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Papadopoulou D, Mavrikaki V, Charalampous F, Tzaferis C, Samiotaki M, Papavasileiou KD, Afantitis A, Karagianni N, Denis MC, Sanchez J, Lane JR, Faidon Brotzakis Z, Skretas G, Georgiadis D, Matralis AN, Kollias G. Discovery of the First-in-Class Inhibitors of Hypoxia Up-Regulated Protein 1 (HYOU1) Suppressing Pathogenic Fibroblast Activation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202319157. [PMID: 38339863 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202319157] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Fibroblasts are key regulators of inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer. Targeting their activation in these complex diseases has emerged as a novel strategy to restore tissue homeostasis. Here, we present a multidisciplinary lead discovery approach to identify and optimize small molecule inhibitors of pathogenic fibroblast activation. The study encompasses medicinal chemistry, molecular phenotyping assays, chemoproteomics, bulk RNA-sequencing analysis, target validation experiments, and chemical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET)/pharmacokinetic (PK)/in vivo evaluation. The parallel synthesis employed for the production of the new benzamide derivatives enabled us to a) pinpoint key structural elements of the scaffold that provide potent fibroblast-deactivating effects in cells, b) discriminate atoms or groups that favor or disfavor a desirable ADMET profile, and c) identify metabolic "hot spots". Furthermore, we report the discovery of the first-in-class inhibitor leads for hypoxia up-regulated protein 1 (HYOU1), a member of the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) family often associated with cellular stress responses, particularly under hypoxic conditions. Targeting HYOU1 may therefore represent a potentially novel strategy to modulate fibroblast activation and treat chronic inflammatory and fibrotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Papadopoulou
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 16672, Vari, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Mavrikaki
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", Vari, 16672, Athens, Greece
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784, Athens, Greece
| | - Filippos Charalampous
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 16672, Vari, Greece
| | - Christos Tzaferis
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 16672, Vari, Greece
| | - Martina Samiotaki
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 16672, Vari, Greece
| | - Konstantinos D Papavasileiou
- Department of ChemoInformatics, Novamechanics Ltd., 1070, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Chemoinformatics, Novamechanics MIKE, 18545, Piraeus, Greece
- Division of Data Driven Innovation, Entelos Institute, 6059, Larnaca, Cyprus
| | - Antreas Afantitis
- Department of ChemoInformatics, Novamechanics Ltd., 1070, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Chemoinformatics, Novamechanics MIKE, 18545, Piraeus, Greece
- Division of Data Driven Innovation, Entelos Institute, 6059, Larnaca, Cyprus
| | | | | | - Julie Sanchez
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, NG7 2UH, Nottingham, U.K
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, NG2 7AG, Midlands, U.K
| | - J Robert Lane
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, NG7 2UH, Nottingham, U.K
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, NG2 7AG, Midlands, U.K
| | - Zacharias Faidon Brotzakis
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, U.K
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 16672, Vari, Greece
| | - Georgios Skretas
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 16672, Vari, Greece
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Georgiadis
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784, Athens, Greece
| | - Alexios N Matralis
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 16672, Vari, Greece
| | - George Kollias
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 16672, Vari, Greece
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece
- Research Institute of New Biotechnologies and Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece
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Christodoulou-Vafeiadou E, Geka C, Iliopoulou L, Ntari L, Denis MC, Karagianni N, Kollias G. A Novel Human Interleukin-23A Overexpressing Mouse Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Arthritis Rheumatol 2024. [PMID: 38361183 DOI: 10.1002/art.42830] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Interleukin-23 (IL-23) is a crucial cytokine implicated in chronic inflammation and autoimmunity, associated with various diseases such as psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study aimed to create and characterize a transgenic mouse model overexpressing human IL-23A (TghIL-23A), providing a valuable tool for investigating the pathogenic role of human IL-23A and evaluating the efficacy of anti-human IL-23A therapeutics. METHODS TghIL-23A mice were generated via microinjection of CBA × C57BL/6 zygotes with a fragment of the human IL23A gene, flanked by its 5'-regulatory sequences and the 3' untranslated region of human β-globin. The TghIL-23A pathology was assessed through hematologic and biochemic analyses, cytokine and antinuclear antibody detection, and histopathologic examination of skin and renal tissues. The response to the anti-human IL-23A therapeutic agent guselkumab was evaluated in groups of eight mixed-sex mice receiving subcutaneous treatment twice weekly for 10 weeks using clinical, biomarker, and histopathologic readouts. RESULTS TghIL-23A mice exhibited interactions between human IL-23A and mouse IL-23/IL-12p40 and developed a chronic multiorgan autoimmune disease marked by proteinuria, anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies, severe inflammatory lesions in the skin, and milder phenotypes in the kidneys and lungs. The TghIL-23A pathologic features exhibited significant similarities to those observed in human patients with SLE, and they were reversed following guselkumab treatment. CONCLUSION We have generated and characterized a novel genetic mouse model of SLE, providing proof-of-concept for the etiopathogenic role of human IL-23A. This new model has a normal life span and integrates several characteristics of the human disease's complexity and chronicity, making it an attractive preclinical tool for studying IL-23-dependent pathogenic mechanisms and assessing the efficacy of anti-human IL-23A or modeled disease-related therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lida Iliopoulou
- Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC) Alexander Fleming, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | | | - George Kollias
- BSRC Alexander Fleming, Athens, Greece, and School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Vlachogiannis NI, Evangelou K, Ntari L, Nikolaou C, Denis MC, Karagianni N, Veroutis D, Gorgoulis V, Kollias G, Sfikakis PP. Targeting senescence and inflammation in chronic destructive TNF-driven joint pathology. Mech Ageing Dev 2023; 214:111856. [PMID: 37558168 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111856] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
We had shown that administration of the senolytic Dasatinib abolishes arthritis in the human TNF transgenic mouse model of chronic destructive arthritis when given in combination with a sub-therapeutic dose of the anti-TNF mAb Infliximab (1 mg/kg). Herein, we found that while the number of senescent chondrocytes (GL13+/Ki67-), assessed according to guideline algorithmic approaches, was not affected by either Dasatinib or sub-therapeutic Infliximab monotherapies, their combination reduced senescent chondrocytes by 50 %, which was comparable to levels observed with therapeutic Infliximab monotherapy (10 mg/kg). This combination therapy also reduced the expression of multiple factors of senescence-associated secretory phenotype in arthritic joints. Studies to elucidate the interplay of inflammation and senescence may help in optimizing treatment strategies also for age-related pathologies characterized by chronic low-grade joint inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos I Vlachogiannis
- First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine and Joint Academic Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece; Department of Physiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece.
