages using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived skin organoids with planar morphology containing hair follicles. Our model closely recapitulated several symptoms of photodamage,including skin barrier disruption,extracellular matrix degradation,and inflammatory response. Specifically,sUV induced structural damage and catagenic transition in hair follicles. As a potential therapeutic agent for hair follicles,we applied exosomes isolated from human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells to sUV-exposed organoids. As a result,exosomes effectively alleviated inflammatory responses by inhibiting NF-κB activation,thereby suppressing structural damage and promoting hair follicle regeneration. Ultimately,our model provided a valuable platform to mimic skin diseases,particularly those involving hair follicles,and to evaluate the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of potential therapeutics. View Publication

Glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is a chaperone protein that is a central mediator of the unfolded protein response,a key cellular stress response pathway. GRP78 has been shown to be critically required for infection and replication of a number of flaviviruses,and to interact with both non-structural (NS) and structural flavivirus proteins. However,the nature of the specific interaction between GRP78 and viral proteins remains largely unknown. This study aimed to characterize the binding domain and critical amino acid residues that mediate the interaction of GRP78 to ZIKV E and NS1 proteins. Recombinant EGFP fused GRP78 and individual subdomains (the nucleotide binding domain (NBD) and the substrate binding domain (SBD)) were used as a bait protein and co-expressed with full length or truncated ZIKV E and NS1 proteins in HEK293T/17 cells. Protein–protein interactions were determined by a co-immunoprecipitation assay. From the results,both the NBD and the SBD of GRP78 were crucial for an effective interaction. Single amino acid substitutions in the SBD showed that R492E and T518A mutants significantly reduced the binding affinity of GRP78 to ZIKV E and NS1 proteins. Notably,the interaction of GRP78 with ZIKV E was stably maintained against various single amino acid substitutions on ZIKV E domain III and with all truncated ZIKV E and NS1 proteins. Collectively,the results suggest that the principal binding between GRP78 and viral proteins is mainly a classic canonical chaperone protein-client interaction. The blocking of GRP78 chaperone function effectively inhibited ZIKV infection and replication in neuronal progenitor cells. Our findings reveal that GRP78 is a potential host target for anti-ZIKV therapeutics. View Publication

Leigh syndrome French Canadian type (LSFC) is a recessive neurodegenerative disease characterized by tissue-specific deficiency in cytochrome c oxidase (COX),the fourth complex in the oxidative phosphorylation system. LSFC is caused by mutations in the leucine rich pentatricopeptide repeat containing gene ( LRPPRC ). Most LSFC patients in Quebec are homozygous for an A354V substitution that causes a decrease in the expression of the LRPPRC protein. While LRPPRC is ubiquitously expressed and is involved in multiple cellular functions,tissue-specific expression of LRPPRC and COX activity is correlated with clinical features. In this proof-of-principle study,we developed human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based models from fibroblasts taken from a patient with LSFC,homozygous for the LRPPRC *354V allele,and from a control,homozygous for the LRPPRC *A354 allele. Specifically,for both of these fibroblast lines we generated hiPSC,hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) and hepatocyte-like cell (hiPSC-HLCs) lines,as well as the three germ layers. We observed that LRPPRC protein expression is reduced in all cell lines/layers derived from LSFC patient compared to control cells,with a reduction ranging from ∼70% in hiPSC-CMs to undetectable levels in hiPSC-HLC,reflecting tissue heterogeneity observed in patient tissues. We next performed exploratory analyses of these cell lines and observed that COX protein expression was reduced in all cell lines derived from LSFC patient compared to control cells. We also observed that mutant LRPPRC was associated with altered expression of key markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress response in hiPSC-HLCs but not in other cell types that were tested. While this demonstrates feasibility of the approach to experimentally study genotype-based differences that have tissue-specific impacts,this study will need to be extended to a larger number of patients and controls to not only validate the current observations but also to delve more deeply in the pathogenic mechanisms of LSFC. View Publication

Early childhood tumours arise from transformed embryonic cells,which often carry large copy number alterations (CNA). However,it remains unclear how CNAs contribute to embryonic tumourigenesis due to a lack of suitable models. Here we employ female human embryonic stem cell (hESC) differentiation and single-cell transcriptome and epigenome analysis to assess the effects of chromosome 17q/1q gains,which are prevalent in the embryonal tumour neuroblastoma (NB). We show that CNAs impair the specification of trunk neural crest (NC) cells and their sympathoadrenal derivatives,the putative cells-of-origin of NB. This effect is exacerbated upon overexpression of MYCN,whose amplification co-occurs with CNAs in NB. Moreover,CNAs potentiate the pro-tumourigenic effects of MYCN and mutant NC cells resemble NB cells in tumours. These changes correlate with a stepwise aberration of developmental transcription factor networks. Together,our results sketch a mechanistic framework for the CNA-driven initiation of embryonal tumours. Subject terms: Paediatric cancer,Stem cells,Disease model,Cancer genomics,Embryonal neoplasms View Publication