1
|
Bastani S, Staal FJT, Canté-Barrett K. The quest for the holy grail: overcoming challenges in expanding human hematopoietic stem cells for clinical use. Stem Cell Investig 2023; 10:15. [PMID: 37457748 PMCID: PMC10345135 DOI: 10.21037/sci-2023-016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation has been the golden standard for many hematological disorders. However, the number of HSCs obtained from several sources, including umbilical cord blood (UCB), often is insufficient for transplantation. For decades, maintaining or even expanding HSCs for therapeutic purposes has been a "holy grail" in stem cell biology. Different methods have been proposed to improve the efficiency of cell expansion and enhance homing potential such as co-culture with stromal cells or treatment with specific agents. Recent progress has shown that this is starting to become feasible using serum-free and well-defined media. Some of these protocols to expand HSCs along with genetic modification have been successfully applied in clinical trials and some others are studied in preclinical and clinical studies. However, the main challenges regarding ex vivo expansion of HSCs such as limited growth potential and tendency to differentiate in culture still need improvements. Understanding the biology of blood stem cells, their niche and signaling pathways has provided possibilities to regulate cell fate decisions and manipulate cells to optimize expansion of HSCs in vitro. Here, we review the plethora of HSC expansion protocols that have been proposed and indicate the current state of the art for their clinical application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Bastani
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Frank J. T. Staal
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cordes M, Pike-Overzet K, Van Den Akker EB, Staal FJT, Canté-Barrett K. Multi-omic analyses in immune cell development with lessons learned from T cell development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1163529. [PMID: 37091971 PMCID: PMC10118026 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1163529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, flow cytometry has been the preferred method to characterize immune cells at the single-cell level. Flow cytometry is used in immunology mostly to measure the expression of identifying markers on the cell surface, but-with good antibodies-can also be used to assess the expression of intracellular proteins. The advent of single-cell RNA-sequencing has paved the road to study immune development at an unprecedented resolution. Single-cell RNA-sequencing studies have not only allowed us to efficiently chart the make-up of heterogeneous tissues, including their most rare cell populations, it also increasingly contributes to our understanding how different omics modalities interplay at a single cell resolution. Particularly for investigating the immune system, this means that these single-cell techniques can be integrated to combine and correlate RNA and protein data at the single-cell level. While RNA data usually reveals a large heterogeneity of a given population identified solely by a combination of surface protein markers, the integration of different omics modalities at a single cell resolution is expected to greatly contribute to our understanding of the immune system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martijn Cordes
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Karin Pike-Overzet
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Erik B. Van Den Akker
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Pattern Recognition and Bioinformatics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Frank J. T. Staal
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Frank J. T. Staal,
| | - Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cordes M, Canté-Barrett K, van den Akker EB, Moretti FA, Kiełbasa SM, Vloemans SA, Garcia-Perez L, Teodosio C, van Dongen JJM, Pike-Overzet K, Reinders MJT, Staal FJT. Single-cell immune profiling reveals thymus-seeding populations, T cell commitment, and multilineage development in the human thymus. Sci Immunol 2022; 7:eade0182. [DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.ade0182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
T cell development in the mouse thymus has been studied extensively, but less is known regarding T cell development in the human thymus. We used a combination of single-cell techniques and functional assays to perform deep immune profiling of human T cell development, focusing on the initial stages of prelineage commitment. We identified three thymus-seeding progenitor populations that also have counterparts in the bone marrow. In addition, we found that the human thymus physiologically supports the development of monocytes, dendritic cells, and NK cells, as well as limited development of B cells. These results are an important step toward monitoring and guiding regenerative therapies in patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martijn Cordes
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands
| | - Erik B. van den Akker
- Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
- Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Federico A. Moretti
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Szymon M. Kiełbasa
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sandra A. Vloemans
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Laura Garcia-Perez
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Cristina Teodosio
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer-Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (CIC-IBMCC, USAL-CSIC-FICUS), Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jacques J. M. van Dongen
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer-Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (CIC-IBMCC, USAL-CSIC-FICUS), Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Karin Pike-Overzet