| | - Konstantinos Evangelou
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Christoforos Nikolaou
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (B.S.R.C.) "Alexander Fleming", 16672 Vari, Greece
| | | | | | - Dimitris Veroutis
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Vassilis Gorgoulis
- Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece; Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece; Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK; Faculty Institute for Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Center for New Biotechnologies and Precision Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, UK
| | - George Kollias
- Department of Physiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece; Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (B.S.R.C.) "Alexander Fleming", 16672 Vari, Greece; Center for New Biotechnologies and Precision Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Petros P Sfikakis
- First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine and Joint Academic Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece; Center for New Biotechnologies and Precision Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Postgraduate Medical Studies in Geriatric Syndromes and Physiology of Aging, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Kolokotroni A, Gkikopoulou E, Rinotas V, Ntari L, Zareifi D, Rouchota M, Sarpaki S, Lymperopoulos I, Alexopoulos LG, Loudos G, Denis MC, Karagianni N, Douni E. Α Humanized RANKL Transgenic Mouse Model of Progestin-Induced Mammary Carcinogenesis for Evaluation of Novel Therapeutics. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4006. [PMID: 37568820 PMCID: PMC10417415 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15154006] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) is critically involved in mammary gland pathophysiology, while its pharmaceutical inhibition is being currently investigated in breast cancer. Herein, we investigated whether the overexpression of human RANKL in transgenic mice affects hormone-induced mammary carcinogenesis, and evaluated the efficacy of anti-RANKL treatments, such as OPG-Fc targeting both human and mouse RANKL or Denosumab against human RANKL. We established novel MPA/DMBA-driven mammary carcinogenesis models in TgRANKL mice that express both human and mouse RANKL, as well as in humanized humTgRANKL mice expressing only human RANKL, and compared them to MPA/DMBA-treated wild-type (WT) mice. Our results show that TgRANKL and WT mice have similar levels of susceptibility to mammary carcinogenesis, while OPG-Fc treatment restored mammary ductal density, and prevented ductal branching and the formation of neoplastic foci in both genotypes. humTgRANKL mice also developed MPA/DMBA-induced tumors with similar incidence and burden to those of WT and TgRANKL mice. The prophylactic treatment of humTgRANKL mice with Denosumab significantly prevented the rate of appearance of mammary tumors from 86.7% to 15.4% and the early stages of carcinogenesis, whereas therapeutic treatment did not lead to any significant attenuation of tumor incidence or tumor burden compared to control mice, suggesting the importance of RANKL primarily in the initial stages of tumorigenesis. Overall, we provide unique genetic tools for investigating the involvement of RANKL in breast carcinogenesis, and allow the preclinical evaluation of novel therapeutics that target hormone-related breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthi Kolokotroni
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Fleming 34, 16672 Vari, Greece
| | - Evi Gkikopoulou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Fleming 34, 16672 Vari, Greece
| | - Vagelis Rinotas
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Fleming 34, 16672 Vari, Greece
| | - Lydia Ntari
- Biomedcode Hellas SA, Fleming 34, 16672 Vari, Greece (M.C.D.)
| | - Danae Zareifi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 10682 Athens, Greece
| | - Maritina Rouchota
- BIOEMTECH, Lefkippos Attica Technology Park, NCSR “Demokritos”, Ag. Paraskevi, 15343 Athens, Greece (G.L.)
| | - Sophia Sarpaki
- BIOEMTECH, Lefkippos Attica Technology Park, NCSR “Demokritos”, Ag. Paraskevi, 15343 Athens, Greece (G.L.)
| | | | - Leonidas G. Alexopoulos
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 10682 Athens, Greece
| | - George Loudos
- BIOEMTECH, Lefkippos Attica Technology Park, NCSR “Demokritos”, Ag. Paraskevi, 15343 Athens, Greece (G.L.)
| | - Maria C. Denis
- Biomedcode Hellas SA, Fleming 34, 16672 Vari, Greece (M.C.D.)
| | - Niki Karagianni
- Biomedcode Hellas SA, Fleming 34, 16672 Vari, Greece (M.C.D.)
