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Egatz-Gomez A, Wang C, Klacsmann F, Pan Z, Marczak S, Wang Y, Sun G, Senapati S, Chang HC. Future microfluidic and nanofluidic modular platforms for nucleic acid liquid biopsy in precision medicine. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2016; 10:032902. [PMID: 27190565 PMCID: PMC4859827 DOI: 10.1063/1.4948525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid biomarkers have enormous potential in non-invasive diagnostics and disease management. In medical research and in the near future in the clinics, there is a great demand for accurate miRNA, mRNA, and ctDNA identification and profiling. They may lead to screening of early stage cancer that is not detectable by tissue biopsy or imaging. Moreover, because their cost is low and they are non-invasive, they can become a regular screening test during annual checkups or allow a dynamic treatment program that adjusts its drug and dosage frequently. We briefly review a few existing viral and endogenous RNA assays that have been approved by the Federal Drug Administration. These tests are based on the main nucleic acid detection technologies, namely, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR), microarrays, and next-generation sequencing. Several of the challenges that these three technologies still face regarding the quantitative measurement of a panel of nucleic acids are outlined. Finally, we review a cluster of microfluidic technologies from our group with potential for point-of-care nucleic acid quantification without nucleic acid amplification, designed to overcome specific limitations of current technologies. We suggest that integration of these technologies in a modular design can offer a low-cost, robust, and yet sensitive/selective platform for a variety of precision medicine applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Egatz-Gomez
- Center for Microfluidics and Medical Diagnostics, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Ceming Wang
- Center for Microfluidics and Medical Diagnostics, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Flora Klacsmann
- Center for Microfluidics and Medical Diagnostics, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Zehao Pan
- Center for Microfluidics and Medical Diagnostics, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Steve Marczak
- Center for Microfluidics and Medical Diagnostics, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Yunshan Wang
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Gongchen Sun
- Center for Microfluidics and Medical Diagnostics, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Satyajyoti Senapati
- Center for Microfluidics and Medical Diagnostics, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Hsueh-Chia Chang
- Center for Microfluidics and Medical Diagnostics, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
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Varricchi G, Bagnasco D, Borriello F, Heffler E, Canonica GW. Interleukin-5 pathway inhibition in the treatment of eosinophilic respiratory disorders: evidence and unmet needs. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2016; 16:186-200. [PMID: 26859368 PMCID: PMC4768650 DOI: 10.1097/aci.0000000000000251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Human eosinophils were first identified and named by Paul Ehrlich in 1879 on the basis of the cell's granular uptake of eosin. Although eosinophils represent approximately 1% of peripheral blood leukocytes, they have the propensity to leave the blood stream and migrate into inflamed tissues. Eosinophils and their mediators are critical effectors to asthma and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). Eosinophils are equipped with a large number of cell-surface receptors and produce specific cytokines and chemokines. RECENT FINDINGS Eosinophils are the major source of interleukin-5 and highly express the interleukin-5Rα on their surface. Clinical trials evaluating monoclonal antibodies to interleukin-5 (mepolizumab and reslizumab) and its receptor interleukin-5Rα (benralizumab) have been or are underway in patients with eosinophilic asthma, EGPA and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Overall, targeting interleukin-5/interleukin-5Rα is associated with a marked decrease in blood and sputum eosinophilia, the number of exacerbations and improvement of some clinical parameters in adult patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. Pilot studies suggest that mepolizumab might be a glucocorticoid-sparing treatment in patients with EGPA. A preliminary study found that benralizumab did not reduce the exacerbations and did modify lung function in patients with eosinophilic COPD. SUMMARY The review examines recent advances in the biology of eosinophils and how targeting the interleukin-5 pathway might offer benefit to some patients with severe asthma, EGPA, and COPD. Interleukin-5/interleukin-5Rα-targeted treatments offer promises to patients with eosinophilic respiratory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilda Varricchi
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples
| | - Diego Bagnasco
- Respiratory Diseases and Allergy Clinic, DIMI-Department of Internal Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Allergy Clinic, University of Genoa, IRCCS AOU S. Martino Genoa, Genoa
| | - Francesco Borriello
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples
| | - Enrico Heffler
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Respiratory Disease and Allergology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giorgio W. Canonica
- Respiratory Diseases and Allergy Clinic, DIMI-Department of Internal Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Allergy Clinic, University of Genoa, IRCCS AOU S. Martino Genoa, Genoa
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Jackson A, Jani S, Sala CD, Soler-Bistué AJC, Zorreguieta A, Tolmasky ME. Assessment of configurations and chemistries of bridged nucleic acids-containing oligomers as external guide sequences: a methodology for inhibition of expression of antibiotic resistance genes. Biol Methods Protoc 2016; 1. [PMID: 27857983 PMCID: PMC5108630 DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpw001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