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marcel J. T. Reinders
- Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Frank J. T. Staal
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tajer P, Canté-Barrett K, Naber BAE, Vloemans SA, van Eggermond MCJA, van der Hoorn ML, Pike-Overzet K, Staal FJT. IL3 Has a Detrimental Effect on Hematopoietic Stem Cell Self-Renewal in Transplantation Settings. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232112736. [PMID: 36361533 PMCID: PMC9655151 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The ex vivo expansion and maintenance of long-term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSC) is crucial for stem cell-based gene therapy. A combination of stem cell factor (SCF), thrombopoietin (TPO), FLT3 ligand (FLT3) and interleukin 3 (IL3) cytokines has been commonly used in clinical settings for the expansion of CD34+ from different sources, prior to transplantation. To assess the effect of IL3 on repopulating capacity of cultured CD34+ cells, we employed the commonly used combination of STF, TPO and FILT3 with or without IL3. Expanded cells were transplanted into NSG mice, followed by secondary transplantation. Overall, this study shows that IL3 leads to lower human cell engraftment and repopulating capacity in NSG mice, suggesting a negative effect of IL3 on HSC self-renewal. We, therefore, recommend omitting IL3 from HSC-based gene therapy protocols.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Tajer
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Brigitta A. E. Naber
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra A. Vloemans
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Karin Pike-Overzet
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Frank J. T. Staal
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Canté-Barrett K, Meijer MT, Cordo' V, Hagelaar R, Yang W, Yu J, Smits WK, Nulle ME, Jansen JP, Pieters R, Yang JJ, Haigh JJ, Goossens S, Meijerink JP. MEF2C opposes Notch in lymphoid lineage decision and drives leukemia in the thymus. JCI Insight 2022; 7:150363. [PMID: 35536646 PMCID: PMC9310523 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.150363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rearrangements that drive ectopic MEF2C expression have recurrently been found in patients with human early thymocyte progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL). Here, we show high levels of MEF2C expression in patients with ETP-ALL. Using both in vivo and in vitro models of ETP-ALL, we demonstrate that elevated MEF2C expression blocks NOTCH-induced T cell differentiation while promoting a B-lineage program. MEF2C activates a B cell transcriptional program in addition to RUNX1, GATA3, and LMO2; upregulates the IL-7R; and boosts cell survival by upregulation of BCL2. MEF2C and the Notch pathway, therefore, demarcate opposite regulators of B- or T-lineage choices, respectively. Enforced MEF2C expression in mouse or human progenitor cells effectively blocks early T cell differentiation and promotes the development of biphenotypic lymphoid tumors that coexpress CD3 and CD19, resembling human mixed phenotype acute leukemia. Salt-inducible kinase (SIK) inhibitors impair MEF2C activity and alleviate the T cell developmental block. Importantly, this sensitizes cells to prednisolone treatment. Therefore, SIK-inhibiting compounds such as dasatinib are potentially valuable additions to standard chemotherapy for human ETP-ALL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariska T Meijer
- Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Valentina Cordo'
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rico Hagelaar
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Wentao Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Childen's Research Hospital, Memphis, United States of America
| | - Jiyang Yu
- Computational Biology Department, St. Jude Childen's Research Hospital, Memphis, United States of America
| | - Willem K Smits
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marloes E Nulle
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Joris P Jansen
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rob Pieters
- Pieters Group, Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jun J Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, United States of America
| | - Jody J Haigh
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Steven Goossens
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jules Pp Meijerink
- Meijerink Group, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zbinden A, Canté-Barrett K, Pike-Overzet K, Staal FJT. Stem Cell-Based Disease Models for Inborn Errors of Immunity. Cells 2021; 11:cells11010108. [PMID: 35011669 PMCID: PMC8750661 DOI: 10.3390/cells11010108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The intrinsic capacity of human hematopoietic stem cells (hHSCs) to reconstitute myeloid and lymphoid lineages combined with their self-renewal capacity hold enormous promises for gene therapy as a viable treatment option for a number of immune-mediated diseases, most prominently for inborn errors of immunity (IEI). The current development of such therapies relies on disease models, both in vitro and in vivo, which allow the study of human pathophysiology in great detail. Here, we discuss the current challenges with regards to developmental origin, heterogeneity and the subsequent implications for disease modeling. We review models based on induced pluripotent stem cell technology and those relaying on use of adult hHSCs. We critically review the advantages and limitations of current models for IEI both in vitro and in vivo. We conclude that existing and future stem cell-based models are necessary tools for developing next generation therapies for IEI.
