Spatial omics and multiplexed imaging to explore cancer biology
Lewis, SM;Asselin-Labat, ML;Nguyen, Q;Berthelet, J;Tan, X;Wimmer, VC;Merino, D;Rogers, KL;Naik, SH;
PMID: 34341583 | DOI: 10.1038/s41592-021-01203-6
Understanding intratumoral heterogeneity-the molecular variation among cells within a tumor-promises to address outstanding questions in cancer biology and improve the diagnosis and treatment of specific cancer subtypes. Single-cell analyses, especially RNA sequencing and other genomics modalities, have been transformative in revealing novel biomarkers and molecular regulators associated with tumor growth, metastasis and drug resistance. However, these approaches fail to provide a complete picture of tumor biology, as information on cellular location within the tumor microenvironment is lost. New technologies leveraging multiplexed fluorescence, DNA, RNA and isotope labeling enable the detection of tens to thousands of cancer subclones or molecular biomarkers within their native spatial context. The expeditious growth in these techniques, along with methods for multiomics data integration, promises to yield a more comprehensive understanding of cell-to-cell variation within and between individual tumors. Here we provide the current state and future perspectives on the spatial technologies expected to drive the next generation of research and diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer.
Cell-cell contact and signaling in the muscle stem cell niche
Current opinion in cell biology
Kann, AP;Hung, M;Krauss, RS;
PMID: 34352725 | DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2021.06.003
Muscle stem cells (also called satellite cells or SCs) rely on their local niche for regulatory signals during homeostasis and regeneration. While a number of cell types communicate indirectly through secreted factors, here we focus on the significance of direct contact between SCs and their neighbors. During quiescence, SCs reside under a basal lamina and receive quiescence-promoting signals from their adjacent skeletal myofibers. Upon injury, the composition of the niche changes substantially, enabling the formation of new contacts that mediate proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation. In this review, we summarize the latest work in understanding cell-cell contact within the satellite cell niche and highlight areas of open questions for future studies.
Autophagy inhibition by targeting PIKfyve potentiates response to immune checkpoint blockade in prostate cancer
Qiao, Y;Choi, J;Tien, J;Simko, S;Rajendiran, T;Vo, J;Delekta, A;Wang, L;Xiao, L;Hodge, N;Desai, P;Mendoza, S;Juckette, K;Xu, A;Soni, T;Su, F;Wang, R;Cao, X;Yu, J;Kryczek, I;Wang, X;Wang, X;Siddiqui, J;Wang, Z;Bernard, A;Fernandez-Salas, E;Navone, N;Ellison, S;Ding, K;Eskelinen, E;Heath, E;Klionsky, D;Zou, W;Chinnaiyan, A;
| DOI: 10.1038/s43018-021-00237-1
(A) Myc-CaP wild-type (WT) and _Atg5_ knockout (_Atg5_ KO) cells were treated with increasing concentrations of ESK981 for 24 hours. Atg5 and LC3 levels were assessed by western blot from three independent experiments. GAPDH served as a loading control. (B) Representative morphology of vacuolization in Myc-CaP wild-type (WT) and _Atg5_ knockout (_Atg5_ KO) cells after treatment with control or 100 nM ESK981 for 24 hours from three independent experiments. (C) Autophagosome content of Myc-CaP WT and _Atg5_ KO cells were measured by CYTO-ID assay after being treated with increasing concentrations of ESK981 for 24 hours. Data were analyzed by two-tailed unpaired t test from three independent experiments and presented as mean ± SEM. P-value indicated. (D) Mouse cytokine array using Myc-CaP WT and _Atg5_ KO cell supernatant after treatment with 10 ng/ml mouse interferon gamma (mIFNγ) or mIFNγ + 100 nM ESK981 for 24 hours. Differential expression candidate dots are highlighted by boxes. (E) Mouse CXCL10 protein levels were measured by ELISA in Myc-CaP WT and _Atg5_ KO conditioned medium with the indicated treatment for 24 hours. Data were analyzed by two-tailed unpaired t test from three independent experiments and presented as mean ± SEM. P-value indicated. (F) mRNA levels of _Cxcl10_ and _Cxcl9_ were measured by qPCR in Myc-CaP WT and _Atg5_ KO cells with 50 nM or 100 nM ESK981 and 10 ng/ml mIFNγ treatment for 24 hours. Data were analyzed by two-tailed unpaired t test from three independent experiments and presented as mean ± SEM. P-value indicated.
