The objective of the overall study was to determine the effects of oral vitamin D supplementation on alveolar macrophages from human subjects. In this substudy, subjects treated with vitamin D (intervention group) in paired analysis had small, but significant effects on immune-related differential gene expression pre versus post supplementation.
Effects of vitamin D supplementation on alveolar macrophage gene expression: preliminary results of a randomized, controlled trial.
Specimen part, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesGoblet cell metaplasia and mucus hypersecretion are disabling hallmarks of chronic lung diseases for which no curative treatments are available. Therapies targeting specific upstream drivers of asthma have had variable results. We hypothesized that an a priori-knowledge independent approach would point to new therapies for airway goblet cell metaplasia. We analyzed the transcriptome of an organotypic model of human goblet cell metaplasia. We combined our data with previously published datasets from IL13-exposed in vitro and asthmatic in vivo human airway epithelial cells. The drug perturbation-response connectivity approach identified the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor geldanamycin as a candidate for reverting airway goblet cell metaplasia. We found that geldanamycin not only prevented but reverted IL13-induced goblet cell metaplasia. Geldanamycin did not induce goblet cell death, did not solely block mucin synthesis, and did not block IL13 receptor-proximal signaling. Moreover, the transcriptional effects of geldanamycin were absent in unstimulated cells and became evident only after stimulation with IL13. The predicted mechanism of action suggested that geldanamycin should also revert IL17-induced goblet cell metaplasia, a prediction confirmed by our data. Our findings suggest HSP90 activity may be required for persistence of goblet cell metaplasia driven by various mechanisms in chronic lung diseases. Overall design: For both batches, airway epithelia cultures from the lungs of eight different humans were studied, therefore, there are eight biological replicates. Comparisons should be made within batches. In batch 1 (XAM1), epithelia were exposed to vehicle (DMSO 0.5%), geldanamycin 25 uM, or the HDAC6 inhibitor ISOX 10 uM for 48 hours. In batch 2 (XAM3), the epithelia were exposed to vehicle (DMSO 0.5%), IL13 (20 ng/mL) or IL13 plus geldanamycin (10 uM) for 48 hours.
HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin reverts IL-13- and IL-17-induced airway goblet cell metaplasia.
Specimen part, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesCystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Although bacterial lung infection and the resulting inflammation cause most of the morbidity and mortality, how loss of CFTR first disrupts airway host defense has remained uncertain. We asked what abnormality impairs elimination when a bacterium lands on the pristine surface of a newborn CF airway? To investigate this defect, we interrogated the viability of individual bacteria immobilized on solid grids and placed on the airway surface. As a model we studied CF pigs, which spontaneously develop hallmark features of CF lung disease. At birth, their lungs lack infection and inflammation, but have a reduced ability to eradicate bacteria. Here we show that in newborn wild-type pigs, the thin layer of airway surface liquid (ASL) rapidly killed bacteria in vivo, when removed from the lung, and in primary epithelial cultures. Lack of CFTR reduced bacterial killing. We found that ASL pH was more acidic in CF, and reducing pH inhibited the antimicrobial activity of ASL. Reducing ASL pH diminished bacterial killing in wild-type pigs, and increasing ASL pH rescued killing in CF pigs. These results directly link the initial host defense defect to loss of CFTR, an anion channel that facilitates HCO3- transport. Without CFTR, airway epithelial HCO3- secretion is defective, ASL pH falls and inhibits antimicrobial function, and thereby impairs killing of bacteria that enter the newborn lung. These findings suggest that increasing ASL pH might prevent the initial infection in patients with CF and that assaying ASL pH or bacterial killing could report on the benefit of therapeutic interventions.