Collapse
|
7
|
Klaver-Flores S, Zittersteijn HA, Canté-Barrett K, Lankester A, Hoeben RC, Gonçalves MAFV, Pike-Overzet K, Staal FJT. Genomic Engineering in Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells: Hype or Hope? Front Genome Ed 2021; 2:615619. [PMID: 34713237 PMCID: PMC8525357 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2020.615619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many gene editing techniques are developed and tested, yet, most of these are optimized for transformed cell lines, which differ from their primary cell counterparts in terms of transfectability, cell death propensity, differentiation capability, and chromatin accessibility to gene editing tools. Researchers are working to overcome the challenges associated with gene editing of primary cells, namely, at the level of improving the gene editing tool components, e.g., the use of modified single guide RNAs, more efficient delivery of Cas9 and RNA in the ribonucleoprotein of these cells. Despite these efforts, the low efficiency of proper gene editing in true primary cells is an obstacle that needs to be overcome in order to generate sufficiently high numbers of corrected cells for therapeutic use. In addition, many of the therapeutic candidate genes for gene editing are expressed in more mature blood cell lineages but not in the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), where they are tightly packed in heterochromatin, making them less accessible to gene editing enzymes. Bringing HSCs in proliferation is sometimes seen as a solution to overcome lack of chromatin access, but the induction of proliferation in HSCs often is associated with loss of stemness. The documented occurrences of off-target effects and, importantly, on-target side effects also raise important safety issues. In conclusion, many obstacles still remain to be overcome before gene editing in HSCs for gene correction purposes can be applied clinically. In this review, in a perspective way, we will discuss the challenges of researching and developing a novel genetic engineering therapy for monogenic blood and immune system disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hidde A Zittersteijn
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Arjan Lankester
- Department of Pediatrics, Willem-Alexander Children's Hospital, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Rob C Hoeben
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Manuel A F V Gonçalves
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Karin Pike-Overzet
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Frank J T Staal
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Jridi I, Canté-Barrett K, Pike-Overzet K, Staal FJT. Inflammation and Wnt Signaling: Target for Immunomodulatory Therapy? Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:615131. [PMID: 33614624 PMCID: PMC7890028 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.615131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt proteins comprise a large family of highly conserved glycoproteins known for their role in development, cell fate specification, tissue regeneration, and tissue homeostasis. Aberrant Wnt signaling is linked to developmental defects, malignant transformation, and carcinogenesis as well as to inflammation. Mounting evidence from recent research suggests that a dysregulated activation of Wnt signaling is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as neuroinflammation, cancer-mediated inflammation, and metabolic inflammatory diseases. Recent findings highlight the role of Wnt in the modulation of inflammatory cytokine production, such as NF-kB signaling and in innate defense mechanisms as well as in the bridging of innate and adaptive immunity. This sparked the development of novel therapeutic treatments against inflammatory diseases based on Wnt modulation. Here, we summarize the role and function of the Wnt pathway in inflammatory diseases and focus on Wnt signaling as underlying master regulator of inflammation that can be therapeutically targeted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Imen Jridi
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Karin Pike-Overzet
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Frank J T Staal
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Cordo' V, van der Zwet JC, Canté-Barrett K, Pieters R, Meijerink JP. T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Roadmap to Targeted Therapies. Blood Cancer Discov 2021; 2:19-31. [PMID: 34661151 PMCID: PMC8447273 DOI: 10.1158/2643-3230.bcd-20-0093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy characterized by aberrant proliferation of immature thymocytes. Despite an overall survival of 80% in the pediatric setting, 20% of patients with T-ALL ultimately die from relapsed or refractory disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel therapies. Molecular genetic analyses and sequencing studies have led to the identification of recurrent T-ALL genetic drivers. This review summarizes the main genetic drivers and targetable lesions of T-ALL and gives a comprehensive overview of the novel treatments for patients with T-ALL that are currently under clinical investigation or that are emerging from preclinical research. SIGNIFICANCE T-ALL is driven by oncogenic transcription factors that act along with secondary acquired mutations. These lesions, together with active signaling pathways, may be targeted by therapeutic agents. Bridging research and clinical practice can accelerate the testing of novel treatments in clinical trials, offering an opportunity for patients with poor outcome.
