Acquired drug resistance prevents targeted cancer therapy from achieving stable and complete responses. Emerging evidence implicates a key role for nonmutational mechanisms including changes in cell state during early stages of acquired drug resistance. Targeting nonmutational resistance may therefore present a therapeutic opportunity to eliminate residual surviving tumor cells and impede relapse. A variety of cancer cell lines harbor quiescent, reversibly drug-tolerant “persister” cells which survive cytotoxic drugs including targeted therapies and chemotherapies. These persister cells survive drug through nonmutational mechanisms which are poorly understood. Specifically targeting persister cells is a promising strategy to prevent tumor relapse. We sought to identify therapeutically exploitable vulnerabilities in persister cells using the HER2-amplified breast cancer line BT474 as an experimental model. Similar to other persister cell models, upon treatment with the HER2 inhibitor lapatinib (2uM concentration) for nine or more days, the majority of BT474 cells die, revealing a small population of quiescent surviving persister cells. Removal of lapatinib allows the persister cells to regrow and to re-acquire sensitivity to lapatinib. Subsequent lapatinib treatment re-derives persister cells. The reversibility of persister cell drug resistance indicates a nonmutational resistance mechanism. Here we provide RNAseq gene expression profiling data generated from parental BT474 cells compared to BT474 persister cells generated from nine days of treatment with 2 uM lapatinib. These data can be used to identify genes and pathways which are upregulated in persister cells, revealing potential therapeutic targets. Overall design: 3 biological replicates of BT474 persister cells, two biological replicates of BT474 parental cells
Drug-tolerant persister cancer cells are vulnerable to GPX4 inhibition.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesIntroduction: Infiltration of cancers by T-cells is associated with improved patient survival and response to immune therapies; however, optimal approaches to induce T-cell infiltration of tumors are not known. This study tests the hypothesis that topical treatment of melanoma metastases with the TLR7 agonist imiquimod treatment plus administration of a multipeptide cancer vaccine will improve immune cell infiltration of melanoma metastases. Patients and Methods: Eligible patients were immunized with a vaccine comprised of 12 melanoma peptides and a tetanus toxoid-derived helper peptide, and imiquimod was applied topically to tumors daily. Adverse events (AE; CTCAE v4.03) were recorded and effects on the tumor microenvironment (TME) were evaluated from sequential tumor biopsies. T-cell responses were assessed by IFNgamma ELIspot assay, and T-cell tetramer staining. Patient tumors were evaluated for immune cell infiltration, cytokine and chemokine production, and gene expression. Results and Conclusions: Four eligible patients were enrolled, and administration of imiquimod and vaccination was well tolerated in these patients. Circulating T-cell responses to the vaccine were detected by ex vivo ELIspot assay in 3 of 4 patients. Treatment of metastases with imiquimod induced immune cell infiltration and favorable gene signatures in the patients with circulating T-cell responses. This study supports further study of topical imiquimod combined with vaccines or other immune therapies for the treatment of melanoma. Precis: This clinical trial tested topical application of imiquimod to melanoma metastases combined with a melanoma vaccine. The regimen dramatically upregulated immune rejection gene signatures in melanoma metastases and increased T-cell infiltrate.
Topical treatment of melanoma metastases with imiquimod, plus administration of a cancer vaccine, promotes immune signatures in the metastases.
Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage
View SamplesCD34+ human cord blood-derived cells were subjected to GFP mRNA delivery or mock treatment using Centrifugation enhanced Nanostraw Transfection (CeNT) or conventional electroporation.
Efficient and nontoxic biomolecule delivery to primary human hematopoietic stem cells using nanostraws.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesCastrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is poorly characterized and heterogeneous and while the androgen receptor (AR) is of singular importance in early prostate cancer, other factors such as c-Myc and the E2F family also play a role in later stage disease. Hes6 is a transcription co-factor that has been associated with neurogenesis during gastrulation, a neuroendocrine phenotype in the prostate and metastasis in breast cancer but its role in prostate cancer remains uncertain. Here we show that Hes6 is controlled by c-Myc and AR and drives castration resistance in prostate cancer. Hes6 activates a cell-cycle enhancing transcriptional network that maintains tumour growth and nuclear AR localization in castrate conditions. We show aphysical interaction between E2F1 and both Hes6 and AR, and suggest a co-dependency of these transcription factors in castration-resistance. In the clinical setting, we have uncovered a Hes6-associated signature that predicts poor outcome in prostate cancer, which can be pharmacologically targeted. We have therefore shown for the first time the critical role of Hes6 in the development of CRPC and identified its potential in patient specific therapeutic strategies.
HES6 drives a critical AR transcriptional programme to induce castration-resistant prostate cancer through activation of an E2F1-mediated cell cycle network.
Specimen part, Disease, Cell line
View SamplesHes6 is a transcription co-factor that is associated with stem cell characteristics in neural tissue, but its role in cancer remains uncertain. Here we show that Hes6 is controlled by c-Myc and the AR and can drive castration resistance in xenografts of the androgen-dependent LNCaP prostate cancer cell line model. Hes6 activates a cell cycle enhancing transcriptional network that maintains tumour growth in the absence of circulating androgen but with maintained nuclear AR. We demonstrate interaction between E2F1, the AR and Hes6 and show the co-dependency of these factors in the castration-resistant setting. In the clinical setting, we have discovered a Hes6-associated signature that predicts poor outcome in prostate cancer, which could be pharmacologically targeted.
