1
|
Yang T, Li C, Wei Q, Pang D, Cheng Y, Huang J, Lin J, Xiao Y, Jiang Q, Wang S, Shang H. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis related to ALS patient progression and survival. J Neurol 2024; 271:2672-2683. [PMID: 38372747 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12222-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetics contributes to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We aimed to characterize the DNA methylation profiles associated with clinical heterogeneity in disease progression and survival among patients. METHODS We included a cohort of 41 patients with sporadic ALS, with a median follow-up of 86.9 months, and 27 rigorously matched healthy controls. Blood-based genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was conducted. RESULTS A total of 948 progression rate-associated differentially methylated positions, 298 progression rate-associated differentially methylated regions (R-DMRs), 590 survival time-associated DMPs, and 197 survival time-associated DMRs (S-DMRs) were identified, using complementary grouping strategies. Enrichment analysis of differentially methylated genes highlighted the involvement of synapses and axons in ALS progression and survival. Clinical analysis revealed a positive correlation between the average methylation levels of the R-DMR in PRDM8 and disease progression rate (r = 0.479, p = 0.002). Conversely, there was an inverse correlation between the average methylation levels of the R-DMR in ANKRD33 and disease progression rate (r = - 0.476, p = 0.002). In addition, patients with higher methylation levels within the S-DMR of ZNF696 experienced longer survival (p = 0.016), while those with elevated methylation levels in the S-DMR of RAI1 had shorter survival (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION DNA methylation holds promise as a potential biomarker for tracking disease progression and predicting survival outcome and also offers targets for precision medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianmi Yang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Chunyu Li
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qianqian Wei
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Dejiang Pang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yangfan Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jingxuan Huang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Junyu Lin
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qirui Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Shichan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Huifang Shang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare Diseases Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sinha R, Dvorak M, Ganesan A, Kalesinskas L, Niemeyer CM, Flotho C, Sakamoto KM, Lacayo N, Patil RV, Perriman R, Cepika AM, Liu YL, Kuo A, Utz PJ, Khatri P, Bertaina A. Epigenetic Profiling of PTPN11 Mutant JMML Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells Reveals an Aberrant Histone Landscape. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5204. [PMID: 37958378 PMCID: PMC10650722 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15215204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a deadly pediatric leukemia driven by RAS pathway mutations, of which >35% are gain-of-function in PTPN11. Although DNA hypermethylation portends severe clinical phenotypes, the landscape of histone modifications and chromatin profiles in JMML patient cells have not been explored. Using global mass cytometry, Epigenetic Time of Flight (EpiTOF), we analyzed hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from five JMML patients with PTPN11 mutations. These data revealed statistically significant changes in histone methylation, phosphorylation, and acetylation marks that were unique to JMML HSPCs when compared with healthy controls. Consistent with these data, assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq) analysis revealed significant alterations in chromatin profiles at loci encoding post-translational modification enzymes, strongly suggesting their mis-regulated expression. Collectively, this study reveals histone modification pathways as an additional epigenetic abnormality in JMML patient HSPCs, thereby uncovering a new family of potential druggable targets for the treatment of JMML.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roshani Sinha
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (R.S.); (R.V.P.); (R.P.); (A.-M.C.); (Y.L.L.)
| | - Mai Dvorak
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (M.D.); (A.G.); (L.K.); (A.K.); (P.J.U.); (P.K.)
| | - Ananthakrishnan Ganesan
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (M.D.); (A.G.); (L.K.); (A.K.); (P.J.U.); (P.K.)
| | - Larry Kalesinskas
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (M.D.); (A.G.); (L.K.); (A.K.); (P.J.U.); (P.K.)
| | - Charlotte M. Niemeyer
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Freiburg Medical Centre, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; (C.M.N.); (C.F.)
| | - Christian Flotho
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Freiburg Medical Centre, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; (C.M.N.); (C.F.)
| | - Kathleen M. Sakamoto
- Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; (K.M.S.); (N.L.)
| | - Norman Lacayo
- Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; (K.M.S.); (N.L.)
| | - Rachana Vinay Patil
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (R.S.); (R.V.P.); (R.P.); (A.-M.C.); (Y.L.L.)
| | - Rhonda Perriman
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (R.S.); (R.V.P.); (R.P.); (A.-M.C.); (Y.L.L.)