Collapse
|
10
|
Canté-Barrett K, Holtzer L, van Ooijen H, Hagelaar R, Cordo’ V, Verhaegh W, van de Stolpe A, Meijerink JPP. A Molecular Test for Quantifying Functional Notch Signaling Pathway Activity in Human Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113142. [PMID: 33120947 PMCID: PMC7692325 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The Notch signal transduction pathway is important for various physiological processes, including immune responses, and plays a role in many diseases, for example cancer. We have developed a new assay to quantitatively measure Notch pathway activity, and we validated it using data from various human cancer cell lines. The assay can be applied across different cell types, and offers numerous possibilities to explore the contribution of the Notch pathway to tumor formation and the stratification of cancer patients. We assessed Notch pathway activity in a cohort of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patient samples, and found that the pathway activity score more accurately reflects Notch pathway activity than a prediction on the basis of NOTCH1 mutations alone. Finally, we found that patients with low Notch pathway activity had a significantly shorter event-free survival compared to patients who had T-ALL cells with higher activity. Abstract Background: The Notch signal transduction pathway is pivotal for various physiological processes, including immune responses, and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. The effectiveness of various targeted Notch pathway inhibitors may vary due to variabilities in Notch pathway activity among individual patients. The quantitative measurement of Notch pathway activity is therefore essential to identify patients who could benefit from targeted treatment. Methods: We here describe a new assay that infers a quantitative Notch pathway activity score from the mRNA levels of generally conserved direct NOTCH target genes. Following the calibration and biological validation of our Notch pathway activity model over a wide spectrum of human cancer types, we assessed Notch pathway activity in a cohort of T-ALL patient samples and related it to biological and clinical parameters, including outcome. Results: We developed an assay using 18 select direct target genes and high-grade serous ovarian cancer for calibration. For validation, seven independent human datasets (mostly cancer series) were used to quantify Notch activity in agreement with expectations. For T-ALL, the median Notch pathway activity was highest for samples with strong NOTCH1-activating mutations, and T-ALL patients of the TLX subtype generally had the highest levels of Notch pathway activity. We observed a significant relationship between ICN1 levels and the absence/presence of NOTCH1-activating mutations with Notch pathway activity scores. Patients with the lowest Notch activity scores had the shortest event-free survival compared to other patients. Conclusions: High Notch pathway activity was not limited to T-ALL samples harboring strong NOTCH1 mutations, including juxtamembrane domain mutations or hetero-dimerization combined with PEST-domain or FBXW7 mutations, indicating that additional mechanisms may activate Notch signaling. The measured Notch pathway activity was related to intracellular NOTCH levels, indicating that the pathway activity score more accurately reflects Notch pathway activity than when it is predicted on the basis of NOTCH1 mutations. Importantly, patients with low Notch pathway activity had a significantly shorter event-free survival compared to patients showing higher activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.C.-B.); (R.H.); (V.C.)
| | - Laurent Holtzer
- Philips Molecular Pathway Dx, Royal Philips, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands; (L.H.); (A.v.d.S.)
| | - Henk van Ooijen
- Philips Research, Royal Philips, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands; (H.v.O.); (W.V.)
| | - Rico Hagelaar
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.C.-B.); (R.H.); (V.C.)
| | - Valentina Cordo’
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.C.-B.); (R.H.); (V.C.)
| | - Wim Verhaegh
- Philips Research, Royal Philips, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands; (H.v.O.); (W.V.)
| | - Anja van de Stolpe
- Philips Molecular Pathway Dx, Royal Philips, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands; (L.H.); (A.v.d.S.)
| | - Jules P. P. Meijerink
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.C.-B.); (R.H.); (V.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-6-15064275
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Canté-Barrett K, Staal FJT. An adequate human T cell repertoire from a single T cell progenitor: Lessons from an experiment of nature. EBioMedicine 2020; 60:103015. [PMID: 32977163 PMCID: PMC7516063 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.103015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
|
12
|
van der Zwet JCG, Cordo' V, Canté-Barrett K, Meijerink JPP. Multi-omic approaches to improve outcome for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. Adv Biol Regul 2019; 74:100647. [PMID: 31523030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2019.100647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the last decade, tremendous progress in curative treatment has been made for T-ALL patients using high-intensive, risk-adapted multi-agent chemotherapy. Further treatment intensification to improve the cure rate is not feasible as it will increase the number of toxic deaths. Hence, about 20% of pediatric patients relapse and often die due to acquired therapy resistance. Personalized medicine is of utmost importance to further increase cure rates and is achieved by targeting specific initiation, maintenance or resistance mechanisms of the disease. Genomic sequencing has revealed mutations that characterize genetic subtypes of many cancers including T-ALL. However, leukemia may have various activated pathways that are not accompanied by the presence of mutations. Therefore, screening for mutations alone is not sufficient to identify all molecular targets and leukemic dependencies for therapeutic inhibition. We review the extent of the driving type A and the secondary type B genomic mutations in pediatric T-ALL that may be targeted by specific inhibitors. Additionally, we review the need for additional screening methods on the transcriptional and protein levels. An integrated 'multi-omic' screening will identify potential targets and biomarkers to establish significant progress in future individualized treatment of T-ALL patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Valentina Cordo'