| | - Eleni Douni
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Fleming 34, 16672 Vari, Greece
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Papadopoulou D, Roumelioti F, Tzaferis C, Chouvardas P, Pedersen AK, Charalampous F, Christodoulou-Vafeiadou E, Ntari L, Karagianni N, Denis MC, Olsen JV, Matralis AΝ, Kollias G. Repurposing antipsychotic drug Amisulpride for targeting synovial fibroblast activation in arthritis. JCI Insight 2023; 8:165024. [PMID: 37014697 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.165024] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Synovial Fibroblasts (SFs) are key pathogenic drivers in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Their in vivo activation by TNF is sufficient to orchestrate full arthritic pathogenesis in animal models and TNF blockade proved efficacious for a high percentage of RA patients albeit co-inducing rare but serious side effects. Aiming to find new potent therapeutics, we applied the L1000CDS2 search engine, in order to repurpose drugs that could reverse the pathogenic expression signature of arthritogenic human TNF transgenic (hTNFtg) SFs. We identified a neuroleptic drug, namely Amisulpride, which reduced SFs' inflammatory potential while decreasing the clinical score of hTNFtg polyarthritis. Notably, we found that Amisulpride function is neither through its known targets Dopamine receptors 2 and 3 and Serotonin Receptor 7, nor through TNF-TNFRI binding inhibition. Through a click chemistry approach, novel potential targets of Amisulpride were identified, which were further validated to repress hTNFtg SFs' inflammatory potential ex vivo (Ascc3 and Sec62), while phosphoproteomics analysis revealed that treatment altered important fibroblast activation pathways, such as adhesion. Thus, Amisulpride could prove beneficial to patients suffering from RA and the often-accompanying comorbid dysthymia, reducing SF pathogenicity along with its anti-depressive activity, serving further as a "lead" compound for the development of novel therapeutics against fibroblast activation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fani Roumelioti
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, Vari, Greece
| | - Christos Tzaferis
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, Vari, Greece
| | | | - Anna-Kathrine Pedersen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jesper V Olsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexis Ν Matralis
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, Vari, Greece
| | - George Kollias
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, Vari, Greece
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Kolokotroni A, Gkikopoulou E, Geronta V, Rinotas V, Zareifi D, Rouchota M, Lymperopoulos I, Alexopoulos L, Loudos G, Denis M, Karagianni N, Douni E. Inhibition of RANKL decreases mammary density and attenuates progestin-driven carcinogenesis in osteoporotic TgRANKL mice. Bone Rep 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bonr.2022.101210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Akhmedov A, Crucet M, Simic B, Kraler S, Bonetti NR, Ospelt C, Distler O, Ciurea A, Liberale L, Jauhiainen M, Metso J, Miranda M, Cydecian R, Schwarz L, Fehr V, Zilinyi R, Amrollahi-Sharifabadi M, Ntari L, Karagianni N, Ruschitzka F, Laaksonen R, Vanhoutte PM, Kollias G, Camici GG, Lüscher TF. TNFα induces endothelial dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis via LOX-1 and arginase 2: reversal by monoclonal TNFα antibodies. Cardiovasc Res 2022; 118:254-266. [PMID: 33483748 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting joints and blood vessels. Despite low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), RA patients exhibit endothelial dysfunction and are at increased risk of death from cardiovascular complications, but the molecular mechanism of action is unknown. We aimed in the present study to identify the molecular mechanism of endothelial dysfunction in a mouse model of RA and in patients with RA. METHODS AND RESULTS Endothelium-dependent relaxations to acetylcholine were reduced in aortae of two tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) transgenic mouse lines with either mild (Tg3647) or severe (Tg197) forms of RA in a time- and severity-dependent fashion as assessed by organ chamber myograph. In Tg197, TNFα plasma levels were associated with severe endothelial dysfunction. LOX-1 receptor was markedly up-regulated leading to increased vascular oxLDL uptake and NFκB-mediated enhanced Arg2 expression via direct binding to its promoter resulting in reduced NO bioavailability and vascular cGMP levels as shown by ELISA and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Anti-TNFα treatment with infliximab normalized endothelial function together with LOX-1 and Arg2 serum levels in mice. In RA patients, soluble LOX-1 serum levels were also markedly increased and closely related to serum levels of C-reactive protein. Similarly, ARG2 serum levels were increased. Similarly, anti-TNFα treatment restored LOX-1 and ARG2 serum levels in RA patients. CONCLUSIONS Increased TNFα levels not only contribute to RA, but also to endothelial dysfunction by increasing vascular oxLDL content and activation of the LOX-1/NFκB/Arg2 pathway leading to reduced NO bioavailability and decreased cGMP levels. Anti-TNFα treatment improved both articular symptoms and endothelial function by reducing LOX-1, vascular oxLDL, and Arg2 levels.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Animals
- Animals, Genetically Modified
- Aorta, Thoracic/drug effects
- Aorta, Thoracic/enzymology
- Aorta, Thoracic/immunology
- Aorta, Thoracic/physiopathology
- Arginase/genetics
- Arginase/metabolism
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid/enzymology
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid/immunology
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid/physiopathology
- Case-Control Studies
- Disease Models, Animal
- Endothelial Cells/drug effects
- Endothelial Cells/enzymology
- Endothelial Cells/immunology
- Endothelium, Vascular/drug effects
- Endothelium, Vascular/enzymology
- Endothelium, Vascular/immunology
- Endothelium, Vascular/physiopathology
- Female
- Humans
- Lipoproteins, LDL/metabolism
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred CBA
- Middle Aged
- NF-kappa B/metabolism
- Scavenger Receptors, Class E/genetics
- Scavenger Receptors, Class E/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism
- Vasodilation/drug effects
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Akhmedov
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Margot Crucet
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Branko Simic
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Kraler
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicole R Bonetti
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Ospelt
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Distler
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adrian Ciurea
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luca Liberale
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Matti Jauhiainen
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Biomedicum 2U, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jari Metso
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Biomedicum 2U, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Melroy Miranda
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rose Cydecian
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lena Schwarz
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vera Fehr
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rita Zilinyi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Lydia Ntari
- Institute for Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center Alexander Fleming, Vari, Greece
| | - Niki Karagianni
- Institute for Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center Alexander Fleming, Vari, Greece
| | - Frank Ruschitzka
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart Center, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Reijo Laaksonen
- Zora Biosciences Oy, Espoo, Finland
- Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Tampere and Finnish Clinical Biobank Tampere, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Paul M Vanhoutte
- Department of Pharmacology, Hong Kong University, Hong Kong, Peoples Republic of China
| | - George Kollias
- Institute for Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center Alexander Fleming, Vari, Greece
| | - Giovanni G Camici
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Research and Education, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas F Lüscher
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, Schlieren Campus, University of Zurich, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
- Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals and Imperial College, London, UK
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8
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Ntari L, Nikolaou C, Kranidioti K, Papadopoulou D, Christodoulou-Vafeiadou E, Chouvardas P, Meier F, Geka C, Denis MC, Karagianni N, Kollias G. Combination of subtherapeutic anti-TNF dose with dasatinib restores clinical and molecular arthritogenic profiles better than standard anti-TNF treatment. J Transl Med 2021; 19:165. [PMID: 33892739 PMCID: PMC8063445 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-021-02764-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND New medications for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) have emerged in the last decades, including Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) and biologics. However, there is no known cure, since a significant proportion of patients remain or become non-responders to current therapies. The development of new mode-of-action treatment schemes involving combination therapies could prove successful for the treatment of a greater number of RA patients. METHODS We investigated the effect of the Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors (TKIs) dasatinib and bosutinib, on the human TNF-dependent Tg197 arthritis mouse model. The inhibitors were administered either as a monotherapy or in combination with a subtherapeutic dose of anti-hTNF biologics and their therapeutic effect was assessed clinically, histopathologically as well as via gene expression analysis and was compared to that of an efficient TNF monotherapy. RESULTS Dasatinib and, to a lesser extent, bosutinib inhibited the production of TNF and proinflammatory chemokines from arthritogenic synovial fibroblasts. Dasatinib, but not bosutinib, also ameliorated significantly and in a dose-dependent manner both the clinical and histopathological signs of Tg197 arthritis. Combination of dasatinib with a subtherapeutic dose of anti-hTNF biologic agents, resulted in a synergistic inhibitory effect abolishing all arthritis symptoms. Gene expression analysis of whole joint tissue of Tg197 mice revealed that the combination of dasatinib with a low subtherapeutic dose of Infliximab most efficiently restores the pathogenic gene expression profile to that of the healthy state compared to either treatment administered as a monotherapy. CONCLUSION Our findings show that dasatinib exhibits a therapeutic effect in TNF-driven arthritis and can act in synergy with a subtherapeutic anti-hTNF dose to effectively treat the clinical and histopathological signs of the pathology. The combination of dasatinib and anti-hTNF exhibits a distinct mode of action in restoring the arthritogenic gene signature to that of a healthy profile. Potential clinical applications of combination therapies with kinase inhibitors and anti-TNF agents may provide an interesting alternative to high-dose anti-hTNF monotherapy and increase the number of patients responding to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christoforos Nikolaou
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), Alexander Fleming, 34 Alexander Fleming Street, 16672, Vari, Greece
| | | | - Dimitra Papadopoulou
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), Alexander Fleming, 34 Alexander Fleming Street, 16672, Vari, Greece
| | | | - Panagiotis Chouvardas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Florian Meier
- Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Project Group Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | | | | | - George Kollias
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), Alexander Fleming, 34 Alexander Fleming Street, 16672, Vari, Greece.
