Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be derived from various types of somatic cells by transient overexpression of 4 Yamanaka factors (OCT4, SOX2, C-MYC, and KLF4). Patient-specific iPSC derivatives (e.g., neuronal, cardiac, hepatic, muscular, and endothelial cells [ECs]) hold great promise in drug discovery and regenerative medicine. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether the cellular origin can affect the differentiation, in vivo behavior, and single-cell gene expression signatures of human iPSC–derived ECs. We derived human iPSCs from 3 types of somatic cells of the same individuals: fibroblasts (FB-iPSCs), ECs (EC-iPSCs), and cardiac progenitor cells (CPC-iPSCs). We then differentiated them into ECs by sequential administration of Activin, BMP4, bFGF, and VEGF. EC-iPSCs at early passage (10 < P < 20) showed higher EC differentiation propensity and gene expression of EC-specific markers (PECAM1 and NOS3) than FB-iPSCs and CPC-iPSCs. In vivo transplanted EC-iPSC–ECs were recovered with a higher percentage of CD31+ population and expressed higher EC-specific gene expression markers (PECAM1, KDR, and ICAM) as revealed by microfluidic single-cell quantitative PCR (qPCR). In vitro EC-iPSC–ECs maintained a higher CD31+ population than FB-iPSC–ECs and CPC-iPSC–ECs with long-term culturing and passaging. These results indicate that cellular origin may influence lineage differentiation propensity of human iPSCs; hence, the somatic memory carried by early passage iPSCs should be carefully considered before clinical translation.
Authors
Shijun Hu, Ming-Tao Zhao, Fereshteh Jahanbani, Ning-Yi Shao, Won Hee Lee, Haodong Chen, Michael P. Snyder, Joseph C. Wu
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating lung disease characterized by excessive collagen production and fibrogenesis. Apoptosis in lung epithelial cells is critical in IPF pathogenesis, as heightened loss of these cells promotes fibroblast activation and remodeling. Changes in glutathione redox status have been reported in IPF patients. S-glutathionylation, the conjugation of glutathione to reactive cysteines, is catalyzed in part by glutathione-
Authors
David H. McMillan, Jos L.J. van der Velden, Karolyn G. Lahue, Xi Qian, Robert W. Schneider, Martina S. Iberg, James D. Nolin, Sarah Abdalla, Dylan T. Casey, Kenneth D. Tew, Danyelle M. Townsend, Colin J. Henderson, C. Roland Wolf, Kelly J. Butnor, Douglas J. Taatjes, Ralph C. Budd, Charles G. Irvin, Albert van der Vliet, Stevenson Flemer, Vikas Anathy, Yvonne M.W. Janssen-Heininger
Abstract
In cystic fibrosis (CF), loss of CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) anion channel activity causes airway surface liquid (ASL) pH to become acidic, which impairs airway host defenses. One potential therapeutic approach is to correct the acidic pH in CF airways by aerosolizing HCO3– and/or nonbicarbonate pH buffers. Here, we show that raising ASL pH with inhaled HCO3– increased pH. However, the effect was transient, and pH returned to baseline values within 30 minutes. Tromethamine (Tham) is a buffer with a long serum half-life used as an i.v. formulation to treat metabolic acidosis. We found that Tham aerosols increased ASL pH in vivo for at least 2 hours and enhanced bacterial killing. Inhaled hypertonic saline (7% NaCl) is delivered to people with CF in an attempt to promote mucus clearance. Because an increased ionic strength inhibits ASL antimicrobial factors, we added Tham to hypertonic saline and applied it to CF sputum. We found that Tham alone and in combination with hypertonic saline increased pH and enhanced bacterial killing. These findings suggest that aerosolizing the HCO3–-independent buffer Tham, either alone or in combination with hypertonic saline, might be of therapeutic benefit in CF airway disease.
Authors
Mahmoud H. Abou Alaiwa, Janice L. Launspach, Kelsey A. Sheets, Jade A. Rivera, Nicholas D. Gansemer, Peter J. Taft, Peter S. Thorne, Michael J. Welsh, David A. Stoltz, Joseph Zabner
Abstract
We have previously reported that obesity attenuates pulmonary inflammation in both patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and in mouse models of the disease. We hypothesized that obesity-associated hyperleptinemia, and not body mass per se, drives attenuation of the pulmonary inflammatory response and that this effect could also impair the host response to pneumonia. We examined the correlation between circulating leptin levels and risk, severity, and outcome of pneumonia in 2 patient cohorts (NHANES III and ARDSNet-ALVEOLI) and in mouse models of diet-induced obesity and lean hyperleptinemia. Plasma leptin levels in ambulatory subjects (NHANES) correlated positively with annual risk of respiratory infection independent of BMI. In patients with severe pneumonia resulting in ARDS (ARDSNet-ALVEOLI), plasma leptin levels were found to correlate positively with subsequent mortality. In obese mice with pneumonia, plasma leptin levels were associated with pneumonia severity, and in obese mice with sterile lung injury, leptin levels were inversely related to bronchoalveolar lavage neutrophilia, as well as to plasma IL-6 and G-CSF levels. These results were recapitulated in lean mice with experimentally induced hyperleptinemia. Our findings suggest that the association between obesity and elevated risk of pulmonary infection may be driven by hyperleptinemia.