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Meijerink JP, Canté-Barrett K, Vroegindeweij E, Pieters R. HOXA-activated early T-cell progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia: predictor of poor outcome? Haematologica 2018; 101:654-6. [PMID: 27252509 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2016.145391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jules Pp Meijerink
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eric Vroegindeweij
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rob Pieters
- The Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Mendes RD, Canté-Barrett K, Pieters R, Meijerink JPP. The relevance of PTEN-AKT in relation to NOTCH1-directed treatment strategies in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Haematologica 2017; 101:1010-7. [PMID: 27582570 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2016.146381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) negatively regulates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT signaling and is often inactivated by mutations (including deletions) in a variety of cancer types, including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Here we review mutation-associated mechanisms that inactivate PTEN together with other molecular mechanisms that activate AKT and contribute to T-cell leukemogenesis. In addition, we discuss how Pten mutations in mouse models affect the efficacy of gamma-secretase inhibitors to block NOTCH1 signaling through activation of AKT. Based on these models and on observations in primary diagnostic samples from patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, we speculate that PTEN-deficient cells employ an intrinsic homeostatic mechanism in which PI3K-AKT signaling is dampened over time. As a result of this reduced PI3K-AKT signaling, the level of AKT activation may be insufficient to compensate for NOTCH1 inhibition, resulting in responsiveness to gamma-secretase inhibitors. On the other hand, de novo acquired PTEN-inactivating events in NOTCH1-dependent leukemia could result in temporary, strong activation of PI3K-AKT signaling, increased glycolysis and glutaminolysis, and consequently gamma-secretase inhibitor resistance. Due to the central role of PTEN-AKT signaling and in the resistance to NOTCH1 inhibition, AKT inhibitors may be a promising addition to current treatment protocols for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui D Mendes
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Pieters
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jules P P Meijerink
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Canté-Barrett K, Mendes RD, Li Y, Vroegindeweij E, Pike-Overzet K, Wabeke T, Langerak AW, Pieters R, Staal FJT, Meijerink JPP. Loss of CD44 dim Expression from Early Progenitor Cells Marks T-Cell Lineage Commitment in the Human Thymus. Front Immunol 2017; 8:32. [PMID: 28163708 PMCID: PMC5247458 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human T-cell development is less well studied than its murine counterpart due to the lack of genetic tools and the difficulty of obtaining cells and tissues. Here, we report the transcriptional landscape of 11 immature, consecutive human T-cell developmental stages. The changes in gene expression of cultured stem cells on OP9-DL1 match those of ex vivo isolated murine and human thymocytes. These analyses led us to define evolutionary conserved gene signatures that represent pre- and post-αβ T-cell commitment stages. We found that loss of dim expression of CD44 marks human T-cell commitment in early CD7+CD5+CD45dim cells, before the acquisition of CD1a surface expression. The CD44−CD1a− post-committed thymocytes have initiated in frame T-cell receptor rearrangements that are accompanied by loss of capacity to differentiate toward myeloid, B- and NK-lineages, unlike uncommitted CD44dimCD1a− thymocytes. Therefore, loss of CD44 represents a previously unrecognized human thymocyte stage that defines the earliest committed T-cell population in the thymus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Rui D Mendes
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , Netherlands
| | - Yunlei Li
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Rotterdam , Netherlands
| | - Eric Vroegindeweij
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Karin Pike-Overzet
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , Netherlands
| | - Tamara Wabeke
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus Medical Center , Rotterdam , Netherlands
| | - Anton W Langerak
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus Medical Center , Rotterdam , Netherlands
| | - Rob Pieters
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Frank J T Staal
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , Netherlands
| | - Jules P P Meijerink