- Department of Physiology and Joint Rheumatology Program, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
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9
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Kolokotroni A, Gkikopoulou E, Rinotas V, Ntari L, Zareifi D, Rouchota M, Fragogeorgi E, Lymperopoulos I, Alexopoulos L, Loudos G, Denis M, Karagianni N, Douni E. Investigating the pathophysiological role of RANKL in mammary gland density and oncogenesis in osteoporotic TgRANKL mice. Bone Rep 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bonr.2021.100838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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10
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Christodoulou-Vafeiadou E, Geka C, Ntari L, Kranidioti K, Argyropoulou E, Meier F, Armaka M, Mourouzis I, Pantos C, Rouchota M, Loudos G, Denis MC, Karagianni N, Kollias G. Ectopic bone formation and systemic bone loss in a transmembrane TNF-driven model of human spondyloarthritis. Arthritis Res Ther 2020; 22:232. [PMID: 33023659 PMCID: PMC7542121 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-020-02327-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The transmembrane-TNF transgenic mouse, TgA86, has been shown to develop spontaneously peripheral arthritis with signs of axial involvement. To assess similarity to human spondyloarthritis, we performed detailed characterization of the axial, peripheral, and comorbid pathologies of this model. METHODS TgA86 bone pathologies were assessed at different ages using CT imaging of the spine, tail vertebrae, and hind limbs and characterized in detail by histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis. Cardiac function was examined by echocardiography and electrocardiography and bone structural parameters by μCT analysis. The response of TgA86 mice to either early or late anti-TNF treatment was evaluated clinically, histopathologically, and by μCT analysis. RESULTS TgA86 mice developed with 100% penetrance spontaneous axial and peripheral pathology which progressed with time and manifested as reduced body weight and body length, kyphosis, tail bendings, as well as swollen and distorted hind joints. Whole-body CT analysis at advanced ages revealed bone erosions of sacral and caudal vertebrae as well as of sacroiliac joints and hind limbs and, also, new ectopic bone formation and eventually vertebral fusion. The pathology of these mice highly resembled that of SpA patients, as it evolved through an early inflammatory phase, evident as enthesitis and synovitis in the affected joints, characterized by mesenchymal cell accumulation, and neutrophilic infiltration. Subsequently, regression of inflammation was accompanied by ectopic bone formation, leading to ankylosis. In addition, both systemic bone loss and comorbid heart valve pathology were evident. Importantly, early anti-TNF treatment, similar to clinical treatment protocols, significantly reduced the inflammatory phase of both the axial and peripheral pathology of TgA86 mice. CONCLUSIONS The TgA86 mice develop a spontaneous peripheral and axial biphasic pathology accompanied by comorbid heart valvular dysfunction and osteoporosis, overall reproducing the progression of pathognomonic features of human spondyloarthritis. Therefore, the TgA86 mouse represents a valuable model for deciphering the role of transmembrane TNF in the pathogenic mechanisms of spondyloarthritis and for assessing the efficacy of human therapeutics targeting different phases of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Florian Meier
- Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Project Group Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marietta Armaka
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', 34 Alexander Fleming Street, 16672, Vari, Greece
| | - Iordanis Mourouzis
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Constantinos Pantos
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Maritina Rouchota
- BioEmission Technology Solutions (BIOEMTECH), Attica Technology Park N.C.S.R. "DEMOKRITOS", Athens, Greece
| | - George Loudos
- BioEmission Technology Solutions (BIOEMTECH), Attica Technology Park N.C.S.R. "DEMOKRITOS", Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - George Kollias
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', 34 Alexander Fleming Street, 16672, Vari, Greece. .,Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece.