| | - Alma-Martina Cepika
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (R.S.); (R.V.P.); (R.P.); (A.-M.C.); (Y.L.L.)
| | - Yunying Lucy Liu
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (R.S.); (R.V.P.); (R.P.); (A.-M.C.); (Y.L.L.)
| | - Alex Kuo
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (M.D.); (A.G.); (L.K.); (A.K.); (P.J.U.); (P.K.)
| | - Paul J. Utz
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (M.D.); (A.G.); (L.K.); (A.K.); (P.J.U.); (P.K.)
| | - Purvesh Khatri
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (M.D.); (A.G.); (L.K.); (A.K.); (P.J.U.); (P.K.)
| | - Alice Bertaina
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (R.S.); (R.V.P.); (R.P.); (A.-M.C.); (Y.L.L.)
- Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; (K.M.S.); (N.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Miao B, Xing X, Bazylianska V, Madden P, Moszczynska A, Zhang B. Methamphetamine-induced region-specific transcriptomic and epigenetic changes in the brain of male rats. Commun Biol 2023; 6:991. [PMID: 37758941 PMCID: PMC10533900 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05355-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychostimulant methamphetamine (METH) is neurotoxic to the brain and, therefore, its misuse leads to neurological and psychiatric disorders. The gene regulatory network (GRN) response to neurotoxic METH binge remains unclear in most brain regions. Here we examined the effects of binge METH on the GRN in the nucleus accumbens, dentate gyrus, Ammon's horn, and subventricular zone in male rats. At 24 h after METH, ~16% of genes displayed altered expression and over a quarter of previously open chromatin regions - parts of the genome where genes are typically active - showed shifts in their accessibility. Intriguingly, most changes were unique to each area studied, and independent regulation between transcriptome and chromatin accessibility was observed. Unexpectedly, METH differentially impacted gene activity and chromatin accessibility within the dentate gyrus and Ammon's horn. Around 70% of the affected chromatin-accessible regions in the rat brain have conserved DNA sequences in the human genome. These regions frequently act as enhancers, ramping up the activity of nearby genes, and contain mutations linked to various neurological conditions. By sketching out the gene regulatory networks associated with binge METH in specific brain regions, our study offers fresh insights into how METH can trigger profound, region-specific molecular shifts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benpeng Miao
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Center for Genomic Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Xiaoyun Xing
- Department of Genetics, Center for Genomic Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Viktoriia Bazylianska
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Pamela Madden
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Anna Moszczynska
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gerardo-Nava JL, Jansen J, Günther D, Klasen L, Thiebes AL, Niessing B, Bergerbit C, Meyer AA, Linkhorst J, Barth M, Akhyari P, Stingl J, Nagel S, Stiehl T, Lampert A, Leube R, Wessling M, Santoro F, Ingebrandt S, Jockenhoevel S, Herrmann A, Fischer H, Wagner W, Schmitt RH, Kiessling F, Kramann R, De Laporte L. Transformative Materials to Create 3D Functional Human Tissue Models In Vitro in a Reproducible Manner. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2301030. [PMID: 37311209 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202301030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recreating human tissues and organs in the petri dish to establish models as tools in biomedical sciences has gained momentum. These models can provide insight into mechanisms of human physiology, disease onset, and progression, and improve drug target validation, as well as the development of new medical therapeutics. Transformative materials play an important role in this evolution, as they can be programmed to direct cell behavior and fate by controlling the activity of bioactive molecules and material properties. Using nature as an inspiration, scientists are creating materials that incorporate specific biological processes observed during human organogenesis and tissue regeneration. This article presents the reader with state-of-the-art developments in the field of in vitro tissue engineering and the challenges related to the design, production, and translation of these transformative materials. Advances regarding (stem) cell sources, expansion, and differentiation, and how novel responsive materials, automated and large-scale fabrication processes, culture conditions, in situ monitoring systems, and computer simulations are required to create functional human tissue models that are relevant and efficient for drug discovery, are described. This paper illustrates how these different technologies need to converge to generate in vitro life-like human tissue models that provide a platform to answer health-based scientific questions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose L Gerardo-Nava
- Advanced Materials for Biomedicine (AMB), Institute of Applied Medical Engineering (AME), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CMBS), Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jitske Jansen
- Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology and Department of Medicine 2, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, Rotterdam, 3584CG, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Günther
- Advanced Materials for Biomedicine (AMB), Institute of Applied Medical Engineering (AME), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CMBS), Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC), Advanced Materials for Biomedicine, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Laura Klasen
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC), Advanced Materials for Biomedicine, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Anja Lena Thiebes
- Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME - Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD, Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Bastian Niessing
- Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Steinbachstraße 17, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Cédric Bergerbit
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Anna A Meyer
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC), Advanced Materials for Biomedicine, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - John Linkhorst
- Department of Chemical Process Engineering (AVT.CVT), RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstraße 51, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mareike Barth
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Payam Akhyari
