Non-tumor-reactive T cells are characterized by the inabilitzy to lyse autologous tumor cells, low to intermediate avidity TCRs and lack of NY-ESO-1 peptide tetramer binding. However most strikingly, non-tumor-reactive T cells are characterized by a molecular program associated with division arrest anergy with elevated expression of the inhibitory molecule p27kip1. This is accompanied by elevated expression of inhibitory molecules and reduced levels of transcription factors involved in T cell activation. Frequency analysis of the inhibited T cell population using the established molecular fingerprint as a novel biomarker might be applied for cancer vaccine development and optimization.
Cancer vaccine enhanced, non-tumor-reactive CD8(+) T cells exhibit a distinct molecular program associated with "division arrest anergy".
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View SamplesBased on studies in knockout mice, several inhibitory factors such as TGF-beta, IL-10, or CTLA-4 have been implicated as gate keepers of adaptive immune responses. Lack of these inhibitory molecules leads to massive inflammatory responses mainly mediated by activated T cells. In humans, the integration of these inhibitory signals for keeping T cells at a resting state is less well understood. To elucidate this regulatory network we assessed early genome-wide transcriptional changes during serum deprivation in human mature CD4+ T cells. The most striking observation was a "TGF-beta loss signature" defined by downregulation of many known TGF-beta target genes. Moreover, numerous novel TGF-beta target genes were identified that are under the suppressive control of TGF-beta. Expression of these genes was upregulated once TGF-beta signaling was lost during serum deprivation and again suppressed upon TGF-beta reconstitution. Constitutive TGF-beta signaling was corroborated by demonstrating phosphorylated SMAD2/3 in resting human CD4+ T cells in situ, which were dephosphorylated during serum deprivation and re-phosphorylated by minute amounts of TGF-beta. Loss of TGF-beta signaling was particularly important for T cell proliferation induced by low-level T cell receptor and costimulatory signals. We suggest TGF-beta to be the most prominent factor actively keeping human CD4+ T cells at a resting state.
Human resting CD4+ T cells are constitutively inhibited by TGF beta under steady-state conditions.
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View SamplesBackground: Development of target specific therapeutics greatly benefits from simultaneous identification of biomarkers to determine aspects of bioactivity, drug safety and efficacy or even treatment outcome. This is particularly important when targeting pleiotropic factors such as the TGFbeta system. TGFbeta has become a prime target for cancer therapeutics since inhibition of TGFbeta signaling simultaneously attacks the tumor and its microenvironment. Methods: Here we introduce blood transcriptomics followed by a defined set of validation assays as a promising approach to identify novel biomarkers for monitoring TGFbeta therapy. Findings: Our initial genome-wide analysis of transcription in peripheral blood revealed 12 candidate genes specifically regulated in peripheral blood by the TGFbeta receptor I kinase inhibitor LY2109761. In subsequent in vitro and in vivo molecular and immunological analyses, the combined monitoring of gene regulation of three genes, namely TMEPAI, OCIAD2, and SMAD7 was established as novel biomarkers for anti-TGFbeta based therapies. Interpretation: Overall, the proposed algorithm of biomarker identification is easily adapted towards other drug candidates for which gene regulation can be established in peripheral blood.
Application of T cell-based transcriptomics to identify three candidate biomarkers for monitoring anti-TGFbetaR therapy.
Specimen part
View SamplesHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cause of cancer related death. NAFLD affects a large proportion of the US population. Its incidence and prevalence are increasing to epidemic proportions around the world and is known to increase the risk of HCC. We studied how intrahepatic lipids affect adaptive immunity and HCC development in different murine models of NASH and HCC. Linoleic acid, a fatty acid found in NAFLD caused a selective loss of hepatic CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells leading to accelerated hepatocarcinogenesis. CD4+ T cells were more dependent on oxidative phosphorylation for energy source than CD8+ T cells, and disruption of oxidative phosphorylation by linoleic acid caused more severe damage in CD4+ T cells leading to selective loss of these cells. In vivo blockade of ROS using n-acetylcysteine reversed the NASH-induced hepatic CD4+ T cell decrease and delayed NASH-promoted HCC. Our results provide a new link between lipid metabolism and impaired anti-tumor surveillance.
NAFLD causes selective CD4(+) T lymphocyte loss and promotes hepatocarcinogenesis.
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View SamplesIn this study, mRNA expression profiles of 113 primary untreated human neuroblastoma samples were compared with the aim to identify prognostic exon and gene sets as well as parameters associated with alternative exon use. The primary neuroblastoma specimens were from tumor banks in Cologne or Essen, Germany, Ghent, Belgium and Valencia, Spain. All patients were diagnosed between 1998 and 2007 and treated according to the German Neuroblastoma trials NB97, NB 2004 or the SIOPEN protocol.
