Dedifferentiation Of Cells Research Articles

Single-cell transcriptome analysis defines heterogeneity of the murine pancreatic ductal tree.

To study disease development, an inventory of an organ's cell types and understanding of physiologic function is paramount. Here, we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing to examine heterogeneity of murine pancreatic duct cells, pancreatobiliary cells, and intrapancreatic bile duct cells. We describe an epithelial-mesenchymal transitory axis in our three pancreatic duct subpopulations and identify osteopontin as a regulator of this fate decision as well as human duct cell dedifferentiation. Our results further identify functional heterogeneity within pancreatic duct subpopulations by elucidating a role for geminin in accumulation of DNA damage in the setting of chronic pancreatitis. Our findings implicate diverse functional roles for subpopulations of pancreatic duct cells in maintenance of duct cell identity and disease progression and establish a comprehensive road map of murine pancreatic duct cell, pancreatobiliary cell, and intrapancreatic bile duct cell homeostasis.

Hippo Signaling Pathway in Pancreas Development.

The Hippo signaling pathway is a vital regulator of pancreatic development and homeostasis, directing cell fate decisions, morphogenesis, and adult pancreatic cellular plasticity. Through loss-of-function research, Hippo signaling has been found to play key roles in maintaining the proper balance between progenitor cell renewal, proliferation, and differentiation in pancreatic organogenesis. Other studies suggest that overactivation of YAP, a downstream effector of the pathway, promotes ductal cell development and suppresses endocrine cell fate specification via repression of Ngn3. After birth, disruptions in Hippo signaling have been found to lead to de-differentiation of acinar cells and pancreatitis-like phenotype. Further, Hippo signaling directs pancreatic morphogenesis by ensuring proper cell polarization and branching. Despite these findings, the mechanisms through which Hippo governs cell differentiation and pancreatic architecture are yet to be fully understood. Here, we review recent studies of Hippo functions in pancreatic development, including its crosstalk with NOTCH, WNT/β-catenin, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways.

A systematic dissection of the epigenomic heterogeneity of lung adenocarcinoma reveals two different subclasses with distinct prognosis and core regulatory networks

BackgroundLung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a highly malignant and heterogeneous tumor that involves various oncogenic genetic alterations. Epigenetic processes play important roles in lung cancer development. However, the variation in enhancer and super-enhancer landscapes of LUAD patients remains largely unknown. To provide an in-depth understanding of the epigenomic heterogeneity of LUAD, we investigate the H3K27ac histone modification profiles of tumors and adjacent normal lung tissues from 42 LUAD patients and explore the role of epigenetic alterations in LUAD progression.ResultsA high intertumoral epigenetic heterogeneity is observed across the LUAD H3K27ac profiles. We quantitatively model the intertumoral variability of H3K27ac levels at proximal gene promoters and distal enhancers and propose a new epigenetic classification of LUAD patients. Our classification defines two LUAD subgroups which are highly related to histological subtypes. Group II patients have significantly worse prognosis than group I, which is further confirmed in the public TCGA-LUAD cohort. Differential RNA-seq analysis between group I and group II groups reveals that those genes upregulated in group II group tend to promote cell proliferation and induce cell de-differentiation. We construct the gene co-expression networks and identify group-specific core regulators. Most of these core regulators are linked with group-specific regulatory elements, such as super-enhancers. We further show that CLU is regulated by 3 group I-specific core regulators and works as a novel tumor suppressor in LUAD.ConclusionsOur study systematically characterizes the epigenetic alterations during LUAD progression and provides a new classification model that is helpful for predicting patient prognosis.

Renal Ciliopathies: Sorting Out Therapeutic Approaches for Nephronophthisis.