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Julia Stingl
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital of RWTH, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Saskia Nagel
- Applied Ethics Group, RWTH Aachen University, Theaterplatz 14, 52062, Aachen, Germany
| | - Thomas Stiehl
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine - Disease Modeling, RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 55, 52062, Aachen, Germany
| | - Angelika Lampert
- Institute of Neurohysiology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Rudolf Leube
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52057, Aachen, Germany
| | - Matthias Wessling
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Chemical Process Engineering (AVT.CVT), RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstraße 51, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Francesca Santoro
- Neuroelectronic Interfaces Research Group, RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 55, 52062, Aachen, Germany
| | - Sven Ingebrandt
- Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1, RWTH Aachen University, Sommerfeldstraße 18, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Jockenhoevel
- Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME - Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD, Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Herrmann
- Advanced Materials for Biomedicine (AMB), Institute of Applied Medical Engineering (AME), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CMBS), Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC), Advanced Materials for Biomedicine, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Horst Fischer
- Department of Dental Materials and Biomaterials Research, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wagner
- Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Robert H Schmitt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Steinbachstraße 17, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Campus-boulevard 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Fabian Kiessling
- Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Rafael Kramann
- Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology and Department of Medicine 2, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, Rotterdam, 3584CG, The Netherlands
| | - Laura De Laporte
- Advanced Materials for Biomedicine (AMB), Institute of Applied Medical Engineering (AME), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CMBS), Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC), Advanced Materials for Biomedicine, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Carlund O, Norberg A, Osterman P, Landfors M, Degerman S, Hultdin M. DNA methylation variations and epigenetic aging in telomere biology disorders. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7955. [PMID: 37193737 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34922-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere Biology Disorders (TBDs) are characterized by mutations in telomere-related genes leading to short telomeres and premature aging but with no strict correlation between telomere length and disease severity. Epigenetic alterations are also markers of aging and we aimed to evaluate whether DNA methylation (DNAm) could be part of the pathogenesis of TBDs. In blood from 35 TBD cases, genome-wide DNAm were analyzed and the cases were grouped based on relative telomere length (RTL): short (S), with RTL close to normal controls, and extremely short (ES). TBD cases had increased epigenetic age and DNAm alterations were most prominent in the ES-RTL group. Thus, the differentially methylated (DM) CpG sites could be markers of short telomeres but could also be one of the mechanisms contributing to disease phenotype since DNAm alterations were observed in symptomatic, but not asymptomatic, cases with S-RTL. Furthermore, two or more DM-CpGs were identified in four genes previously linked to TBD or telomere length (PRDM8, SMC4, VARS, and WNT6) and in three genes that were novel in telomere biology (MAS1L, NAV2, and TM4FS1). The DM-CpGs in these genes could be markers of aging in hematological cells, but they could also be of relevance for the progression of TBD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Carlund
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Norberg
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Medical and Clinical Genetics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pia Osterman
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mattias Landfors
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sofie Degerman
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Magnus Hultdin
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Drug-tolerant persister B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.28.530540. [PMID: 36909619 PMCID: PMC10002708 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.28.530540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Reduced responsiveness of precursor B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) to chemotherapy can be inferred when leukemia cells persist after 28 days of initial treatment. Survival of these long-term persister (LTP) / minimal residual disease (MRD) cells is partly due to bone marrow stromal cells that protect them under conditions of chemotherapy stress. We used RNA-seq to analyse BCP-ALL cells that survived a long-term, 30-day vincristine chemotherapy treatment while in co-culture with bone marrow stromal cells. RNAs of as many as 10% of the protein-encoding genes were differentially expressed. There was substantial overlap with genes associated with MRD cell persistence reported in other studies. The top pathway regulated in the LTP cells was that involving p53, a master regulator of a spectrum of responses relevant to drug resistance and cytotoxic drug exposure including control of autophagy. We tested a select number of genes for contribution to BCP-ALL cell survival using Cas9/CRISPR in a 2-step selection, initially for overall effect on cell fitness, followed by 21 days of exposure to vincristine. Many genes involved in autophagy and lysosomal function were found to contribute to survival both at steady-state and during drug treatment. We also identified MYH9, NCSTN and KIAA2013 as specific genes contributing to fitness of BCP-ALL cells. CD44 was not essential for growth under steady state conditions but was needed for survival of vincristine treatment. Finally, although the drug transporter ABCC1/MRP1 is not overexpressed in BCP-ALL, a functional gene was needed for DTP cells to survive treatment with vincristine. This suggests that addition of possible ABCC1 inhibitors during induction therapy could provide benefit in eradication of minimal residual disease in patients treated with a chemotherapy regimen that includes vincristine.
