Staphylococcus aureus can cause serious skin, respiratory, and other life-threatening invasive infections in humans, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains have been acquiring increasing antibiotic resistance. While MRSA was once mainly considered a hospital-acquired infection, the emergence of new strains, some of which are pandemic, has resulted in community-acquired MRSA infections that often present as serious skin infections in otherwise healthy individuals. Accordingly, defining the mechanisms that govern the activation and regulation of the immune response to MRSA is clinically important and could lead to the discovery of much needed rational targets for therapeutic intervention. Because the cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoetin (TSLP) is highly expressed by keratinocytes of the skin3, we investigated its role in host-defense against MRSA. Here we demonstrate that TSLP acts on neutrophils to increase their killing of MRSA. In particular, we show that both mouse and human neutrophils express functional TSLP receptors. Strikingly, TSLP enhances mouse neutrophil killing of MRSA in both an in vitro whole blood killing assay and an in vivo skin infection model. Similarly, TSLP acts directly on purified human blood neutrophils to reduce MRSA burden. Unexpectedly, we demonstrate that TSLP mediates these effects both in vivo and in vitro by engaging the complement C5 system. Thus, TSLP increases MRSA killing in a neutrophil- and complement-dependent manner, revealing a key connection between TSLP and the innate complement system, with potentially important therapeutic implications for control of MRSA infection. Overall design: mRNA expression analysis. 16 samples are from 2 donors, 8 samples per donor, 2 time points (4hr and 16 hr), and 4 conditions (control, TSLP treated, Heat Killed MRSA treated, and TSLP+HKM treated) .
A TSLP-complement axis mediates neutrophil killing of methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesInterleukin-15 (IL-15) and IL-2 possess distinct immunological functions despite both signaling through IL-2Rß and the common cytokine receptor ?-chain, ?c, We find that in the IL-15/IL-15Ra/IL-2Rß/?c quaternary complex structure, IL-15 heterodimerizes IL-2Rß and ?c identically to the IL-2/IL-2Ra/IL-2Rß/?c complex, despite differing receptor-binding chemistries. IL-15Ra dramatically increases the affinity of IL-15 for IL-2Rß, and this allostery is required for IL-15 trans-signaling versus IL-2 cis-signaling. Consistent with the identical IL-2Rß/?c dimer geometry, IL-2 and IL-15 exhibited similar signaling properties in lymphocytes, with any differences resulting from disparate receptor affinities. Thus, IL-15 and IL-2 induce similar signals, and the cytokine-specificity of IL-2Ra versus IL-15Ra determines cellular responsiveness. These results provide important new insights for specific development of IL-15- versus IL-2-based immunotherapeutics. Overall design: RNA-Seq is conducted in mouse CD8+ T cells, not treated or treated with IL2 or IL15 for indicated concentrations (1nM or 500nM) and times (4hr or 24hr).
Mechanistic and structural insight into the functional dichotomy between IL-2 and IL-15.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesEffector cells for adoptive immunotherapy can be generated by in vitro stimulation of nave or memory subsets of CD8+ T cells. While the characteristics of CD8+ T cell subsets are well defined, the heritable influence of those populations on their effector cell progeny is not well understood. We studied effector cells generated from nave or central memory CD8+ T cells and found that they retained distinct gene expression signatures and developmental programs. Effector cells derived from central memory cells tended to retain their CD62L+ phenotype, but also to acquire KLRG1, an indicator of cellular senescence. In contrast, the effector cell progeny of nave cells displayed reduced terminal differentiation, and, following infusion, they displayed greater expansion, cytokine production, and tumor destruction. These data indicate that effector cells retain a gene expression imprint conferred by their nave or central memory progenitors, and they suggest a strategy for enhancing cancer immunotherapy.
Adoptively transferred effector cells derived from naive rather than central memory CD8+ T cells mediate superior antitumor immunity.
Specimen part
View SamplesPrimary mielofibrosis (PMF) is a rare chronic myeloproliferative disorder characterized by the accumulation of abnormal megakaryocytes (Mks) in the bone marrow (BM), variable degrees of BM fibrosis, osteosclerosis and angiogenesis, immature myeloid and erythroid cells, and tear-drop erythrocytes in the peripheral blood (PB), and extramedullary hematopoiesis. The identification of the JAK2V617F mutation represented a seminal discovery in the field of Philadelphia-chromosomenegative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), providing clues to the pathogenesis, prompting a revision of the diagnostic criteria, and culminating in the development of clinical trials with JAK2 (and JAK1) inhibitors. The JAK2V617F mutation occurs in almost all patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and in 50%-70% of those with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). Soon after the identification of the JAK2V617F mutation, mutations in JAK2 exon 12 were described in rare patients with JAK2V617F-negative PV and mutations in MPL were reported in 5%-10% of ET or PMF subjects. The complexity of the molecular pathogenesis of MPNs is reinforced by discovery of additional mutations in TET2, ASXL1, CBL, IDH1/IDH2, EZH2 and IKZF1. These mutations are detected in a minority of patients at different phases of the disorder, including leukemic transformation, and are variably associated each other and with JAK2 or MPL mutations.