Immunological mechanisms of vaccine-induced protection against COVID-19 in humans
Nature reviews. Immunology
Sadarangani, M;Marchant, A;Kollmann, TR;
PMID: 34211186 | DOI: 10.1038/s41577-021-00578-z
Most COVID-19 vaccines are designed to elicit immune responses, ideally neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Several vaccines, including mRNA, adenoviral-vectored, protein subunit and whole-cell inactivated virus vaccines, have now reported efficacy in phase III trials and have received emergency approval in many countries. The two mRNA vaccines approved to date show efficacy even after only one dose, when non-NAbs and moderate T helper 1 cell responses are detectable, but almost no NAbs. After a single dose, the adenovirus vaccines elicit polyfunctional antibodies that are capable of mediating virus neutralization and of driving other antibody-dependent effector functions, as well as potent T cell responses. These data suggest that protection may require low levels of NAbs and might involve other immune effector mechanisms including non-NAbs, T cells and innate immune mechanisms. Identifying the mechanisms of protection as well as correlates of protection is crucially important to inform further vaccine development and guide the use of licensed COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
A multi-center retrospective cohort study defines the spectrum of kidney pathology in Coronavirus 2019 Disease (COVID-19).
May, R;Cassol, C;Hannoudi, A;Larsen, C;Lerma, E;Haun, R;Braga, J;Hassen, S;Wilson, J;VanBeek, C;Vankalakunti, M;Barnum, L;Walker, P;Bourne, T;Messias, N;Ambruzs, J;Boils, C;Sharma, S;Cossey, L;Baxi, P;Palmer, M;Zuckerman, J;Walavalkar, V;Urisman, A;Gallan, A;Al-Rabadi, L;Rodby, R;Luyckx, V;Espino, G;Santhana-Krishnan, S;Alper, B;Lam, S;Hannoudi, G;Matthew, D;Belz, M;Singer, G;Kunaparaju, S;Price, D;Sauabh, C;Rondla, C;Abdalla, M;Britton, M;Paul, S;Ranjit, U;Bichu, P;Williamson, S;Sharma, Y;Gaspert, A;Grosse, P;Meyer, I;Vasudev, B;El Kassem, M;Velez, J;Caza, T;
| DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2021.07.015
Kidney failure is common in patients with Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. In an international collaboration, 284 kidney biopsies were evaluated to improve understanding of kidney disease in COVID-19. Diagnoses were compared to five years of 63,575 native biopsies prior to the pandemic and 13,955 allograft biopsies to identify diseases increased in patients with COVID-19. Genotyping for APOL1 G1 and G2 alleles was performed in 107 African American and Hispanic patients. Immunohistochemistry for SARS-CoV-2 was utilized to assess direct viral infection in 273 cases along with clinical information at the time of biopsy. The leading indication for native biopsy was acute kidney injury (45.4%), followed by proteinuria with or without concurrent acute kidney injury (42.6%). There were more African American patients (44.6%) than patients of other ethnicities. The most common diagnosis in native biopsies was collapsing glomerulopathy (25.8%) which associated with high-risk APOL1 genotypes in 91.7% of cases. Compared to the five-year biopsy database, the frequency of myoglobin cast nephropathy and proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal IgG deposits was also increased in patients with COVID-19 (3.3% and 1.7%, respectively), while there was a reduced frequency of chronic conditions (including diabetes mellitus, IgA nephropathy, and arterionephrosclerosis) as the primary diagnosis. In transplants, the leading indication was acute kidney injury (86.4%), for which rejection was the predominant diagnosis (61.4%). Direct SARS-CoV-2 viral infection was not identified. Thus, our multi-center large case series identified kidney diseases that disproportionately affect patients with COVID-19, demonstrated a high frequency of APOL1 high-risk genotypes within this group, with no evidence of direct viral infection within the kidney.
Nerve-associated Schwann cell precursors contribute extracutaneous melanocytes to the heart, inner ear, supraorbital locations and brain meninges
Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS
Kaucka, M;Szarowska, B;Kavkova, M;Kastriti, ME;Kameneva, P;Schmidt, I;Peskova, L;Joven Araus, A;Simon, A;Kaiser, J;Adameyko, I;
PMID: 34274976 | DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03885-9
Melanocytes are pigmented cells residing mostly in the skin and hair follicles of vertebrates, where they contribute to colouration and protection against UV-B radiation. However, the spectrum of their functions reaches far beyond that. For instance, these pigment-producing cells are found inside the inner ear, where they contribute to the hearing function, and in the heart, where they are involved in the electrical conductivity and support the stiffness of cardiac valves. The embryonic origin of such extracutaneous melanocytes is not clear. We took advantage of lineage-tracing experiments combined with 3D visualizations and gene knockout strategies to address this long-standing question. We revealed that Schwann cell precursors are recruited from the local innervation during embryonic development and give rise to extracutaneous melanocytes in the heart, brain meninges, inner ear, and other locations. In embryos with a knockout of the EdnrB receptor, a condition imitating Waardenburg syndrome, we observed only nerve-associated melanoblasts, which failed to detach from the nerves and to enter the inner ear. Finally, we looked into the evolutionary aspects of extracutaneous melanocytes and found that pigment cells are associated mainly with nerves and blood vessels in amphibians and fish. This new knowledge of the nerve-dependent origin of extracutaneous pigment cells might be directly relevant to the formation of extracutaneous melanoma in humans.