Smac mimetic LBW242 sensitizes XIAP-overexpressing neuroblastoma cells for TNF-α-independent apoptosis.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesPurpose: To compare the transcriptome profiles (RNA-seq) of cultured human epididymis cells and tissue from the caput, corpus and cauda regions of the human epididymis. Methods: Human epididymis tissue was obtained with Institutional Review Board approval from 3 patients (UC05, UC06, UC09, range: 22 - 36 years) undergoing inguinal radical orchiectomy for a clinical diagnosis of testicular cancer. None of the epididymides had extension of the testicular cancer. The three anatomical regions: caput, corpus and cauda, were separated and segments of each snap frozen. Adult human epididymis epithelial (HEE) cultures were also established from tissue. RNA was extracted from both tissue and cultured HEE cells and RNA-seq libraries prepared (TruSeq RNA Sample Preparation Kit v2, Low-Throughput protocol, Illumina). Libraries were sequenced on Illumina HiSeq2500 machines. Data were analyzed using TopHat and Cufflinks. Results: Libraries generated ~19-39 million reads per library from the cells (95-99% mapping to the human genome) and ~14-39 million reads from the tissue samples (84-99% mapped). Raw reads were aligned to the genome with Tophat and gene expression values were processed using Cufflinks as Fragments Per Kilobase per Million mapped fragments (FPKM). FPKM values were subject to principle component analysis, which revealed that though caput, corpus and cauda cell samples respectively from UC05, UC06 and UC09 clustered together. RNA-seq data from the 3 biological replicas (UC05, UC06 and UC09) of caput, corpus and cauda were pooled for further analysis. Cufflinks was used to determine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between caput, corpus and cauda cells, combined from the 3 donors. The gene expression profiles of corpus and cauda are remarkably similar and both differ from the caput to a similar degree. We identified ~40 genes differentially expressed between corpus and cauda and more than 1600 DEGs between caput and cauda. The DEGs for each comparison (caput and corpus/cauda) were analysed using a gene ontology process enrichment analysis (DAVID, Huang et al., NAR 2009;37:1-13, Huang et al., 2009 Nat Prot 4:44-57). Conclusions: Here we describe an in depth analysis of the gene expression repertoire of primary cultures of epithelial cells and intact tissues from each region of the adult human epididymis. These data will be valuable to decipher pathways of normal epididymis function and aspects of epididymis disease that cause male infertility. Overall design: RNA-seq was performed on libraries generated from caput, corpus and cauda-derived cultured cells (passage 2 or 3) from 3 donors and on caput, corpus and cauda tissue from 2 of the same donors. Donor age range: 22 - 36 years.
Expression profiles of human epididymis epithelial cells reveal the functional diversity of caput, corpus and cauda regions.
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View SamplesHNF1a and HNF1ß recognize the same DNA consensus sequence in the genome, to which they bind as homodimers or heterodimers. Both factors share a high degree of homology their DNA binding and dimerization (N-terminus) regions but have a more divergent C-terminal transactivation domain. HNF1ß is essential for the generation of a functional male reproductive tract in mice and genital tract abnormalities are evident in humans with recessive mutations in HNF1ß. The functions of HNF1a and HNF1ß have been studied in epithelia from other several tissues (liver, kidney, intestine, and pancreas) but their role in the adult human epididymis epithelium (HEE) remains unexplored. We established that HNF1a/ß are expressed in caput HEE cells and are predicted to occupy cis-regulatory elements in these cells. To investigate the contribution of HNF1 in controlling gene expression in caput cells we performed siRNA-mediated depletion of HNF1a and HNF1ß together, followed by RNA-seq analysis. Three replicas of caput cells were transfected with the specific siRNAs or with a non-targeting control siRNA. RNA-seq after HNF1 depletion showed significant alterations in the expression of genes encoding ion channels and exchangers that are involved in controlling the luminal environment in the caput epididymis. Overall design: mRNA profiles from Caput HEE cells transfected with negative control (NC) or HNF1alpha and HNF1beta siRNA, in triplicate.
HNF1 regulates critical processes in the human epididymis epithelium.
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View SamplesLineage specific transcription factors (TF) define and reinforce tissue specific cell types. For instance, stable endoderm progenitors were established from human ESC by constitutive expression of SOX7 or SOX17. We hypothesized that combinatorial expression of OCT4, SOX2 and KLF4together with the neural-lineage TF, Zic3, could directly convert fibroblasts into stable neuronal progenitor cells (NPC). Ensuing colonies predominantly expressed genes present in human NPC, as demonstrated by genome wide transcriptional analysis, and this phenotype could be maintained through many passages. When injected in immunodeficient mice, Zic3-induced (Zi)NPC form neuroendocrine tumors without evidence of mesoderm or endoderm. In vitro, ZiNPC spontaneously differentiated to neural cells only, and could be differentiated into astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and motor neuron lineages. In conclusion, addition of Zic3 during induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) generation, allows for the derivation of stable neural lineage progenitor cells.
Zic3 induces conversion of human fibroblasts to stable neural progenitor-like cells.
Sex, Specimen part, Disease, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesC. elegans exhibit an age-dependent mechanical stress response to blunt force injury.
Trauma-induced regulation of VHP-1 modulates the cellular response to mechanical stress.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Estrogen receptor subtype beta2 is involved in neuromast development in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae.
No sample metadata fields
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