Collapse
|
7
|
Sahinyan K, Lazure F, Blackburn DM, Soleimani VD. Decline of regenerative potential of old muscle stem cells: contribution to muscle aging. FEBS J 2023; 290:1267-1289. [PMID: 35029021 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Muscle stem cells (MuSCs) are required for life-long muscle regeneration. In general, aging has been linked to a decline in the numbers and the regenerative potential of MuSCs. Muscle regeneration depends on the proper functioning of MuSCs, which is itself dependent on intricate interactions with its niche components. Aging is associated with both cell-intrinsic and niche-mediated changes, which can be the result of transcriptional, posttranscriptional, or posttranslational alterations in MuSCs or in the components of their niche. The interplay between cell intrinsic alterations in MuSCs and changes in the stem cell niche environment during aging and its impact on the number and the function of MuSCs is an important emerging area of research. In this review, we discuss whether the decline in the regenerative potential of MuSCs with age is the cause or the consequence of aging skeletal muscle. Understanding the effect of aging on MuSCs and the individual components of their niche is critical to develop effective therapeutic approaches to diminish or reverse the age-related defects in muscle regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Korin Sahinyan
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Felicia Lazure
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Darren M Blackburn
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Vahab D Soleimani
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Koshy A, Mathieux E, Stüder F, Bramoulle A, Lieb M, Colombo BM, Gronemeyer H, Mendoza-Parra MA. Synergistic activation of RARβ and RARγ nuclear receptors restores cell specialization during stem cell differentiation by hijacking RARα-controlled programs. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:6/2/e202201627. [PMID: 36446525 PMCID: PMC9711859 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
How cells respond to different external cues to develop along defined cell lineages to form complex tissues is a major question in systems biology. Here, we investigated the potential of retinoic acid receptor (RAR)-selective synthetic agonists to activate the gene regulatory programs driving cell specialization during nervous tissue formation from embryonic carcinoma (P19) and mouse embryonic (E14) stem cells. Specifically, we found that the synergistic activation of the RARβ and RARγ by selective ligands (BMS641 or BMS961) induces cell maturation to specialized neuronal subtypes, and to astrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursors. Using RAR isotype knockout lines exposed to RAR-specific agonists, interrogated by global transcriptome landscaping and in silico modeling of transcription regulatory signal propagation, revealed major RARα-driven gene programs essential for optimal neuronal cell specialization and hijacked by the synergistic activation of the RARβ and RARγ receptors. Overall, this study provides a systems biology view of the gene programs accounting for the previously observed redundancy between RARs, paving the way toward their potential use for directing cell specialization during nervous tissue formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aysis Koshy
- UMR 8030 Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, University of Evry-val-d'Essonne, University Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
| | - Elodie Mathieux
- UMR 8030 Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, University of Evry-val-d'Essonne, University Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
| | - François Stüder
- UMR 8030 Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, University of Evry-val-d'Essonne, University Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
| | - Aude Bramoulle
- UMR 8030 Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, University of Evry-val-d'Essonne, University Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
| | - Michele Lieb
- Department of Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
| | - Bruno Maria Colombo
- UMR 8030 Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, University of Evry-val-d'Essonne, University Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
| | - Hinrich Gronemeyer
- Department of Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France
| | - Marco Antonio Mendoza-Parra
- UMR 8030 Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, University of Evry-val-d'Essonne, University Paris-Saclay, Évry, France
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Schmidt M, Zeevaert K, Elsafi Mabrouk MH, Goetzke R, Wagner W. Epigenetic biomarkers to track differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Reports 2023; 18:145-158. [PMID: 36460001 PMCID: PMC9860076 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Quality control of induced pluripotent stem cells remains a challenge. For validation of the pluripotent state, it is crucial to determine trilineage differentiation potential toward endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. Here, we report GermLayerTracker, a combination of site-specific DNA methylation (DNAm) assays that serve as biomarker for early germ layer specification. CG dinucleotides (CpGs) were identified with characteristic DNAm at pluripotent state and after differentiation into endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. Based on this, a pluripotency score was derived that tracks reprogramming and may indicate differentiation capacity, as well as lineage-specific scores to monitor either directed differentiation or self-organized multilineage differentiation in embryoid bodies. Furthermore, we established pyrosequencing assays for fast and cost-effective analysis. In the future, the GermLayerTracker could be used for quality control of pluripotent cells and to estimate lineage-specific commitment during initial differentiation events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Schmidt