Intrinsic and growth-mediated cell and matrix specialization during murine meniscus tissue assembly
FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Tsinman, TK;Jiang, X;Han, L;Koyama, E;Mauck, RL;Dyment, NA;
PMID: 34314047 | DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100499R
The incredible mechanical strength and durability of mature fibrous tissues and their extremely limited turnover and regenerative capacity underscores the importance of proper matrix assembly during early postnatal growth. In tissues with composite extracellular matrix (ECM) structures, such as the adult knee meniscus, fibrous (Collagen-I rich), and cartilaginous (Collagen-II, proteoglycan-rich) matrix components are regionally segregated to the outer and inner portions of the tissue, respectively. While this spatial variation in composition is appreciated to be functionally important for resisting complex mechanical loads associated with gait, the establishment of these specialized zones is poorly understood. To address this issue, the following study tracked the growth of the murine meniscus from its embryonic formation through its first month of growth, encompassing the critical time-window during which animals begin to ambulate and weight bear. Using histological analysis, region specific high-throughput qPCR, and Col-1, and Col-2 fluorescent reporter mice, we found that matrix and cellular features defining specific tissue zones were already present at birth, before continuous weight-bearing had occurred. These differences in meniscus zones were further refined with postnatal growth and maturation, resulting in specialization of mature tissue regions. Taken together, this work establishes a detailed timeline of the concurrent spatiotemporal changes that occur at both the cellular and matrix level throughout meniscus maturation. The findings of this study provide a framework for investigating the reciprocal feedback between cells and their evolving microenvironments during assembly of a mechanically robust fibrocartilage tissue, thus providing insight into mechanisms of tissue degeneration and effective regenerative strategies.
Nociceptor subtypes are born continuously over DRG development
Landy, M;Goyal, M;Lai, H;
| DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.07.018
Sensory neurogenesis in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) occurs in two waves of differentiation with larger, myelinated proprioceptive and low-threshold mechanoreceptor (LTMR) neurons differentiating before smaller, unmyelinated (C) nociceptive neurons. This temporal difference was established from early birthdating studies based on DRG soma cell size. However, distinctions in birthdates between molecular subtypes of sensory neurons, particularly nociceptors, is unknown. Here, we assess the birthdate of lumbar DRG neurons in mice using a thymidine analog, EdU, to label developing neurons exiting mitosis combined with co-labeling of known sensory neuron markers. We find that different nociceptor subtypes are born on similar timescales, with continuous births between E9.5 to E13.5, and peak births from E10.5 to E11.5. Notably, we find that thinly myelinated Aδ-fiber nociceptors and peptidergic C-fibers are born more broadly between E10.5 and E11.5 than previously thought and that non-peptidergic C-fibers and C-LTMRs are born with a peak birth date of E11.5. Moreover, we find that the percentages of nociceptor subtypes born at a particular timepoint are the same for any given nociceptor cell type marker, indicating that intrinsic or extrinsic influences on cell type diversity are occurring similarly across developmental time. Overall, the patterns of birth still fit within the classical “two wave” description, as touch and proprioceptive fibers are born primarily at E10.5, but suggest that nociceptors have a slightly broader wave of birthdates with different nociceptor subtypes continually differentiating throughout sensory neurogenesis irrespective of myelination.
