Genetic Phenomena Commons^™

Met Pathway Inhibition Increases Chemo-Immunotherapy Efficacy In Small Cell Lung Cancer, Raúl Del Rey-Vergara, Miguel Alejandro Galindo-Campos, Pedro Rocha, Marina Carpes, Carlos Martínez, Laura Masfarré, Silvia Menéndez, Fabricio Quimis, Adrià Rossell, Albert Iñañez, Sandra Pérez-Buira, Federico Rojo, Ramon Gimeno, Dolores Isla, Jon Zugazagoitia, Cristina Martí Blanco, Rosario García-Campelo, Alberto Moreno-Vega, Luis León-Mateos, Ángel Callejo Mellén, Kwon-Sik Park, Simon Heeke, John V Heymach, Álvaro Taus, Luis Paz-Ares, Ana Rovira, Edurne Arriola

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The introduction of immunotherapy as a first-line treatment for advanced small cell lung cancer (SCLC) represents significant progress, yet there remains an opportunity to further improve patient outcomes. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor (MET) pathway activation promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition, driving chemoresistance and potentially impairing the efficacy of immunotherapy. In SCLC mouse models, adding MET inhibition to chemo-immunotherapy (anti-PD-L1) reduces tumor growth, extends survival, and reshapes the tumor microenvironment by decreasing suppressive myeloid cell infiltration and enhancing the immune response. Analysis of pretreatment human SCLC tumor samples reveals that myeloid-enriched immune infiltrates may contribute to chemo-immunotherapy resistance. Elevated serum HGF levels …

Synergistic Activity Of Combined Flt3-Itd And Mdm2 Inhibition With Quizartinib And Milademetan In Flt3-Itd Mutant/Tp53 Wild-Type Acute Myeloid Leukemias, Weiguo Zhang, Li Li, Muharrem Muftuoglu, Mahesh Basyal, Noriko Togashi, Koichi Iwanaga, Fumie Tanzawa, Masashi Numata, Dale L Bixby, Harry P Erba, Nikolai Podoltsev, Gary J Schiller, Prasanna Kumar, Arnaud Lesegretain, Takeshi Isoyama, Takahiko Seki, Naval Daver, Michael Andreeff

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by frequent mutations in FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), overexpression of murine double minute 2 (MDM2), and TP53 wild-type (WT). Monotherapies targeting FLT3 frequently result in the development of resistant disease. In this study, we investigated the antileukemic efficacy of co-targeting FLT3 and MDM2 with quizartinib and milademetan (Q/M) in FLT3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) AML cell lines, xenograft and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, and a phase I clinical trial.

Experimental design: Preclinical studies used human and murine cell lines carrying FLT3-ITD and/or tyrosine kinase domain mutations, TP53 WT/knockdown, leukemia cell xenograft models, …

Targeting The Cd40 Costimulatory Receptor To Improve Virotherapy Efficacy In Diffuse Midline Gliomas, Sara Labiano, Javier Marco-Sanz, Iker Ausejo-Mauleon, Virginia Laspidea, Reyes Hernández-Osuna, Marc Garcia-Moure, Daniel De La Nava, Sara Nuin, Marisol Gonzalez-Huarriz, Timothy N Phoenix, Ibon Tamayo, Marta Zalacain, Andrea Lacalle, Lucía Marrodan, Montserrat Puigdelloses, Irati Hervás-Corpión, Maria C Ochoa, Noelia Casares, Oren J Becher, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Juan Fueyo, Jaime Gallego Perez-Larraya, Ana Patiño-Garcia, Marta M Alonso

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a devastating pediatric brain tumor. The oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-RGD has shown promising efficacy and safety in DMG patients but is not yet curative. Thus, we hypothesized that activating dendritic cells (DCs) through the CD40 costimulatory receptor could increase antigen presentation and enhance the anti-tumor effect of the virus, resulting in long-term responses. This study shows that the intratumoral co-administration of Delta-24-RGD and a CD40 agonistic antibody is well tolerated and induces long-term anti-tumor immunity, including complete responses (up to 40%) in DMG preclinical models. Mechanistic studies revealed that this therapy increased tumor-proliferating T lymphocytes and …

Antitumor Efficacy Of Intermittent Low-Dose Erlotinib Plus Sulindac Via Mhc Upregulation And Remodeling Of The Immune Cell Niche, Chakrapani Tripathi, Jorge E Tovar Perez, Sabeeta Kapoor, Ahmed Muhsin, Wan Mohaiza Dashwood, Yunus Demirhan, Melek Demirhan, Alessandro Shapiro, Altaf Mohammed, Shizuko Sei, Jacklyn Thompson, Mahira Zaheer, Krishna M Sinha, Powel H Brown, Michelle I Savage, Eduardo Vilar, Praveen Rajendran, Roderick H Dashwood