Authors
Niki D.J. Ubags, Renee D. Stapleton, Juanita H.J. Vernooy, Elianne Burg, Jenna Bement, Catherine M. Hayes, Sebastian Ventrone, Lennart Zabeau, Jan Tavernier, Matthew E. Poynter, Polly E. Parsons, Anne E. Dixon, Matthew J. Wargo, Benjamin Littenberg, Emiel F.M. Wouters, Benjamin T. Suratt
Abstract
Although a close connection between uterine regeneration and successful pregnancy in both humans and mice has been consistently observed, its molecular basis remains unclear. We here established a mouse model of decellularized uterine matrix (DUM) transplantation. Resected mouse uteri were processed with SDS to make DUMs without any intact cells. DUMs were transplanted into the mouse uteri with artificially induced defects, and all the uterine layers were recovered at the DUM transplantation sites within a month. In the regenerated uteri, normal hormone responsiveness in early pregnancy was observed, suggesting the regeneration of functional uteri. Uterine epithelial cells rapidly migrated and formed a normal uterine epithelial layer within a week, indicating a robust epithelial-regenerating capacity. Stromal and myometrial regeneration occurred following epithelial regeneration. In ovariectomized mice, uterine regeneration of the DUM transplantation was similarly observed, suggesting that ovarian hormones are not essential for this regeneration process. Importantly, the regenerating epithelium around the DUM demonstrated heightened STAT3 phosphorylation and cell proliferation, which was suppressed in uteri of
Authors
Takehiro Hiraoka, Yasushi Hirota, Tomoko Saito-Fujita, Mitsunori Matsuo, Mahiro Egashira, Leona Matsumoto, Hirofumi Haraguchi, Sudhansu K. Dey, Katsuko S. Furukawa, Tomoyuki Fujii, Yutaka Osuga
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial (PA) stiffness is associated with increased mortality in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH); however, the role of PA stiffening in the pathogenesis of PH remains elusive. Here, we show that distal vascular matrix stiffening is an early mechanobiological regulator of experimental PH. We identify cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) suppression and corresponding reduction in prostaglandin production as pivotal regulators of stiffness-dependent vascular cell activation. Atomic force microscopy microindentation demonstrated early PA stiffening in experimental PH and human lung tissue. Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) grown on substrates with the stiffness of remodeled PAs showed increased proliferation, decreased apoptosis, exaggerated contraction, enhanced matrix deposition, and reduced COX-2–derived prostanoid production compared with cells grown on substrates approximating normal PA stiffness. Treatment with a prostaglandin I2 analog abrogated monocrotaline-induced PA stiffening and attenuated stiffness-dependent increases in proliferation, matrix deposition, and contraction in PASMC. Our results suggest a pivotal role for early PA stiffening in PH and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of interrupting mechanobiological feedback amplification of vascular remodeling in experimental PH.
Authors
Fei Liu, Christina Mallarino Haeger, Paul B. Dieffenbach, Delphine Sicard, Izabela Chrobak, Anna Maria F. Coronata, Margarita M. Suárez Velandia, Sally Vitali, Romain A. Colas, Paul C. Norris, Aleksandar Marinković, Xiaoli Liu, Jun Ma, Chase D. Rose, Seon-Jin Lee, Suzy A.A. Comhair, Serpil C. Erzurum, Jacob D. McDonald, Charles N. Serhan, Stephen R. Walsh, Daniel J. Tschumperlin, Laura E. Fredenburgh
Abstract
CD4+ T cells predominate in salivary gland (SG) inflammatory lesions in Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). However, their antigen specificity, degree of clonal expansion, and relationship to clinical disease features remain unknown. We used multiplex reverse-transcriptase PCR to amplify paired T cell receptor α (TCRα) and β transcripts of single CD4+CD45RA– T cells from SG and peripheral blood (PB) of 10 individuals with primary SS, 9 of whom shared the HLA DR3/DQ2 risk haplotype. TCRα and β sequences were obtained from a median of 91 SG and 107 PB cells per subject. The degree of clonal expansion and frequency of cells expressing two productively rearranged α genes were increased in SG versus PB. Expanded clones from SG exhibited complementary-determining region 3 (CDR3) sequence similarity both within and among subjects, suggesting antigenic selection and shared antigen recognition. CDR3 similarities were shared among expanded clones from individuals discordant for canonical Ro and La autoantibodies, suggesting recognition of alternative SG antigen(s). The extent of SG clonal expansion correlated with reduced saliva production and increased SG fibrosis, linking expanded SG T cells with glandular dysfunction. Knowledge of paired TCRα and β sequences enables further work toward identification of target antigens and development of novel therapies.