Nephronophthisis (NPH) is an autosomal recessive ciliopathy and a major cause of end-stage renal disease in children. The main forms, juvenile and adult NPH, are characterized by tubulointerstitial fibrosis whereas the infantile form is more severe and characterized by cysts. NPH is caused by mutations in over 20 different genes, most of which encode components of the primary cilium, an organelle in which important cellular signaling pathways converge. Ciliary signal transduction plays a critical role in kidney development and tissue homeostasis, and disruption of ciliary signaling has been associated with cyst formation, epithelial cell dedifferentiation and kidney function decline. Drugs have been identified that target specific signaling pathways (for example cAMP/PKA, Hedgehog, and mTOR pathways) and rescue NPH phenotypes in in vitro and/or in vivo models. Despite identification of numerous candidate drugs in rodent models, there has been a lack of clinical trials and there is currently no therapy that halts disease progression in NPH patients. This review covers the most important findings of therapeutic approaches in NPH model systems to date, including hypothesis-driven therapies and untargeted drug screens, approached from the pathophysiology of NPH. Importantly, most animal models used in these studies represent the cystic infantile form of NPH, which is less prevalent than the juvenile form. It appears therefore important to develop new models relevant for juvenile/adult NPH. Alternative non-orthologous animal models and developments in patient-based in vitro model systems are discussed, as well as future directions in personalized therapy for NPH.

Transient reprogramming of postnatal cardiomyocytes to a dedifferentiated state.

In contrast to mammals, lower vertebrates are capable of extraordinary myocardial regeneration thanks to the ability of their cardiomyocytes to undergo transient dedifferentiation and proliferation. Somatic cells can be temporarily reprogrammed to a proliferative, dedifferentiated state through forced expression of Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc (OSKM). Here, we aimed to induce transient reprogramming of mammalian cardiomyocytes in vitro utilising an OSKM-encoding non-integrating vector. Reprogramming factor expression in postnatal rat and mouse cardiomyocytes triggered rapid but limited cell dedifferentiation. Concomitantly, a significant increase in cell viability, cell cycle related gene expression and Ki67 positive cells was observed consistent with an enhanced cell cycle activation. The transient nature of this partial reprogramming was confirmed as cardiomyocyte-specific cell morphology, gene expression and contractile activity were spontaneously recovered by day 15 after viral transduction. This study provides the first evidence that adenoviral OSKM delivery can induce partial reprogramming of postnatal cardiomyocytes. Therefore, adenoviral mediated transient reprogramming could be a novel and feasible strategy to recapitulate the regenerative mechanisms of lower vertebrates.

Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide Ameliorates Heat-Stress-Induced Impairment of Primary Sertoli Cells and the Blood-Testis Barrier in Rat via Androgen Receptor and Akt Phosphorylation.

Male infertility induced by heat stress has been attracting more and more attention. Heat stress not only causes apoptosis of spermatocytes but also has adverse effects on Sertoli cells, further damaging spermatogenesis. Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is the main bioactive component of Lycium barbarum, which has a protective effect on male reproduction, but its mechanism is still unclear. In this study, our results proved that LBP blocked the inhibitory effect on the proliferation activity of Sertoli cells after heat stress, reversed the dedifferentiation of Sertoli cells induced by heat stress, and ameliorated the structural integrity of the blood-testis barrier. In addition, it increased the expression of the androgen receptor and activated Akt signaling pathway to resist heat-stress-induced injury of Sertoli cells.

New Transcriptional Insights into Silent and Active Corticotroph Pituitary Tumors at Single Cell Resolution