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A previously reported clinical trial in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patients treated with erlotinib plus sulindac (ERL + SUL) highlighted immune response/interferon-γ signaling as a key pathway. In this study, we combine intermittent low-dose ERL ± SUL treatment in the polyposis in rat colon (Pirc) model with mechanistic studies on tumor-associated immune modulation. At clinically relevant doses, short-term (16 weeks) and long-term (46 weeks) ERL ± SUL administration results in near-complete tumor suppression in Pirc colon and duodenum (p < 0.0001). We identify a low-dose threshold for significant antitumor activity in Pirc rats given SUL at 125 ppm in the diet plus ERL at 5 mg/kg body weight via twice-weekly oral gavage (SUL125 + ERL5 × 2). Longitudinal analyses show diminished expression of MHC class I and II genes in polyps larger than Grade 5, a novel finding in the Pirc model. Treatment with ERL ± SUL upregulates the corresponding MHC and immune-associated factors in a subset of Pirc colon polyps, Pirc tumor cell lines, murine colon carcinoma cells, and FAP patient-derived organoids, with Nlrc5 playing a critical role in this effect. Imaging mass cytometry reveals that SUL125 + ERL5 × 2 increases tumor-associated Cd4+ T cells by ~2.6-fold (p < 0.05), with no apparent effect on Cd8+ T cells. The treatment also increases tumor-associated Cd68+ cells (p < 0.05) and decreases Foxp3+ (p < 0.01) and Arg1+ (p < 0.05) cells. Thus, intermittent low-dose ERL + SUL treatment enhances tumor-associated MHC expression and remodels the immune cell niche toward a more permissive "helper" immune microenvironment. We conclude that early immune-interception strategies targeting interferon-γ signaling may benefit FAP patients at drug doses below the clinical standard of care.

Sensory Neuron-Expressed Fgf13 Controls Nociceptive Signaling In Diabetic Neuropathy Models, Aditya K Singh, Matteo Bernabucci, Nolan M Dvorak, Zahra Haghighijoo, Jessica Di Re, Nana A Goode, Feni K Kadakia, Laura A Maile, Olumarotimi O Folorunso, Paul A Wadsworth, Cynthia M Tapia, Pingyuan Wang, Jigong Wang, Haiying Chen, Yu Xue, Jully Singh, Kali Hankerd, Isaac J Gamez, Makenna Kager, Vincent Truong, Patrick Walsh, Stephanie I Shiers, Nishka Kuttanna, Hanyue Liao, Margherita Marchi, Erika Salvi, Ilaria D'Amato, Daniela D'Amico, Parsa Arman, Catharina G Faber, Rayaz A Malik, Marina De Tommaso, Dan Ziegler, Krishna Rajarathnam, Thomas A Green, Peter M Grace, Matthew R Sapio, Michael J Iadarola, Gregory D Cuny, Diana S Chow, Giuseppe Lauria Pinter, Steve Davidson, Dustin P Green, Jun-Ho La, Jin Mo Chung, Jia Zhou, Theodore J Price, Elizabeth Salisbury, Subo Yuan, Fernanda Laezza

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Nociception involves complex signaling, yet intrinsic mechanisms bidirectionally regulating this process remain unexplored. Here, we show that the fibroblast growth factor 13 (FGF13)/Nav1.7 protein-protein interaction (PPI) complex bidirectionally modulates nociception, and that the FGF13/Nav1.7 ratio is upregulated in type 2 diabetic neuropathy (T2DN). PW164, an FGF13/Nav1.7 channel C-terminal tail domain (CTD) PPI interface inhibitor, which reduces complex assembly, selectively suppressed Na+ currents sensitized by capsaicin-induced activation of TRPV1 channels in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived (hIPSC-derived) sensory neurons and inhibited mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in mice. FGF13 silencing mimics PW164 activity in culture and in vivo. Conversely, ZL192, an FGF13 …

Fgfr3-Induced Y158 Parp1 Phosphorylation Promotes Parp Inhibitor Resistance Via Brg1/Mre11-Mediated Dna Repair In Breast Cancer Models, Mei-Kuang Chen, Hirohito Yamaguchi, Yuan Gao, Weiya Xia, Jeffrey T Chang, Yu-Chun Hsiao, Tewodros W Shegute, Zong-Shin Lin, Chen-Shiou Wu, Yu-Han Wang, Jennifer K Litton, Qingqing Ding, Yongkun Wei, Yu-Yi Chu, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Helen Piwnica-Worms, Banu Arun, Jordi Rodon Ahnert, Jinsong Liu, Jun Yao, Wei-Chao Chang, Hung-Ling Wang, Coya Tapia, Constance T Albarracin, Khandan Keyomarsi, Shao-Chun Wang, Ying-Nai Wang, Gabriel N Hortobagyi, Chunru Lin, Liuqing Yang, Dihua Yu, Mien-Chie Hung

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPis) are used to treat BRCA-mutated (BRCAm) cancer patients; however, resistance has been observed. Therefore, biomarkers to indicate PARPi resistance and combination therapy to overcome that are urgently needed. We identified a high prevalence of activated FGF receptor 3 (FGFR3) in BRCAm triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells with intrinsic and acquired PARPi resistance. FGFR3 phosphorylated PARP1 at tyrosine 158 (Y158) to recruit BRG1 and prolong chromatin-loaded MRE11, thus promoting homologous recombination (HR) to enhance PARPi resistance. FGFR inhibition prolonged PARP trapping and synergized with PARPi in vitro and in vivo. High-level PARP1 Y158 phosphorylation (p-Y158) positively …