Authors
Michelle L. Joachims, Kerry M. Leehan, Christina Lawrence, Richard C. Pelikan, Jacen S. Moore, Zijian Pan, Astrid Rasmussen, Lida Radfar, David M. Lewis, Kiely M. Grundahl, Jennifer A. Kelly, Graham B. Wiley, Mikhail Shugay, Dmitriy M. Chudakov, Christopher J. Lessard, Donald U. Stone, R. Hal Scofield, Courtney G. Montgomery, Kathy L. Sivils, Linda F. Thompson, A. Darise Farris
Abstract
Infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and ascites. Hypothesizing that innate immune dysfunction contributes to susceptibility to infection, we assessed ascitic fluid macrophage phenotype and function. The expression of complement receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily (CRIg) and CCR2 defined two phenotypically and functionally distinct peritoneal macrophage subpopulations. The proportion of CRIghi macrophages differed between patients and in the same patient over time, and a high proportion of CRIghi macrophages was associated with reduced disease severity (model for end-stage liver disease) score. As compared with CRIglo macrophages, CRIghi macrophages were highly phagocytic and displayed enhanced antimicrobial effector activity. Transcriptional profiling by RNA sequencing and comparison with human macrophage and murine peritoneal macrophage expression signatures highlighted similarities among CRIghi cells, human macrophages, and mouse F4/80hi resident peritoneal macrophages and among CRIglo macrophages, human monocytes, and mouse F4/80lo monocyte-derived peritoneal macrophages. These data suggest that CRIghi and CRIglo macrophages may represent a tissue-resident population and a monocyte-derived population, respectively. In conclusion, ascites fluid macrophage subset distribution and phagocytic capacity is highly variable among patients with chronic liver disease. Regulating the numbers and/or functions of these macrophage populations could provide therapeutic opportunities in cirrhotic patients.
Authors
Katharine M. Irvine, Xuan Banh, Victoria L. Gadd, Kyle K. Wojcik, Juliana K. Ariffin, Sara Jose, Samuel Lukowski, Gregory J. Baillie, Matthew J. Sweet, Elizabeth E. Powell
Abstract
Eosinophilic inflammation and Th2 cytokine production are central to the pathogenesis of asthma. Agents that target either eosinophils or single Th2 cytokines have shown benefits in subsets of biomarker-positive patients. More broadly effective treatment or disease-modifying effects may be achieved by eliminating more than one inflammatory stimulator. Here we present a strategy to concomitantly deplete Th2 T cells, eosinophils, basophils, and type-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) by generating monoclonal antibodies with enhanced effector function (19A2) that target CRTh2 present on all 4 cell types. Using human CRTh2 (hCRTh2) transgenic mice that mimic the expression pattern of hCRTh2 on innate immune cells but not Th2 cells, we demonstrate that anti-hCRTh2 antibodies specifically eliminate hCRTh2+ basophils, eosinophils, and ILC2s from lung and lymphoid organs in models of asthma and
Authors
Tao Huang, Meredith Hazen, Yonglei Shang, Meijuan Zhou, Xiumin Wu, Donghong Yan, Zhonghua Lin, Margaret Solon, Elizabeth Luis, Hai Ngu, Yongchang Shi, Arna Katewa, David F. Choy, Nandhini Ramamoorthi, Erick R. Castellanos, Mercedesz Balazs, Min Xu, Wyne P. Lee, Marissa L. Matsumoto, Jian Payandeh, Joseph R. Arron, Jo-Anne Hongo, Jianyong Wang, Isidro Hötzel, Cary D. Austin, Karin Reif
Abstract
Secreted by activated cells or passively released by damaged cells, extracellular HMGB1 is a prototypical damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) inflammatory mediator. During the course of developing extracorporeal approaches to treating injury and infection, we inadvertently discovered that haptoglobin, the acute phase protein that binds extracellular hemoglobin and targets cellular uptake through CD163, also binds HMGB1. Haptoglobin-HMGB1 complexes elicit the production of antiinflammatory enzymes (heme oxygenase-1) and cytokines (e.g., IL-10) in WT but not in CD163-deficient macrophages. Genetic disruption of haptoglobin or CD163 expression significantly enhances mortality rates in standardized models of intra-abdominal sepsis in mice. Administration of haptoglobin to WT and to haptoglobin gene-deficient animals confers significant protection. These findings reveal a mechanism for haptoglobin modulation of the inflammatory action of HMGB1, with significant implications for developing experimental strategies targeting HMGB1-dependent inflammatory diseases.
Authors
Huan Yang, Haichao Wang, Yaakov A. Levine, Manoj K. Gunasekaran, Yongjun Wang, Meghan Addorisio, Shu Zhu, Wei Li, Jianhua Li, Dominique P.V. de Kleijn, Peder S. Olofsson, H. Shaw Warren, Mingzhu He, Yousef Al-Abed, Jesse Roth, Daniel J. Antoine, Sangeeta S. Chavan, Ulf Andersson, Kevin J. Tracey
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