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McCutcheon SR, Swartz AM, Brown MC, Barrera A, McRoberts Amador C, Siklenka K, Humayun L, Ter Weele MA, Isaacs JM, Reddy TE, Allen AS, Nair SK, Antonia SJ, Gersbach CA. Transcriptional and epigenetic regulators of human CD8 + T cell function identified through orthogonal CRISPR screens. Nat Genet 2023; 55:2211-2223. [PMID: 37945901 PMCID: PMC10703699 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01554-0] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Clinical response to adoptive T cell therapies is associated with the transcriptional and epigenetic state of the cell product. Thus, discovery of regulators of T cell gene networks and their corresponding phenotypes has potential to improve T cell therapies. Here we developed pooled, epigenetic CRISPR screening approaches to systematically profile the effects of activating or repressing 120 transcriptional and epigenetic regulators on human CD8+ T cell state. We found that BATF3 overexpression promoted specific features of memory T cells and attenuated gene programs associated with cytotoxicity, regulatory T cell function, and exhaustion. Upon chronic antigen stimulation, BATF3 overexpression countered phenotypic and epigenetic signatures of T cell exhaustion. Moreover, BATF3 enhanced the potency of CAR T cells in both in vitro and in vivo tumor models and programmed a transcriptional profile that correlates with positive clinical response to adoptive T cell therapy. Finally, we performed CRISPR knockout screens that defined cofactors and downstream mediators of the BATF3 gene network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R McCutcheon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Adam M Swartz
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael C Brown
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Alejandro Barrera
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christian McRoberts Amador
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Keith Siklenka
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lucas Humayun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Maria A Ter Weele
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - James M Isaacs
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Timothy E Reddy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew S Allen
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Smita K Nair
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Scott J Antonia
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Charles A Gersbach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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McCutcheon SR, Swartz AM, Brown MC, Barrera A, Amador CM, Siklenka K, Humayun L, Isaacs JM, Reddy TE, Nair S, Antonia S, Gersbach CA. Orthogonal CRISPR screens to identify transcriptional and epigenetic regulators of human CD8 T cell function. bioRxiv 2023:2023.05.01.538906. [PMID: 37205457 PMCID: PMC10187198 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.01.538906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The clinical response to adoptive T cell therapies is strongly associated with transcriptional and epigenetic state. Thus, technologies to discover regulators of T cell gene networks and their corresponding phenotypes have great potential to improve the efficacy of T cell therapies. We developed pooled CRISPR screening approaches with compact epigenome editors to systematically profile the effects of activation and repression of 120 transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers on human CD8+ T cell state. These screens nominated known and novel regulators of T cell phenotypes with BATF3 emerging as a high confidence gene in both screens. We found that BATF3 overexpression promoted specific features of memory T cells such as increased IL7R expression and glycolytic capacity, while attenuating gene programs associated with cytotoxicity, regulatory T cell function, and T cell exhaustion. In the context of chronic antigen stimulation, BATF3 overexpression countered phenotypic and epigenetic signatures of T cell exhaustion. CAR T cells overexpressing BATF3 significantly outperformed control CAR T cells in both in vitro and in vivo tumor models. Moreover, we found that BATF3 programmed a transcriptional profile that correlated with positive clinical response to adoptive T cell therapy. Finally, we performed CRISPR knockout screens with and without BATF3 overexpression to define co-factors and downstream factors of BATF3, as well as other therapeutic targets. These screens pointed to a model where BATF3 interacts with JUNB and IRF4 to regulate gene expression and illuminated several other novel targets for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R. McCutcheon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Adam M. Swartz
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Michael C. Brown
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Alejandro Barrera
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Christian McRoberts Amador
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Keith Siklenka
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Lucas Humayun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - James M. Isaacs
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Timothy E. Reddy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Smita Nair
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Scott Antonia
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Charles A. Gersbach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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Li D, Humayun L, Vienneau E, Vu T, Yao J. Seeing through the Skin: Photoacoustic Tomography of Skin Vasculature and Beyond. JID Innov 2021; 1:100039. [PMID: 34909735 PMCID: PMC8659408 DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Skin diseases are the most common human diseases and manifest in distinct structural and functional changes to skin tissue components such as basal cells, vasculature, and pigmentation. Although biopsy is the standard practice for skin disease diagnosis, it is not sufficient to provide in vivo status of the skin and highly depends on the timing of diagnosis. Noninvasive imaging technologies that can provide structural and functional tissue information in real time would be invaluable for skin disease diagnosis and treatment evaluation. Among the modern medical imaging technologies, photoacoustic (PA) tomography (PAT) shows great promise as an emerging optical imaging modality with high spatial resolution, high imaging speed, deep penetration depth, rich contrast, and inherent sensitivity to functional and molecular information. Over the last decade, PAT has undergone an explosion in technical development and biomedical applications. Particularly, PAT has attracted increasing attention in skin disease diagnosis, providing structural, functional, metabolic, molecular, and histological information. In this concise review, we introduce the principles and imaging capability of various PA skin imaging technologies. We highlight the representative applications in the past decade with a focus on imaging skin vasculature and melanoma. We also envision the critical technical developments necessary to further accelerate the translation of PAT technologies to fundamental skin research and clinical impacts.