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Kira Zeevaert
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Mohamed H Elsafi Mabrouk
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Roman Goetzke
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wagner
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Sugino RP, Ohira M, Mansai SP, Kamijo T. Comparative epigenomics by machine learning approach for neuroblastoma. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:852. [PMID: 36572864 PMCID: PMC9793522 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-09061-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroblastoma (NB) is the second most common pediatric solid tumor. Because the number of genetic mutations found in tumors are small, even in some patients with unfavorable NB, epigenetic variation is expected to play an important role in NB progression. DNA methylation is a major epigenetic mechanism, and its relationship with NB prognosis has been a concern. One limitation with the analysis of variation in DNA methylation is the lack of a suitable analytical model. Therefore, in this study, we performed a random forest (RF) analysis of the DNA methylome data of NB from multiple databases. RESULTS RF is a popular machine learning model owing to its simplicity, intuitiveness, and computational cost. RF analysis identified novel intermediate-risk patient groups with characteristic DNA methylation patterns within the low-risk group. Feature selection analysis based on probe annotation revealed that enhancer-annotated regions had strong predictive power, particularly for MYCN-amplified NBs. We developed a gene-based analytical model to identify candidate genes related to disease progression, such as PRDM8 and FAM13A-AS1. RF analysis revealed sufficient predictive power compared to other machine learning models. CONCLUSIONS RF is a useful tool for DNA methylome analysis in cancer epigenetic studies, and has potential to identify a novel cancer-related genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryuichi P. Sugino
- grid.416695.90000 0000 8855 274XResearch Institute for Clinical Oncology, Saitama Cancer Center, Ina, Saitama, 362-0806 Japan
| | - Miki Ohira
- grid.416695.90000 0000 8855 274XResearch Institute for Clinical Oncology, Saitama Cancer Center, Ina, Saitama, 362-0806 Japan
| | - Sayaka P. Mansai
- grid.416695.90000 0000 8855 274XResearch Institute for Clinical Oncology, Saitama Cancer Center, Ina, Saitama, 362-0806 Japan
| | - Takehiko Kamijo
- grid.416695.90000 0000 8855 274XResearch Institute for Clinical Oncology, Saitama Cancer Center, Ina, Saitama, 362-0806 Japan ,grid.263023.60000 0001 0703 3735Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, Department of Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Kita-Urawa, Saitama, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
Germline genetic defects impairing telomere length maintenance may result in severe medical conditions in humans, from aplastic anemia and myeloid neoplasms to interstitial lung disease and liver cirrhosis, from childhood (dyskeratosis congenita) to old age (pulmonary fibrosis). The molecular mechanisms underlying these clinically distinct disorders are pathologically excessive telomere erosion, limiting cell proliferation and differentiation, tissue regeneration, and increasing genomic instability. Recent findings also indicate that telomere shortening imbalances stem cell fate and is associated with an abnormal inflammatory response and the senescent-associated secretory phenotype. Bone marrow failure is the most common phenotype in patients with telomere diseases. Pulmonary fibrosis is a typical phenotype in older patients, and disease progression appears faster than in pulmonary fibrosis not associated with telomeropathies. Liver cirrhosis may present in isolation or in combination with other phenotypes. Diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion and may be confirmed by telomere length measurement and genetic testing. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques have improved genetic testing; today, at least 16 genes have been implicated in telomeropathies. NGS also allows tracking of clonal hematopoiesis and malignant transformation. Patients with telomere diseases are at high risk of developing cancers, including myeloid neoplasms and head and neck cancer. However, treatment options are still limited. Transplant modalities (bone marrow, lung, and liver) may be definitive to the respective organ involvement but limited by donor availability, comorbidities, and impact on other affected organs. In clinical trials, androgens elongate telomeres of peripheral blood leukocytes and improve hematopoiesis. Further understanding of how telomere erosion impairs organ function and how somatic mutations evolve in the hematopoietic tissue may help develop new strategies to treat and prevent telomere diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius S Carvalho
- Department of Medical Imaging, Hematology, and Oncology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Willian R Gomes
- Department of Medical Imaging, Hematology, and Oncology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo T Calado
