We applied Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) to miRNAs from blood samples of 48 AD (Alzheimer''s Disease) patients and 22 unaffected controls, yielding a total of 140 unique mature miRNAs with significantly changed expression level. Of these, 82 were higher and 58 lower abundant in samples from AD patients. We selected a panel of 12 miRNAs for a qRT-PCR analysis on a larger cohort of 202 samples including not only AD patients and healthy controls but also patients with other CNS illnesses: Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson''s Disease, Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Mild Cognitive Impairment, which is assumed to represent a transitional period before the development of AD. MiRNA target enrichment analysis of the selected 12 miRNAs indicated an involvement of miRNAs in nervous system development, neuron projection, neuron projection development, and neuron projection morphogenesis, respectively. Using this 12-miRNA signature we were able to differentiate between AD and controls with an accuracy of 93.3%, a specificity of 95.1%, and a sensitivity of 91.5%. The differentiation of AD from other neurological diseases was possible with accuracies between 73.8% and 77.8%. The differentiation of the other CNS disorders from controls yielded even higher accuracies. Overall design: Examination of the miRNA profile in blood samples of 48 AD patients and 22 controls
A blood based 12-miRNA signature of Alzheimer disease patients.
Sex, Age, Subject
View SamplesThe prognosis of advanced stage neuroblastoma patients remains poor and, despite intensive therapy, the 5-year survival rate remains less than 50%. We previously identified histone deacetylase (HDAC) 8 as an indicator of poor clinical outcome and a selective drug target for differentiation therapy in vitro and in vivo. Here we performed kinome-wide RNAi screening to identify genes that are synthetically lethal with HDAC8 inhibitors. These experiments identified the neuroblastoma predisposition gene ALK as a candidate gene. Accordingly, the combination of the ALK/MET inhibitor crizotinib and selective HDAC8 inhibitors (3-6M PCI-34051 or 10M 20a) efficiently killed neuroblastoma cell lines carrying wildtype ALK (SK-N-BE(2)-C, IMR5/75), amplified ALK (NB-1), and those carrying the activating ALK F1174L mutation (Kelly), and, in cells carrying the activating R1275Q mutation (LAN-5), combination treatment decreased viable cell count. The effective dose of crizotinib in neuroblastoma cell lines ranged from 0.05M (ALK-amplified) to 0.8M (wildtype ALK). The combinatorial inhibition of ALK and HDAC8 also decreased tumor growth in an in vivo zebrafish xenograft model. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that the mRNA expression level of HDAC8 was significantly correlated with that of ALK in two independent patient cohorts, the Academic Medical Center cohort (n=88) and the German Neuroblastoma Trial cohort (n=649), and co-expression of both target genes identified patients with very poor outcome. Mechanistically, HDAC8 and ALK converge at the level of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling and their downstream survival pathways, such as ERK signaling. Combination treatment of HDAC8 inhibitor with crizotinib efficiently blocked the activation of growth receptor survival signaling and shifted the cell cycle arrest and differentiation phenotype toward effective cell death of neuroblastoma cell lines, including sensitization of resistant models, but not of normal cells. These findings reveal combined targeting of ALK and HDAC8 as a novel strategy for the treatment of neuroblastoma.
A kinome-wide RNAi screen identifies ALK as a target to sensitize neuroblastoma cells for HDAC8-inhibitor treatment.
Specimen part
View SamplesObjective: Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is characterized by the expansion of ductular reaction (DR) cells and expression of liver progenitor cell (LPC) markers. The aim of this study was to identify the gene expression profile and associated genes of DR cells and to evaluate its weight in alcoholic disease progression. Design: KRT7+, KRT7- and total liver fractions were laser microdissected from liver biopsies (n=6) of patients with AH and whole transcriptome was sequenced. Gene signature was assessed in transcriptomic data from 41 patients with alcoholic liver disease. Pro-inflammatory profile was evaluated in tissue and serum samples and in human LPC organoids. Results: Transcriptome analysis of KRT7+ DR cells uncovered intrinsic gene pathways of DR and allowed identifying genes associated with DR expressed in AH. In addition, DR gene signature and associated genes correlated with disease progression and poor outcome in AH patients. Importantly, DR presented a pro-inflammatory profile with expression of CXC and CCL chemokines and was associated with infiltrating neutrophils. Moreover, LPC markers correlated with liver expression and circulating levels of inflammatory mediators. In vitro, human LPC organoids mimicked ductular reaction gene expression profile and produced chemokines. Moreover, LPC promoted neutrophil migration and enhanced their inflammatory profile. Conclusions: Here we report for the first time the gene expression signature of DR in AH and its association with disease progression. Functional and experimental analysis demonstrates that DR cells have a pro-inflammatory profile, and suggest their involvement in neutrophil recruitment and liver inflammatory response.
Ductular Reaction Cells Display an Inflammatory Profile and Recruit Neutrophils in Alcoholic Hepatitis.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage, Cell line, Treatment, Race
View SamplesObjective: Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is characterized by the expansion of ductular reaction (DR) cells and expression of liver progenitor cell (LPC) markers. The aim of this study was to identify the gene expression profile and associated genes of DR cells and to evaluate its weight in alcoholic disease progression. Design: KRT7+, KRT7- and total liver fractions were laser microdissected from liver biopsies (n=6) of patients with AH and whole transcriptome was sequenced. Gene signature was assessed in transcriptomic data from 41 patients with alcoholic liver disease. Pro-inflammatory profile was evaluated in tissue and serum samples and in human LPC organoids. Results: Transcriptome analysis of KRT7+ DR cells uncovered intrinsic gene pathways of DR and allowed identifying genes associated with DR expressed in AH. In addition, DR gene signature and associated genes correlated with disease progression and poor outcome in AH patients. Importantly, DR presented a pro-inflammatory profile with expression of CXC and CCL chemokines and was associated with infiltrating neutrophils. Moreover, LPC markers correlated with liver expression and circulating levels of inflammatory mediators. In vitro, human LPC organoids mimicked ductular reaction gene expression profile and produced chemokines. Moreover, LPC promoted neutrophil migration and enhanced their inflammatory profile. Conclusions: Here we report for the first time the gene expression signature of DR in AH and its association with disease progression. Functional and experimental analysis demonstrates that DR cells have a pro-inflammatory profile, and suggest their involvement in neutrophil recruitment and liver inflammatory response.
Ductular Reaction Cells Display an Inflammatory Profile and Recruit Neutrophils in Alcoholic Hepatitis.
Specimen part
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