Reduced airway surface pH impairs bacterial killing in the porcine cystic fibrosis lung.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below. Purpose: Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) causes several lymphoproliferative disorders, including KS, a common AIDS-associated malignancy. Cellular and viral microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in regulating the expression of genes in oncogenesis. Herpesviruses, including KSHV, encode for miRNAs that are involved in angiogenesis, inflammation and apoptosis. A better knowledge of the miRNA-mediated pathways that regulate KSHV infection is therefore essential for an improved understanding of viral infection and pathogenesis. Methods: In this study, we used deep sequencing to analyze miRNA, both viral and human, and mRNA expression in KS tumor-derived human cells. Results: This approach revealed 153 differentially expressed human miRNAs between KSHV-positive and -negative cells. Differential expression of eight miRNAs was independently confirmed by qRT-PCR. We additionally showed that a majority (~73%) of KSHV-regulated miRNAs are down-regulated, including most members of the 14q32 miRNA cluster. Specifically, human miR-409-3p, which is known to target the pro-angiogenic growth factor angiogenin and the inflammation marker fibrinogen-beta, was significantly down-regulated in KSHV-infected cells based on deep sequencing and qRT-PCR. Despite this substantial down-regulation of cellular miRNAs, hsa-miR-708-5p was significantly up-regulated by KSHV and has been shown to directly inhibit pro-apoptotic protease Caspase-2. Finally, we evaluated to what extent there was an inverse correlation between miRNA and mRNA expression levels. Using filtered datasets, we identified relevant canonical pathways that were significantly enriched. Conclusion: Taken together, our data demonstrate that most human miRNAs affected by KSHV are repressed and our findings highlight the relevance of studying the post-transcriptional gene regulation of miRNAs for KSHV-associated malignancies. Overall design: Refer to individual Series. 6 samples analyzed (one cell type). Two experimental conditions: uninfected vs. chronically KSHV-infected cells (n=3). Two sequencing platforms: microRNA-Seq and mRNA-Seq.
Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis Reveals Differential Expression Profiles of MiRNA-mRNA Target Pairs in KSHV-Infected Cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe regulation of necrotic death and its relevance in anti-cancer therapy are largely unknown. Here we have investigated the pro-apoptotic and pro-necrotic activities of two ubiquitin-proteasome system inhibitors (UPSIs): bortezomib and G5. The present study points out that the glioblastoma cell lines U87MG and T98G are useful models to study the susceptibility to apoptosis and necrosis in response to UPSIs. U87MG cells are resistant to apoptosis induced by bortezomib and G5 but susceptible to necrosis induced by G5. On the opposite T98G cells are susceptible to apoptosis induced by both inhibitors but show some resistance to G5-induced necrosis. By comparing the transcriptional profiles of the two cell lines, we have found that the resistance to G5-induced necrosis could arise from differences in glutathione synthesis/utilization and in the microenvironment. In particular collagen IV, which is highly expressed in T98G cells, and fibronectin, whose adhesive function is counteracted by tenascin-C in U87MG cells, can restrain the necrotic response to G5. Collectively, our results provide an initial characterization of the molecular signals governing cell death by necrosis in glioblastoma cell lines.
Characterization of caspase-dependent and caspase-independent deaths in glioblastoma cells treated with inhibitors of the ubiquitin-proteasome system.
Cell line
View SamplesTumor-induced immunosuppression remains a major challenge for immunotherapy of cancer patients. To further elucidate why an allogeneic gene-modified (Interleukin-7(IL-7)/CD80 co-transfected) renal cell cancer vaccine failed to induce clinically relevant TH1-polarized immune responses, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from enrolled study patients were analyzed by gene expression profiling (GEP) both prior and after vaccination. At baseline before vaccination, a profound downregulation of gene signatures associated with antigen presentation, immune response/T cells, cytokines/chemokines and signaling/transcription factors was observed in renal cell cancer patients as compared to healthy controls. Vaccination led to a partial reversion of preexisting immunosuppression, however, GEP indicated that an appropriate TH1 polarization could not be achieved. Most interestingly, our results suggest that the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) signaling pathway might be involved in the impairment of immunological responsiveness and the observed TH2 deviation. In summary, our data suggest that GEP might be a powerful tool for the prediction of immunosuppression and the monitoring of immune responses within immunotherapy trials.
Gene expression profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells during treatment with a gene-modified allogeneic tumor cell vaccine in advanced renal cell cancer: tumor-induced immunosuppression and a possible role for NF-κB.