- Department of Medical Imaging, Hematology, and Oncology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Yang H, Kolben T, Kessler M, Meister S, Paul C, van Dorp J, Eren S, Kuhn C, Rahmeh M, Herbst C, Fink SG, Weimer G, Mahner S, Jeschke U, von Schönfeldt V. FAM111A Is a Novel Molecular Marker for Oocyte Aging. Biomedicines 2022; 10:257. [PMID: 35203468 PMCID: PMC8869572 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is the main cause of decline in oocyte quality, which can further trigger the failure of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Exploring age-related genes in oocytes is an important way to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in oocyte aging. To provide novel insight into this field, we performed a pooled analysis of publicly available datasets, using the overlapping results of two statistical methods on two Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. The methods utilized in the current study mainly include Spearman rank correlation, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, t-tests, Venn diagrams, Gene Ontology (GO), Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI), Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. We identified hundreds of age-related genes across different gene expression datasets of in vitro maturation-metaphase II (IVM-MII) oocytes. Age-related genes in IVM-MII oocytes were involved in the biological processes of cellular metabolism, DNA replication, and histone modifications. Among these age-related genes, FAM111A expression presented a robust correlation with age, seen in the results of different statistical methods and different datasets. FAM111A is associated with the processes of chromosome segregation and cell cycle regulation. Thus, this enzyme is potentially an interesting novel marker for the aging of oocytes, and warrants further mechanistic study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huixia Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Thomas Kolben
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Mirjana Kessler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Sarah Meister
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Corinna Paul
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Julia van Dorp
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Sibel Eren
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Christina Kuhn
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Martina Rahmeh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Cornelia Herbst
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Sabine Gabriele Fink
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Gabriele Weimer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Sven Mahner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| | - Udo Jeschke
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Viktoria von Schönfeldt
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany; (H.Y.); (T.K.); (M.K.); (S.M.); (C.P.); (J.v.D.); (S.E.); (C.K.); (M.R.); (C.H.); (S.G.F.); (G.W.); (S.M.); (V.v.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Simpson DJ, Chandra T. Epigenetic age prediction. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13452. [PMID: 34415665 PMCID: PMC8441394 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced age is the main common risk factor for cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. Yet, more is known about the molecular basis of any of these groups of diseases than the changes that accompany ageing itself. Progress in molecular ageing research was slow because the tools predicting whether someone aged slowly or fast (biological age) were unreliable. To understand ageing as a risk factor for disease and to develop interventions, the molecular ageing field needed a quantitative measure; a clock for biological age. Over the past decade, a number of age predictors utilising DNA methylation have been developed, referred to as epigenetic clocks. While they appear to estimate biological age, it remains unclear whether the methylation changes used to train the clocks are a reflection of other underlying cellular or molecular processes, or whether methylation itself is involved in the ageing process. The precise aspects of ageing that the epigenetic clocks capture remain hidden and seem to vary between predictors. Nonetheless, the use of epigenetic clocks has opened the door towards studying biological ageing quantitatively, and new clocks and applications, such as forensics, appear frequently. In this review, we will discuss the range of epigenetic clocks available, their strengths and weaknesses, and their applicability to various scientific queries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Simpson
- MRC Human Genetics UnitMRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular MedicineUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Tamir Chandra
- MRC Human Genetics UnitMRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular MedicineUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Vieri M, Brümmendorf TH, Beier F. Treatment of telomeropathies. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol 2021; 34:101282. [PMID: 34404536 DOI: 10.1016/j.beha.2021.101282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Telomeropathies or telomere biology disorders (TBDs) are a group of rare diseases characterised by altered telomere maintenance. Most patients with TBDs show pathogenic variants of genes that encode factors involved in the prevention of telomere shortening. Particularly in adults, TBDs mostly present themselves with heterogeneous clinical features that often include bone marrow failure, hepatopathies, interstitial lung disease and other organ sites. Different degrees of severity are also observed among patients with TBDs, ranging from very severe syndromes manifesting themselves in early childhood, such as Revesz syndrome, Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome, and Coats plus disease, to dyskeratosis congenita (DKC) and adult-onset "cryptic" forms of TBD, which often affect fewer organ systems. Overall, the most relevant clinical complications of TBD are bone marrow failure, lung fibrosis, and liver cirrhosis. In this review, we summarise recent advances in the management and treatment of TBD and provide a brief overview of the various treatment approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Vieri
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology, Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Germany.
