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Abstract
Background: Prehospital plasma improves survival in severely injured trauma patients at risk for hemorrhagic shock and transported by air ambulance. We hypothesized that prehospital plasma would be associated with a reduction in immune imbalance and endothelial damage. Methods: We collected blood samples from 405 trauma patients enrolled in the Prehospital Air MedicalPlasma (PAMPer) trial upon hospital admission (0 hours) and 24 hours post admission across 6 U.S. sites(9 level-one trauma centers) with air medical transport services. We assayed samples for 21 inflammatory mediators and 7 markers of endothelial damage. We performed hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) on principal components of these biomarkers of the immune response and endothelial injury. Regression analysis was used to control for known differences across study arms near the time of randomization and to assess any association with prehospital plasma administration. Results: HCA based on inflammatory mediator and endothelial damage marker concentrations distinguished two patient clusters, each with different injury patterns and outcomes. Patients in cluster A had greater injury severity and incidence of blunt trauma, traumatic brain injury, and mortality. Cluster A patients that received prehospital plasma as compared to standard care fluid resuscitation showed improved 30-day survival. Prehospital plasma did not improve survival in cluster B patients. In an adjusted analysis of themost seriously injured patients (ISS>30), plasma was associated with a an increase in circulating levels of adiponectin, IL-1β, IL-17A, IL-23, and IL-17E upon admission. One day following admission, prehospital plasmas was associated with a reduction in syndecan-1, TM, VEGF, IL-6, IP-10, MCP-1, and TNF-α, and an increase in IL-33, IL-21, IL-23, and IL-17E. Conclusion: This is the first human study to suggest that prehospital plasma may ameliorate the endotheliopathy of trauma and modulate an imbalance between pro-inflammatory (e.g. IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1) and protective (e.g. IL-33 and IL-17E) mediators. These effects of early plasma administration may contribute to improved survival in severely injured patients. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01818427 Funding: National Institutes of Health T32; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command W81XWH-12-2-0023; National Institutes of Health R35; National Institutes of Health 1R35GM119526-01; the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, through the Defense Medical Research and Development Program W81XWH-18-2-0051 and W81XWH-15-PRORP-OCRCA. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense.
Authors
Danielle S. Gruen, Joshua B. Brown, Francis X. Guyette, Yoram Vodovotz, Par I. Johansson, Jakob Stensballe, Derek A. Barclay, Jinling Yin, Brian J. Daley, Richard S. Miller, Brian G. Harbrecht, Jeffrey A. Claridge, Herb A. Phelan, Matthew D. Neal, Brian Zuckerbraun, Timothy R. Billiar, Jason L. Sperry
Abstract
Glucokinase (GK) is highly expressed in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN); however its role is currently unknown. We found that glucokinase in the PVN acts as part of a glucose sensing mechanism within the PVN that regulates glucose homeostasis by controlling glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1) release. GLP-1 is released from enteroendocrine L-cells in response to oral glucose. Here we identify a brain mechanism critical to the release of GLP-1 in response to oral glucose. We show that increasing expression of GK or injection of glucose into the PVN increases GLP-1 release in response to oral glucose. On the contrary decreasing expression of GK or injection of non-metabolisable glucose into the PVN prevents GLP-1 release. Our results demonstrate that glucosensitive GK neurones in the PVN, are critical to the response to oral glucose and subsequent release of GLP-1.