Silent pituitary corticotroph tumors derive from the Tpit (aka TBX19) pituitary lineage. Accounting for ~ 30% of corticotroph tumors, they are not infrequently clinically aggressive and invade locally into adjacent sellar structures, making complete surgical resection challenging and contributing to their higher recurrence rates. How silent and active corticotroph tumor subtypes differ is not clear although some studies reported that silent corticotroph tumors exhibit reduced PC1 expression causing impaired POMC processing. We used single cell RNAseq to compare the transcriptome between silent (n = 2) and active (n = 4) corticotroph tumors at the single cell level. We obtained an average of 265 million reads, and 24,682 genes per patient with an average of 1,240 genes expressed and 3,5442 unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) detected per cell. We further defined 5 distinct cell populations from a total of 23,269 cells, namely tumor cells (62%), stromal cells (25%), immune cells (7%), progenitor cells (5%), and a minor population of erythrocytes (1%). Tumor cells clustered in an origin-dependent manner and all expressed POMC and TBX19. However, the gene signatures of silent and active corticotroph tumors differed in 3 major aspects. Firstly, and supporting prior studies, a series of hormone processing peptidase genes, including PC1 (aka PCSK1), PDIA3, SEC11C, SPCS1 and CTSB, were reduced in silent corticotroph tumors (p=5.54e-5) compared to active corticotroph tumors. Secondly, genes involved in organization of secretory vesicles such as SCG5, TIMP1, VGF, SYT17, LGALS3 and CALY were also reduced in silent corticotroph tumors, which could further compound their inability to secrete ACTH. Thirdly, the silent corticotroph tumors exhibited several features of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including increased expression of the mesenchymal genes CDH2 (aka NCAD), COL1A1, PCDH9, FGF5, ID2 (p=8.4e-3), and loss of EPCAM, which regulate cell migration and movement. Upstream analysis suggested that aberrant STAT3 activation may be related to these changes. Consequently, we noted that the stromal content was higher in silent corticotroph tumors (47.5% vs. 18.13%), concordant with the observed EMT de-differentiation of tumor cells. In summary, our scRNAseq analysis provides an unprecedented precise investigation of the transcriptomic features of thousands of heterogenous corticotroph tumor cells simultaneously. We demonstrate that although silent corticotroph tumor cells still express the pituitary lineage markers PITX1 and TBX19, they exhibit EMT, potentially affording increased migratory capacity at the cost of reduced neuroendocrine function with inability to produce and secrete mature ACTH. Our findings provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of silent versus active corticotroph tumor, but may reveal novel molecular targets for treatment of these challenging tumors.

Efficient Restoration of Beta Cell Dedifferentiation by Calorie Restriction With High Fat/Low Carbohydrate Diet in Obese Diabetes Model and the Possible Role of GLP-1

In type 2 diabetes, pancreatic beta cells are gradually ‘exhausted’ and fall into beta cell dysfunction, which proceeds more severe insulin dependence. Among the proposed mechanisms of beta cell dysfunction such as endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress, the beta cell heterogeneity has attracted the researcher’s interest recently. In 2012, Talchai et al. revealed that the beta cells were dedifferentiated in diabetic mice model, and nowadays it is considered as one form of the beta cell heterogeneity and is observed broadly among diabetic animal models and human patients. Previously we showed that food restriction had the best effect to restore beta cell gene expression in obese diabetic model mice, among the known diabetic treatments which we tested. In the current study, we aimed to unveil the molecular basis in the improvement of beta cell dedifferentiation during the calorie restriction. First, we utilized the high-fat/low carbohydrate diet (HF) or low-fat/high carbohydrate (HC) diet, to determine whether fat restriction or sugar restriction reduces the beta cell dedifferentiation in obese mice. When calorie intake was restricted evenly, both HF diet and HC diet decreased the body weight and hyperglycemia in db/db mice equally. Albeit the same metabolic profile, db/db group fed with HC diet had more enlarged islets and more dedifferentiated beta cell features than db/dbs fed with HF diet, which indicated the compensatory beta cell response in HC diet group. Moreover, HC diet group showed more severe fatty liver than HF diet group, along with the elevated synthesis and accumulation of triglycerides and cholesterol in liver. It is speculated that the insulin resistance in liver might impact on the beta cell dedifferentiation. Next, we analyzed the effect of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) on beta cell dedifferentiation, since GLP-1 is secreted more from intestine by protein and fat intake, rather than by sugar intake. Also, increasing number of reports have suggested the improving effect of GLP-1 on beta cell dysfunction and fatty liver. Indeed, GLP-1 administration altered the reduced beta cell/alpha cell ratio in db/db mice, which indicated the restoration of beta cell heterogeneity. We are now investigating if GLP-1 administration reimburse the beta cell dedifferentiation in db/db mice fed with HC diet, to illuminate the role of incretins in beta cell dedifferentiation induced by unbalanced nutrition during diet. Also, we will present the RNA sequencing data of the liver in db/db mice fed with HF and HC diet, to elucidate the key molecules and genes which connect the beta cell function and metabolic state in liver.

