Multipotent and pluripotent stem cells have significant potential as sources for cell replacement therapies. However, the low yield and quality of in vitro differentiated cells produced from various stem cell sources presents a significant limitation for therapeutic applications. The most mature use of these stem cell products is in the field of transfusion medicine, where stem cell-derived red blood cells (RBCs) have clinically-proven potential as alternative transfusion products. To improve upon current approaches for RBC production, we used insight from both common and rare human genetic variation of blood counts to focus on the SH2B3 gene. By producing loss of function of SH2B3 using targeted knockdown and genome editing approaches in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, as well as human pluripotent stem cells, we are able to significantly improve both the quality and yield of in vitro derived RBCs. We illustrate how insight from human genetic variation can assist in the development of broadly applicable approaches that have tremendous value for regenerative medicine.
Targeted Application of Human Genetic Variation Can Improve Red Blood Cell Production from Stem Cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesWe have generated tumorigenic (S2N) and non-tumorigenic (S2), normal-like to basal-like breast cancer cell lines from primary tumors. At high in vivo inoculation cell numbers of 10^6 cells/mouse both S2N and S2 monolayer as well as sphere culture cells grew at similar rates. However, at low inoculation cell numbers down to 10^3 cells only S2N sphere cells generated xenograft tumors. mRNA profiling revealed a unique cluster pattern of the tumorigenic S2N sphere cells, but a detailed analysis of TIC relevant transcription factors like Oct3, Sox and Nanog family members, Myc, Slug or Twist1 revealed no consistently increased expression in the highly tumorigenic cell lines. Our data indicate that the intrinsic genetic and functional markers investigated are not solely indicative of the in vivo tumorigenicity of putative breast tumor-initiating cells.
Established breast cancer stem cell markers do not correlate with in vivo tumorigenicity of tumor-initiating cells.
Disease, Cell line
View SamplesHuman coronary smooth muscle cells were treated with two different -blocker (metoprolol and nebivolol). RNA from three replicates of each, treated and the untreated control group, were isolated and the expression profiles were determined using Affymetrix Human Genechip U133A arrays. Comparisons between the sample groups allow the identification of genes with different expression patterns between the treated and untreated control cells.
Major differences in gene expression in human coronary smooth muscle cells after nebivolol or metoprolol treatment.
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View SamplesDazl (deleted in azoospermia like) is a member of the DAZ family of germ cell-restricted RNA binding proteins required for gametogenesis from worm to human. The direct RNA targets and functions of these essential proteins are poorly understood. Here, we generated high-resolution, transcriptome-wide maps of Dazl-RNA interactions in mouse testes. These maps provide important insights into the mechanism of Dazl recruitment to mRNA and reveal Dazl binding to thousands of mRNAs predominantly through sequence-specific interactions near the polyA tail. Using transgenic mice and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), we isolated DAZL knockout germ cells and used RNA-Seq to identify mRNAs sensitive to DAZL-ablation. Intersecting the RNA-Seq and Dazl-RNA interaction datasets revealed that Dazl enhances expression of a subset of directly-bound transcripts, namely mRNAs for a network of essential cell cycle regulatory genes. Collectively, our integrative analysis delineates a Dazl-dependent post-transcriptional gene regulatory program essential for mammalian germ cell maintenance. Overall design: PolyA Seq libraries generated from isolated spermatogonial cells
DAZL Regulates Germ Cell Survival through a Network of PolyA-Proximal mRNA Interactions.
Sex, Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesNeurogenesis in the adult hippocampus contributes to information processing critical for cognition, adaptation, learning and memory, and is implicated in numerous neurological disorders. New neurons are continuously produced from neural stem cells via a well-controlled developmental process. The immature neuron stage defined by doublecortin (DCX) expression is the most sensitive to regulation by extrinsic factors. However, little is known about the dynamic biology within this critical interval that drives maturation and confers susceptibility to regulating signals. This study aims to test the hypothesis that DCX-expressing immature neurons in adult mouse hippocampus progress through developmental stages via activity of specific transcriptional networks. Using single-cell RNA-seq combined with a novel integrative bioinformatics approach, we discovered that individual immature neuron can be classified into distinct developmental subgroups based on characteristic gene expression profiles and subgroup-specific markers. Comparisons between immature and more mature subgroups revealed novel pathways involved in neuronal maturation. Genes enriched in more immature cells shared significant overlap with genes implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, while genes positively associated with neuronal maturation were enriched for autism-related gene sets. Our study thus discovers molecular signatures of individual adult-born immature neurons and unveils potential novel targets for therapeutic approaches to treat neurodevelopmental and neurological diseases. Overall design: mRNA sequencing and expression estimation in 64 individual DCX-dsRed+ cells isolated from transgenic DCX-dsRed mice by FACS sorting
Integrative Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Molecular Networks Defining Neuronal Maturation During Postnatal Neurogenesis.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesVertebrates are colonized at birth by complex microbial communities (microbiota) that influence diverse aspects of host biology. We have used a functional genomics approach to identify zebrafish genes that are differentially expressed in response to the microbiota. We assessed RNA expression profiles from zebrafish larvae at 6 days post-fertilization (dpf) that were either raised continuously in the absence of any microorganism (germ-free or GF), or raised GF through 3dpf then colonized with a normal zebrafish microbiota (conventionalized or CONVD).