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Li Y, Buijs-Gladdines JGCAM, Canté-Barrett K, Stubbs AP, Vroegindeweij EM, Smits WK, van Marion R, Dinjens WNM, Horstmann M, Kuiper RP, Buijsman RC, Zaman GJR, van der Spek PJ, Pieters R, Meijerink JPP. IL-7 Receptor Mutations and Steroid Resistance in Pediatric T cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Genome Sequencing Study. PLoS Med 2016; 13:e1002200. [PMID: 27997540 PMCID: PMC5172551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in children. T cell ALL (T-ALL) represents about 15% of pediatric ALL cases and is considered a high-risk disease. T-ALL is often associated with resistance to treatment, including steroids, which are currently the cornerstone for treating ALL; moreover, initial steroid response strongly predicts survival and cure. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying steroid resistance in T-ALL patients are poorly understood. In this study, we combined various genomic datasets in order to identify candidate genetic mechanisms underlying steroid resistance in children undergoing T-ALL treatment. METHODS AND FINDINGS We performed whole genome sequencing on paired pre-treatment (diagnostic) and post-treatment (remission) samples from 13 patients, and targeted exome sequencing of pre-treatment samples from 69 additional T-ALL patients. We then integrated mutation data with copy number data for 151 mutated genes, and this integrated dataset was tested for associations of mutations with clinical outcomes and in vitro drug response. Our analysis revealed that mutations in JAK1 and KRAS, two genes encoding components of the interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R) signaling pathway, were associated with steroid resistance and poor outcome. We then sequenced JAK1, KRAS, and other genes in this pathway, including IL7R, JAK3, NF1, NRAS, and AKT, in these 69 T-ALL patients and a further 77 T-ALL patients. We identified mutations in 32% (47/146) of patients, the majority of whom had a specific T-ALL subtype (early thymic progenitor ALL or TLX). Based on the outcomes of these patients and their prednisolone responsiveness measured in vitro, we then confirmed that these mutations were associated with both steroid resistance and poor outcome. To explore how these mutations in IL7R signaling pathway genes cause steroid resistance and subsequent poor outcome, we expressed wild-type and mutant IL7R signaling molecules in two steroid-sensitive T-ALL cell lines (SUPT1 and P12 Ichikawa cells) using inducible lentiviral expression constructs. We found that expressing mutant IL7R, JAK1, or NRAS, or wild-type NRAS or AKT, specifically induced steroid resistance without affecting sensitivity to vincristine or L-asparaginase. In contrast, wild-type IL7R, JAK1, and JAK3, as well as mutant JAK3 and mutant AKT, had no effect. We then performed a functional study to examine the mechanisms underlying steroid resistance and found that, rather than changing the steroid receptor's ability to activate downstream targets, steroid resistance was associated with strong activation of MEK-ERK and AKT, downstream components of the IL7R signaling pathway, thereby inducing a robust antiapoptotic response by upregulating MCL1 and BCLXL expression. Both the MEK-ERK and AKT pathways also inactivate BIM, an essential molecule for steroid-induced cell death, and inhibit GSK3B, an important regulator of proapoptotic BIM. Importantly, treating our cell lines with IL7R signaling inhibitors restored steroid sensitivity. To address clinical relevance, we treated primary T-ALL cells obtained from 11 patients with steroids either alone or in combination with IL7R signaling inhibitors; we found that including a MEK, AKT, mTOR, or dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor strongly increased steroid-induced cell death. Therefore, combining these inhibitors with steroid treatment may enhance steroid sensitivity in patients with ALL. The main limitation of our study was the modest cohort size, owing to the very low incidence of T-ALL. CONCLUSIONS Using an unbiased sequencing approach, we found that specific mutations in IL7R signaling molecules underlie steroid resistance in T-ALL. Future prospective clinical studies should test the ability of inhibitors of MEK, AKT, mTOR, or PI3K/mTOR to restore or enhance steroid sensitivity and improve clinical outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunlei Li
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center/Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica G. C. A. M. Buijs-Gladdines
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center/Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center/Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew P. Stubbs
- Department of Bioinformatics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eric M. Vroegindeweij
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center/Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Willem K. Smits
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center/Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald van Marion
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Martin Horstmann
- Research Institute Children’s Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Clinic of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Co-operative Study Group for Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Roland P. Kuiper
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Rob Pieters
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center/Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jules P. P. Meijerink