External guide sequences (EGSs) are short antisense oligoribonucleotides that elicit RNase P-mediated cleavage of a target mRNA, which results in inhibition of gene expression. EGS technology is used to inhibit expression of a wide variety of genes, a strategy that may lead to development of novel treatments of numerous diseases, including multidrug-resistant bacterial and viral infections. Successful development of EGS technology depends on finding nucleotide analogs that resist degradation by nucleases present in biological fluids and the environment but still elicit RNase P-mediated degradation when forming a duplex with a target mRNA. Previous results suggested that locked nucleic acids (LNA)/DNA chimeric oligomers have these properties. LNA are now considered the first generation of compounds collectively known as bridged nucleic acids (BNAs) – modified ribonucleotides that contain a bridge at the 2ʹ,4ʹ-position of the ribose. LNA and the second-generation BNA, known as BNANC, differ in the chemical nature of the bridge. Chimeric oligomers containing LNA or BNANC and deoxynucleotide monomers in different configurations are nuclease resistant and could be excellent EGS compounds. However, not all configurations may be equally active as EGSs. RNase P cleavage assays comparing LNA/DNA and BNANC/DNA chimeric oligonucleotides that share identical nucleotide sequence but with different configurations were carried out using as target the amikacin resistance aac(6ʹ)-Ib mRNA. LNA/DNA gapmers with 5 and 3/4 LNA residues at the 5ʹ- and 3ʹ-ends, respectively, were the most efficient EGSs while all BNANC/DNA gapmers showed very poor activity. When the most efficient LNA/DNA gapmer was covalently bound to a cell-penetrating peptide, the hybrid compound conserved the EGS activity as determined by RNase P cleavage assays and reduced the levels of resistance to amikacin when added to Acinetobacter baumannii cells in culture, an indication of cellular uptake and biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Jackson
- Center for Applied Biotechnology Studies, Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA
| | - Saumya Jani
- Center for Applied Biotechnology Studies, Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA
| | - Carol Davies Sala
- Center for Applied Biotechnology Studies, Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA; Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, and FCEyN, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alfonso J C Soler-Bistué
- Center for Applied Biotechnology Studies, Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA; Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, and FCEyN, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Angeles Zorreguieta
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, and FCEyN, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo E Tolmasky
- Center for Applied Biotechnology Studies, Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA
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Peracchi A. Dissecting the hybridization of oligonucleotides to structured complementary sequences. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1860:1107-17. [PMID: 26876643 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND When oligonucleotides hybridize to long target molecules, the process is slowed by the secondary structure in the targets. The phenomenon has been analyzed in several previous studies, but many details remain poorly understood. METHODS I used a spectrofluorometric strategy, focusing on the formation/breaking of individual base pairs, to study the kinetics of association between a DNA hairpin and >20 complementary oligonucleotides ('antisenses'). RESULTS Hybridization rates differed by over three orders of magnitude. Association was toehold-mediated, both for antisenses binding to the target's ends and for those designed to interact with the loop. Binding of these latter, besides being consistently slower, was affected to variable, non-uniform extents by the asymmetric loop structure. Divalent metal ions accelerated hybridization, more pronouncedly when nucleation occurred at the loop. Incorporation of locked nucleic acid (LNA) residues in the antisenses substantially improved the kinetics only when LNAs participated to the earliest hybridization steps. The effects of individual LNAs placed along the antisense indicated that the reaction transition state occurred after invading at least the first base pair of the stem. CONCLUSIONS The experimental approach helps dissect hybridization reactions involving structured nucleic acids. Toehold-dependent, nucleation-invasion models appear fully appropriate for describing such reactions. Estimating the stability of nucleation complexes formed at internal toeholds is the major hurdle for the quantitative prediction of hybridization rates. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE While analyzing the mechanisms of a fundamental biochemical process (hybridization), this work also provides suggestions for the improvement of technologies that rely on such process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Peracchi
- Department of Life Sciences, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy.
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Way SW, Popko B. Harnessing the integrated stress response for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Lancet Neurol 2016; 15:434-43. [PMID: 26873788 PMCID: PMC4792730 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(15)00381-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with no known cure. Though a dozen immunomodulatory therapies exist, their impact on progression of disease appears limited. The field has hence focused on alternate strategies for treatment such as enhancing remyelination and CNS repair. Recent progress has been made on a third complimentary treatment approach that involves protecting oligodendrocytes, and the myelin they generate and maintain, from inflammatory-mediated death via enhancement of the integrated stress response (ISR). Studies in cells and mouse models of MS have demonstrated that the ISR, an innate protective pathway that maintains proteostasis, may be effectively harnessed to aid in the protection of oligodendrocytes and myelin during inflammation. With one ISR-modifying drug already in clinical trial and a number of potential future therapies under investigation, this approach may offer an important component in halting the progression of multiple sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon W Way
- Department of Neurology, The University of Chicago Center for Peripheral Neuropathy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Brian Popko
- Department of Neurology, The University of Chicago Center for Peripheral Neuropathy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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