Thyroid Hormone and Estrogen Promote Endocrine Resistance, Proliferation, Dedifferentiation, and Cancer Stem Cells in Steroid Receptor-Positive Breast Cancers

Background: Breast cancer (BC) and thyroid disease are well-recognized comorbidities. Hyperthyroidism and supraphysiologic thyroid hormone (TH) have been shown to promote BC incidence. We recently reported that thyroid hormone replacement therapy (THRT) was significantly and independently associated with shortened disease-free and overall survival, as well as endocrine resistance only in patients with steroid receptor-positive (SR+) BC (1). TH markedly upregulated estrogen and cell cycle signaling in vivo and in vitro and promoted dedifferentiation to basaloid and pre-stem phenotypes. Metformin (Met) attenuated this shift. Mechanisms of TH-mediated endocrine therapy resistance in ER+ BC are the focus of this report. Design: Two clinical cohorts of early-stage lymph node-negative (LN-) SR+ BC patients (n=820 and n=160) were used to determine the effect of THRT on overall survival using Kaplan-Meier methods. Bi-directional cross-talk between TH and E2 was tested using different BC cell lines, ER+ PDX in vivo models, in vitro methods, and publically available in silico data for modeling. Results: Our results show that E2+TH increases cell proliferation, enhances cell cycle, and hormone-associated oncogenic signaling in SR+/ER+ BC. Given that high expression of THRA is associated with poor prognosis in SR+ BC, knockdown of THRA and ESR1 reduced cell proliferation in ER+ BC cells. ER+ PDX tumors were implanted into NSG mice containing E2 pellet and subsequently treated with TH, Tamoxifen (Tam), Fulvestrant (ICI) or Met. Our data show that TH-mediated endocrine resistance only in the E2+TH+Tam treated tumors (P<0.0001 vs E2+Tam alone). Both ICI and Met provided significant attenuation of tumor growth in vivo. RNAseq analysis of E2+TH+Tam tumors show an increase in pro-oncogenic signaling (Wnt/Fizzled, MMPs, and TCL/LEFT). Our data suggest that the use of Tam did not dampen tumor growth whereas a full ER-antagonist (ICI) or Met attenuated E2-TH mediated cross-talk and tumor growth. Conclusions: These findings suggest that TH+Tam may enhance oncogenic signaling and is associated with a significantly increase in mortality risk in ER+/SR+ BC tumors. Exogenous TH adversely affects SR+ BC and not SR- BC. Understanding the mechanism of cross-talk between TH and E2 allows us to define novel therapeutic strategies that will facilitate rapid clinical application for ER+ BC patients currently taking THRT and anti-estrogen treatments. Reference: (1) Wahdan-Alaswad et. al. Clin Cancer Res October 23 2020 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-264.

Hypoxia Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Cell Dedifferentiation to Stem-Like Cell Phenotypes With High Tumorigenic Potential by the HIF-1α/Notch Signaling Pathway.

