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TET enzymes are dioxygenases that promote DNA demethylation by oxidizing the methyl group of 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Here,we report a close correspondence between 5hmC-marked regions,chromatin accessibility and enhancer activity in B cells,and a strong enrichment for consensus binding motifs for basic region-leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors at TET-responsive genomic regions. Functionally,Tet2 and Tet3 regulate class switch recombination (CSR) in murine B cells by enhancing expression of Aicda,which encodes the activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) enzyme essential for CSR. TET enzymes deposit 5hmC,facilitate DNA demethylation,and maintain chromatin accessibility at two TET-responsive enhancer elements,TetE1 and TetE2,located within a superenhancer in the Aicda locus. Our data identify the bZIP transcription factor,ATF-like (BATF) as a key transcription factor involved in TET-dependent Aicda expression. 5hmC is not deposited at TetE1 in activated Batf-deficient B cells,indicating that BATF facilitates TET recruitment to this Aicda enhancer. Our study emphasizes the importance of TET enzymes for bolstering AID expression and highlights 5hmC as an epigenetic mark that captures enhancer dynamics during cell activation. View Publication

Human pluripotent cell lines hold enormous promise for the development of cell-based therapies. Safety,however,is a crucial prerequisite condition for clinical applications. Numerous groups have attempted to eliminate potentially harmful cells through the use of suicide genes1,but none has quantitatively defined the safety level of transplant therapies. Here,using genome-engineering strategies,we demonstrate the protection of a suicide system from inactivation in dividing cells. We created a transcriptional link between the suicide gene herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) and a cell-division gene (CDK1); this combination is designated the safe-cell system. Furthermore,we used a mathematical model to quantify the safety level of the cell therapy as a function of the number of cells that is needed for the therapy and the type of genome editing that is performed. Even with the highly conservative estimates described here,we anticipate that our solution will rapidly accelerate the entry of cell-based medicine into the clinic. View Publication

Reduced quantity and quality of stem cells in aged individuals hinders cardiac repair and regeneration after injury. We used young bone marrow (BM) stem cell antigen 1 (Sca-1) cells to reconstitute aged BM and rejuvenate the aged heart,and examined the underlying molecular mechanisms. BM Sca-1+ or Sca-1- cells from young (2-3 months) or aged (18-19 months) GFP transgenic mice were transplanted into lethally irradiated aged mice to generate 4 groups of chimeras: young Sca-1+,young Sca-1-,old Sca-1+,and old Sca-1- . Four months later,expression of rejuvenation-related genes (Bmi1,Cbx8,PNUTS,Sirt1,Sirt2,Sirt6) and proteins (CDK2,CDK4) was increased along with telomerase activity and telomerase-related protein (DNA-PKcs,TRF-2) expression,whereas expression of senescence-related genes (p16INK4a,P19ARF,p27Kip1 ) and proteins (p16INK4a,p27Kip1 ) was decreased in Sca-1+ chimeric hearts,especially in the young group. Host cardiac endothelial cells (GFP- CD31+ ) but not cardiomyocytes were the primary cell type rejuvenated by young Sca-1+ cells as shown by improved proliferation,migration,and tubular formation abilities. C-X-C chemokine CXCL12 was the factor most highly expressed in homed donor BM (GFP+ ) cells isolated from young Sca-1+ chimeric hearts. Protein expression of Cxcr4,phospho-Akt,and phospho-FoxO3a in endothelial cells derived from the aged chimeric heart was increased,especially in the young Sca-1+ group. Reconstitution of aged BM with young Sca-1+ cells resulted in effective homing of functional stem cells in the aged heart. These young,regenerative stem cells promoted aged heart rejuvenation through activation of the Cxcl12/Cxcr4 pathway of cardiac endothelial cells. View Publication