CACHD1-deficient mice exhibit hearing and balance deficits associated with a disruption of calcium homeostasis in the inner ear
Tian, C;Johnson, K;Lett, J;Voss, R;Salt, A;Hartsock, J;Steyger, P;Ohlemiller, K;
| DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108327
CACHD1 recently was shown to be an α2δ-like subunit that can modulate the activity of some types of voltage-gated calcium channels, including the low-voltage activated, T-type CaV3 channels. CACHD1 is widely expressed in the central nervous system but its biological functions and relationship to disease states are unknown. Here, we report that mice with deleterious Cachd1 mutations are hearing impaired and have balance defects, demonstrating that CACHD1 is functionally important in the peripheral auditory and vestibular organs of the inner ear. The vestibular dysfunction of Cachd1 mutant mice, exhibited by leaning and head tilting behaviors, is related to a deficiency of calcium carbonate crystals (otoconia) in the saccule and utricle. The auditory dysfunction, shown by ABR threshold elevations and reduced DPOAEs, is associated with reduced endocochlear potentials and increased endolymph calcium concentrations. Paint-fills of mutant inner ears from prenatal and newborn mice revealed dilation of the membranous labyrinth caused by an enlarged volume of endolymph. These pathologies all can be related to a disturbance of calcium homeostasis in the endolymph of the inner ear, presumably caused by the loss of CACHD1 regulatory effects on voltage-gated calcium channel activity. Cachd1 expression in the cochlea appears stronger in late embryonic stages than in adults, suggesting an early role in establishing endolymph calcium concentrations. Our findings provide new insights into CACHD1 function and suggest the involvement of voltage-gated calcium channels in endolymph homeostasis, essential for normal auditory and vestibular function.
Acute Liver Failure in a Healthy Young Female With COVID-19
Orandi, B;Li, G;Dhall, D;Bajpai, P;Manne, U;Arora, N;Lu, A;Coronado, A;Kassel, R;Pinninti, S;Lewis, C;Chapleau, C;Locke, J;Gutierrez Sanchez, L;
| DOI: 10.1097/pg9.0000000000000108
Liver biopsy on HD15 showed an acute hepatitis pattern of injury with predominantly centrizonal areas of confluent necrosis and lobular cholestasis. Necrotic areas were focally hemorrhagic and showed mild lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate with admixed histiocytes, few eosinophils, and neutrophils. Portal inflammation was minimal and interlobular bile ducts were largely intact. No fibrin thrombi were identified. Residual hepatocytes showed ballooning degeneration, some with prominent nucleoli, apoptosis, pseudoacini formation, and mild steatosis (
A neural substrate of compulsive alcohol use
Domi, E;Xu, L;Toivainen, S;Nordeman, A;Gobbo, F;Venniro, M;Shaham, Y;Messing, RO;Visser, E;van den Oever, MC;Holm, L;Barbier, E;Augier, E;Heilig, M;
PMID: 34407947 | DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg9045
Alcohol intake remains controlled in a majority of users but becomes "compulsive," i.e., continues despite adverse consequences, in a minority who develop alcohol addiction. Here, using a footshock-punished alcohol self-administration procedure, we screened a large population of outbred rats to identify those showing compulsivity operationalized as punishment-resistant self-administration. Using unsupervised clustering, we found that this behavior emerged as a stable trait in a subpopulation of rats and was associated with activity of a brain network that included central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Activity of PKCδ+ inhibitory neurons in the lateral subdivision of CeA (CeL) accounted for ~75% of variance in punishment-resistant alcohol taking. Activity-dependent tagging, followed by chemogenetic inhibition of neurons activated during punishment-resistant self-administration, suppressed alcohol taking, as did a virally mediated shRNA knockdown of PKCδ in CeA. These findings identify a previously unknown mechanism for a core element of alcohol addiction and point to a novel candidate therapeutic target.
Leptin brain entry via a tanycytic LepR-EGFR shuttle controls lipid metabolism and pancreas function
Duquenne, M;Folgueira, C;Bourouh, C;Millet, M;Silva, A;Clasadonte, J;Imbernon, M;Fernandois, D;Martinez-Corral, I;Kusumakshi, S;Caron, E;Rasika, S;Deliglia, E;Jouy, N;Oishi, A;Mazzone, M;Trinquet, E;Tavernier, J;Kim, YB;Ory, S;Jockers, R;Schwaninger, M;Boehm, U;Nogueiras, R;Annicotte, JS;Gasman, S;Dam, J;Prévot, V;
PMID: 34341568 | DOI: 10.1038/s42255-021-00432-5
Metabolic health depends on the brain's ability to control food intake and nutrient use versus storage, processes that require peripheral signals such as the adipocyte-derived hormone, leptin, to cross brain barriers and mobilize regulatory circuits. We have previously shown that hypothalamic tanycytes shuttle leptin into the brain to reach target neurons. Here, using multiple complementary models, we show that tanycytes express functional leptin receptor (LepR), respond to leptin by triggering Ca2+ waves and target protein phosphorylation, and that their transcytotic transport of leptin requires the activation of a LepR-EGFR complex by leptin and EGF sequentially. Selective deletion of LepR in tanycytes blocks leptin entry into the brain, inducing not only increased food intake and lipogenesis but also glucose intolerance through attenuated insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cells, possibly via altered sympathetic nervous tone. Tanycytic LepRb-EGFR-mediated transport of leptin could thus be crucial to the pathophysiology of diabetes in addition to obesity, with therapeutic implications.