This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of hypoxia on pancreatic cancer (PC) cell dedifferentiation and tumorigenic potential. Inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and overexpression of Notch1 in PC HS766T cell lines were by lentiviral transfection. The expression of stem cell-specific markers C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4, CD44, and Nestin was detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot assays. Cell invasion capacity was examined by Transwell assay. Tumorigenic potential was measured in an in situ tumor transplantation experiment. The expression of HIF-1α, Notch signals, and apoptosis signals was examined by Western blot assay. Hypoxia promoted PC cells to dedifferentiate into stem-like cells by upregulating HIF-1α and activating Notch signals. Silencing of HIF-1α significantly repressed cell dedifferentiation and invasion, whereas overexpression of Notch1 reversed the effect of HIF-1α repression. In situ tumor transplantation experiment further confirmed that hypoxia promoted tumorigenic ability through upregulating HIF-1α. Moreover, the expression of HIF-1α and Notch1 was significantly increased in human PC tissues, and high expression of HIF-1α was correlated with poor survival rate. Hypoxia promoted PC cell dedifferentiation to stem-like cell phenotypes with high tumorigenic potential by activating HIF-1α/Notch signaling pathway, indicating a novel role in regulating PC progression.

Vitamin D binding protein/GC-globulin: a novel regulator of alpha cell function and glucagon secretion.

The contribution of glucagon to type 1 and type 2 diabetes has long been known, but the underlying defects in alpha cell function are not well-described. During both disease states, alpha cells respond inappropriately to stimuli, leading to dysregulated glucagon secretion, impaired glucose tolerance and hypoglycaemia. The mechanisms involved in this dysfunction are complex, but possibly include changes in alpha cell glucose-sensing, alpha cell de-differentiation, paracrine feedback, as well as alpha cell mass. However, the molecular underpinnings of alpha cell failure are still poorly understood. Recent transcriptomic analyses have identified vitamin D binding protein (DBP), encoded by GC/Gc, as an alpha cell signature gene. DBP is highly localized to the liver and alpha cells and is virtually absent from other tissues and cell types under non-pathological conditions. While the vitamin D transportation role of DBP is well characterized in the liver and circulation, its function in alpha cells remains more enigmatic. Recent work reveals that loss of DBP leads to smaller and hyperplastic alpha cells, which secrete less glucagon in response to low glucose concentration, despite vitamin D sufficiency. Alpha cells lacking DBP display impaired Ca2+ fluxes and Na+ conductance, as well as changes in glucagon granule distribution. Underlying these defects is an increase in the ratio of cytoskeletal F-actin to G-actin, highlighting a novel intracellular actin scavenging role for DBP in islets.

Circadian Regulation of the Pancreatic Beta Cell

Beta cell dysfunction is central to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In T2D, environmental and genetic influences can manifest beta cell dysfunction in many ways, including impaired glucose-sensing and secretion coupling mechanisms, insufficient adaptative responses to stress, and aberrant beta cell loss through increased cell death and/or beta cell de-differentiation. In recent years, circadian disruption has emerged as an important environmental risk factor for T2D. In support of this, genetic disruption of the circadian timing system in rodents impairs insulin secretion and triggers diabetes development, lending important evidence that the circadian timing system is intimately connected to, and essential for the regulation of pancreatic beta cell function; however, the role of the circadian timing system in the regulation of beta cell biology is only beginning to be unraveled. Here, we review the recent literature that explores the importance of the pancreatic islet/beta cell circadian clock in the regulation of various aspects of beta cell biology, including transcriptional and functional control of daily cycles of insulin secretion capacity, regulation of postnatal beta cell maturation, and control of the adaptive responses of the beta cell to metabolic stress and acute injury.

Identification of an immune-related signature indicating the dedifferentiation of thyroid cells