Both targeted therapy and immunotherapy have been used successfully to treat melanoma,but the development of resistance and poor response rates to the individual therapies has limited their success. Designing rational combinations of targeted therapy and immunotherapy may overcome these obstacles,but requires assessment in preclinical models with the capacity to respond to both therapeutic classes. Herein,we describe the development and characterization of a novel,immunogenic variant of the BrafV600ECdkn2a-/-Pten-/- YUMM1.1 tumor model that expresses the immunogen,ovalbumin (YOVAL1.1). We demonstrate that,unlike parental tumors,YOVAL1.1 tumors are immunogenic in vivo and can be controlled by immunotherapy. Importantly,YOVAL1.1 tumors are sensitive to targeted inhibitors of BRAFV600E and MEK,responding in a manner consistent with human BRAFV600E melanoma. The YOVAL1.1 melanoma model is transplantable,immunogenic and sensitive to clinical therapies,making it a valuable platform to guide strategic development of combined targeted therapy and immunotherapy approaches in BRAFV600E melanoma. View Publication

Myeloid leukemia in Down syndrome (ML-DS) clonally evolves from transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM),a preleukemic condition in DS newborns. To define mechanisms of leukemic transformation,we combined exome and targeted resequencing of 111 TAM and 141 ML-DS samples with functional analyses. TAM requires trisomy 21 and truncating mutations in GATA1; additional TAM variants are usually not pathogenic. By contrast,in ML-DS,clonal and subclonal variants are functionally required. We identified a recurrent and oncogenic hotspot gain-of-function mutation in myeloid cytokine receptor CSF2RB. By a multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 screen in an in vivo murine TAM model,we tested loss-of-function of 22 recurrently mutated ML-DS genes. Loss of 18 different genes produced leukemias that phenotypically,genetically,and transcriptionally mirrored ML-DS. View Publication

Rapidly proliferating cells are highly sensitive to ionizing radiation and can undergo apoptosis if the oxidative and genotoxic injury exceed the defensive and regenerative capacity of the cell. Our earlier work has established the antiapoptotic action of the growth factor-like lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). Activation of the LPA2 GPCR has been hypothesized to elicit antiapoptotic and regenerative actions of LPA. Based on this hypothesis we developed a novel nonlipid agonist of LPA2,which we designated Radioprotectin-1 (RP-1). We tested RP-1 at the six murine LPA GPCR subtypes using the transforming growth factor alpha shedding assay and found that it had a 25 nM EC50 that is similar to that of LPA18:1 at 32 nM. RP-1 effectively reduced apoptosis induced by gamma-irradiation and the radiomimetic drug Adriamycin only in cells that expressed LPA2 either endogenously or after transfection. RP-1 reduced gamma-H2AX levels in irradiated mouse embryonic fibroblasts transduced with the human LPA2 GPCR but was ineffective in vector transduced MEF control cells and significantly increased clonogenic survival after gamma-irradiation. gamma-Irradiation induced the expression of lpar2 transcripts that was further enhanced by RP-1 exposure within 30 min after irradiation. RP-1 decreased the mortality of C57BL/6 mice in models of the hematopoietic and gastrointestinal acute radiation syndromes. Using Lgr5-EGFP-CreER;Tdtomatoflox transgenic mice,we found that RP-1 increased the survival and growth of intestinal enteroids via the enhanced survival of Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells. Taken together,our results suggest that the LPA2-specific agonist RP-1 exerts its radioprotective and radiomitigative action through specific activation of the upregulated LPA2 GPCR in Lgr5+ stem cells. View Publication