Blunted Cd40-Responsive Enhancer Activation In Crebbp-Mutant Lymphomas Can Be Restored By Enforced Cd4 T-Cell Engagement, Haopeng Yang, Wenchao Zhang, Vida Ravanmehr, Guiling Cui, Kevin Bowman, Ruidong Chen, Jared M Henderson, Shyanne Lockman, Estela Rojas, Ashley Wilson, Sydney Parsons, Ariel Mechaly, Leslie Regad, Ahmed Haouz, Christopher R Flowers, Sattva Neelapu, Loretta Nastoupil, R Eric Davis, Qing Deng, Fernando Rodrigues-Lima, Michael R Green

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The CREBBP lysine acetyltransferase (KAT) is frequently mutated in follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and has been studied using gene knockout in murine and human cells. However, most CREBBP mutations encode amino acid substitutions within the catalytic KAT domain (CREBBP KAT-PM) that retain an inactive protein and have not been extensively characterized. Using CRISPR gene editing and extensive epigenomic characterization of lymphoma cell lines, we found that CREBBP KAT-PM lead to unloading of CREBBP from chromatin, loss of enhancer acetylation, and prevention of EP300 compensation. These enhancers were enriched for those that are dynamically loaded by CREBBP in …

Pi(4)P Recruits Cide Proteins To Promote The Formation Of Unilocular Lipid Droplets During Adipogenesis And Hepatic Steatosis, Jin Wu, Mingming Gao, Xiaoqin Wu, Yang Liu, Taiping Zhang, Yan Liang, Haixia Yang, Chengxin Ma, Youpi Ye, Chunmei Chang, Peng Li, Feng-Jung Chen, Hongyuan Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lipid droplets (LDs) are evolutionarily conserved organelles that play important roles in metabolism. Each LD is enclosed by a monolayer of phospholipids, distinct from bilayer membranes. The composition of LD surface phospholipids and their impact on LD growth and function remain to be defined. Phosphoinositides mark cellular organelles and regulate organellar function. Here, we demonstrate that PI(4)P decorates a subset of LDs to recruit and activate CIDE proteins. Enhanced expression of ORP2 and ORP5, LD-associated lipid transfer proteins that remove PI(4)P from LDs, abolished the localization and function of CIDE proteins. Blocking the synthesis of PI(4)P on the LD surface …

Opposing Roles For Myeloid And Smooth Muscle Cell Sting In Pulmonary Hypertension, Ann T Pham, Shiza Virk, Aline C Oliveira, Matthew D Alves, Chunhua Fu, Yutao Zhang, Jimena Alvarez-Castanon, Brian B Lee, Keira L Lee, Radwan Mashina, Katherine E Ray, Patrick Donabedian, Elnaz Ebrahimi, Harsh Patel, Reeha Patel, Duncan Lewis, Zhiguang Huo, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Li Chen, Lei Jin, Andrew J Bryant

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

There is an emerging role for stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling in pulmonary hypertension (PH) development. Related to this, prior research has demonstrated the relevance of immune checkpoint protein programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression by immunoregulatory myeloid cells in PH. However, there remains a need to elucidate the cell-specific role of STING expression, and the STING/PD-L1 signaling axis in PH, before readily available disease-modifying therapies can be applied for patients with the disease. Here, through generation of bone marrow chimeric mice, we show that STING-/- mice receiving WT bone marrow were protected against PH secondary to chronic hypoxia. …

Direct Inhibition Of Ras Reveals The Features Of Oncogenic Signaling Driven By Ras G12 And Q61 Mutations, Michelangelo Marasco, Dinesh Kumar, Santiago Garcia Borrego, Tessa Seale, Giulia Maddalena, Riccardo Mezzadra, Kylie Belanger, Soren Cole, Brayan Perez, Wei Luan, Radha Mukherjee, Ilinca Aricescu, Vladimir Markov, Yuxin Zhu, Sabrina Arena, Alberto Bardelli, Elisa De Stanchina, Scott W Lowe, Richard A Burkhart, Jacquelyn W Zimmerman, Rona Yaeger, Scott E Kopetz, Neal Rosen, Sandra Misale

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

RAS genes are frequently mutated in cancer, often at codons 12 and 61. With the recent introduction of RAS inhibitors, we can now directly investigate the effects of specific RAS mutations in cancer cells. In this study, we demonstrate that in tumors with RASG12X mutations, mutant RAS can be activated by receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK), and PI3K activation is dependent on mutant RAS. Conversely, RASQ61X mutations activate the MAPK cascade independently of RTKs, and inhibition of RASQ61X impairs MAPK pathway activation but leaves the PI3K pathway unaffected. Our characterization of these distinct features of G12X and Q61X mutations suggests that …