BackgroundImmune cells account for a large proportion of the tumour microenvironment in anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATCs). However, the expression pattern of immune-related genes (IRGs) in ATCs is unclear. Our study aimed to identify an immune-related signature indicating the dedifferentiation of thyroid cells.MethodsWe compared the differences in thyroid differentiation score (TDS), infiltration of immune cells and enriched pathways between ATCs and papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) or normal thyroid tissues in the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Univariate and multivariable Cox analyses were used to screen prognosis-associated IRGs in The Cancer Genome Atlas database. After constructing a risk score, we investigated its predictive value for differentiation and survival by applying receiver operating characteristic and Kaplan–Meier curves. We further explored its associations with important immune checkpoint molecules, infiltrating immune cells and response to immunotherapy.ResultsCompared with PTCs or normal thyroid tissues, ATCs exhibited lower TDS values and higher enrichment of immune cells and activation of the inflammatory response. The quantitative analyses and immunohistochemical staining validated that most ATC cell lines and ATC tissues had higher expression of MMP9 and lower expression of SDC2 than normal thyroid samples and PTC. Higher risk scores indicates dedifferentiation and a worse prognosis. Additionally, the risk score was positively correlated with the immune checkpoint molecules PDL1, CTLA4, IDO1, and HAVCR2 and infiltration of multiple immune cells. Importantly, we found that the samples with higher risk scores tended to have a better response to immunotherapy than those with lower scores.ConclusionOur findings indicate that the risk score may not only contribute to the determination of differentiation and prognosis of thyroid carcinomas but also help the prediction of immune cells infiltration and immunotherapy response.

Regeneration in anamniotes was replaced by regengrow and scarring in amniotes after land colonization and the evolution of terrestrial biological cycles.

An evolutionary hypothesis explaining failure of regeneration among vertebrates is presented. Regeneration derives from postembryonic processes present during the life cycles of fish and amphibians that include larval and metamorphic phases with broad organ reorganizations. Developmental programs imprinted in their genomes are re-utilized with variations also in adults for regeneration. When vertebrates colonized land adopting the amniotic egg, some genes driving larval changes, and metamorphosis were lost and new genes evolved, further limiting regeneration. These included neural inhibitors for maintaining complex nervous systems, behavior and various levels of intelligence, and adaptive immune cells. The latter, that in anamniotes are executioners of metamorphic reorganization, became intolerant to embryonic-oncofetal-antigens impeding organ regeneration, a process that requires de-differentiation of adult cells and/or expansion of stem cells where these early antigens are formed. The evolution of terrestrial lifecycles produced vertebrates with complex bodies but no longer capable to regenerate their organs, mainly repaired by regengrow. Efforts of regenerative medicine to improve healing in humans should determine the diverse developmental pathways evolved between anamniotes and amniotes before attempting genetic manipulations such as the introduction of "anamniote regenerative genes" in amniotes. This operation may determine alteration in amniote developmental programs leading to teratomes, cancer, or death.

Contribution of PDGFR\u03b1-positive cells in maintenance and injury responses in mouse large vessels

The maladaptive remodeling of vessel walls with neointima formation is a common feature of proliferative vascular diseases. It has been proposed that neointima formation is caused by the dedifferentiation of mature smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Recent evidence suggests that adventitial cells also participate in neointima formation; however, their cellular dynamics are not fully understood. In this study, we utilized a lineage tracing model of platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRa) cells and examined cellular behavior during homeostasis and injury response. PDGFRa marked adventitial cells that were largely positive for Sca1 and a portion of medial SMCs, and both cell types were maintained for 2 years. Upon carotid artery ligation, PDGFRa-positive (+) cells were slowly recruited to the neointima and exhibited an immature SMC phenotype. In contrast, in a more severe wire denudation injury, PDGFRa+ cells were recruited to the neointima within 14 days and fully differentiated into SMCs. Under pressure overload induced by transverse aortic constriction, PDGFRa+ cells developed marked adventitial fibrosis. Taken together, our observations suggest that PDGFRa+ cells serve as a reservoir of adventitial cells and a subset of medial SMCs and underscore their context-dependent response to vascular injuries.

