The ts-p53 E285K protein is a rare p53 mutant with temperature-sensitive (ts) loss of function characteristics. In cancer cells, which express ts-p53 E285K intriniscally, endogenous wild type p53 activity is reconstituted by appropriate cultivation temperature (permissive condition). At non-appropriate cultivation temperature (restrictive condition) this p53 mutant is inactive. The present study took advantage of this mechanism and employed IPH-926 lobular breast cancer cells and BT-474 ductal breast cancer cells, which both harbor endogenous ts-p53 E285K, for the transcriptional profiling of p53-responsive genes. This new approach eliminated the need for genetic modification or cytotoxic stimulation to achive a p53 response in the cells being investigated .
IPH-926 lobular breast cancer cells harbor a p53 mutant with temperature-sensitive functional activity and allow for profiling of p53-responsive genes.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesThe routine workflow for invasive cancer diagnostics is based on biopsy processing by formalin fixation and subsequent paraffin embedding. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples are easy to handle, stable and particularly suitable for morphologic evaluation, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. However, it has become a paradigm that these samples cannot be used for genome-wide expression analysis with microarrays. To oppose this view, we present a pilot microarray study using FFPE core needle biopsies from breast cancers as RNA source. We found that microarray probes interrogating sequences near the poly-A-tail of the transcribed genes were well suitable to measure RNA levels in FFPE core needle biopsies. For the ER and the HER2 gene, we observed strong correlations between RNA levels measured in these probe sets and protein expression determined by immunohistochemistry (p = 0.000003 and p = 0.0022). Further, we have identified a signature of 364 genes that correlated with ER protein status and a signature of 528 genes that correlated with HER2 protein status. Many of these genes (ER: 60%) could be confirmed by analysis of an independent publicly available data set. Finally, a hierarchical clustering of the biopsies with respect to three recently reported gene expression grade signatures resulted in widely stable low and high expression grade clusters that correlated with the pathological tumor grade. These findings support the notion that clinically relevant information can be gained from microarray based gene expression profiling of FFPE cancer biopsies. This opens new opportunities for the integration of gene expression analysis into the workflow of invasive cancer diagnostics as well as translational research in the setting of clinical studies.
Genome-wide gene expression profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer core biopsies using microarrays.
Disease stage
View SamplesIn osteosarcoma patients, the development of metastases, often to the lungs, is the most frequent cause of death. To improve this situation, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing osteosarcoma development and dissemination and the identification of novel drug targets for an improved treatment are needed. Towards this aim, we characterized osteosarcoma tissue samples compared to primary osteoblast cells using Affymetrix HG U133A microarrays.
De novo expression of EphA2 in osteosarcoma modulates activation of the mitogenic signalling pathway.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesOvarian carcinoma has the highest mortality rate among gynecological malignancies. In this project, we investigated the hypothesis that molecular markers are able to predict outcome of ovarian cancer independently of classical clinical predictors, and that these molecular markers can be validated using independent data sets. We applied a semi-supervised method for prediction of patient survival. Microarrays from a cohort of 80 ovarian carcinomas (TOC cohort) were used for the development of a predictive model, which was then evaluated in an entirely independent cohort of 118 carcinomas (Duke cohort). A 300 gene ovarian prognostic index (OPI) was generated and validated in a leave-one-out approach in the TOC cohort (Kaplan-Meier analysis, p=0.0087). In a second validation step the prognostic power of the OPI was confirmed in an independent data set (Duke cohort, p=0.0063). In multivariate analysis, the OPI was independent of the postoperative residual tumour, the main clinico-pathological prognostic parameter with an adjusted hazard ratio of 6.4 (TOC cohort, CI 1.8 23.5, p=0.0049) and 1.9 (Duke cohort, CI 1.2 3.0, p=0.0068). We constructed a combined score of molecular data (OPI) and clinical parameters (residual tumour), which was able to define patient groups with highly significant differences in survival. The integrated analysis of gene expression data as well as residual tumour can be used for optimised assessment of prognosis. As traditional treatment options are limited, this analysis may be able to optimise clinical management and to identify those patients that would be candidates for new therapeutic strategies.
A prognostic gene expression index in ovarian cancer - validation across different independent data sets.
Specimen part, Disease stage
View SamplesNeural stem cells (NSC) derived from human parthenogenic stem cells (hpSC) have been observed to show stronger positive functional effects than hpSC-derived dopaminergic neuron precursors (DAP) in treatment of induced Parkinson Disease in animal models. RNAseq of the two types of cells were normalized and analyzed to compare gene expression profiles. Overall design: cDNA library of hpsC, NSC and DAP triplicates were sequenced using Illumina HiSeq 2000. The sequence reads were mapped to hg19 reference genome and hits that passed quality filters were analyzed for differential expression.