Immature Acta2r179c/+ Smooth Muscle Cells Cause Moyamoya-Like Cerebrovascular Lesions In Mice Prevented By Boosting Oxphos, Anita Kaw, Suravi Majumder, Jose E Esparza Pinelo, Ting Wu, Zbigniew Starosolski, Zhen Zhou, Albert J Pedroza, Xueyan Duan, Kaveeta Kaw, Angie D Gonzalez, Ripon Sarkar, Michael P Fischbein, Philip L Lorenzi, Lin Tan, Sara A Martinez, Iqbal Mahmud, Laxman Devkota, L Maximilian Buja, Heinrich Taegtmeyer, Ketan B Ghaghada, Sean P Marrelli, Callie S Kwartler, Dianna M Milewicz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

ACTA2 pathogenic variants altering arginine 179 cause childhood-onset strokes due to moyamoya disease (MMD)-like occlusions of the distal internal carotid arteries, but the mechanisms of pathogenesis are unknown and no preventive treatments exist. Here we show that Acta2R179C/+ smooth muscle cells (SMCs) fail to fully differentiate and maintain stem cell-like features, including increased migration and glycolytic flux compared to wildtype (WT) SMCs. Increasing mitochondrial respiration with nicotinamide riboside (NR) drives differentiation and decreases migration of Acta2R179C/+ SMCs. Carotid artery injury of Acta2SMC-R179C/+ mice leads to premature death, intraluminal SMC accumulation leading to MMD-like occlusive lesions, neurologic symptoms, …

Renal G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor 1 Regulates The Epithelial Sodium Channel Promoting Natriuresis To A Greater Extent In Females, Victoria L Nasci, Jean C Bopassa, Elena Mironova, Megan Rhoads, Ravneet Singh, Dennis P Buehler, David M Pollock, Oleh M Pochynyuk, James D Stockand, Eman Y Gohar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hypertension prevalence is lower in women than men. Enhanced renal sodium (Na+) handling in females has been implicated in sex-differences in hypertension. Epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) is a key contributor to Na+ homeostasis and is regulated by estrogen. Recent evidence suggests G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) evokes a female-specific natriuresis that involves endothelin-1 (ET-1). ET-1 has been shown to downregulate ENaC activity, but whether GPER1 regulates ENaC to modulate natriuresis is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that renal GPER1 functionally interacts with ENaC to promote natriuresis in a sex-specific manner. RNAscope confirmed co-expression of GPER1 and ENaC in rat …

Long Akap18 Isoforms Anchor Ubiquitin Specific Proteinases And Coordinate Calcium Reuptake At The Sarcoplasmic Reticulum, Taeyeop Park, Katherine Forbush, Yong Li, Oscar Vivas, Kacey J Rosenthal, Jerome Falcone, Cassandra J Wong, James E Bruce, Claudia Moreno, Carmen W Dessauer, John D Scott

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Subcellular targeting of signaling enzymes influences where and when various modes of intracellular communication operate. Macromolecular complexes of signal transduction and signal termination elements favor reversible control of repetitive processes. This includes adrenergic stimulation of excitation–contraction coupling in the heart. Long isoforms of A-kinase anchoring protein 18 (AKAP18γ and δ) modulate this process via regulation of calcium uptake into the sarcoplasmic reticulum through the Ca2+ATPase 2a (SERCA2a). AKAP18 proximity-proteomic screening in cardiomyocytes identifies networks for protein kinase A (PKA) and ubiquitin-specific proteinases (USPs). A 2′phosphoesterase domain on AKAP18 interfaces with the USP4 isoform at the Z bands of sarcomeres. PKA …

Myh11 Rare Variant Augments Aortic Growth And Induces Cardiac Hypertrophy And Heart Failure With Pressure Overload, Zhen Zhou, Kgosi Hughes, Nisha Saif, Hyoseon Kim, Michael P Massett, Mingjie Zheng, Alana C Cecchi, Dongchuan Guo, David R Murdock, Ping Pan, Jelita S Clinton, Jun Wang, John M Greally, Dianna M Milewicz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Smooth muscle cell-specific myosin heavy chain, encoded by MYH11, is selectively expressed in smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Pathogenic variants in MYH11 predispose to a number of disorders, including heritable thoracic aortic disease associated with patent ductus arteriosus, visceral myopathy, and megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome. Rare variants of uncertain significance occur throughout the gene, including MYH11 p.Glu1892Asp, and we sought to determine if this variant causes thoracic aortic disease in mice. Genomic editing was used to generate Myh11E1892D/E1892D mice. Wild-type (WT) and mutant mice underwent cardiovascular phenotyping with and without transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Myh11E1892D/E1892D and WT mice displayed …