Tryptanthrin Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switching in Atherosclerosis by AMP-Activated Protein Kinase/Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Signaling Pathway.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is one of the most severe cardiovascular diseases involved in the phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Tryptanthrin is a natural product with broad biological activities. However, the effect of tryptanthrin on atherosclerotic progression is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the role of tryptanthrin in AS and explore the potential mechanism. In vitro, primary VSMCs were stimulated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF) to induce cell dedifferentiation. Treatment with tryptanthrin (5 μM or 10 μM) suppressed the proliferation and recovered the contractility of VSMCs in the presence of PDGF. The contractile proteins (α-smooth muscle actin, calponin, and SM22α) were increased, and the synthetic protein vimentin was decreased by tryptanthrin in PDGF-induced VSMCs. ApoE-/- mice fed with high-fat diet were used as an in vivo model of AS. Similarly, gavage administration of tryptanthrin (50 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg) attenuated VSMC phenotypic changes from a contractile to a synthetic state in aortic tissues of AS mice. The serum lipid level, atherosclerotic plaque formation, and arterial intimal hyperplasia were attenuated by tryptanthrin. Furthermore, tryptanthrin increased the expression levels of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) both in vitro and in vivo. Administration of compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, reversed the inhibitory effect of tryptanthrin on VSMC dedifferentiation in vitro. Thus, we demonstrate that tryptanthrin protects against AS progression through the inhibition of VSMC switching from a contractile to a pathological synthetic phenotype by the activation of AMPK/ACC pathway. It provides novel insights into AS prevention and treatment.

Polyploid giant cancer cells, stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity elicited by human cytomegalovirus.

A growing body of evidence is recognizing human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) as a potential oncogenic virus. We hereby provide the first experimental in vitro evidence for HCMV as a reprogramming vector, through the induction of dedifferentiation of mature human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs), generation of a polyploid giant cancer cell (PGCC) phenotype characterized by sustained growth of blastomere-like cells, in concordance with the acquisition of embryonic stem cells characteristics and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. HCMV presence parallels the succession of the observed cellular and molecular events potentially ensuing the transformation process. Correlation between PGCCs detection and HCMV presence in breast cancer tissue further validates our hypothesis in vivo. Our study indicates that some clinical HCMV strains conserve the potential to transform HMECs and fit with a "blastomere-like" model of oncogenesis, which may be relevant in the pathophysiology of breast cancer and other adenocarcinoma, especially of poor prognosis.

GDF11 prevents the formation of thoracic aortic dissection in mice: Promotion of contractile transition of aortic SMCs.

Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is an aortic disease associated with dysregulated extracellular matrix composition and de‐differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Growth Differentiation Factor 11 (GDF11) is a member of transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β) superfamily associated with cardiovascular diseases. The present study attempted to investigate the expression of GDF11 in TAD and its effects on aortic SMC phenotype transition. GDF11 level was found lower in the ascending thoracic aortas of TAD patients than healthy aortas. The mouse model of TAD was established by β‐aminopropionitrile monofumarate (BAPN) combined with angiotensin II (Ang II). The expression of GDF11 was also decreased in thoracic aortic tissues accompanied with increased inflammation, arteriectasis and elastin degradation in TAD mice. Administration of GDF11 mitigated these aortic lesions and improved the survival rate of mice. Exogenous GDF11 and adeno‐associated virus type 2 (AAV‐2)‐mediated GDF11 overexpression increased the expression of contractile proteins including ACTA2, SM22α and myosin heavy chain 11 (MYH11) and decreased synthetic markers including osteopontin and fibronectin 1 (FN1), indicating that GDF11 might inhibit SMC phenotype transition and maintain its contractile state. Moreover, GDF11 inhibited the production of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2, 3, 9 in aortic SMCs. The canonical TGF‐β (Smad2/3) signalling was enhanced by GDF11, while its inhibition suppressed the inhibitory effects of GDF11 on SMC de‐differentiation and MMP production in vitro. Therefore, we demonstrate that GDF11 may contribute to TAD alleviation via inhibiting inflammation and MMP activity, and promoting the transition of aortic SMCs towards a contractile phenotype, which provides a therapeutic target for TAD.