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11
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Kolokotroni A, Rinotas V, Gkikopoulou E, Ntari L, Rouchota M, Fragogeorgi E, Zareifi D, Fotis C, Lymperopoulos I, Alexopoulos L, Loudos G, Denis M, Karagianni N, Douni E. Establishment of progesterone-induced mammary carcinogenesis in a humanized TgRANKL osteoporotic mouse model. Bone Rep 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bonr.2020.100424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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12
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Karagianni N, Kranidioti K, Fikas N, Tsochatzidou M, Chouvardas P, Denis MC, Kollias G, Nikolaou C. An integrative transcriptome analysis framework for drug efficacy and similarity reveals drug-specific signatures of anti-TNF treatment in a mouse model of inflammatory polyarthritis. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006933. [PMID: 31071076 PMCID: PMC6508611 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-TNF agents have been in the first line of treatment of various inflammatory diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Crohn’s Disease, with a number of different biologics being currently in use. A detailed analysis of their effect at transcriptome level has nevertheless been lacking. We herein present a concise analysis of an extended transcriptomics profiling of four different anti-TNF biologics upon treatment of the established hTNFTg (Tg197) mouse model of spontaneous inflammatory polyarthritis. We implement a series of computational analyses that include clustering of differentially expressed genes, functional analysis and random forest classification. Taking advantage of our detailed sample structure, we devise metrics of treatment efficiency that take into account changes in gene expression compared to both the healthy and the diseased state. Our results suggest considerable variability in the capacity of different biologics to modulate gene expression that can be attributed to treatment-specific functional pathways and differential preferences to restore over- or under-expressed genes. Early intervention appears to manage inflammation in a more efficient way but is accompanied by increased effects on a number of genes that are seemingly unrelated to the disease. Administration at an early stage is also lacking in capacity to restore healthy expression levels of under-expressed genes. We record quantifiable differences among anti-TNF biologics in their efficiency to modulate over-expressed genes related to immune and inflammatory pathways. More importantly, we find a subset of the tested substances to have quantitative advantages in addressing deregulation of under-expressed genes involved in pathways related to known RA comorbidities. Our study shows the potential of transcriptomic analyses to identify comprehensive and distinct treatment-specific gene signatures combining disease-related and unrelated genes and proposes a generalized framework for the assessment of drug efficacy, the search of biosimilars and the evaluation of the efficacy of TNF small molecule inhibitors. A number of anti-TNF drugs are being used in the treatment of inflammatory autoimmune diseases, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Crohn’s Disease. Despite their wide use there has been, to date, no detailed analysis of their effect on the affected tissues at a transcriptome level. In this work we applied four different anti-TNF drugs on an established mouse model of inflammatory polyarthritis and collected a large number of independent biological replicates from the synovial tissue of healthy, diseased and treated animals. We then applied a series of bioinformatics analyses in order to define the sets of genes, biological pathways and functions that are affected in the diseased animals and modulated by each of the different treatments. Our dataset allowed us to focus on previously overlooked aspects of gene regulation. We found that the majority of differentially expressed genes in disease are under-expressed and that they are also associated with functions related to Rheumatoid Arthritis comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease. We were also able to define gene and pathway subsets that are not changed in the disease but are, nonetheless, altered under various treatments and to use these subsets in drug classification and assessment. Through the application of machine learning approaches we created quantitative efficiency profiles for the tested drugs, which showed some to be more efficiently addressing changes in the inflammatory pathways, while others being quantitatively superior in restoring gene expression changes associated to disease comorbidities. We thus, propose a concise computational pipeline that may be used in the assessment of drug efficacy and biosimilarity and which may form the basis of evaluation protocols for small molecule TNF inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nikolaos Fikas
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | | | - Panagiotis Chouvardas
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), ‘Alexander Fleming’, Vari, Greece
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | | | - George Kollias
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), ‘Alexander Fleming’, Vari, Greece
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Christoforos Nikolaou
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Foundation of Research and Technology (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece
- * E-mail: (NK); (CN)
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13
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Sakkou M, Chouvardas P, Ntari L, Prados A, Moreth K, Fuchs H, Gailus-Durner V, Hrabe de Angelis M, Denis MC, Karagianni N, Kollias G. Mesenchymal TNFR2 promotes the development of polyarthritis and comorbid heart valve stenosis. JCI Insight 2018; 3:98864. [PMID: 29618659 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.98864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal TNF signaling is etiopathogenic for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis (SpA). The role of Tnfr1 in arthritis has been documented; however, Tnfr2 functions are unknown. Here, we investigate the mesenchymal-specific role of Tnfr2 in the TnfΔARE mouse model of SpA in arthritis and heart valve stenosis comorbidity by cell-specific, Col6a1-cre-driven gene targeting. We find that TNF/Tnfr2 signaling in resident synovial fibroblasts (SFs) and valvular interstitial cells (VICs) is detrimental for both pathologies, pointing to common cellular mechanisms. In contrast, systemic Tnfr2 provides protective signaling, since its complete deletion leads to severe deterioration of both pathologies. SFs and VICs lacking Tnfr2 fail to acquire pathogenic activated phenotypes and display increased expression of antiinflammatory cytokines associated with decreased Akt signaling. Comparative RNA sequencing experiments showed that the majority of the deregulated pathways in TnfΔARE mesenchymal-origin SFs and VICs, including proliferation, inflammation, migration, and disease-specific genes, are regulated by Tnfr2; thus, in its absence, they are maintained in a quiescent nonpathogenic state. Our data indicate a pleiotropy of Tnfr2 functions, with mesenchymal Tnfr2 driving cell activation and arthritis/valve stenosis pathogenesis only in the presence of systemic Tnfr2, whereas nonmesenchymal Tnfr2 overcomes this function, providing protective signals and, thus, containing both pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Sakkou
- Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Chouvardas
- Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece.,Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Lydia Ntari
- Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece
| | - Alejandro Prados
- Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece
| | - Kristin Moreth
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Helmut Fuchs
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Valerie Gailus-Durner
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Hrabe de Angelis