Kap1 Promotes Gastric Adenocarcinoma Progression By Activating Hippo/Yap1 Signaling Via Binding To Hnrnpab, Shumei Song, Yibo Fan, Gengyi Zou, Longfei Huo, Janani Kumar, Yuan Li, Ruiping Wang, Enyu Dai, Jiankang Jin, Ailing W Scott, Shan Shao, Melissa Pool Pizzi, Jody V Vykoukal, Hiroyuki Katayama, Samir Hanash, George A Calin, Xing Zhang, Min Gyu Lee, Zhenning Wang, Yuan-Hung Lo, Qiong Gan, Rebecca E Waters, Feng Yin, Linghua Wang, Xiaodong Cheng, Jaffer A Ajani, Shilpa S Dhar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) remains a significant global health challenge, with over a million new cases annually. Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), detected in ∼20 % of cases at diagnosis and ∼45 % later, is uniformly fatal, with limited treatment options. This study investigated the role of KAP1 in GAC progression, focusing on its interaction with YAP1 and cancer stemness traits. Analysis of over 596 primary GACs and 72 PC samples revealed that high nuclear KAP1 expression correlates with poor prognosis. KAP1 knockdown reduced oncogenic activity and stemness traits in GAC cells. Mechanistically, KAP1 positively regulates YAP1 transcription by binding to its promoter …

Oatp1b1/1b3 Deficiency Exacerbates Hyperbilirubinemia In Erythropoietic Protoporphyria, Ruizhi Gu, Fu-Ying Qin, Luxuan Wang, Jiaojiao Zhang, Jacob Emerson, Qing Ma, Jie Lu, Karl E Anderson, Junmei Wang, Xiaochao Ma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is caused by loss-of-function mutations in ferrochelatase (FECH), leading to the accumulation of its substrate, protoporphyrin IX (PPIX). PPIX is primarily produced in the bone marrow and transported to the liver for excretion. Because PPIX is hydrophobic, its elevated levels can cause bile duct blockage, cholestatic liver injury, and even liver failure. However, the specific transporter responsible for PPIX uptake into hepatocytes remains unclear. The OATP1B1/1B3 transporters, which are expressed in hepatocytes, facilitate the uptake of coproporphyrin III, a structural analog of PPIX. Additionally, OATP1B1/1B3 mediates the uptake of bilirubin, a biomarker of liver injury, from plasma …

Histone Lysine Methyltransferases Mll3 And Mll4 Direct Gene Expression To Produce Platelets Efficiently, Guozhen Gao, Josimar Dornelas Moreira, Prosun Das, Kevin Lin, Kai Ge, Taiping Chen, Yue Lu, Margarida A Santos

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Circulating blood platelets are responsible for maintaining hemostasis. They are released into blood vessels from mature megakaryocytes. Although several transcription factors have been reported to orchestrate the transcriptional programs required for platelet production, how chromatin regulators control these processes is still poorly understood. MLL3 and MLL4 are the main lysine methyltransferases responsible for the deposition of H3K4me1 histone marks at enhancers. MLL3 and MLL4 typically form complexes with other co-factors, such as PTIP. Recently, we showed that loss of PTIP leads to decreased platelet numbers in mice. Here, we find that, although MLL3/4 double deficiency does not alter megakaryopoiesis and …

Crem Is A Regulatory Checkpoint Of Car And Il-15 Signalling In Nk Cells, Hind Rafei, Rafet Basar, Sunil Acharya, Yu-Sung Hsu, Pinghua Liu, Deqiang Zhang, Toszka Bohn, Qingnan Liang, Vakul Mohanty, Ranjan Upadhyay, Ping Li, Pravin Phadatare, Merve Dede, Donghai Xiong, Huihui Fan, Corry Mathew Jones, Sebastian Kunz, May Daher, Ana Karen Nunez Cortes, Mayra Shanley, Bin Liu, Sadie Mae Moseley, Chenyu Zhang, Dexing Fang, Pinaki Banerjee, Nadima Uprety, Ye Li, Rejeena Shrestha, Xinhai Wan, Hong Shen, Vernikka Woods, April Lamour Gilbert, Seema Rawal, Jinzhuang Dou, Yukun Tan, Jeong-Min Park, Francia Reyes Silva, Alexander Biederstädt, Mecit Kaplan, Xin Ru Jiang, Inci Biederstädt, Bijender Kumar, Silvia Tiberti, Madison Moore, Jingling Jin, Ryan Z Yang, Luis Muniz-Feliciano, Samuel Rosemore, Paul Lin, Gary M Deyter, Natalie Wall Fowlkes, Abhinav K Jain, David Marin, Anirban Maitra, Ken Chen, Tobias Bopp, Elizabeth J Shpall, Katayoun Rezvani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) cell immunotherapy offers a promising approach against cancer1-3. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate CAR-NK cell activity remain unclear. Here we identify the transcription factor cyclic AMP response element modulator (CREM) as a crucial regulator of NK cell function. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a significant induction of CREM in CAR-NK cells during the peak of effector function after adoptive transfer in a tumour mouse model, and this peak coincided with signatures of both activation and dysfunction. We demonstrate that both CAR activation and interleukin-15 signalling rapidly induce CREM upregulation in NK cells. Functionally, CREM …