Mutations and prognosis in primary myelofibrosis.
Specimen part, Disease
View SamplesUsing a mimic miR-200c was restored to an aggressive, Type 2 endometrial cancer cell line, Hec50
MicroRNA-200c mitigates invasiveness and restores sensitivity to microtubule-targeting chemotherapeutic agents.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesNrf2 is an important therapeutic target as activation of this pathway detoxifies harmful insults and reduces oxidative stress. However, the role of Nrf2 in cancer biology is controversial. Protection against oxidative stress and inflammation can confer a survival advantage to tumor cells, leading to a poor prognosis, and constitutive activation of Nrf2 has been detected in numerous tumors. In our study, we examined the role of two clinically relevant classes of Nrf2 activators, the synthetic triterpenoids (CDDO-Im and CDDO-Me) and dimethyl fumarate (DMF) in lung cancer.
Dimethyl fumarate and the oleanane triterpenoids, CDDO-imidazolide and CDDO-methyl ester, both activate the Nrf2 pathway but have opposite effects in the A/J model of lung carcinogenesis.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesTo identify signature genes associated with increased osteoblastic phenotype in response to co-culture of mesenchymal and neuroblastoma cells
Interaction between bone marrow stromal cells and neuroblastoma cells leads to a VEGFA-mediated osteoblastogenesis.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesTo compare hepatic gene expression in conditional Keap1 knockout (Alb-Cre:Keap1(flox/-)) and genetic control mice. Disruption of Keap1-mediated repression of Nrf2 signaling was expected to result in increased expression of Nrf2-regulated genes.
Genetic or pharmacologic amplification of nrf2 signaling inhibits acute inflammatory liver injury in mice.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is characterized by abundant desmoplasia and poor tissue perfusion. These features are proposed to limit access of therapies to neoplastic cells and blunt treatment efficacy. Indeed, several agents that target the PDA microenvironment promote chemotherapy delivery and improve anti-neoplastic responses in murine models of PDA. Here, we employed the FG-3019 monoclonal antibody directed against the pleiotropic matricellular signaling molecule connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2). FG-3019 treatment increased PDA cell killing and led to a dramatic tumor response without altering gemcitabine delivery. Microarray expression profiling revealed the down-regulation by FG-3019 of several anti-apoptotic transcripts, including the master regulator Xiap, down-regulation of which has been shown to sensitize PDA to gemcitabine. Decreases in XIAP protein by FG-3019 in the presence and absence of gemcitabine were confirmed by immunoblot, while increases in XIAP protein were seen in PDA cell lines treated with recombinant CTGF. Therefore, alterations in survival cues following targeting of tumor microenvironmental factors may play an important role in treatment responses in animal models and, by extension, PDA patients.
CTGF antagonism with mAb FG-3019 enhances chemotherapy response without increasing drug delivery in murine ductal pancreas cancer.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic fibrosing lung disease that is difficult to diagnose and follows an unpredictable clinical course. The object of this study was to develop a predictive gene signature model of IPF from whole lung tissue. We collected whole lung samples from 11 IPF patients undergoing diagnostic surgical biopsy or transplantation. Whenever possible, samples were obtained from different lobes. Normals consisted of healthy organs donated for transplantation. We measured gene expression on microarrays. Data were analyzed by hierarchical clustering and Principal Component Analysis. By this approach, we found that gene expression was similar in the upper and lower lobes of individuals with IPF. We also found that biopsied and explanted specimens contained different patterns of gene expression; therefore, we analyzed biopsies and explants separately. Signatures were derived by fitting top genes to a Bayesian probit regression model. We developed a 153-gene signature that discriminates IPF biopsies from normal. We also developed a 70-gene signature that discriminates IPF explants from normal. Both signatures were validated on an independent cohort. The IPF Biopsy signature correctly diagnosed 76% of the validation cases (p < 0.01), while IPF Explant correctly diagnosed 78% (p < 0.001). Examination of differentially expressed genes revealed partial overlap between IPF Biopsy and IPF Explant and almost no overlap with previously reported IPF gene lists. However, several overlapping genes may provide a basis for developing therapeutic targets.
Bayesian probit regression model for the diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis: proof-of-principle.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
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