HES6 drives a critical AR transcriptional programme to induce castration-resistant prostate cancer through activation of an E2F1-mediated cell cycle network.
Cell line
View SamplesThe study shows that RLRs drive distinct immune gene activation and polarization of the immune response. In our data, the RLR-dependent, WNV-induced immune response polarization overshadows the classical drivers of viral innate immune responses, interferon I (IFN) and IFN-stimulated genes, thus underscoring the importance of innate immune activation for channeling the adaptive immune system into specific effector pathways Overall design: We conducted genome-wide RNAseq and bioinformatics analysis of WNV infection in bone marrow derived macrophages from the RLR-deficient mice.
RIG-I-like receptors direct inflammatory macrophage polarization against West Nile virus infection.
Specimen part, Subject, Time
View SamplesMechanosensory hair cells (HCs) are the primary receptors of our senses of hearing and balance. However, very little is known about the transcriptional regulators involved in HC fate determination and differentiation. In this paper, we show that expression of three HC lineage-specific transcription factors: Gfi1, Pou4f3 and Atoh1, can induce a direct commitment towards HC fate during in vitro embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation. Induced HCs (iHCs) express numerous HC-specific genes and exhibit polarized membrane protusions reminiscent of stereociliary bundles.
Generation of sensory hair cells by genetic programming with a combination of transcription factors.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesWest Nile virus (WNV) is the most important cause of endemic encephalitis in the USA. Strikingly, only a small percentage of patients develop clinical disease and of these patients, approximately 1 out of 150 patients develops encephalitis. The basis for this great variability in disease outcome is unknown, but may be related to the innate immune response. Innate immune responses, critical for control of WNV infection, are initiated by signaling through pathogen recognition receptors (PRR) such as RIG-I and MDA5. IPS-1 is a key adaptor in generating a PRR-dependent interferon response.. Here we show that IPS-1 deficiency in hematopoietic cells resulted in increased mortality and delayed WNV clearance from the brain. In IPS-1-/- mice, a dysregulated immune response was detected, characterized by a massive influx of macrophages and virus-specific T cells into the infected brain. These T cells were multifunctional and were able to lyse peptide-pulsed target cells in vitro. However, virus-specific T cells in the infected IPS-1-/- brain exhibited lower functional avidity than those in C57BL/6 brains, possibly contributing to less efficient virus clearance. The presence of virus-specific memory T cells was also not protective. We also show that macrophages were increased in numbers in the IPS-1-/- brain. Both macrophages and microglia exhibited an activated phenotype. Microarray analyses showed the preferential upregulation of genes associated with leukocyte activation and inflammation. Together, these results demonstrate the critical role that hematopoietic cell expression of Type 1 interferon and other IPS-1-dependent molecules have in WNV clearance and in regulating the inflammatory response.
MAVS Expressed by Hematopoietic Cells Is Critical for Control of West Nile Virus Infection and Pathogenesis.
Specimen part, Time
View SamplesPolycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) has been shown to play a key role in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) function. Analyses of mouse mutants harboring deletions of core components have implicated PRC2 in fine-tuning multiple pathways that instruct HSPC behavior, yet how PRC2 is targeted to specific genomic loci within HSPCs remains unknown. Here we use shRNA-mediated knockdown to survey the function of known PRC2 accessory factors in HSPCs by testing the competitive reconstitution capacity of transduced murine fetal liver cells. We find that similar to the phenotype observed upon depletion of core subunit Suz12, depleting Jarid2 enhances the competitive transplantation capacity of both fetal and adult, mouse and human HSPCs. Gene expression profiling revealed common Suz12 and Jarid2 target genes that are enriched for the H3K27me3 mark established by PRC2. These data implicate Jarid2 as an important component of PRC2 that has a central role in coordinating HSPC function. Overall design: RNA-seq of jarid knockdown, suz knockdown and control from HSPC in 16 week old mice.
Jarid2 regulates hematopoietic stem cell function by acting with polycomb repressive complex 2.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWNT signaling is critical in most aspects of skeletal development and homeostasis, and antagonists of WNT signaling are emergning as key regulatory proteins with great promise as therapeutic agents for bone disorders. Until recently Sost and its paralog Sostdc1 have been described as growth factors with highly restricted expression in the adult where Sost was assumed 'osteocyte-' and Sostdc1 'kidney-' specific. Here we show that these two proteins emerged throgh ancestral genome duplication and their expression patterns have diverged to span complimentary domains in most organ systems including musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, nervous, digestive, reproductive and respiratory. In the developing limb, Sost and Sostdc1 display dynamic expression patterns with Sost being restricted to the distal ectoderm and Sostdc1 to the proximal ectoderm and the mesenchyme.
Sost and its paralog Sostdc1 coordinate digit number in a Gli3-dependent manner.
Specimen part
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