Authors
Yue Ma, Risheka Ratnasabapathy, Ivan De Backer, Chioma Izzi-Engbeaya, Marie-Sophie Nguyen-Tu, Joyceline Cuenco, Ben Jones, Christopher D. John, Brian Y. H. Lam, Guy A. Rutter, Giles Yeo, Waljit Dhillo, James Gardiner
Abstract
Capicua (CIC), a member of the high mobility group (HMG)-box superfamily of transcriptional repressors, is frequently mutated in human oligodendrogliomas. But its function in brain development and tumorigenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we report that brain-specific deletion of Cic compromises developmental transition of neuroblast to immature neurons in mouse hippocampus and compromises normal neuronal differentiation. Combined gene expression and ChIP-seq analyses identified VGF as an important CIC-repressed transcriptional surrogate involved in neuronal lineage regulation. Aberrant VGF expression promotes neural progenitor cell proliferation by suppressing their differentiation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that CIC represses VGF expression by tethering SIN3-HDAC to form a transcriptional corepressor complex. Mass spectrometry analysis of CIC-interacting proteins further identified BRG1 containing mSWI/SNF complex whose function is necessary for transcriptional repression by CIC. Together, this study uncovers a novel regulatory pathway of CIC-dependent neuronal differentiation and may implicate these molecular mechanisms in CIC-dependent brain tumorigenesis.
Authors
Inah Hwang, Heng Pan, Jun Yao, Olivier Elemento, Hongwu Zheng, Jihye Paik
Abstract
Hydrocephalus is characterized by abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricular cavity. The circulation of CSF in brain ventricles is controlled by the coordinated beating of motile cilia at the surface of ependymal cells (ECs). Here we show that MT1-MMP is highly expressed in olfactory bulb, rostral migratory stream, and ventricular system. Mice deficient for Membrane type-1-MMP (MT1-MMP) develop typical phenotypes observed in hydrocephalus such as dome-shaped skull, dilated ventricles, corpus callosum agenesis and astrocyte hypertrophy during the first two weeks of postnatal development. MT1-MMP deficient mice exhibits reduced and disorganized motile cilia with the impaired maturation of ECs, leading to abnormal CSF flow. Consistent with the defects in motile cilia morphogenesis, the expressions of pro-multiciliogenic genes are significantly decreased with a concomitant hyper-activation of Notch signaling in the wall of lateral ventricles in Mmp14-/- brains. Inhibition of Notch signaling by γ-secretase inhibitor restores ciliogenesis in Mmp14-/- ECs. Taken together, these data suggest that MT1-MMP is required for ciliogenesis and ependymal cell maturation by suppressing Notch signaling during early brain development. Our findings implicate that MT1-MMP is critical for early brain development and loss of MT1-MMP activity gives rise to hydrocephalus.
Authors
Zhixin Jiang, Jin Zhou, Xin Qin, Huiling Zheng, Bo Gao, Xin-guang Liu, Guoxiang Jin, Zhongjun Zhou
Abstract
Background: Specific features of the tumor microenvironment (TME) may provide useful prognostic information. We conducted a systematic investigation of the cellular composition and prognostic landscape of TME in gastric cancer. Methods: We evaluated the prognostic significance of major stromal and immune cells within TME. We proposed a composite TME-based risk score and tested it in six independent cohorts of 1,678 patients with gene expression or immunohistochemistry measurements. Further, we devised a new patient classification system based on TME characteristics. Results: We identified natural killer cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells as the most robust prognostic markers. The TME risk score combining these cell types was an independent prognostic factor when adjusted for clinicopathologic variables (gene expression: HR [95% CI]: 1.42 [1.22–1.66]; immunohistochemistry: 1.34 [1.24–1.45], P<0.0001). Higher TME risk scores consistently associated with worse survival within every pathologic stage (HR range: 2.18-3.11, P<0.02) and among patients who received surgery only. The TME risk score provided additional prognostic value beyond stage, and combination of the two improved prognostication accuracy (likelihood-ratio test χ2 = 235.4 vs. 187.6, P<0.0001; net reclassification index: 23%). The TME risk score can predict the survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in non-metastatic patients (stage I-III) (interaction test P<0.02). Patients were divided into four TME subtypes that demonstrated distinct genetic and molecular patterns and complemented established genomic and molecular subtypes. Conclusion: We developed and validated a TME-based risk score as an independent prognostic and predictive factor, which has the potential to guide personalized management of gastric cancer.