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Key Words
- ACD, allergy contact dermatitis
- AR-PAM, acoustic-resolution photoacoustic microscopy
- CSC, cryogen spray cooling
- CSVV, cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis
- CTC, circulating tumor cell
- FDA, Food and Drug Administration
- NIR, near-infrared
- OR-PAM, optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy
- PA, photoacoustic
- PACT, photoacoustic computed tomography
- PAM, photoacoustic microscopy
- PAT, photoacoustic tomography
- PWS, port-wine stain
- RSOM, raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy
- THb, total hemoglobin concentration
- sO2, oxygen saturation of hemoglobin
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiwei Li
- Photoacoustic Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lucas Humayun
- Photoacoustic Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Emelina Vienneau
- Photoacoustic Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Tri Vu
- Photoacoustic Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Junjie Yao
- Photoacoustic Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Mac Grory B, Schrag M, Poli S, Boisvert CJ, Spitzer MS, Schultheiss M, Nedelmann M, Yaghi S, Guhwe M, Moore EE, Hewitt HR, Barter KM, Kim T, Chen M, Humayun L, Peng C, Chhatbar PY, Lavin P, Zhang X, Jiang X, Raz E, Saidha S, Yao J, Biousse V, Feng W. Structural and Functional Imaging of the Retina in Central Retinal Artery Occlusion - Current Approaches and Future Directions. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2021; 30:105828. [PMID: 34010777 DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a form of acute ischemic stroke which affects the retina. Intravenous thrombolysis is emerging as a compelling therapeutic approach. However, it is not known which patients may benefit from this therapy because there are no imaging modalities that adequately distinguish viable retina from irreversibly infarcted retina. The inner retina receives arterial supply from the central retinal artery and there is robust collateralization between this circulation and the outer retinal circulation, provided by the posterior ciliary circulation. Fundus photography can show canonical changes associated with CRAO including a cherry-red spot, arteriolar boxcarring and retinal pallor. Fluorescein angiography provides 2-dimensional imaging of the retinal circulation and can distinguish a complete from a partial CRAO as well as central versus peripheral retinal non-perfusion. Transorbital ultrasonography may assay flow through the central retinal artery and is useful in the exclusion of other orbital pathology that can mimic CRAO. Optical coherence tomography provides structural information on the different layers of the retina and exploratory work has described its utility in determining the time since onset of ischemia. Two experimental techniques are discussed. 1) Retinal functional imaging permits generation of capillary perfusion maps and can assay retinal oxygenation and blood flow velocity. 2) Photoacoustic imaging combines the principles of optical excitation and ultrasonic detection and - in animal studies - has been used to determine the retinal oxygen metabolic rate. Future techniques to determine retinal viability in clinical practice will require rapid, easily used, and reproducible methods that can be deployed in the emergency setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Mac Grory
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Matthew Schrag
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
| | - Sven Poli
- Department of Neurology & Stroke, and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Chantal J Boisvert
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Martin S Spitzer
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | | | - Max Nedelmann
- Department of Neurology, Sana Regio Klinikum, Pinneberg, Germany.
| | - Shadi Yaghi
- Department of Neurology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Mary Guhwe
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Elizabeth E Moore
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
| | - Hunter R Hewitt
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
| | - Kelsey M Barter
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
| | - Taewon Kim
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Maomao Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Lucas Humayun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Chang Peng
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Pratik Y Chhatbar
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Patrick Lavin
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
| | - Xuxiang Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoning Jiang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Eytan Raz
- Department of Radiology, NYU Langone Health, New York City, New York. USA.
| | - Shiv Saidha
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
| | - Junjie Yao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Valérie Biousse
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
| | - Wuwei Feng
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Humayun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Colin Smith
- College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Wanlu Li
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christine Park
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Wuwei Feng
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Junjie Yao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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