Transcription profiling of mouse model of CLL in Em-TCL1 mice provides a biologically relevant model to unravel and reverse immune deficiency in human cancer.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Immune deficiency is common in cancer, but the biological basis for this and ways to reverse it remains elusive. Here we present a mouse model of B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that recapitulates changes in the non-malignant circulating T cells seen in patients with this illness.1 To validate this model, we examined changes in T cell gene expression, protein expression and function in Em-TCL1 transgenic mice as they developed CLL 2,3 and demonstrate that development of CLL in these transgenic mice is associated with changes in impaired T cell function and in gene expression in CD4 and CD8 T cells similar to those observed in patients with this disease. Infusion of CLL cells into non-leukemia bearing Em-TCL1 mice rapidly induces these changes, demonstrating a causal relationship between leukemia and the induction of T cell changes. This model allows dissection of the molecular changes induced in CD4 and CD8 T cells by interaction with leukemia cells and further supports the concept that cancer results in complex abnormalities in the immune microenvironment. Gene expression profiling was performed to determine whether Em-TCL1 murine model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) mimics T cell defects induced by CLL cells in patients with CLL. Experiment Overall Design: CD4 T cells and CD8 T cells were obtained from spleens of B6C3 and Em-TCL1 transgenic murine model of CLL or from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of previously untreated patients with CLL and healthy individuals (Pubmed ID: 15965501). Gene expression profiling was performed using total RNA and the data were analysed to compare gene expression profile of CLL to healthy within or between the species.
Project description:Immune deficiency is common in cancer, but the biological basis for this and ways to reverse it remains elusive. Here we present a mouse model of B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that recapitulates changes in the non-malignant circulating T cells seen in patients with this illness.1 To validate this model, we examined changes in T cell gene expression, protein expression and function in Em-TCL1 transgenic mice as they developed CLL 2,3 and demonstrate that development of CLL in these transgenic mice is associated with changes in impaired T cell function and in gene expression in CD4 and CD8 T cells similar to those observed in patients with this disease. Infusion of CLL cells into non-leukemia bearing Em-TCL1 mice rapidly induces these changes, demonstrating a causal relationship between leukemia and the induction of T cell changes. This model allows dissection of the molecular changes induced in CD4 and CD8 T cells by interaction with leukemia cells and further supports the concept that cancer results in complex abnormalities in the immune microenvironment. Gene expression profiling was performed to determine whether Em-TCL1 murine model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) mimics T cell defects induced by CLL cells in patients with CLL. Keywords: comparative gene expression profiling analysis.
Project description:Tcl1 tg mice develop a chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) -like disease. To investigate the contribution of the adhesion molecule CD44 to CLL pathophysiology, we developed a CD19Cre CD44flox/flox Tcl1 tg mouse with a B cell specific CD44 deficiency (CD44ΔB Tcl1 tg). We used the Clariom S mouse microarray from Affymetrix to investigate transcriptional differeneces between Tcl1 tg and CD44ΔB Tcl1 tg mice
Project description:Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignant lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by the accumulation of small mature B cells in blood and secondary lymphoid tissues. Novel drugs, such as the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib, have greatly improved survival expectations of CLL patients, nevertheless acquired drug resistance represents a major challenge the molecular mechanisms of which have not been elucidated yet. In order to fill this knowledge gap, we generated a mouse model of ibrutinib resistance by treating mice upon adoptive transfer of Eµ-TCL1 leukemia (TCL1-CLL) continuously with ibrutinib. After an initial response to the treatment, relapse under therapy occurs with an aggressive outgrowth of the malignant cells, resembling observations in patients. To unravel relapse mechanism, we performed transcriptome and proteome analyses of sorted TCL1-CLL cells both during treatment and after relapse. Comparative analysis of these omics layers suggested alterations in the proteasome activity as a driver of ibrutinib resistance. Accordingly, we showed that preclinical treatment with the irreversible proteasome inhibitor (PI) carfilzomib administered upon ibrutinib resistance prolonged survival of mice, thus acting as salvage therapy. Longitudinal proteomic analysis of CLL patients with ibrutinib resistance identified deregulation in protein post-translational modifications. In addition, CLL cells from ibrutinib-resistant patients effectively responded to several PIs in co-culture assays. Altogether, our results from orthogonal omics approaches identified proteasome inhibition as potentially attractive innovative salvage treatment option for CLL patients resistant or refractory to ibrutinib.
Project description:Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignant lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by the accumulation of small mature B cells in blood and secondary lymphoid tissues. Novel drugs, such as the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib, have greatly improved survival of CLL patients, nevertheless acquired drug resistance represents a major challenge the molecular mechanisms of which have not been fully elucidated yet. To overcome this limitation, we generated a mouse model of ibrutinib resistance by treating mice upon adoptive transfer of Eµ-TCL1 leukemia (TCL1-CLL) continuously with ibrutinib. After an initial response to the treatment, relapse under therapy occurs with an aggressive outgrowth of malignant cells, resembling observations in patients. To unravel relapse mechanism, we performed transcriptome and proteome analyses of sorted TCL1-CLL cells both during treatment and after relapse. Comparative analysis of these omics layers suggested alterations in the proteasome activity as a driver of ibrutinib resistance. Accordingly, we showed that preclinical treatment with the irreversible proteasome inhibitor (PI) carfilzomib administered upon ibrutinib resistance prolonged survival of mice, thus acting as salvage therapy. Longitudinal proteomic analysis of CLL patients with ibrutinib resistance identified deregulation in protein post-translational modifications. In addition, CLL cells from ibrutinib-resistant patients effectively responded to several PIs in co-culture assays. Altogether, our results from orthogonal omics approaches identified proteasome inhibition as potentially attractive salvage treatment option for CLL patients resistant or refractory to ibrutinib.
