AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Pregnancies complicated by diabetes have a higher risk of adverse outcomes for mothers and children, including predisposition to disease later in life, such as metabolic syndrome and hypertension. We hypothesized that adverse outcomes from diabetic pregnancies may be linked to compromised placental function. Our goal in this study was to identify cellular and molecular abnormalities in diabetic placenta.
Altered gene expression and spongiotrophoblast differentiation in placenta from a mouse model of diabetes in pregnancy.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive motor neuron disease and is the second most common genetic disorder leading to death in childhood. Stem cell transplantation could represent a therapeutic approach for motor neuron diseases such as SMA. We examined the theraputics effects of a spinal cord neural stem cell population and their ability to modify SMA phenotype.
Neural stem cell transplantation can ameliorate the phenotype of a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesGlioblastomas (GBM) are one of the most frequent and aggressive brain tumors. In these malignancies, progesterone (P4) promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion. The P4 metabolite allopregnanolone (3-THP) similarly promotes cell proliferation in the U87 human GBM cell line.
Allopregnanolone Alters the Gene Expression Profile of Human Glioblastoma Cells.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesWe used next generation sequencing to analyze the gene expression changes in U2OS osteosarcoma cells expressing shRNA targeting the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) gene transcripts Overall design: cDNA libraries of U2OS cells expressing control shRNA or shRNA targeting PML were generated from one biological replicate
PML nuclear bodies contribute to the basal expression of the mTOR inhibitor DDIT4.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesTo investigate the impact of the iNKT cells on the tumor-infiltrating leukocytes in TRAMP mouse prostate cancer.
Bimodal CD40/Fas-Dependent Crosstalk between iNKT Cells and Tumor-Associated Macrophages Impairs Prostate Cancer Progression.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesCancer stem cells (CSCs) have been reported in various cancers including skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The molecular mechanisms regulating tumour initiation and stemness are still poorly characterized. Here, we found that Sox2, a transcription factor expressed in various types of embryonic and adult stem cells (SCs), was the most upregulated transcription factor in CSCs of squamous skin tumours. Sox2 is absent in normal epidermis and begins to be expressed in the vast majority of mouse and human pre-neoplastic skin tumours and continues to be expressed in a heterogeneous manner in invasive mouse and human SCCs. In contrast to other SCCs, in which Sox2 is frequently genetically amplified, the expression of Sox2 in mouse and human skin SCCs is transcriptionally regulated. Conditional deletion of Sox2 in the mouse epidermis dramatically decreases skin tumour formation following chemical induced carcinogenesis. Using Sox2-GFP knockin mice, we showed that Sox2 expressing cells in invasive SCC are greatly enriched in tumour propagating cells (TPCs) that further increase upon serial transplantations. Lineage ablation of Sox2 expressing cells within primary benign and malignant SCCs leads to tumour regression, consistent with the critical role of Sox2 expressing cells in tumour maintenance. Conditional Sox2 deletion in pre-existing skin papilloma and SCC leads to their regression and decreases their ability to be propagated upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice, supporting the essential role of Sox2 in regulating CSC functions. Transcriptional profiling of Sox2-GFP expressing CSC and upon Sox2 deletion uncovered a gene network regulated by Sox2 in primary tumour cells in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation identified several direct Sox2 target genes controlling tumour stemness, survival, proliferation, adhesion, invasion, and paraneoplastic syndrome. Altogether, our study demonstrates that Sox2, by marking and regulating the functions of skin tumour initiating cells and CSCs, establishes a continuum between tumour initiation and progression in primary skin tumours.
SOX2 controls tumour initiation and cancer stem-cell functions in squamous-cell carcinoma.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesCancer stem cells (CSCs) have been reported in various cancers including skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The molecular mechanisms regulating tumour initiation and stemness are still poorly characterized. Here, we found that Sox2, a transcription factor expressed in various types of embryonic and adult stem cells (SCs), was the most upregulated transcription factor in CSCs of squamous skin tumours. Sox2 is absent in normal epidermis and begins to be expressed in the vast majority of mouse and human pre-neoplastic skin tumours and continues to be expressed in a heterogeneous manner in invasive mouse and human SCCs. In contrast to other SCCs, in which Sox2 is frequently genetically amplified, the expression of Sox2 in mouse and human skin SCCs is transcriptionally regulated. Conditional deletion of Sox2 in the mouse epidermis dramatically decreases skin tumour formation following chemical induced carcinogenesis. Using Sox2-GFP knockin mice, we showed that Sox2 expressing cells in invasive SCC are greatly enriched in tumour propagating cells (TPCs) that further increase upon serial transplantations. Lineage ablation of Sox2 expressing cells within primary benign and malignant SCCs leads to tumour regression, consistent with the critical role of Sox2 expressing cells in tumour maintenance. Conditional Sox2 deletion in pre-existing skin papilloma and SCC leads to their regression and decreases their ability to be propagated upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice, supporting the essential role of Sox2 in regulating CSC functions. Transcriptional profiling of Sox2-GFP expressing CSC and upon Sox2 deletion uncovered a gene network regulated by Sox2 in primary tumour cells in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation identified several direct Sox2 target genes controlling tumour stemness, survival, proliferation, adhesion, invasion, and paraneoplastic syndrome. Altogether, our study demonstrates that Sox2, by marking and regulating the functions of skin tumour initiating cells and CSCs, establishes a continuum between tumour initiation and progression in primary skin tumours.
SOX2 controls tumour initiation and cancer stem-cell functions in squamous-cell carcinoma.
Specimen part
View SamplesAnalysis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells depleted for High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) using siRNA. HMGA1 is involved in invasion and metastasis in breast cancer cells. Results identify the specific transcriptional program induced by HMGA1 in highly metastatic breast cancer cells.
HMGA1 promotes metastatic processes in basal-like breast cancer regulating EMT and stemness.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesDJ-1 is an atypical peroxiredoxin-like peroxidase that may act as a redox-dependent chaperone and a regulator of transcription. To explore DJ-1-mediated transcriptional control in Parkinsons disease (PD), we generated human neuroblastoma cells with inducible knock-down of DJ-1 expression. We then used functional genomic techniques to identify novel pathways dysregulated by loss of DJ-1 function. Using microarray gene expression profiling, we found that DJ-1 silencing alters the expression of 26 genes, with 10 down-regulated and 16 up-regulated transcripts. Among the down-regulated genes we found Ret, tyrosine kinase receptor for the neurotrophic factor GDNF. Taking advantage of Ingenuity Pathways Analysis, we identified hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (Hif1a) as a possible mediator of the interplay between DJ-1 and Ret. We show that Hif1a is stabilized in the absence of DJ-1, and that loss of DJ-1 generates hypoxia and accumulation of free radical species (ROS). Overexpression of wt DJ-1, but not of C106A and L166P mutants deficient in ROS scavenger activity, rescues Ret expression in neuroblastoma cells. These findings reveal novel players in PD pathogenesis and provide evidence for additional pathways involved in DJ-1-mediated neurodegeneration.
Parkinson disease-associated DJ-1 is required for the expression of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor receptor RET in human neuroblastoma cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesThis study was designed to investigate the transcripts that are regulated by Twist1 in skin tymor epithelial cells in a p53-dependent and independent manner. To this aim, Tumor epithelial cells from primary mouse skin tumors of different genotypes were FACS sorted and analyzed by microarray.
Different levels of Twist1 regulate skin tumor initiation, stemness, and progression.
Specimen part, Treatment
View Samples