A Hypomorphic Model Of Cps1 Deficiency For Investigating The Effects Of Hyperammonemia On The Developing Nervous System, Stuti Bakshi, Taryn Diep, Brandon J Willis, Rachel Reyes, Grace F Wu, Georgios Makris, Martin Poms, Isabel Day, Qin Sun, Irina Zhuravka, Lindsay Lueptow, Michelle Tang, Gareth A Cromie, Aimée M Dudley, Johannes Häberle, Gerald S Lipshutz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency is a rare metabolic disorder that, in neonatal onset, is typically characterized by severe life-threatening and neurologically injuring hyperammonemic episodes with high unmet patient need. Patients that retain limited enzyme activity may present later in life with less severe hyperammonemia. CPS1 drives the first step in the urea cycle, the pathway terrestrial mammals utilize to metabolize nitrogen. In order to probe the effect of hyperammonemia on the developing nervous system and explore new therapies, a murine Cps1 exon 3-4 mutant was previously generated. However, these mice die within 24 h of birth, limiting study …

Cholesterol Metabolism Regulated By Camkk2-Creb Signaling Promotes Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, Chenchu Lin, Thomas L Pulliam, Jenny J Han, Jiaqian Xu, Carlos Vera Recio, Sandi R Wilkenfeld, Yan Shi, Manoj Kushwaha, Sarah Bench, Eduardo Ruiz, Sanjanaa Senthilkumar, Jayasurya Dileep, Peter D A Shepherd, Nora M Navone, Albert R Klekers, Elizabeth M Whitley, Michael M Ittmann, Livia S Eberlin, Wenyi Wang, Daniel E Frigo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains an incurable disease in need of improved treatments. CAMKK2 is an emerging therapeutic target whose oncogenic effects in prostate cancer have, to date, been largely attributed to its activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Here, we demonstrate that CAMKK2 promotes prostate cancer growth through an alternative downstream pathway involving CAMKI and CREB. Unbiased transcriptomics identify CREB-mediated transcription as a CAMKK2-regulated process, findings that we validate using diverse molecular, genetic, and pharmacological approaches in vitro and in vivo. CAMKK2 promotes CREB phosphorylation/activation through CAMKIα independently of AMPK, CAMKIV, or other CAMKI isoforms. Functionally, the CREB family …

Protocol For Assessing Mobilization Of Peritoneal B Cells To The Pre-Metastatic Omentum In An Orthotopic Mouse Model Of Ovarian Cancer, Wonjae Lee, Hironari Akasaka, Honami Naora

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The omentum is a visceral adipose tissue that undergoes dynamic immunological changes prior to and following metastasis. Here, we present a protocol for assessing the mobilization of peritoneal B cells to the pre-metastatic omentum in a mouse ovarian cancer model. We describe steps for isolation and adoptive transfer of peritoneal donor B cells and their detection in the omentum of recipient mice. This protocol could be utilized to study the mobilization of peritoneal B cells to the omentum in other pathological contexts. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Lee et al.

The Tumor Suppressor Hnrnpk Induces P53-Dependent Nucleolar Stress To Drive Ribosomopathies, Pedro Aguilar-Garrido, María Velasco-Estévez, Miguel Ángel Navarro-Aguadero, Álvaro Otero-Sobrino, Marta Ibáñez-Navarro, Miguel Ángel Marugal, María Hernández-Sánchez, Prerna Malaney, Ashley Rodriguez, Oscar Benitez, Xiaroui Zhang, Marisa Jl Aitken, Alejandra Ortiz-Ruiz, Diego Megías, Manuel Pérez, Gadea Mata, Jesús Gomez, Miguel Lafarga, Orlando Domínguez, Osvaldo Graña-Castro, Eduardo Caleiras, Pilar Ximénez-Embun, Marta Isasa, Paloma Jimena De Andres, Sandra Rodríguez-Perales, Raúl Torres-Ruiz, Enrique Revilla, Rosa María García-Martín, Daniel Azorín, Josune Zubicaray, Julián Sevilla, Oleksandra Sirozh, Vanesa Lafarga, Joaquín Martínez-López, Sean M Post, Miguel Gallardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The nucleolus is a membraneless organelle and an excellent stress sensor. Any changes in its architecture or composition lead to nucleolar stress, resulting in cell cycle arrest and interruption of ribosomal activity, critical factors in aging and cancer. In this study, we identified and described the pivotal role of the RNA-binding protein HNRNPK in ribosome and nucleolar dynamics. We developed an in vitro model of endogenous HNRNPK overexpression and an in vivo mouse model of ubiquitous HNRNPK overexpression. These models showed disruptions in translation as the HNRNPK overexpression caused alterations in the nucleolar structure, resulting in p53-dependent nucleolar stress, cell …