Proof of concept studies exploring the safety and functional activity of human parthenogenetic-derived neural stem cells for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesWe report RNA-sequencing data of 283 blood platelet samples, including 228 tumor-educated platelet (TEP) samples collected from patients with six different malignant tumors (non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, breast cancer and hepatobiliary carcinomas). In addition, we report RNA-sequencing data of blood platelets isolated from 55 healthy individuals. This dataset highlights the ability of TEP RNA-based ''liquid biopsies'' in patients with several types with cancer, including the ability for pan-cancer, multiclass cancer and companion diagnostics. Overall design: Blood platelets were isolated from whole blood in purple-cap BD Vacutainers containing EDTA anti-coagulant by standard centrifugation. Total RNA was extracted from the platelet pellet, subjected to cDNA synthesis and SMARTer amplification, fragmented by Covaris shearing, and prepared for sequencing using the Truseq Nano DNA Sample Preparation Kit. Subsequently, pooled sample libraries were sequenced on the Illumina Hiseq 2500 platform. All steps were quality-controlled using Bioanalyzer 2100 with RNA 6000 Picochip, DNA 7500 and DNA High Sensitivity chips measurements. For further downstream analyses, reads were quality-controlled using Trimmomatic, mapped to the human reference genome using STAR, and intron-spanning reads were summarized using HTseq. The processed data includes 285 samples (columns) and 57736 ensemble gene ids (rows). The supplementary data file (TEP_data_matrix.txt) contains the intron-spanning read counts, after data summarization by HTseq.
RNA-Seq of Tumor-Educated Platelets Enables Blood-Based Pan-Cancer, Multiclass, and Molecular Pathway Cancer Diagnostics.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe role of microRNAs (miRNA) in first cell fate choice of the preimplantation mouse embryo remains unresolved, as gene expression and knockout data are conflicting. This cell fate choice generates the extraembryonic lineage of the trophoblast and the embryonic lineage of the epiblast (inner cell mass). The trophoblast differentiates into polar and mural cells, where polar cells contribute to placental development and mural cells to the implantation process and Reicherts membrane. The inner cell mass further differentiates into the epiblast and primitive endoderm. We used stem cell lines that can be derived from the trophoblast and epiblast lineages to address the role of miRNAs in early lineage cell fate specification and determination. Using embryonic stem cells (ESC) and trophoblast stem cells (TSC) as starting and ending states of cell development we identified a network of TSC expressed miRNAs that are enriched in ESC targets mRNA. We used constitutive and inducible expression of TSC enriched miRNAs in ESC and show that they can drive cell morphology and gene expression profiles similar to trophoblast. Additionally we show that this process required HDAC2 inhibition and is miRNA specific, as cardiac specific miR-1 could not induce trophoblast under these conditions. In contrast to embryo derived and Cdx2 induced trophoblast cells, miRNAs promote a mural TE like cell phenotype. Transplantation into preimplantation mouse embryos showed that miRNA-induced trophoblast preferentially contributes to the mural trophoblast in both the blastocyst and the Reicherts membrane. Our data support a role for miRNAs and HDACs in the specification of the trophoblast and potentially the polar and mural cell types.
Overexpression of Trophoblast Stem Cell-Enriched MicroRNAs Promotes Trophoblast Fate in Embryonic Stem Cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe Akita mutation (C96Y) in the insulin gene results in early onset diabetes in both humans and mice. Expression of the mutant proinsulin (C96Y) causes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in pancreatic -cells and consequently the cell activates the unfolded protein response (UPR). Since the proinsulin is terminally misfolded however, the ER stress is irremediable and chronic activation of the UPR eventually activates apoptosis in the cell population.
IRE1 inhibition perturbs the unfolded protein response in a pancreatic β-cell line expressing mutant proinsulin, but does not sensitize the cells to apoptosis.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesWe performed RNA-seq to quantify gene expression changes in adult worms upon knockdown of transcription factor unc-62/Homothorax. unc-62 is a developmental regulator that binds proximal to age-regulated transcripts and modulates lifespan. In the intestine (in which tissue-specific unc-62 knockdown increases lifespan), we identify multiple effects of unc-62 knockdown linked to extension of longevity. First, unc-62 RNAi decreases the expression of yolk proteins (vitellogenins) that aggregate in the body cavity and become toxic in old age. Second, unc-62 RNAi results in a broad increase in expression of intestinal genes that typically decrease expression with age, suggesting that unc-62 activity balances intestinal resource allocation between yolk protein expression and fertility on the one hand and somatic functions on the other. Overall design: mRNA profiling by Illumina HiSeq of 3 biological replicates of day 4 adult Caenorhabditis elegans that were fed either control or unc-62 RNAi beginning at day 1 of adulthood.
Roles of the developmental regulator unc-62/Homothorax in limiting longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesWe used RNA-seq to discover that gene expression changes during aging are attenuated in elt-2 overexpressors relative to controls Overall design: Whole-worm mRNA was sequenced from worms over-expressing elt-2 and control worms. Five biological replicates were collected for each condition.
Deactivation of the GATA Transcription Factor ELT-2 Is a Major Driver of Normal Aging in C. elegans.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View Samples