Deregulation of the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway is found in cancer with STAT5A/B controlling leukemic cell survival and disease progression. As mutations in STAT5B,but not STAT5A,have been frequently described in hematopoietic tumors,we used BCR/ABL as model systems to investigate the contribution of STAT5A or STAT5B for leukemogenesis. The absence of STAT5A decreased cell survival and colony formation. Even more drastic effects were observed in the absence of STAT5B. STAT5B-deficient cells formed BCR/ABL+ colonies or stable cell lines at low frequency. The rarely evolving Stat5b-/- cell lines expressed enhanced levels of BCR/ABL oncoprotein compared to wild-type cells. In line,Stat5b-/- leukemic cells induced leukemia with a significantly prolonged disease onset,whereas Stat5a-/- cells rapidly caused a fatal disease superimposable to wild-type cells. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) profiling revealed a marked enhancement of interferon (IFN)-alpha and IFN-gamma signatures in Stat5b-/- cells. Inhibition of IFN responses rescued BCR/ABL+ colony formation of Stat5b-/--deficient cells. A downregulated IFN response was also observed in patients suffering from leukemia carrying STAT5B mutations. Our data define STAT5B as major STAT5 isoform driving BCR/ABL+ leukemia. STAT5B enables transformation by suppressing IFN-alpha/gamma,thereby facilitating leukemogenesis. Our findings might help explain the high frequency of STAT5B mutations in hematopoietic tumors. View Publication

Development of targeted cancer therapy requires a thorough understanding of mechanisms of tumorigenesis as well as mechanisms of action of therapeutics. This is challenging because by the time patients are diagnosed with cancer,early events of tumorigenesis have already taken place. Similarly,development of cancer immunotherapies is hampered by a lack of appropriate small animal models with autologous human tumor and immune system. In this article,we report the development of a mouse model of human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with autologous immune system for studying early events of human leukemogenesis and testing the efficacy of immunotherapeutics. To develop such a model,human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) are transduced with lentiviruses expressing a mutated form of nucleophosmin (NPM1),referred to as NPM1c. Following engraftment into immunodeficient mice,transduced HSPCs give rise to human myeloid leukemia,whereas untransduced HSPCs give rise to human immune cells in the same mice. The de novo AML,with CD123+ leukemic stem or initiating cells (LSC),resembles NPM1c+ AML from patients. Transcriptional analysis of LSC and leukemic cells confirms similarity of the de novo leukemia generated in mice with patient leukemia and suggests Myc as a co-operating factor in NPM1c-driven leukemogenesis. We show that a bispecific conjugate that binds both CD3 and CD123 eliminates CD123+ LSCs in a T cell-dependent manner both in vivo and in vitro. These results demonstrate the utility of the NPM1c+ AML model with an autologous immune system for studying early events of human leukemogenesis and for evaluating efficacy and mechanism of immunotherapeutics. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived intestinal organoids (hIOs) form 3D structures organized into crypt and villus domains,making them an excellent in vitro model system for studying human intestinal development and disease. However,hPSC-derived hIOs still require in vivo maturation to fully recapitulate adult intestine,with the mechanism of maturation remaining elusive. Here,we show that the co-culture with human T lymphocytes induce the in vitro maturation of hIOs,and identify STAT3-activating interleukin-2 (IL-2) as the major factor inducing maturation. hIOs exposed to IL-2 closely mimic the adult intestinal epithelium and have comparable expression levels of mature intestinal markers,as well as increased intestine-specific functional activities. Even after in vivo engraftment,in vitro-matured hIOs retain their maturation status. The results of our study demonstrate that STAT3 signaling can induce the maturation of hIOs in vitro,thereby circumventing the need for animal models and in vivo maturation. View Publication

In the inner ear,endolymph fluid surrounds the organ of Corti,which is important for auditory function; notably,even slight environmental changes mediated by trauma or infection can have significant consequences. However,it is unclear how the immune response is modulated in these tissues. Here,we report the local immune surveillance role of cleaved cochlin LCCL (Limulus factor C,Cochlin,and Lgl1) during Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in the cochlea. Upon infection,the LCCL domain is cleaved from cochlin and secreted into the perilymph. This cleaved fragment sequesters infiltrating bacteria in the scala tympani and subsequently recruits resident immune cells to eliminate the bacteria. Importantly,hearing loss in a cochlin knockout mouse model is remedied by treatment with a cochlin LCCL peptide. These findings suggest cleaved cochlin LCCL constitutes a critical factor in innate immunity and auditory function and may be a potential therapeutic target to treat chronic otitis media-induced hearing loss. View Publication