Type I Interferon Protects Against Bone Loss In Periodontitis By Mitigating An Interleukin (Il)-17-Neutrophil Axis, Jinmei Zhang, Qiong Ding, Angela X Wang, Maoxuan Lin, Ning Yu, Kevin Moss, Megumi A Williamson, Di Miao, Julie T Marchesan, Erliang Zeng, Wei Shi, Hongli Sun, Yu Leo Lei, Shaoping Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Type I interferons (IFNs-I), a group of pleiotropic cytokines, critically modulate host response in various inflammatory diseases. However, the role of the IFN-I pathway in periodontitis remains largely unknown. In this report, we describe that the IFN-β levels in the gingival crevicular fluid of human subjects were negatively associated with periodontitis and clinical gingival inflammation. Disruption of IFN-I signaling worsened alveolar bone resorption in a ligature-induced periodontitis murine model. Deficiency of the IFN-I pathway resulted in an exaggerated inflammatory response in myeloid cells and drastically increased the interleukin-17 (IL-17)-mediated neutrophil recruitment in the gingiva. We further identified that the myeloid …

Integrated Metabolomics And Spatial Transcriptomics Of Cystic Pancreatic Cancer Precursors Reveals Dysregulated Polyamine Metabolism As A Biomarker Of Progression, Ricardo A León-Letelier, Yihui Chen, Rongzhang Dou, Ehsan Irajizad, Michele T Yip-Schneider, Ranran Wu, Rahmah Ejaz, Hamid K Rudsari, Yaxi Li, Rachelle Spencer, Riccardo Ballarò, Jody Vykoukal, Mark Hurd, Jennifer B Dennison, Kim-Anh Do, Anirban Maitra, Jianjun Zhang, Samir Hanash, C Max Schmidt, Johannes F Fahrmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: We conducted metabolomics and spatial cell transcriptomics of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN), recognized pancreatic cancer precursors, to identify oncometabolites that inform upon risk of malignancy of IPMNs.

Experimental design: Untargeted metabolomic analyses were performed on cystic fluid from 125 patients with low-grade (LG) dysplasia or high-grade (HG) dysplasia with/without concurrent pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC; IPMN/PDAC). Predictive performance of individual metabolites for identifying HG or PDAC/IPMN was determined and compared with CA19-9 performance. Data were intersected with metabolic profiles of resected IPMN tissues and murine Kras;Gnas IPMN cell lines as well as spatial and single-cell transcriptomics of IPMNs.

Results: …

Sickle Cell Disease Induces Chromatin Introversion And Ferroptosis In Cd8+ T Cells To Suppress Anti-Tumor Immunity, Zilong Zhao, Benxia Hu, Yalan Deng, Melinda Soeung, Jun Yao, Lanxin Bei, Yaohua Zhang, Pengju Gong, Lisa A Huang, Zhou Jiang, Jian Gao, Shuang Peng, Tina K Nguyen, Menuka Karki, Bora Lim, Cassian Yee, Jared K Burks, Qing Zhang, Li Ma, Jianjun Gao, Nizar M Tannir, Leng Han, Dihua Yu, Linghua Wang, Michael A Curran, Maria A Gubbiotti, Giannicola Genovese, Boyi Gan, Wenbo Li, Pavlos Msaouel, Liuqing Yang, Chunru Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding how genetic disorders affect CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment is key to improving cancer immunotherapy. Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), the most prevalent inherited blood disorder, have a higher risk of developing certain cancers than the general population, but the mechanisms driving this increased risk remain unclear. Our study revealed that SCD altered CD8+ T cell 3D genome architecture, triggering ferroptosis and weakening anti-tumor immunity, thereby promoting tumor growth. Using murine and humanized SCD models, we found that disrupted chromosomal interactions in CD8+ T cells reduced the expression of anti-ferroptotic genes, including SLC7A11 and hydrogen sulfide …

Sickle Cell Disease Induces Chromatin Introversion And Ferroptosis In Cd8+ T Cells To Suppress Anti-Tumor Immunity, Zilong Zhao, Benxia Hu, Yalan Deng, Melinda Soeung, Jun Yao, Lanxin Bei, Yaohua Zhang, Pengju Gong, Lisa A Huang, Zhou Jiang, Jian Gao, Shuang Peng, Tina K Nguyen, Menuka Karki, Bora Lim, Cassian Yee, Jared K Burks, Qing Zhang, Li Ma, Jianjun Gao, Nizar M Tannir, Leng Han, Dihua Yu, Linghua Wang, Michael A Curran, Maria A Gubbiotti, Giannicola Genovese, Boyi Gan, Wenbo Li, Pavlos Msaouel, Liuqing Yang, Chunru Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding how genetic disorders affect CD8

Radiotherapy Promotes Cuproptosis And Synergizes With Cuproptosis Inducers To Overcome Tumor Radioresistance, Guang Lei, Mingchuang Sun, Jun Cheng, Rui Ye, Zhengze Lu, Amber Horbath, David Huo, Shengrong Wu, Anagha Alapati, Sadhna Aggarwal, Zhihao Xu, Chao Mao, Yuelong Yan, Jun Yao, Qidong Li, Xiong Chen, Hyemin Lee, Li Zhuang, Dadi Jiang, Apar Pataer, Jack A Roth, Nicholas Navin, Albert C Koong, Mingjian James You, Steven H Lin, Boyi Gan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cuproptosis is a recently identified form of copper-dependent cell death. Here, we reveal that radiotherapy (RT) induces cuproptosis in cancer cells, independent of apoptosis and ferroptosis, and depletes lipoylated proteins and iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster proteins-both hallmarks of cuproptosis-in patient tumors. Mechanistically, RT elevates mitochondrial copper levels by upregulating copper transporter 1 (CTR1) and depleting mitochondrial glutathione, a copper chelator, thereby triggering cuproptosis. Integrated analyses of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) from radioresistant esophageal cancer cells and single-cell RNA-seq from esophageal tumors of patients unresponsive to RT link radioresistance to the downregulation of BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1). This downregulation de-represses the …

