Non-tumor-reactive T cells are characterized by the inabilitzy to lyse autologous tumor cells, low to intermediate avidity TCRs and lack of NY-ESO-1 peptide tetramer binding. However most strikingly, non-tumor-reactive T cells are characterized by a molecular program associated with division arrest anergy with elevated expression of the inhibitory molecule p27kip1. This is accompanied by elevated expression of inhibitory molecules and reduced levels of transcription factors involved in T cell activation. Frequency analysis of the inhibited T cell population using the established molecular fingerprint as a novel biomarker might be applied for cancer vaccine development and optimization.
Cancer vaccine enhanced, non-tumor-reactive CD8(+) T cells exhibit a distinct molecular program associated with "division arrest anergy".
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View SamplesBackground: Development of target specific therapeutics greatly benefits from simultaneous identification of biomarkers to determine aspects of bioactivity, drug safety and efficacy or even treatment outcome. This is particularly important when targeting pleiotropic factors such as the TGFbeta system. TGFbeta has become a prime target for cancer therapeutics since inhibition of TGFbeta signaling simultaneously attacks the tumor and its microenvironment. Methods: Here we introduce blood transcriptomics followed by a defined set of validation assays as a promising approach to identify novel biomarkers for monitoring TGFbeta therapy. Findings: Our initial genome-wide analysis of transcription in peripheral blood revealed 12 candidate genes specifically regulated in peripheral blood by the TGFbeta receptor I kinase inhibitor LY2109761. In subsequent in vitro and in vivo molecular and immunological analyses, the combined monitoring of gene regulation of three genes, namely TMEPAI, OCIAD2, and SMAD7 was established as novel biomarkers for anti-TGFbeta based therapies. Interpretation: Overall, the proposed algorithm of biomarker identification is easily adapted towards other drug candidates for which gene regulation can be established in peripheral blood.
Application of T cell-based transcriptomics to identify three candidate biomarkers for monitoring anti-TGFbetaR therapy.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Transcriptome-based network analysis reveals a spectrum model of human macrophage activation.
Specimen part, Subject, Time
View SamplesMacrophage activation is associated with profound transcriptional reprogramming. Although much progress has been made in the understanding of macrophage activation, polarization and function, the transcriptional programs regulating these processes remain poorly characterized. We stimulated human macrophages with diverse activation signals, acquiring a dataset of 299 macrophage transcriptomes. Analysis of this dataset revealed a spectrum of macrophage activation states extending the current M1 versus M2-polarization model. Network analyses identified central transcriptional regulators associated with all macrophage activation complemented by regulators related to stimulus-specific programs. Applying these transcriptional programs to human alveolar macrophages from smokers and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) revealed an unexpected loss of inflammatory signatures in COPD patients. Finally, by integrating murine data from the ImmGen project we propose a refined, activation-independent core signature for human and murine macrophages. This resource serves as a framework for future research into regulation of macrophage activation in health and disease.
Transcriptome-based network analysis reveals a spectrum model of human macrophage activation.
Subject, Time
View SamplesMacrophage activation is associated with profound transcriptional reprogramming. Although much progress has been made in the understanding of macrophage activation, polarization and function, the transcriptional programs regulating these processes remain poorly characterized. We stimulated human macrophages with diverse activation signals, acquiring a dataset of 299 macrophage transcriptomes. Analysis of this dataset revealed a spectrum of macrophage activation states extending the current M1 versus M2-polarization model. Network analyses identified central transcriptional regulators associated with all macrophage activation complemented by regulators related to stimulus-specific programs. Applying these transcriptional programs to human alveolar macrophages from smokers and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) revealed an unexpected loss of inflammatory signatures in COPD patients. Finally, by integrating murine data from the ImmGen project we propose a refined, activation-independent core signature for human and murine macrophages. This resource serves as a framework for future research into regulation of macrophage activation in health and disease. Overall design: Since transcriptional programs are further modulated on several levels including miRNAs we assessed the global spectrum of miRNA expression by miRNA-Seq in macrophages stimulated with IFN?, IL4 or with the combination of TNFa, PGE2 and P3C
Transcriptome-based network analysis reveals a spectrum model of human macrophage activation.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe carried out a global survey of age-related changes in mRNA levels in the C57BL/6NIA mouse hippocampus and found a difference in the hippocampal gene expression profile between 2-month-old young mice and 15-month-old middle-aged mice correlated with an age-related cognitive deficit in hippocampal-based explicit memory formation. Middle-aged mice displayed a mild but specific deficit in spatial memory in the Morris water maze.
Altered hippocampal transcript profile accompanies an age-related spatial memory deficit in mice.