MECOM permits pancreatic acinar cell dedifferentiation avoiding cell death under stress conditions

Maintenance of the pancreatic acinar cell phenotype suppresses tumor formation. Hence, repetitive acute or chronic pancreatitis, stress conditions in which the acinar cells dedifferentiate, predispose for cancer formation in the pancreas. Dedifferentiated acinar cells acquire a large panel of duct cell-specific markers. However, it remains unclear to what extent dedifferentiated acini differ from native duct cells and which genes are uniquely regulating acinar cell dedifferentiation. Moreover, most studies have been performed on mice since the availability of human cells is scarce. Here, we applied a non-genetic lineage tracing method of human pancreatic exocrine acinar and duct cells that allowed cell-type-specific gene expression profiling by RNA sequencing. Subsequent to this discovery analysis, one transcription factor that was unique for dedifferentiated acinar cells was functionally characterized. RNA sequencing analysis showed that human dedifferentiated acinar cells expressed genes in “Pathways of cancer” with a prominence of MECOM (EVI-1), a transcription factor that was not expressed by duct cells. During mouse embryonic development, pre-acinar cells also transiently expressed MECOM and in the adult mouse pancreas, MECOM was re-expressed when mice were subjected to acute and chronic pancreatitis, conditions in which acinar cells dedifferentiate. In human cells and in mice, MECOM expression correlated with and was directly regulated by SOX9. Mouse acinar cells that, by genetic manipulation, lose the ability to upregulate MECOM showed impaired cell adhesion, more prominent acinar cell death, and suppressed acinar cell dedifferentiation by limited ERK signaling. In conclusion, we transcriptionally profiled the two major human pancreatic exocrine cell types, acinar and duct cells, during experimental stress conditions. We provide insights that in dedifferentiated acinar cells, cancer pathways are upregulated in which MECOM is a critical regulator that suppresses acinar cell death by permitting cellular dedifferentiation.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells attenuate dialysis-induced peritoneal fibrosis by modulating macrophage polarization via interleukin-6

BackgroundLife-long peritoneal dialysis (PD) as a renal replacement therapy is limited by peritoneal fibrosis. Previous studies showed immunomodulatory and antifibrotic effects of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) on peritoneal fibrosis. However, the role of the peritoneal macrophage in this process remains uninvestigated.MethodsWe examined the therapeutic effects of ADSC and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) in the rat model of dialysis-induced peritoneal fibrosis using methylglyoxal. In addition, treatment of macrophages with the conditioned medium of ADSC and BM-MSC was performed individually to identify the beneficial component of the stem cell secretome.ResultsIn the in vivo experiments, we found dialysis-induced rat peritoneal fibrosis was attenuated by both ADSC and BM-MSC. Interestingly, ADSC possessed a more prominent therapeutic effect than BM-MSC in ameliorating peritoneal membrane thickening while also upregulating epithelial cell markers in rat peritoneal tissues. The therapeutic effects of ADSC were positively associated with M2 macrophage polarization. In the in vitro experiments, we confirmed that interleukin-6 (IL-6) secreted by MSCs upon transforming growth factor-β1 stimulation promotes M2 macrophage polarization.ConclusionsIn dialysis-induced peritoneal fibrosis, MSCs are situated in an inflammatory environment of TGF-β1 and secrete IL-6 to polarize macrophages into the M2 phenotype. Our findings reveal a previously unidentified role of tissue macrophage in this antifibrotic process. ADSC has the advantage of abundance and accessibility, making the application values extremely promising.Graphical abstractIn dialysis-induced peritoneal fibrosis, peritoneal mesothelial cells secrete transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) when exposed to methylglyoxal (MGO)-containing peritoneal dialysate. When situated in TGF-β1, the inflammatory environment induces mesenchymal stem cells to secrete interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-6 polarizes macrophages into the M2 phenotype. The dominant peritoneal tissue M2 macrophages, marked by upregulated Arg-1 expression, account for the attenuation of MGO-induced dedifferentiation of peritoneal mesothelial cells to maintain epithelial integrity.