Project description:In B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the non-hematopoietic stromal microenvironment plays a critical role in promoting tumor cell recruitment, activation, survival and expansion. Using the Eμ-TCL1 mouse model, we demonstrate that leukemic cells induce the activation of retinoid acid synthesis and signaling in stromal cells of the lymphoid microenvironment.
Project description:In B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the non-hematopoietic stromal microenvironment plays a critical role in promoting tumor cell recruitment, activation, survival and expansion. Using the Eμ-TCL1 mouse model, we demonstrate that leukemic cells induce the activation of retinoid acid synthesis and signaling in stromal cells of the lymphoid microenvironment.
Project description:B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia - A model with immune response
Seema Nanda 1, , Lisette dePillis 2, and Ami Radunskaya 3,
1.
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Centre for Applicable Mathematics, Bangalore 560065, India
2.
Department of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711
3.
Department of Mathematics, Pomona College, Claremont, CA, 91711, United States
Abstract
B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is known to have substantial clinical heterogeneity. There is no cure, but treatments allow for disease management. However, the wide range of clinical courses experienced by B-CLL patients makes prognosis and hence treatment a significant challenge. In an attempt to study disease progression across different patients via a unified yet flexible approach, we present a mathematical model of B-CLL with immune response, that can capture both rapid and slow disease progression. This model includes four different cell populations in the peripheral blood of humans: B-CLL cells, NK cells, cytotoxic T cells and helper T cells. We analyze existing data in the medical literature, determine ranges of values for parameters of the model, and compare our model outcomes to clinical patient data. The goal of this work is to provide a tool that may shed light on factors affecting the course of disease progression in patients. This modeling tool can serve as a foundation upon which future treatments can be based.
Keywords: NK cell, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, mathematical model, T cell., B-CLL.
Project description:Aberrant CXCR4 activity has been implicated in lymphoma pathogenesis, disease progression and resistance to therapies. Using a mouse model with a gain-of-function CXCR4 mutation (CXCR4C1013G) that hyperactivates CXCR4 signaling, we identified CXCR4 as a crucial activator of multiple key oncogenic pathways. CXCR4 hyperactivation furthermore resulted in an expansion of transitional B1 lymphocytes, which represent the precursors of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Indeed, CXCR4 hyperactivation led to a significant acceleration of disease onset and a more aggressive phenotype in the murine Eµ-TCL1 CLL model. Hyperactivated CXCR4 signaling cooperated with TCL1 to cause a distinct oncogenic transcriptional program in B cells, characterized by PLK1/FOXM1-associated pathways. In accordance, Eµ-TCL1;CXCR4C1013G B cells enriched a transcriptional signature from patients with Richter’s syndrome, an aggressive transformation of CLL. In summary, we here identify CXCR4 hyperactivation as a co-driver of an aggressive lymphoma phenotype. Here we make available the transcriptomic data of CD19+ B cells from bone marrow and spleen of 6-week-old WT, CXCR4C1013G, Eµ-TCL1 and Eµ-TCL1;CXCR4C1013G mice.
Project description:To examine the impact of tumors on the immune system, we compared global gene expression profiles of peripheral blood T cells from previously untreated patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with those from age-matched healthy donors. Although the cells analyzed were not part of the malignant clone, analysis revealed differentially expressed genes, mainly involved in cell differentiation in CD4 cells and defects in cytoskeleton formation, vesicle trafficking, and cytotoxicity in CD8 cells of the CLL patients. In coculture experiments using CLL cells and T cells from healthy allogeneic donors, similar defects developed in both CD4 and CD8 cells. These changes were induced only with direct contact and were not cytokine mediated. Identification of the specific pathways perturbed in the T cells of cancer-bearing patients will allow us to assess steps to repair these defects, which will likely be required to enhance antitumor immunity. Gene expression profiling was performed to determine whether CLL cells induce changes in T cells in patients with CLL. Experiment Overall Design: CD4 T cells and CD8 T cells were obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of previously untreated patients with CLL and healthy individuals. Gene expression profiling was performed using total RNA and the data were analysed to compare gene expression profile of T cells from patients with CLL to healthy individuals .
Project description:Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disorder of mature B cells. Most patients are characterized by indolent disease and an anergic phenotype of their leukemia cells which refers to a state of unresponsiveness to B cell receptor stimulation. Using the Eµ-TCL1 mouse model, we show that B cell-specific ablation of NFAT2 leads to the loss of the anergic phenotype culminating in a significantly compromised life expectancy and histological transformation to aggressive disease. We further define a gene expression signature of anergic CLL cells consisting of several NFAT2-dependant genes employing microarray technology.