Authors
Bailiang Li, Yuming Jiang, Guoxin Li, George A. Fisher, Ruijiang Li
Abstract
BACKGROUND. Lower-grade gliomas (LGGs) vary widely in terms of the patient’s overall survival (OS). There is a lack of valid method that could exactly predict the survival. The effects of intratumoral immune infiltration on clinical outcome have been widely reported. Thus, we aim to develop an immune infiltration signature to predict the survival of LGG patients. METHODS. We analyzed 1216 LGGs from 5 public datasets, including 2 RNA-Seq datasets and 3 microarray datasets. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression was used to select an immune infiltration signature and build a risk score. The performance of the risk score was assessed in the training set (329 patients), internal validation set (140 patients), and 4 external validation sets (405, 118, 88, and 136 patients). RESULTS. An immune infiltration signature consisting of 20 immune metagenes was used to generate a risk score. The performance of the risk score was thoroughly verified in the training and validation sets. Additionally, we found that the risk score was positively correlated with the expression levels of TGFβ and PD-L1, which were important targets of combination immunotherapy. Furthermore, a nomogram incorporating the risk score, patient’s age, and tumor grade was developed to predict the OS, and it performed well in all the training and validation sets (C-index: 0.873, 0.881, 0.781, 0.765, 0.721, and 0.753, respectively). CONCLUSIONS. The risk score based on the immune infiltration signature has reliable prognostic and predictive value for patients with LGGs and might be a potential biomarker for the co-targeting immunotherapy. FUNDING. The National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81472370 and 81672506), the Natural Science Foundation of Beijing (Grant No. J180005), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program, Grant No. 2014AA020610) and the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, Grant No. 2014CB542006).
Authors
Lai-Rong Song, Jian-Cong Weng, Cheng-Bei Li, Xu-Lei Huo, Huan Li, Shu-Yu Hao, Zhen Wu, Liang Wang, Da Li, Jun-Ting Zhang
Abstract
Familial Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia (FHH) is a genetic condition associated with hypocalciuria, hypercalcemia and in some cases inappropriately high levels of circulating parathyroid hormone (PTH). FHH is associated with inactivating mutations in CaSR encoding the Ca2+ sensing receptor (CaSR), a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) and GNA11 encoding G protein subunit alpha 11 (Gα11), implicating defective GPCR signaling as the root pathophysiology for FHH. However, the downstream mechanism by which CaSR activation inhibits PTH production/secretion is incompletely understood. Here, we show that mice lacking the transient receptor potential canonical channel 1 (TRPC1) develop chronic hypercalcemia, hypocalciuria, and elevated PTH levels mimicking human FHH. Ex vivo and in vitro studies reveal that TRPC1 serves a necessary and sufficient mediator to suppress PTH secretion from parathyroid glands (PTG) downstream of CaSR in response to high extracellular Ca2+ concentration. Gα11 physically interacts with both the N- and C-termini of TRPC1 and enhances CaSR-induced TRPC1 activity in transfected cells. These data identify TRPC1-mediated Ca2+ signaling as an essential component of the cellular apparatus controlling PTH secretion in the PTG downstream of CaSR.
Authors
Marta Onopiuk, Bonnie Eby, Vasyl Nesin, Peter Ngo, Megan Lerner, Caroline M. Gorvin, Victoria J. Stokes, Rajesh V. Thakker, Maria Luisa Brandi, Wenhan Chang, Mary Beth Humphrey, Leonidas Tsiokas, Kai Lau
Abstract
Septic cardiomyopathy is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by sepsis. Ribonuclease 1 (RNase 1) belongs to a group of host-defense peptides that specifically cleave extracellular RNA (eRNA). The activity of RNase1 is inhibited by ribonuclease-inhibitor 1 (RNH1). The role of RNase 1 in septic cardiomyopathy and associated cardiac apoptosis, however, is completely unknown. Here, we showed that sepsis resulted in a significant increase in RNH1 and eRNA serum levels compared to those of healthy subjects (p < 0.05). Treatment with RNase 1 resulted in a significant decrease of apoptosis, induced by the intrinsic pathway, and TNF expression in murine cardiomyocytes exposed to either necrotic cardiomyocytes or serum of septic patients for 16 h (p < 0.05). Furthermore, treatment of septic mice with RNase 1 resulted in a reduction in cardiac apoptosis, TNF expression and septic cardiomyopathy (p < 0.05). These data demonstrate that eRNA plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of the organ (cardiac) dysfunction in sepsis and RNase and RNH1 may be new therapeutic targets/strategies to reduce the cardiac injury and dysfunction caused by sepsis.