| | - Tim H Brümmendorf
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology, Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Germany.
| | - Fabian Beier
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology, Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Koniali L, Lederer CW, Kleanthous M. Therapy Development by Genome Editing of Hematopoietic Stem Cells. Cells 2021; 10:1492. [PMID: 34198536 PMCID: PMC8231983 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Accessibility of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for the manipulation and repopulation of the blood and immune systems has placed them at the forefront of cell and gene therapy development. Recent advances in genome-editing tools, in particular for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) and CRISPR/Cas-derived editing systems, have transformed the gene therapy landscape. Their versatility and the ability to edit genomic sequences and facilitate gene disruption, correction or insertion, have broadened the spectrum of potential gene therapy targets and accelerated the development of potential curative therapies for many rare diseases treatable by transplantation or modification of HSCs. Ongoing developments seek to address efficiency and precision of HSC modification, tolerability of treatment and the distribution and affordability of corresponding therapies. Here, we give an overview of recent progress in the field of HSC genome editing as treatment for inherited disorders and summarize the most significant findings from corresponding preclinical and clinical studies. With emphasis on HSC-based therapies, we also discuss technical hurdles that need to be overcome en route to clinical translation of genome editing and indicate advances that may facilitate routine application beyond the most common disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lola Koniali
- Department of Molecular Genetics Thalassemia, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (L.K.); (M.K.)
| | - Carsten W. Lederer
- Department of Molecular Genetics Thalassemia, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (L.K.); (M.K.)
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Marina Kleanthous
- Department of Molecular Genetics Thalassemia, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (L.K.); (M.K.)
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Di Tullio F, Schwarz M, Zorgati H, Mzoughi S, Guccione E. The duality of PRDM proteins: epigenetic and structural perspectives. FEBS J 2021; 289:1256-1275. [PMID: 33774927 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PRDF1 and RIZ1 homology domain containing (PRDMs) are a subfamily of Krüppel-like zinc finger proteins controlling key processes in metazoan development and in cancer. PRDMs exhibit unique dualities: (a) PR domain/ZNF arrays-their structure combines a SET-like domain known as a PR domain, typically found in methyltransferases, with a variable array of C2H2 zinc fingers (ZNF) characteristic of DNA-binding transcription factors; (b) transcriptional activators/repressors-their physiological function is context- and cell-dependent; mechanistically, some PRDMs have a PKMT activity and directly catalyze histone lysine methylation, while others are rather pseudomethyltransferases and act by recruiting transcriptional cofactors; (c) oncogenes/tumor suppressors-their pathological function depends on the specific PRDM isoform expressed during tumorigenesis. This duality is well known as the 'Yin and Yang' of PRDMs and involves a complex regulation of alternative splicing or alternative promoter usage, to generate full-length or PR-deficient isoforms with opposing functions in cancer. In conclusion, once their dualities are fully appreciated, PRDMs represent a promising class of targets in oncology by virtue of their widespread upregulation across multiple tumor types and their somatic dispensability, conferring a broad therapeutic window and limited toxic side effects. The recent discovery of a first-in-class compound able to inhibit PRDM9 activity has paved the way for the identification of further small molecular inhibitors able to counteract PRDM oncogenic activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Di Tullio
- Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Megan Schwarz
- Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Habiba Zorgati
- Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Slim Mzoughi
- Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ernesto Guccione
- Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|