Spatial And Multiomics Analysis Of Human And Mouse Lung Adenocarcinoma Precursors Reveals Tim-3 As A Putative Target For Precancer Interception, Bo Zhu, Pingjun Chen, Muhammad Aminu, Jian-Rong Li, Junya Fujimoto, Yanhua Tian, Lingzhi Hong, Hong Chen, Xin Hu, Chenyang Li, Natalie Vokes, Andre L Moreira, Don L Gibbons, Luisa M Solis Soto, Edwin Roger Parra Cuentas, Ou Shi, Songhui Diao, Jie Ye, Frank R Rojas, Eduardo Vilar, Anirban Maitra, Ken Chen, Nicolas Navin, Monique Nilsson, Beibei Huang, Simon Heeke, Jianhua Zhang, Cara L Haymaker, Vamsidhar Velcheti, Daniel H Sterman, Veena Kochat, William I Padron, Ludmil B Alexandrov, Zhubo Wei, Xiuning Le, Linghua Wang, Junya Fukuoka, J Jack Lee, Ignacio I Wistuba, Harvey I Pass, Mark Davis, Samir Hanash, Chao Cheng, Steven Dubinett, Avrum Spira, Kunal Rai, Scott M Lippman, P Andrew Futreal, John V Heymach, Alexandre Reuben, Jia Wu, Jianjun Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

How tumor microenvironment shapes lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) precancer evolution remains poorly understood. Spatial immune profiling of 114 human LUAD and LUAD precursors reveals a progressive increase of adaptive response and a relative decrease of innate immune response as LUAD precursors progress. The immune evasion features align the immune response patterns at various stages. TIM-3-high features are enriched in LUAD precancers, which decrease in later stages. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial immune and transcriptomics profiling of LUAD and LUAD precursor specimens from 5 mouse models validate high TIM-3 features in LUAD precancers. In vivo TIM-3 blockade at precancer stage, …

Radiotherapy Promotes Cuproptosis And Synergizes With Cuproptosis Inducers To Overcome Tumor Radioresistance, Guang Lei, Mingchuang Sun, Jun Cheng, Rui Ye, Zhengze Lu, Amber Horbath, David Huo, Shengrong Wu, Anagha Alapati, Sadhna Aggarwal, Zhihao Xu, Chao Mao, Yuelong Yan, Jun Yao, Qidong Li, Xiong Chen, Hyemin Lee, Li Zhuang, Dadi Jiang, Apar Pataer, Jack A Roth, Nicholas Navin, Albert C Koong, Mingjian James You, Steven H Lin, Boyi Gan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cuproptosis is a recently identified form of copper-dependent cell death. Here, we reveal that radiotherapy (RT) induces cuproptosis in cancer cells, independent of apoptosis and ferroptosis, and depletes lipoylated proteins and iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster proteins-both hallmarks of cuproptosis-in patient tumors. Mechanistically, RT elevates mitochondrial copper levels by upregulating copper transporter 1 (CTR1) and depleting mitochondrial glutathione, a copper chelator, thereby triggering cuproptosis. Integrated analyses of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) from radioresistant esophageal cancer cells and single-cell RNA-seq from esophageal tumors of patients unresponsive to RT link radioresistance to the downregulation of BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1). This downregulation de-represses the …

Swi/Snf Atpase Silenced Hlf Potentiates Lung Metastasis In Solid Cancers, Jin Zhou, Austin Hepperla, Jeremy M Simon, Kangsan Kim, Qing Hu, Chuanhai Zhang, Lei Dong, Lianxin Hu, Cheng Zhang, Chengheng Liao, Alice Fang, Yayoi Adachi, Haoyong Fu, Tao Wang, Qian Liang, Fangzhou Zhao, Hongyi Liu, Masashi Takeda, Jun Fang, Hua Zhong, Peter Ly, Lu Wang, Payal Kapur, Lin Xu, Liwei Jia, Srinivas Malladi, James Brugarolas, M Celeste Simon, Bo Li, Qing Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related deaths, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, using clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a tumor type with frequent lung metastases, we conduct an in vivo genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen and identify HLF as a potent suppressor of lung metastasis. HLF depletion enhances ccRCC cell migration and lung metastasis, whereas HLF overexpression abrogates these effects. In ccRCC patients, HLF expression is reduced at metastatic sites and associates with epigenetic silencing mediated by the SWI/SNF ATPase subunit BRG1. HLF levels negatively correlate with migration potential in collagen. Mechanistically, HLF regulates LPXN expression, modulating the …