Authors
Elisabeth Zechendorf, Caroline E O'Riordan, Lara Stiehler, Natalie Wischmeyer, Fausto Chiazza, Debora Collotta, Bernd Denecke, Sabrina Ernst, Gerhard Müller-Newen, Sina M. Coldewey, Bianka Wissuwa, Massimo Collino, Tim-Philipp Simon, Tobias Schuerholz, Christian Stoppe, Gernot Marx, Christoph Thiemermann, Lukas Martin
Abstract
Over 55,000 people in the US are diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) yearly, and fewer than 20% of these patients survive a year beyond diagnosis. Chemotherapies are considered or used in nearly every PDAC case, but there is limited understanding of the complex signaling responses underlying resistance to these common treatments. Here, we take an unbiased approach to study protein kinase network changes following chemotherapies in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of PDAC to facilitate design of rational drug combinations. Proteomics profiling following chemotherapy regimens reveals that activation of JNK-JUN signaling occurs after 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin (5-FU) and FOLFOX (5-FU plus oxaliplatin (OX)), but not after OX alone or gemcitabine. Cell and tumor growth assays with the irreversible inhibitor JNK-IN-8 and genetic manipulations demonstrate that JNK and JUN each contribute to chemoresistance and cancer cell survival after FOLFOX. Active JNK1 and JUN are specifically implicated in these effects, and synergy with JNK-IN-8 is linked to FOLFOX-mediated JUN activation, cell cycle dysregulation, and DNA damage response. This study highlights the potential for JNK-IN-8 as a biological tool and potential combination therapy with FOLFOX in PDAC and reinforces the need to tailor treatment to functional characteristics of individual tumors.
Authors
Matthew B. Lipner, Xianlu L. Peng, Chong Jin, Yi Xu, Yanzhe Gao, Michael P. East, Naim U. Rashid, Richard A. Moffitt, Silvia G. Herrera Loeza, Ashley B. Morrison, Brian T. Golitz, Cyrus Vaziri, Lee M. Graves, Gary L. Johnson, Jen Jen Yeh
Abstract
Infections due to carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae have emerged as a global threat due to its wide-spread antimicrobial resistance. Transplant recipients and patients with hematologic malignancies have high mortality rate suggesting host factors in susceptibility. We developed a model of pulmonary infection using ST258 C4, KPC-2 clone, which are predominant Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing bacteria, and demonstrated that Rag2-/-Il2rg-/- mice, but not wildtype C57BL/6 or Rag2-/- mice, were susceptible to this opportunistic infection. Using single-cell RNA-seq in infected Rag2-/- mice, we identified distinct clusters of Ifng+ NK cells and Il17a+, Il22+, and inducible T-cell costimulatory molecule (ICOS)+ group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that were critical for host resistance. As solid organ transplantation is a risk factor, we generated a more clinically relevant model using FK506 in wildtype C57BL/6 mice. We further demonstrated that immunotherapy with recombinant IL-22 treatment ameliorated the ST258 pulmonary infection in both FK506 treated WT mice and Rag2-/-Il2rg-/- mice via hepatic IL-22ra1 signaling. These data support the development of host directed immunotherapy as an adjunct treatment to new antibiotics.
Authors
Naoki Iwanaga, Ivy Sandquist, Alanna Wanek, Janet E. McCombs, Kejing Song, Jay Kolls
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