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center/Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Canté-Barrett K, Mendes RD, Smits WK, van Helsdingen-van Wijk YM, Pieters R, Meijerink JPP. Lentiviral gene transfer into human and murine hematopoietic stem cells: size matters. BMC Res Notes 2016; 9:312. [PMID: 27306375 PMCID: PMC4910193 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-016-2118-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemporary biomedical research increasingly depends on techniques to induce or to inhibit expression of genes in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) or other primary cells to assess their roles on cellular processes including differentiation, apoptosis and migration. Surprisingly little information is available to optimize lentiviral transduction of HSCs. We have therefore carefully optimized transduction of murine and human HSCs by optimizing vector design, serum-free virus production and virus quantitation. We conclude that the viral RNA length, even in relatively small vectors, is an important factor affecting the lentiviral gene transfer on the level of both the virus production and the cellular transduction efficiency. Efficient transfer of large gene sequences into difficult-to-transduce primary cells will benefit from reducing the lentiviral construct size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rui D Mendes
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willem K Smits
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yvette M van Helsdingen-van Wijk
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Pieters
- Princess Máxima Center of Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jules P P Meijerink
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Canté-Barrett K, Uitdehaag JCM, Meijerink JPP. Structural modeling of JAK1 mutations in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia reveals a second contact site between pseudokinase and kinase domains. Haematologica 2016; 101:e189-91. [PMID: 26819051 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2015.138248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jules P P Meijerink
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zuurbier L, Gutierrez A, Mullighan CG, Canté-Barrett K, Gevaert AO, de Rooi J, Li Y, Smits WK, Buijs-Gladdines JGCAM, Sonneveld E, Look AT, Horstmann M, Pieters R, Meijerink JPP. Immature MEF2C-dysregulated T-cell leukemia patients have an early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia gene signature and typically have non-rearranged T-cell receptors. Haematologica 2013; 99:94-102. [PMID: 23975177 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2013.090233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Three distinct immature T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia entities have been described including cases that express an early T-cell precursor immunophenotype or expression profile, immature MEF2C-dysregulated T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cluster cases based on gene expression analysis (immature cluster) and cases that retain non-rearranged TRG@ loci. Early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases exclusively overlap with immature cluster samples based on the expression of early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia signature genes, indicating that both are featuring a single disease entity. Patients lacking TRG@ rearrangements represent only 40% of immature cluster cases, but no further evidence was found to suggest that cases with absence of bi-allelic TRG@ deletions reflect a distinct and even more immature disease entity. Immature cluster/early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases are strongly enriched for genes expressed in hematopoietic stem cells as well as genes expressed in normal early thymocyte progenitor or double negative-2A T-cell subsets. Identification of early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases solely by defined immunophenotypic criteria strongly underestimates the number of cases that have a corresponding gene signature. However, early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia samples correlate best with a CD1 negative, CD4 and CD8 double negative immunophenotype with expression of CD34 and/or myeloid markers CD13 or CD33. Unlike various other studies, immature cluster/early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients treated on the COALL-97 protocol did not have an overall inferior outcome, and demonstrated equal sensitivity levels to most conventional therapeutic drugs compared to other pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.
Collapse
|
20
|
Gallo EM, Winslow MM, Canté-Barrett K, Radermacher AN, Ho L, McGinnis L, Iritani B, Neilson JR, Crabtree GR. Calcineurin sets the bandwidth for discrimination of signals during thymocyte development. Nature 2008; 450:731-5. [PMID: 18046413 DOI: 10.1038/nature06305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2007] [Accepted: 09/26/2007] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
At critical times in development, cells are able to convert graded signals into discrete developmental outcomes; however, the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. During thymocyte development, cell fate is determined by signals originating from the alphabeta T-cell receptor. Low-affinity/avidity interactions between the T-cell receptor and peptide-MHC complexes direct differentiation to the single-positive stage (positive selection), whereas high-affinity/avidity interactions induce death by apoptosis (negative selection). Here we show that mice deficient in both calcineurin and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)c2/c3 lack a population of preselection thymocytes with enhanced ability to activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (Raf-MEK-ERK) pathway, and fail to undergo positive selection. This defect can be partially rescued with constitutively active Raf, indicating that calcineurin controls MAPK signalling. Analysis of mice deficient in both Bim (which is required for negative selection) and calcineurin revealed that calcineurin-induced ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) sensitization is required for differentiation in response to 'weak' positive selecting signals but not in response to 'strong' negative selecting signals (which normally induce apoptosis). These results indicate that early calcineurin/NFAT signalling produces a developmental period of ERK hypersensitivity, allowing very weak signals to induce positive selection. This mechanism might be generally useful in the discrimination of graded signals that induce different cell fates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena M Gallo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Abstract