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Chair of Experimental Genetics, School of Life Science Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Alte Akademie, Freising, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | | | | | - George Kollias
- Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece.,Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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14
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Ntari L, Sakkou M, Chouvardas P, Mourouzis I, Prados A, Denis MC, Karagianni N, Pantos C, Kollias G. Comorbid TNF-mediated heart valve disease and chronic polyarthritis share common mesenchymal cell-mediated aetiopathogenesis. Ann Rheum Dis 2018; 77:926-934. [PMID: 29475857 PMCID: PMC5965351 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-212597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Objectives Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritisshow higher mortality rates, mainly caused by cardiac comorbidities. The TghuTNF (Tg197) arthritis model develops tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-driven and mesenchymalsynovial fibroblast (SF)-dependent polyarthritis. Here, we investigate whether this model develops, similarly to human patients, comorbid heart pathology and explore cellular and molecular mechanisms linking arthritis to cardiac comorbidities. Methods Histopathological analysis and echocardiographic evaluation of cardiac function were performed in the Tg197 model. Valve interstitial cells (VICs) were targeted by mice carrying the ColVI-Cretransgene. Tg197 ColVI-Cre Tnfr1fl/fl and Tg197 ColVI-Cre Tnfr1cneo/cneo mutant mice were used to explore the role of mesenchymal TNF signalling in the development of heart valve disease. Pathogenic VICs and SFs were further analysed by comparative RNA-sequencing analysis. Results Tg197 mice develop left-sided heart valve disease, characterised by valvular fibrosis with minimal signs of inflammation. Thickened valve areas consist almost entirely of hyperproliferative ColVI-expressing mesenchymal VICs. Development of pathology results in valve stenosis and left ventricular dysfunction, accompanied by arrhythmic episodes and, occasionally, valvular regurgitation. TNF dependency of the pathology was indicated by disease modulation following pharmacological inhibition or mesenchymal-specific genetic ablation or activation of TNF/TNFR1 signalling. Tg197-derived VICs exhibited an activated phenotype ex vivo, reminiscent of the activated pathogenic phenotype of Tg197-derived SFs. Significant functional similarities between SFs and VICs were revealed by RNA-seq analysis, demonstrating common cellular mechanisms underlying TNF-mediated arthritides and cardiac comorbidities. Conclusions Comorbidheart valve disease and chronic polyarthritis are efficiently modelled in the Tg197 arthritis model and share common TNF/TNFR1-mediated, mesenchymal cell-specific aetiopathogenic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Ntari
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', Vari, Greece.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Maria Sakkou
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', Vari, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Chouvardas
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', Vari, Greece.,Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Iordanis Mourouzis
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - Alejandro Prados
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', Vari, Greece
| | | | | | - Constantinos Pantos
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
| | - George Kollias
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', Vari, Greece.,Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
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15
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von Zglinicki T, Varela-Nieto I, Brites D, Karagianni N, Ortolano S, Georgopoulos S, Cardoso AL, Novella S, Lepperdinger G, Trendelenburg AU, van Os R. Frailty in mouse ageing: A conceptual approach. Mech Ageing Dev 2016; 160:34-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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16
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Gabriel D, Mugnier T, Courthion H, Kranidioti K, Karagianni N, Denis MC, Lapteva M, Kalia Y, Möller M, Gurny R. Improved topical delivery of tacrolimus: A novel composite hydrogel formulation for the treatment of psoriasis. J Control Release 2016; 242:16-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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17
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Michopoulos F, Karagianni N, Whalley NM, Firth MA, Nikolaou C, Wilson ID, Critchlow SE, Kollias G, Theodoridis GA. Targeted Metabolic Profiling of the Tg197 Mouse Model Reveals Itaconic Acid as a Marker of Rheumatoid Arthritis. J Proteome Res 2016; 15:4579-4590. [PMID: 27704840 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive, highly debilitating disease where early diagnosis, enabling rapid clinical intervention, would provide obvious benefits to patients, healthcare systems, and society. Novel biomarkers that enable noninvasive early diagnosis of the onset and progression of the disease provide one route to achieving this goal. Here a metabolic profiling method has been applied to investigate disease development in the Tg197 arthritis mouse model. Hind limb extract profiling demonstrated clear differences in metabolic phenotypes between control (wild type) and Tg197 transgenic mice and highlighted raised concentrations of itaconic acid as a potential marker of the disease. These changes in itaconic acid concentrations were moderated or indeed reversed when the Tg197 mice were treated with the anti-hTNF biologic infliximab (10 mg/kg twice weekly for 6 weeks). Further in vitro studies on synovial fibroblasts obtained from healthy wild-type, arthritic Tg197, and infliximab-treated Tg197 transgenic mice confirmed the association of itaconic acid with rheumatoid arthritis and disease-moderating drug effects. Preliminary indications of the potential value of itaconic acid as a translational biomarker were obtained when studies on K4IM human fibroblasts treated with hTNF showed an increase in the concentrations of this metabolite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippos Michopoulos
- Bioscience, Oncology iMED, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4TG, United Kingdom.,Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki 541 24, Greece
| | | | - Nichola M Whalley
- Bioscience, Oncology iMED, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4TG, United Kingdom
| | - Mike A Firth
- Discovery Science, iMED, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0FZ, United Kingdom
| | - Christoforos Nikolaou
- Biomedical Siences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 34 Fleming Street, Vari 16672, Greece.,Department of Biology, University of Crete , Heraklion 741 00, Greece
| | - Ian D Wilson
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College , London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Susan E Critchlow
- Bioscience, Oncology iMED, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4TG, United Kingdom
| | - George Kollias
- Biomedical Siences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 34 Fleming Street, Vari 16672, Greece.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Georgios A Theodoridis
- Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki 541 24, Greece
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18
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Bonnet M, Kumari S, Ulvmar M, Wolk K, Karagianni N, Witte E, Uthoff-Hachenberg C, Renauld JC, Kollias G, Toftgard R, Sabat R, Pasparakis M, Haase I. La signalisation par le TNFR1 dans les kératinocytes déficients pour NF-κB induit une inflammation cutanée psoriasiforme dépendante de l’IL-24 chez la souris. Ann Dermatol Venereol 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annder.2013.09.591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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19
