Project description:In this series we have analyzed the effect of donor age on the gene expression profile of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HPC). Cells were taken from umbilical cord blood (CB) or from G-CSF mobilized blood of healthy donors for allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation.
Project description:Exosomes are membranous extracellular vesicles 50–100 nm in size and are involved in cellular communication via the delivery of proteins, lipids, and RNAs. Emerging evidence shows that exosomes play a critical role in cancer. A recent study has revealed that maternal and umbilical cord serum-derived exosomes may enhance endothelial cell proliferation and migration. However, the role of exosomes isolated from the human umbilical cord in cancer development has not been investigated. To explore the potential differences in the composition and function of proteins from umbilical cord blood exosomes and maternal serum exosomes, we conducted a proteomic analysis of exosomes by mass spectrometry and bioinformatics analysis. We used the CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry to study the biological effects of umbilical serum exosomes on hepatoma cells. Our study shows that umbilical cord blood is enriched with proteins involved in ECM-receptor interactions, which may be closely related to cell metastasis and proliferation. Our findings indicate that exosomes derived from human umbilical serum can suppress the viability of hepatoma cells and may induce apoptosis of hepatoma cells. This evidence suggests that umbilical cord serum-derived exosomes may be potential leads for the development of biotherapy for liver cancer.
Project description:Objective: To explore the characteristics and underlying molecular mechanisms of genome-scale expression profiles of women with- or without- gestational diabetes mellitus and their offspring. Materials and Methods: We recruited a group of 21 pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and 20 healthy pregnant women as controls. For each pregnant women, RRBS were performed using the placenta and paired neonatal umbilical cord blood specimens. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified. Then, functional enrichment analysis was performed to differential methylated genes (DMGs) separately or interactively in placenta and umbilical cord blood. Results: Through the comparison of GDM and healthy samples, 2779 and 141 DMRs were identified from placenta and umbilical cord blood, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the placenta methylation and expression profiles of GDM women mirrored the molecular characteristics of “type II diabetes” and “insulin resistance”. Methylation-altered genes in umbilical cord blood were associated with pathways “type II diabetes” and “cholesterol metabolism”. DMGs illustrated significant overlaps among placenta and umbilical cord blood samples, and the overlapping DMGs were associated with cholesterol metabolism. Conclusions: Our research demonstrated the epigenomic alternations of GDM mothers and offspring. Our findings emphasized the importance of epigenetic modifications in the communication between pregnant women with GDM and offspring, and provided reference for the prevention, control, treatment, and intervention of perinatal deleterious events of GDM and neonatal complications.
Project description:Analysis of umbilical cord tissue in newborns of type 1 diabetic mothers at gene expression level. The hypothesis tested in the present study was that intrauterine diabetic milieu may effect of fetal umbilical cord gene expression, and via umbilical cord, the alterations may be produced in other fetal tissues as well. Results provide an information of the differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways, such as the dowregulated genes on the pathway on blood vessel development in umbilical cords from diabetic pregnancies.
Project description:Umbilical cord blood banking is critical for the success of umbilical cord blood transplants. Here we analyzed transcriptomic differences between 27-year cryopreserved umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and multipotent progenitor cells (MPPs) and those derived from fresh cord blood. We also leveraged differences in engraftment capacity to examine the transcriptomes of HSCs/HPCs defined by engraftment capacity, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach for identifying potency markers to aid in the selection of cord blood units for transplantation and revealing novel potential regulators of cord blood HSC/HPC engraftment.
Project description:Objective: To explore the characteristics and underlying molecular mechanisms of genome-scale expression profiles of women with- or without- GDM and their offspring. Materials and Methods: We recruited a group of 21 pregnant women with GDM and 20 healthy pregnant women as controls. For each pregnant women, RNA-seq were performed using the placenta and paired neonatal umbilical cord blood specimens. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified with BMI of pregnant women as covariates. Then, functional enrichment analysis was performed separately or interactively in placenta and umbilical cord blood. Results: Through the comparison of GDM and healthy samples, 1442 and 488 DEGs were identified from placenta and umbilical cord blood, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the placenta expression profiles of GDM women mirrored the molecular characteristics of type II diabetes and insulin resistance patients. DEGs illustrated significant overlaps among placenta and umbilical cord blood samples, and the overlapping DEGs were associated with endocrine resistance and insulin resistance. Conclusions: Our research demonstrated the transcriptomic alternations of GDM mothers and offspring. Our findings emphasized the importance of epigenetic modifications in the communication between pregnant women with GDM and offspring, and provided reference for the prevention, control, treatment, and intervention of perinatal deleterious events of GDM and neonatal complications.