The four Ca(2+)-dependent NFATc proteins are both signal transducers and transcription factors that reside in the cytoplasm until dephosphorylation by calcineurin. Dephosphorylation exposes nuclear import sequences and sends NFATc proteins into the nucleus where they assemble with nuclear partners into NFAT transcription complexes. Recent genetic studies have indicated that calcineurin-NFAT signaling is a major determinant of vertebrate morphogenesis and development. Mice lacking calcineurin activity show a complete block in positive selection of CD4 and CD8 double-positive thymocytes, yet the role of the NFATc proteins in T cell development has been controversial. In this study, we address the requirement for NFATc3 in T cell development by generating NFATc3 conditional knockout mice. We show that specific deletion of NFATc3 in thymocytes causes a partial block at the double-negative stage 3 and also a partial block in positive selection. Furthermore, the defect does not become more pronounced when NFATc2 is also absent, consistent with the fact that NFATc2-null mice do not have a T cell developmental defect. Expression of a nuclear (and constitutively active) NFATc1 even at subphysiological levels can rescue the transition of double-negative to double-positive thymocytes in RAG-null mice, but is unable to rescue development of CD4 and CD8 single-positive cells. In addition to NFATc3, this suggests a role for NFATc1 in T cell development. Our studies indicate that the signals that direct positive selection likely use both NFATc1 and NFATc3 downstream of calcineurin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Pathology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Canté-Barrett K, Gallo EM, Winslow MM, Crabtree GR. Thymocyte Negative Selection Is Mediated by Protein Kinase C- and Ca2+-Dependent Transcriptional Induction of Bim. J Immunol 2006; 176:2299-306. [PMID: 16455986 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.176.4.2299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The processes of positive and negative selection in the thymus both determine the population of T cells that will enter the peripheral immune system and eliminate self-reactive T cells by apoptosis. Substantial evidence indicates that TCR signal intensity mediates this cell fate choice: low-intensity signals lead to survival and differentiation, whereas high-intensity signals generated by self-Ag lead to cell death. The molecular mechanism by which these graded signals are converted to discrete outcomes is not understood. Positive selection requires the Ca(2+)-dependent phosphatase calcineurin, whereas negative selection requires the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death (Bim). In this study, we investigated the regulation of Bim expression and the role of Ca(2+) in mediating negative selection. Our results show that transcription is necessary for both negative selection and Bim induction. Surprisingly, we also found that Ca(2+) is necessary for Bim induction. Induction of bim transcription appears to involve protein kinase C, but not calcineurin, JNK, p38 MAPK, or MEK. These results localize the decision point in positive vs negative selection to a step downstream of Ca(2+) signaling and suggest that negative selection signals induce Ca(2+)-dependent bim transcription through PKC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Developmental Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Abstract
Ca(2+) signals control a variety of lymphocyte responses, ranging from short-term cytoskeletal modifications to long-term changes in gene expression. The identification of molecules and channels that modulate Ca(2+) entry into T and B lymphocytes has both provided details of the molecular events leading to immune responses and raised controversy. Here we review studies of the pathways that allow Ca(2+) entry, the function of Ca(2+) in the regulation of cell polarity and motility and the principles by which Ca(2+)-dependent transcription regulates lymphocyte function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena M Gallo
- Program in Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Binnerts ME, Wen X, Canté-Barrett K, Bright J, Chen HT, Asundi V, Sattari P, Tang T, Boyle B, Funk W, Rupp F. Human Crossveinless-2 is a novel inhibitor of bone morphogenetic proteins. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2004; 315:272-80. [PMID: 14766204 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2003] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila Crossveinless-2 (dCV-2) is required for local activation of Mad phosphorylation in the fruit fly wing and has been postulated to be a positive regulator of BMP-mediated signaling. In contrast, the presence of 5 Chordin-like cysteine-rich domains in the CV-2 protein suggests that CV-2 belongs to a family of well-established inhibitors of BMP function that includes Chordin and Sog [Development 127 (2000) 3947]. We have identified a human homolog of Drosophila CV-2 (hCV-2). Here we show that purified recombinant hCV-2 protein inhibits BMP-2 and BMP-4 dependent osteogenic differentiation of W-20-17 cells, as well as BMP dependent chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells. Interestingly, hCV-2 messenger RNA is expressed at high levels in human primary chondrocytes, whereas expression in primary human osteoblasts is low. These results suggest that hCV-2 may regulate BMP responsiveness of osteoblasts and chondrocytes in vivo. Taken together we have shown that contrary to the function predicted from the fruit fly, Crossveinless-2 is a novel inhibitor of BMP function.
Collapse
|