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Kumari S, Bonnet MC, Ulvmar MH, Wolk K, Karagianni N, Witte E, Uthoff-Hachenberg C, Renauld JC, Kollias G, Toftgard R, Sabat R, Pasparakis M, Haase I. Tumor necrosis factor receptor signaling in keratinocytes triggers interleukin-24-dependent psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice. Immunity 2013; 39:899-911. [PMID: 24211183 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2013.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2012] [Accepted: 08/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease with a prevalence of about 2% in the Caucasian population. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, but its mechanism of action remains poorly understood. Here we report that the development of psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice with epidermis-specific inhibition of the transcription factor NF-κB was triggered by TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1)-dependent upregulation of interleukin-24 (IL-24) and activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling in keratinocytes. IL-24 was strongly expressed in human psoriatic epidermis, and pharmacological inhibition of NF-κB increased IL-24 expression in TNF-stimulated human primary keratinocytes, suggesting that this mechanism is relevant for human psoriasis. Therefore, our results expand current views on psoriasis pathogenesis by revealing a new keratinocyte-intrinsic mechanism that links TNFR1, NF-κB, ERK, IL-24, IL-22R1, and STAT3 signaling to disease initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snehlata Kumari
- Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 62, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Institute for Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), and Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany
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Van Hauwermeiren F, Armaka M, Karagianni N, Kranidioti K, Vandenbroucke RE, Loges S, Van Roy M, Staelens J, Puimège L, Palagani A, Berghe WV, Victoratos P, Carmeliet P, Libert C, Kollias G. Safe TNF-based antitumor therapy following p55TNFR reduction in intestinal epithelium. J Clin Invest 2013; 123:2590-603. [PMID: 23676465 DOI: 10.1172/jci65624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2012] [Accepted: 03/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
TNF has remarkable antitumor activities; however, therapeutic applications have not been possible because of the systemic and lethal proinflammatory effects induced by TNF. Both the antitumor and inflammatory effects of TNF are mediated by the TNF receptor p55 (p55TNFR) (encoded by the Tnfrsf1a gene). The antitumor effect stems from an induction of cell death in tumor endothelium, but the cell type that initiates the lethal inflammatory cascade has been unclear. Using conditional Tnfrsf1a knockout or reactivation mice, we found that the expression level of p55TNFR in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) is a crucial determinant in TNF-induced lethal inflammation. Remarkably, tumor endothelium and IECs exhibited differential sensitivities to TNF when p55TNFR levels were reduced. Tumor-bearing Tnfrsf1a⁺⁺/⁻ or IEC-specific p55TNFR-deficient mice showed resistance to TNF-induced lethality, while the tumor endothelium remained fully responsive to TNF-induced apoptosis and tumors regressed. We demonstrate proof of principle for clinical application of this approach using neutralizing anti-human p55TNFR antibodies in human TNFRSF1A knockin mice. Our results uncover an important cellular basis of TNF toxicity and reveal that IEC-specific or systemic reduction of p55TNFR mitigates TNF toxicity without loss of antitumor efficacy.
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21
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Pandis I, Ospelt C, Karagianni N, Denis M, Reczko M, Camps C, Hatzigeorgiou A, Ragoussis J, Gay S, Kollias G. Association of microRNA-221/222 and -323-3p with rheumatoid arthritis via predictions using the human TNF transgenic mouse model. Arthritis Res Ther 2012. [PMCID: PMC3332506 DOI: 10.1186/ar3660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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22
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Pandis I, Ospelt C, Karagianni N, Denis MC, Reczko M, Camps C, Hatzigeorgiou AG, Ragoussis J, Gay S, Kollias G. Identification of microRNA-221/222 and microRNA-323-3p association with rheumatoid arthritis via predictions using the human tumour necrosis factor transgenic mouse model. Ann Rheum Dis 2012; 71:1716-23. [PMID: 22562984 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2011-200803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify novel microRNA (miR) associations in synovial fibroblasts (SF), by performing miR expression profiling on cells isolated from the human tumour necrosis factor (TNF) transgenic mouse model (TghuTNF, Tg197) and patients biopsies. METHODS miR expression in SF from TghuTNF and wild-type (WT) control mice were determined by miR deep sequencing (miR-seq) and the arthritic profile was established by pairwise comparisons. Quantitative PCR analysis was utilised for profile validation, miR and gene quantitation in patient SF. Dysregulated miR target genes and pathways were predicted via bioinformatic algorithms and validated using gain-of-function coupled with reporter assay experiments. RESULTS miR-seq demonstrated that TghuTNF-SF exhibit a distinct pathogenic profile with 22 significantly upregulated and 30 significantly downregulated miR. Validation assays confirmed the dysregulation of miR-223, miR-146a and miR-155 previously associated with human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathology, as well as that of miR-221/222 and miR-323-3p. Notably, the latter were also found significantly upregulated in patient RA SF, suggesting for the first time their association with RA pathology. Bioinformatic analysis suggested Wnt/cadherin signalling as a putative pathway target. miR-323-3p overexpression was shown to enhance Wnt pathway activation and decrease the levels of its predicted target β-transducin repeat containing, an inhibitor of β-catenin. CONCLUSIONS Using miR-seq-based profiling in SF from the TghuTNF mouse model and validations in RA patient biopsies, the authors identified miR-221/222 and miR-323-3p as novel dysregulated miR in RA SF. Furthermore, the authors show that miR-323-3p is a positive regulator of WNT/cadherin signalling in RA SF suggesting its potential pathogenic involvement and future use as a therapeutic target in RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Pandis
- Biomedical Sciences Research Centre 'Alexander Fleming', Institute of Immunology, Vari 16672, Greece
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Eftychi C, Karagianni N, Alexiou M, Apostolaki M, Kollias G. Myeloid TAKI [corrected] acts as a negative regulator of the LPS response and mediates resistance to endotoxemia. PLoS One 2012; 7:e31550. [PMID: 22348103 PMCID: PMC3279403 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 10/16/2011] [Accepted: 01/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
TGFβ-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) family, is considered a key intermediate in a multitude of innate immune signaling pathways. Yet, the specific role of TAK1 in the myeloid compartment during inflammatory challenges has not been revealed. To address this question, we generated myeloid-specific kinase-dead TAK1 mutant mice. TAK1 deficiency in macrophages results in impaired NF-κB and JNK activation upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, TAK1-deficient macrophages and neutrophils show an enhanced inflammatory cytokine profile in response to LPS stimulation. Myeloid-specific TAK1 deficiency in mice leads to increased levels of circulating IL-1β, TNF and reduced IL-10 after LPS challenge and sensitizes them to LPS-induced endotoxemia. These results highlight an antiinflammatory role for myeloid TAK1, which is essential for balanced innate immune responses and host survival during endotoxemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Eftychi
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
| | - Niki Karagianni
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
| | - Maria Alexiou
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
| | - Maria Apostolaki