Treatment
View SamplesLung disease causes most of the morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF). However, understanding its pathogenesis has been hindered by lack of an animal model with characteristic features of CF. To overcome this problem, we recently generated pigs with targeted CFTR genes. We now report that within months of birth, CF pigs spontaneously develop hallmark features of CF lung disease including airway inflammation, remodeling, mucus accumulation, and infection. Their lungs contained multiple bacterial species, suggesting an equal opportunity host defense defect. In humans, the temporal and/or causal relationships between inflammation and infection have remained uncertain. To investigate these processes, we studied newborn pigs. Their lungs showed no inflammation, but were less often sterile than controls. Moreover, after intrapulmonary bacterial challenge, CF pigs failed to eradicate bacteria as effectively as wild- type pigs. These results suggest that impaired bacterial elimination is the pathogenic event that initiates a cascade of inflammation and pathology in CF lungs. Finding that CF pigs have a bacterial host defense defect within hours of birth provides an exciting opportunity to further investigate pathogenesis and to test therapeutic and preventive strategies before secondary consequences develop.
Cystic fibrosis pigs develop lung disease and exhibit defective bacterial eradication at birth.
Specimen part
View SamplesPRDM5 is a recently identified member of the PRDM family of proteins, which functions as a transcriptional repressor by recruiting histone methyltransferase G9A to DNA, and behaves as a putative tumor suppressor in different types of cancer.
The tumor suppressor PRDM5 regulates Wnt signaling at early stages of zebrafish development.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe study evaluates potential protective effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) against oxidative stress in muscle tissue, both on ground and in space
Modulation of gene expression in rat muscle cells following treatment with nanoceria in different gravity regimes.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesThe aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene disruption in a murine medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC 3.10 cell line) on the transcriptome of these cells during its adhesion with thymocytes. The mTEC-thymocyte adhesion is a crucial step for the negative selection of autoreactive thymocytes and prevention of autoimmune diseases. To generate Aire mutant cell clones, a total of 5x10^5 mTEC 3.10 cells were electro-transfected (Lonza Nucleofector) with CRISPR-Cas9 plasmid targeting the Aire Exon 3 (plasmid "all in one" encoding Aire Exon 3 gRNA + Cas9 + GFP, from Sigma-Aldrich). The GFP positive mTEC single cells were sorted by using a FACS Aria III cytometer and cells were cloned by expansion in culture. Sanger sequencing of PCR products from the Aire Exon 3 of these clones was used in order to evaluate the occurrence of indel mutations within the targeted Exon 3. The mTEC 3.10 clone E6 was identified and validated as a compound heterozygous Aire KO (Aire +/-). This clone features the Aire allele 1 that encodes a mutant Aire protein carring a neutral aminoacid substitution (A118P) and allele 2 encoding a truncated Aire protein. Wild type (WT) mTEC 3.10 cells or mTEC 3.10 clone E6 were cultured in the presence (or not) of thymocytes in order to establish cell adhesion. The total RNA preparations from WT or clone E6 mTEC cells (before or after mTEC- thymocyte co-cultures) were then sequenced through RNA-sequencing using a Illumina HiSeq 2500 instrument and the TruSeq Stranded mRNA Library Preparation kit resulting in about 50 million paired-end stranded specific 100 bp reads per sample. Sequencing reads were mapped to Mus musculus reference genome (mm10) using STAR v.2.5.0a. Read counts over transcripts were calculated using HTSeq v.0.6.1p2 based on a current UCSC annotation file for GRCm38/mm10 (Dec. 2011). Overall design: The mRNA profiles of mTEC 3.10 cells carring WT Aire (before or after co-culture with thymocytes) or heterozygous KO mTEC 3.10 cells (clone E6, Aire +/-) (before or after co-culture with thymocytes) were generated by sequencing, in duplicates, using a Illumina HiSeq 2500 instrument.
Aire Disruption Influences the Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cell Transcriptome and Interaction With Thymocytes.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View Samples