We have developed an in vitro system of cancer cell redirection that employs the 1:50 ratio of cancer cells to normal cells. Using our in vitro system of cancer cell redirection we investigated the genetic profiles of erbB2-overexpressing mammary tumor-derived cells as they undergo the redirection phenomenon.
RNA Expression Profiling Reveals Differentially Regulated Growth Factor and Receptor Expression in Redirected Cancer Cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesWe expressed a constitutively active mutant of MEK5 (MEK5D) in human primary endothelial cells (EC) to study the transcriptional and functional responses to Erk5 activation under static conditions.
Erk5 activation elicits a vasoprotective endothelial phenotype via induction of Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4).
Cell line
View SamplesInflammation has a causal role in many cancers. In prostate cancers, epidemiological data suggest a link between prostatitis and subsequent cancer development, but a proof for this concept in a tumor model has been lacking. A constitutively active version of the IkappaB kinase 2 (IKK2), the molecule activated by a plethora of inflammatory stimuli, was expressed specifically in the prostate epithelium. Signaling of the IKK2/NF-kappaB axis was insufficient for transformation of prostate tissue. However, while PTEN+/- epithelia exhibited intraepithelial neoplasias only recognizable by nuclear alterations, additional IKK2 activation led to an increase in tumor size and formation of cribriform structures and to a fiber increase in the fibroblastic stroma. This phenotype was coupled with inflammation in the prostate gland characterized by infiltration of granulocytes and macrophages. Molecular characterization of the tissues showed a specific loss of smooth muscle markers as well as expression of chemokines attracting immune cells. Isolation of epithelial and stromal cells showed differential chemokine expression by these cells. Correlation studies showed the inflammatory phenotype coupled to loss of smooth muscle in infiltrated glands, but maintenance of the phenotype in glands where inflammation had decreased. Despite the loss of the smooth muscle barrier, tumors were not invasive in a stable genetic background. Data mining revealed that smooth muscle markers are downregulated in human prostate cancers and literature data show that loss of these markers in primary tumors is associated with subsequent metastasis. Our data show that loss of smooth muscle and invasiveness of the tumor are not coupled. Thus, inflammation during early steps of tumorigenesis can lead to increased tumor size and a potential change in the subsequent metastatic potential, but the tumor requires an additional transformation to become a carcinoma.
Persistent inflammation leads to proliferative neoplasia and loss of smooth muscle cells in a prostate tumor model.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesThe protease activity of the paracaspase MALT1 plays an important role in antigen receptor-mediated lymphocyte activation by controlling the activity of the transcription factor NF-kB and is thus essential for the expression of inflammatory target genes.
MALT1 Protease Activity Controls the Expression of Inflammatory Genes in Keratinocytes upon Zymosan Stimulation.
Treatment
View SamplesNext-generation sequencing (NGS) has significantly advanced the elucidation of developmental signaling mechanisms that are important for different cell lineage formation from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). We report here the application of RNA-sequencing technology for transcriptome profile of human primary and hPSC-derived epicardial cell, and compare to those of other cell lineages including hPSCs, mesoderm, cardiomcyotyes. Eight epicaridal cell samples from four different hPSC lines and four different donors were performed in IIIumina HiSeq2500. The resulting sequence reads (about 20 million reads per sample) were mapped to human genome (hg19) using HISAT, and the RefSeq transcript levels (RPKMs) were quantified using the python script rpkmforgenes.py. Our RNA-seq data confirmed the stable expression of key epicardial cell markers including WT1, TBX18, TCF21, ALDH1A2 and ZO1, and the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed enrichment in extracellular matrix related pathways and keratinocyte (epithelial) differentiation. Hierarchical clustering of differentially expressed genes uncovered several as yet uncharacterized genes that may contribute to epicardial function. This study represents the first detailed analysis of epicardial transcriptomes generated by RNA-seq technology, providing insight into the mechanisms underlying the differentiation of hPSCs into epicardial cells. Overall design: Epicardial transcriptome profiles of 8 different samples from 4 hPSC lines and donors were generated by RNA-seq technology using IIIumina HiSeq2500
Long-term self-renewing human epicardial cells generated from pluripotent stem cells under defined xeno-free conditions.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesCardiac fibroblasts (CFs) play critical roles in heart development, homeostasis, and disease. The limited availability of human CFs from native heart impedes investigations of CF biology and their role in disease. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) provide a highly renewable and genetically defined cell source, but efficient methods to generate CFs from hPSCs have not been described. Here, we show differentiation of hPSCs using sequential modulation of Wnt and FGF signaling to generate second heart field progenitors that efficiently give rise to hPSC-CFs. The hPSC-CFs resemble native heart CFs in cell morphology, proliferation, gene expression, fibroblast marker expression, production of extracellular matrix and myofibroblast transformation induced by TGFß1 and angiotensin II. Furthermore, hPSC-CFs exhibit a more embryonic phenotype when compared to fetal and adult primary human CFs. Co-culture of hPSC-CFs with hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes distinctly alters the electrophysiological properties (EP) of the cardiomyocytes compared to co-culture with dermal fibroblasts (DFs). The hPSC-CFs provide a powerful cell source for research, drug discovery, precision medicine, and therapeutic applications in cardiac regeneration. Overall design: We performed RNA-seq for hPSC-CFs, primary CFs and DFs to compare the gene expression for each type of fibroblasts. We also added the hPSC-CMs and hPSCs as the positive and negativ controls in the RNA-seq to compare the gene expression for cardaic factors. Five cell types (hPSC-CFs, human adult CFs and DFs, hPSC-CMs and hPSCs) with 2 biological replicates for each cell type of a total 10 samples were sequenced.
Functional cardiac fibroblasts derived from human pluripotent stem cells via second heart field progenitors.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesDiffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) represents the most common form of lymphoma. We could show that in DLBCL cell lines the transcription factor NFAT is constitutively activated and drives the survival of a DLBCL subset. Aim of the analysis was to identify NFAT target genes in a NFAT-dependent (HBL-1) or -independent (HT) DLBCL cell line. To block NFAT activity, the DLBCL cells were treated with the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA) up to 48 h. With this approach, we identified several survival-related NFAT target genes in HBL-1 cells that might explain the toxic effects of calcineurin inhibitors.
Targeting chronic NFAT activation with calcineurin inhibitors in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Treatment
View SamplesWe used microarrays to detail the global gene expression changes following apical infection of porcine choroid plexus epithelial cells (PCPEC) with Streptococcus suis (S. suis)
In vitro transcriptome analysis of porcine choroid plexus epithelial cells in response to Streptococcus suis: release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe objective of this study was to compare the transcriptional repertoire of mature human neutrophils before and after GM-CSF treatment by using oligonucleotide microarrays.
RhoH/TTF negatively regulates leukotriene production in neutrophils.
Specimen part
View SamplesDuring development, thymocytes bearing a moderately self-reactive T cell receptor (TCR) can be selected to become regulatory T (Treg) cells. Several observations suggest that also in the periphery mature Treg cells continuously receive self-reactive TCR signals. However, the importance of this inherent autoreactivity for Treg cell biology remains poorly defined.
Continuous T cell receptor signals maintain a functional regulatory T cell pool.
Specimen part
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