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
| | - George Kollias
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
- * E-mail:
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Sianni A, Kosma K, Liatsos K, Ganotopoulou A, Karagianni N, Kakava E. CORRELATION OF METABOLIC SYNDROME AND MICROALBUMINURIA WITH NON TRADITIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS. ATHEROSCLEROSIS SUPP 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/s1567-5688(08)70512-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Ganotopoulou A, Sianni A, Kosma K, Laskos E, Karagianni N. BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET ON HYPERHOMOCYSTEINEMIA OF OBESE PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. ATHEROSCLEROSIS SUPP 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/s1567-5688(08)70685-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Kosma K, Sianni A, Karagianni N, Ganotopoulou A, Liatsos K. CORRELATION OF OBESITY AND METALOLIC SYNDROME TO PLASMA HOMOCYSTEINE LEVELS. ATHEROSCLEROSIS SUPP 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/s1567-5688(08)70947-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Kosma K, Sianni A, Ganotopoulou A, Karagianni N. P2.103 Differential diagnosis of pseudodementia in primary care settings. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/s1353-8020(08)70334-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Karagianni N, Ly MC, Psarras S, Chlichlia K, Schirrmacher V, Gounari F, Khazaie K. Novel adenomatous polyposis coli gene promoter is located 40 kb upstream of the initiating methionine. Genomics 2005; 85:231-7. [PMID: 15676281 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2004.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [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: 06/27/2004] [Accepted: 09/07/2004] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The product of the oncosuppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene is involved in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and its loss of function is associated with the development of colorectal carcinogenesis. Its transcriptional regulation seems rather complex and has not been completely elucidated up to now. In an attempt to identify the transcription start sites for the mouse Apc gene we have detected a novel transcript in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and colon tissue. This transcript contains an untranslated exon, whose flanking sequences exhibited strong promoter activity in transient transfection experiments. These results suggest that we have identified a novel promoter for the mouse Apc gene, localized about 40 kb upstream of the initiating methionine, which drives expression of the unique Apc transcript type detected in undifferentiated totipotent ES cells. Transcripts bearing the novel exon combined either with exon 1 or with exon 2 were detected in all mouse tissues tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Karagianni
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming," 34 Fleming Street, 166-72 Vari, Greece
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Psarras S, Karagianni N, Kellendonk C, Tronche F, Cosset FL, Stocking C, Schirrmacher V, Boehmer Hv HV, Khazaie K. Gene transfer and genetic modification of embryonic stem cells by Cre- and Cre-PR-expressing MESV-based retroviral vectors. J Gene Med 2004; 6:32-42. [PMID: 14716675 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic modification of embryonic stem (ES) cells represents a powerful tool for transgenic and developmental experiments. We report that retroviral constructs based on murine embryonal stem cell virus (MESV) can efficiently deliver and express Cre recombinase or a post-translationally inducible Cre-Progesterone receptor (Cre.PR) fusion in mouse fibroblasts and ES cells. METHODS To study the vectors a sensitive reporter cell line, 3TZ, was derived from the murine 3T6 fibroblast line that expresses beta-galactosidase only upon Cre-mediated recombination. This was used together with the ROSA26-R ES cell Cre-reporter system or unmodified mouse ES cells as targets of infection. Efficiency of gene transfer was evaluated immunohistochemically by the use of an anti-Cre polyclonal antibody, and by monitoring the expression of beta-galactosidase. RESULTS Infection of the 3TZ cells with high titer 718C or 719CP virus revealed efficient gene transduction of constitutive or hormone-inducible recombinase activity, respectively. The vectors efficiently transduced murine ES cells with Cre, Cre-PR (fusion of Cre and progesterone receptor) or beta-galactosidase. Cre-mediated recombination in more than 60% of ROSA26-R ES cells was achieved when infected by a VSV-G-pseudotyped MESV retrovirus at MOI of 50. CONCLUSIONS The MESV-based retroviral systems, when combined with hormone inducible Cre, represent efficient tools for the transfer of Cre activity in ES cells.
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Gounari F, Karagianni N, Mincheva A, Lichter P, Georgatos SD, Schirrmacher V. The mouse filensin gene: structure and evolutionary relation to other intermediate filament genes. FEBS Lett 1997; 413:371-8. [PMID: 9280315 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(97)00937-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Filensin and phakinin are two lens-specific members of the intermediate filament (IF) superfamily of proteins. They coassemble to form a beaded submembraneous filamentous network, the beaded filaments (BFs). The low sequence homology and differences in assembly compared to other IF proteins do not allow their classification in any of the five IF subgroups. The organization of the phakinin gene exon/intron boundaries provides evidence that this partner may be sharing a common origin with type I cytokeratin genes. Here we report the molecular cloning, sequence and characterization of the mouse filensin gene. The filensin gene consists of 8 exons and 7 introns, with 6 introns interrupting its rod domain in a highly conserved manner characteristic of type III IF genes, like vimentin, desmin, or peripherin. Of the two tail domain exons the one adjacent to the rod domain, compares to exon 7 of the non-neuronal cytoplasmic IF gene of helix aspersa and to the lamin region bridging the end of the rod domain to the nuclear localization signal. Altogether, these observations indicate that the lens beaded filaments form an independent class of IF.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Gounari
- Abteilung 710, Schwerpunkt Tumorimmunologie, Deutsches Krebsforschungzentrum, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Karagianni N, Tsawdaroglou N. The c-fos serum response element (SRE) confers negative response to glucocorticoids. Oncogene 1994; 9:2327-34. [PMID: 8036015] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Ligand activated Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR), specifically inhibited the serum induced c-fos promoter activation in NIH3T3 fibroblasts. The negative control was mediated by the c-fos SRE and correlated with the relative abundance of active GR. Serum activated SRE was repressed 3-4-fold by glucocorticoids irrespective of the promoter context (heterologous or authentic). The suppressing ability of GR was absolutely dependent on its DNA binding domain (DBD), since deletion of this region left the serum induction unimpaired. The methylation interference pattern of GR revealed two distinct binding sites within the SRE and identified the GR contact bases, important also for binding and function of SRE targeted transcription factors, such as the Serum Response Factor (SRF) and the p62 Ternary Complex Factor (TCF). We conclude that GR binds to c-fos SRE and inhibits c-fos promoter activation by antagonizing the function of positive transcription factors targeting to overlapping or identical sites. Since the c-fos SRE is activated by multiple mitogenic signalling pathways, inactivation by GR could explain, at least in part, the growth inhibitory response of fibroblasts to glucocorticoid hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Karagianni
- National Hellenic Research Foundation, Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology, Athens, Greece
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