Project description:Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the senescent phenotypes of human corneal endothelial cells (hCEnCs) upon treatment with ultraviolet (UV)-A. Methods: We assessed cell morphology, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity, cell proliferation and expression of senescence markers (p16 and p21) in hCEnCs exposed to UV-A radiation, and senescent hCEnCs induced by ionizing radiation (IR) were used as positive controls. We performed RNA sequencing and proteomics analysis to compare gene and protein expression profiles between UV-A- and IR-induced senescent hCEnCs, and we also compared the results to non-senescent hCEnCs. Results: Cells exposed to 5 J/cm2 of UV-A or to IR exhibited typical senescent phenotypes, including enlargement, increased SA-β-gal activity, decreased cell proliferation and elevated expression of p16 and p21. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that 83.9% of the genes significantly upregulated and 82.6% of the genes significantly downregulated in UV-A-induced senescent hCEnCs overlapped with the genes regulated in IR-induced senescent hCEnCs. Proteomics also revealed that 93.8% of the proteins significantly upregulated in UV-A-induced senescent hCEnCs overlapped with those induced by IR. In proteomics analyses, senescent hCEnCs induced by UV-A exhibited elevated expression levels of several factors part of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Conclusion: In this study, where senescence was induced by UV-A, a more physiological stress for hCEnCs compared to IR, we determined that UV-A modulated the expression of many genes and proteins typically altered upon IR treatment, a more conventional method of senescence induction, even though UV-A also modulated specific pathways unrelated to IR.
Project description:The presence of senescent cells in the aging/degenerating human disc is now well-recognized. Senescent cells are viable, cannot divide, remain metabolically active and accumulate within the disc over time. Molecular analysis of senescent cells in tissue, however, offers a special challenge since there are no cell surface markers for senescence which would let one use fluorescence-activated cell sorting as a method for separating out senescent cells. Here we use a novel experimental design using laser capture microdissection to selectively separately harvest senescent and non-senescent annulus cells in paraffin-embedded tissue, and then compare their gene expression with microarray analysis. An initial in vitro study using cultured human annulus cells was first performed to test whether there was any difference in identification of senescent cells using the accepted histochemical methodology vs. the immunofluoresent identification of cells positive for senescence-associated-ß-galactosidase in control cells and cells induced into stress-induced premature senescence via hydrogen peroxide exposure. No statistically significant difference was found between the 2 methods. Laser capture microdissection was used to separately harvest senescent and non-senescent cells from 11 human annulus specimens, and microarray analysis was used to determine gene expression levels. Genes with established relationships to senescence were found to be significantly upregulated in senescent cells vs. non-senescent cells. Additional genes related to cytokines, cell proliferation, and other cell processes were also identified. Disc Tissue samples were obtained from surgical disc procedures performed on patients with herniated discs and degenerative disc disease. Tissue was fixed and paraffin embedded. Standard laser capture microdissection (LCM) techniques were used to collect senescent cells. Remaining non-senescent cells were scraped from the histology slide. Total RNA was isolated and analyzed via mircoarray. Gene expression from senescent cells was compared to non-senescent cells. Eight histological samples were used to obtain both senescent and non-senescent cells. From an additional 3 samples, only senescent cells were harvested.
Project description:Use DIA proteomics to analyze the changes in the proteome of cells from young to senescent states; employ SILAC to analyze the turnover of the proteome in senescent cells; utilize TPP to analyze the differences in protein thermostability between senescent and young cells.
Project description:Anti-cancer therapies often result in a subset of surviving cancer cells that undergo therapy induced senescence (TIS). Senescent cancer cells strongly modify the intratumoral microenvironment favoring immunosuppression and, thereby, tumor growth. An emerging strategy to optimise current therapies is to combine them with treatments that eliminate senescent cells. To this end, we undertook an unbiased proteomics approach to identify surface markers contributing to senescent cells immune evasion. Through this approach, we discovered that the immune checkpoint inhibitor PD-L2, but not PD-L1, is upregulated across multiple senescent human and murine cells. Importantly, blockade of PD-L2 strongly synergises with genotoxic chemotherapy, causing remission of solid tumors in mice. We show that PD-L2 inhibition prevents the persistence of chemotherapy-induced senescent cells, which exert cell-extrinsic immunomodulatory actions. In particular, upon chemotherapy, tumors deficient in PD-L2 fail to produce cytokines of the CXCL family, do not recruit myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and are eliminated in a CD8 T cell-dependent manner. We conclude that blockade of PD-L2 improves chemotherapy efficacy by reducing the intratumoral burden of senescent cells and their associated recruitment of immunosuppressive cells. These findings provide a novel strategy to exploit vulnerabilities arising in tumor cells as a result of therapy-induced damage and cellular senescence
Project description:The presence of senescent cells in the aging/degenerating human disc is now well-recognized. Senescent cells are viable, cannot divide, remain metabolically active and accumulate within the disc over time. Molecular analysis of senescent cells in tissue, however, offers a special challenge since there are no cell surface markers for senescence which would let one use fluorescence-activated cell sorting as a method for separating out senescent cells. Here we use a novel experimental design using laser capture microdissection to selectively separately harvest senescent and non-senescent annulus cells in paraffin-embedded tissue, and then compare their gene expression with microarray analysis. An initial in vitro study using cultured human annulus cells was first performed to test whether there was any difference in identification of senescent cells using the accepted histochemical methodology vs. the immunofluoresent identification of cells positive for senescence-associated-ß-galactosidase in control cells and cells induced into stress-induced premature senescence via hydrogen peroxide exposure. No statistically significant difference was found between the 2 methods. Laser capture microdissection was used to separately harvest senescent and non-senescent cells from 11 human annulus specimens, and microarray analysis was used to determine gene expression levels. Genes with established relationships to senescence were found to be significantly upregulated in senescent cells vs. non-senescent cells. Additional genes related to cytokines, cell proliferation, and other cell processes were also identified.