Sex, Age, Specimen part
View SamplesWe determined genome-wide nucleosome occupancy in mouse embryonic stem cells and their neural progenitor and embryonic fibroblast counterparts to assess features associated with nucleosome positioning during lineage commitment. Cell type and protein specific binding preferences of transcription factors to sites with either low (e.g. Myc, Klf4, Zfx) or high (e.g. Nanog, Oct4 and Sox2) nucleosome occupancy as well as complex patterns for CTCF were identified. Nucleosome depleted regions around transcription start and termination sites were broad and more pronounced for active genes, with distinct patterns for promoters classified according to their CpG-content or histone methylation marks. Throughout the genome nucleosome occupancy was dependent on the presence of certain histone methylation or acetylation modifications. In addition, the average nucleosome-repeat length increased during differentiation by 5-7 base pairs, with local variations for specific genomic regions. Our results reveal regulatory mechanisms of cell differentiation acting through nucleosome repositioning. Overall design: The Total RNA from ESCs, NPCs and MEFs was extracted by guanidinisothiocyanat/phenol extraction with the Trifast kit (Peqlab). Total RNA preparations were treated with DNase I, phenol/chloroform extracted and precipitated before further processing. RNAs were depleted of 5S, 5.8S, 18S and 28S rRNAs using the Human/Mouse/Rat Ribo-Zero rRNA Removal Kit (Epicentre) according to the manufacturer’s protocol. After rRNA depletion, RNAs were fragmented with a kit from Ambion. Libraries for Solexa sequencing were generated according to the standard Illumina protocol that comprised first strand cDNA synthesis, second strand cDNA synthesis, end repair, addition of a single A base, and adapter ligation. Sequencing was performed on the Illumina GAIIx (replicate 1) and Illumina HiSeq 2000 (replicate 2) platforms at the sequencing core facilities of the BioQuant in Heidelberg, Germany. RNA reads were aligned with TopHat. Further expression analysis was with the Genomatix software suite (Genomatix, Munich, Germany) and the Eldorado gene annotation. For each transcript a normalized expression value was calculated from the read distribution that accounts for the length differences using the program DEseq for the analysis of differential expression.
Genome-wide nucleosome positioning during embryonic stem cell development.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesRNA transcriptome difference between WT and SFR KO iNKT cells To understand how SLAM family receptors (SFRs) contribute to iNKT cell development, a mouse lacking all SFRs in addition to the ligand of 2B4, CD48, was generated, and the transcriptional profiles of thymic iNKT cells from wild-type and SFR KO mice were compared, using RNA sequencing. Overall design: Examine RNA expression in WT and SFR KO iNKT cells Thymocytes were isolated from WT and SFR KO mice, and iNKT cells were enriched by negative selection. Unwanted cells (CD11b+ CD11c+ Gr-1+ Ter-119+ CD19+ CD8a+ cells) were targeted for removal with biotinylated antibodies (BioLegend), streptavidin-coated magnetic particles (RapidSpheres) and EasySep magnet (STEMCELL), and followed by staining with mCD1d/PBS-57 and anti-TCR. Then, iNKT cells were sorted with BD FACSAria III (BD Biosciences), and total RNA was isolated from sorted cells according to the manufacturer's instructions using the RNeasy plus micro kit (Qiagen). RNA-Seq library preparation was performed using the Illumina TruSeq Stranded mRNA Kit, according to manufacturer's instructions, and sequenced with Illumina HiSeq 2000 Sequencer. Read quality was confirmed using FastQC v0.10.1 before alignment using TopHat v2.0.10 on the mouse GRCm38/mm10 genome.
SLAM receptors foster iNKT cell development by reducing TCR signal strength after positive selection.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesA suggested role for fibrillr collagen topology in the pregnancy-induced protection and invasive phenotype.
Collagen architecture in pregnancy-induced protection from breast cancer.
Cell line
View SamplesAlterations in chromatin modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modification patterns, have been characterized under exposure of several environmental pollutants, including nickel. As with other carcinogenic metals, the mutagenic potential of nickel compounds is low and is not well correlated with its carcinogenic effects. Nickel exposure, however, is associated with alterations in chromatin modifications and related transcriptional programs, suggesting an alternative pathway whereby nickel exposure can lead to disease. To investigate the extent to which nickel exposure disrupts chromatin patterns, we profiled several histone modifications, including H3K4me3, H3K9ac, H3K27me3 and H3K9me2 as well as the insulator binding protein CTCF and the transcriptomes of control BEAS-2B cells and cells treated with nickel for 72 hours. Our results show significant alterations of the repressive histone modification H3K9me2 in nickel-exposed cells with spreading of H3K9me2 into new domains associated with gene silencing. We furthermore show that local regions of active chromatin can protect genes from nickel-induced H3K9me2 spreading. Interestingly, we show that nickel exposure selectively disrupts weaker CTCF sites, leading to spreading of H3K9me2 at these regions. These results have major implications in the understanding of how environmental carcinogens can affect chromatin dynamics and the consequences of chromatin domain disruption in disease progression. Overall design: Treat BEAS-2B cells with NiCl2 for 72 hours and compare histone modification, CTCF binding to control BEAS-2B cells to see how they regulated gene expression by RNA-seq
Epigenetic dysregulation by nickel through repressive chromatin domain disruption.
No sample metadata fields
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