Microbial colonization induces dynamic temporal and spatial patterns of NF-κB activation in the zebrafish digestive tract.
Age, Specimen part
View Samplesstudy investigating the initiation of systemic inflammatory signaling in fetuses exposed to TLR-4 agonist lipopolysaccharides from E.coli
Outside-in? Acute fetal systemic inflammation in very preterm chronically catheterized sheep fetuses is not driven by cells in the fetal blood.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesCyclophilin binding drugs, NIM811 and cyclosporin A (CsA), inhibit the replication of HCV replicon.
Multiple cyclophilins involved in different cellular pathways mediate HCV replication.
Time
View SamplesPatient-derived xenograft models are considered to represent the heterogeneity of human cancers and might be more relevant preclinical models to evaluate effective therapeutic agents. Our consortium joins efforts to extensively develop and characterize a new collection of patient-derived colorectal cancer models. From 86 unsupervised surgical colon sample collection, 54 tumors were successfully xenografted in immunodeficient mice and rats, representing 35 primary tumors, 5 peritoneal carcinosis and 14 metastases. Our histological and molecular characterization of patient tumors, first passage on mice and later passages includes the sequence of key genes involved in CRC (ie APC, KRAS, TP53), CGH array and transcriptomic analysis. This comprehensive characterization demonstrates that our collection recapitulates the clinical situation regarding the histopathological and molecular diversity of colorectal cancers. Moreover, patient tumors and corresponding models are clustering together which gives the opportunity to look for relevant signatures and comparison studies between clinical and preclinical data. Hence, we performed pharmacological monotherapy studies with standard of care for colon cancer (5-FU, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, cetuximab). Through this extensive in vivo analysis, we have compared the molecular profile with the drug sensitivity of each tumor models, and run an equivalent of a cetuximab phase II clinical trial in a preclinical setting. Our results confirm the key role of KRAS mutation in the cetuximab resistance and demonstrate that such collection could bring benefit to evaluate novel targeted therapeutic strategies and potentially help the stratification strategy for cancer patients according to molecular marker. This set correspond to 82 CGH profiles, with 7 samples from patient tumor and 75 samples from mouse xenograft at different passages P0 to P9. All hybridizations are performed with Human CGH 244K Agilent arrays (amadid 014693) in dual color with Human DNA Promega (sex matched) as reference. ID for biosources without an -Px suffix correspond to tumor patients. ID with a suffix correspond to xenograft with 0 for the first passage.
Characterization of a large panel of patient-derived tumor xenografts representing the clinical heterogeneity of human colorectal cancer.
Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage, Time
View SamplesCentral to the molecular pathogenesis of MLL leukaemia is the abnormal co-optation of members of transcription complexes including disrupter of telomeric silencing 1-like (DOT1L) and bromodomain containing protein 4 (BRD4). Consequently, targeted therapies against DOT1L and BRD4 are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. However, the mechanisms by which BRD4 and DOT1L regulate leukaemogenic transcription programs remain unclear. Using quantitative proteomics, chemoproteomics and biochemical fractionation we find that native BRD4 and DOT1L exist in largely separate protein complexes. Genetic disruption or small molecule inhibition of BRD4 and DOT1L shows marked synergistic activity against MLL-FP leukaemia cell lines, primary human leukaemia cells and murine leukaemia models. Mechanistically, we find a previously unrecognised functional collaboration between DOT1L and BRD4 that is especially important at highly transcribed genes in close proximity to superenhancers. DOT1L via H3K79me2 facilitates the deposition of histone H4 acetylation, which in turn regulates the binding of BRD4 to chromatin. These data provide novel insights into the regulation of transcription and specify a molecular framework for therapeutic intervention in this poor prognostic disease. Overall design: RNASeq of MV4;11 cells transduced with scramble shRNA or BRD4 shRNA in combination with DMSO or SGC0946 in triplicate
Functional interdependence of BRD4 and DOT1L in MLL leukemia.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
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