Project description:Over 80% of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) suffer from cachexia, characterized by severe muscle and fat loss and yet, there are no biomarkers identified for this debilitating condition. Our objective was to identify circulating protein biomarkers using serum for human PDAC cachexia and understand their biological functions. Serum from 30 patients with PDAC was collected and protein profiles were generated using SOMAscan. The protein profiles were correlated with clinical variables such as Cancer associated weight loss (CAWL), body composition measurements of skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle density (SMD), total adipose index (TAI) using Spearman’s correlation. Overall, 110 proteins of 1294 correlated with these clinical measures - 47 proteins for CAWL, 19 for SMI, 14 for SMD, and 30 for TAI (r-value 0.5, p<0.05). LYVE1, a homolog of CD44 implicated in tumor metastasis, was the top CAWL-associated protein (r= 0.67, p=0.0001). Protein co-expression network analysis identified immune system related pathways such as B-cell signaling, natural killer cell signaling, IL6 signaling in addition to identifying other known pathways in cachexia. Taken together, these data identify both immune system molecules and additional secreted factors and pathways not previously associated with PDAC and confirm the activation of previously identified pathways.
Project description:Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an aggressive malignancy that occurs predominantly in young adult males and is characterized by abdominopelvic sarcomatosis exhibiting multi-lineage cellular nests of epithelial, muscular, mesenchymal, and neural differentiation admixed with desmoplastic stroma. Prior to the recognition of the disease as a distinct clinical entity, DSRCT was invariably misclassified as poorly differentiated atypical cancer of the testes, ovary, mesentery, or gastrointestinal tract, and the chemotherapies used for those malignancies elicited poor clinical response. As previously reported, a tectonic shift in the treatment of these patients occurred after researchers made two astute observations: 1) DSRCT microscopically resembles other small round “blue cell” sarcoma subtypes (e.g., ES, rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma), and 2) DSRCT and ES have the same N-terminal EWSR1 fusion partner. Proteomic analysis using a reverse-phase protein lysate array (RPPA) was used to elucidate biomarkers that distinguish DSRCT from adjacent normal tissue and Ewing sarcoma. This proteomic analysis revealed novel proteins, such as the androgen receptor and Syk, that may be susceptible to drug targeting, as well as oncogenic pathways like Akt-PI3K that are highly expressed in DSRCT.
Project description:β-cell specific Mettl14 knock-out mice display reduced N6-methyladenosine (m6A) levels and recapitulate human Type II diabetes (T2D) islet phenotype with early diabetes onset and mortality secondary to decreased β-cell proliferation and insulin degranulation. To gain insights into the role of m6A in regulating the IGF1/insulin -> AKT - > PDX1 pathway and to dissect the signaling networks modulating AKT phosphorylation, we subjected freshly isolated islets from control and Mettl14 knock-out mice to phospho-antibody microarrays.
Project description:Investigation of whole genome-derived tiled peptide arrays to identify epitopes associated with autoantibody reactivity in NSCLC as a potential means for early detection. Arrays consisted of 2,781,902 tiled peptides representing 20,193 proteins encoded in the human genome. The detailed analysis in this study is further described in Yan et al. Whole genome-derived tiled peptide arrays detect pre-diagnostic autoantibody signatures in non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Res. 2019 Feb 5. pii: canres.1536.2018
Project description:Glioblastoma multiforme is a highly aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in humans, with poor prognosis. ANGM5 has been established from a cerebral glioblastoma multiforme in a 72-years-old Iraqi man who underwent surgery for an intracranial tumor in 2005. The morphology, growth kinetics, karyotype, immunocytochemistry and angiogenesis factors expression profile were studied. ANGM5 has been grown continuously for more than 200 serial passages in culture for the last 13 years. The cultured cells are elongated or multipolar in shape and the population doubling time is 28 hours. The karyotype is complex, and the chromosomal number varied between 39-114. ANGM5 is resistant to Temozolomide, cisplatin, vincristine and etoposide. This chemoresistance could be explained by the overexpression of the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and MGMT. Immunocytochemistry analysis of glial markers demonstrated that cells are positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and negative for nestin and calbindin. Protein microarray analysis showed high production of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2) as well as other factors that are important for the invasiveness and aggressiveness of glioblastoma. ANGM5 is a useful addition to the cell lines currently available for study of the pathobiology and chemoresistance properties of glioblastoma multiforme and antitumor drug discovery. Angiogenesis signaling is being evaluated in new human Iraqi glioblastoma multiforme cell line. Here, we measured angiogenesis factors released by cancer cells in vitro. We find that glioblastoma up-regulates many proteins and metabolites during the logarithmic phase, suggesting initiation of their endo-vesiculo-membrane system. Importantly, GM-CSF and G-CSF as they increase angiogenesis through promoting endothelial cell function. Also, b-FGF which promote tumor growth and proliferation. Moreover, it showed up-regulation to inflammatory, and extracellular matrix proteins. These factors will help proliferating glioblastoma cells to overcome stress conditions, such as cytotoxic chemotherapy, serum deprivation, hypoxia in vitro and in vivo. These findings support other evidence of chemoresistance ability of this cell line named AMGN5 as it found to resist several types of conventional chemotherapies.
Project description:HeLa cell extracts with or without GSK3 enzyme inhibition were assayed using protein microarrays in order to detect GSK3-dependent changes in protein polyubiquitination.
Project description:A computer program was used to create random amino acid sequences based on and restricted by physical shadow masks which will be used for lithography-based synthesis of peptides. The output from this algorithm was used to create peptides that were synthesized by Sigma Aldrich, and printed onto glass slides. The arrays contained 384 peptides printed in duplicate for each of 4 different mask designs. 52 different monoclonal antibodies were incubated on these microarrays and analyzed for their propensity to bind the peptides created from each mask set. The diversity of binding served as a proxy for the 'randomness' of these peptides, and provided information about how many masks are needed to truly generate random sequence peptides.
Project description:Microarray technology has evolved as a powerful tool over the last decade, to identify biomarkers and study the mechanisms of diseases. We propose a novel application of integrated genomics by combining transcriptional levels with serological antibody profiling after kidney transplantation, with the aim of uncovering the relative immunogenicity of seven different renal compartments after allo-transplantation. Thirty-six paired pre- and post-transplant serum samples were examined from eighteen transplant recipients, across 5,056 protein targets on the ProtoArray V3.0 platform. Normal renal compartment-specific gene expression data from a cDNA platform were re-analyzed and both the cDNA and the ProtoArray platforms were re-annotated to most up-to-date NCBI gene identifiers; 3,835 genes/proteins are measured on both platforms. Antibody levels were ranked for individual patients and the hypergeometric enrichment statistic was applied on mapped compartment-specific expression data. We discovered that after transplantation, in addition to HLA and MICA responses, temporal alloimmune responses are seen against non-HLA antigens specific to different compartments of the kidney, with highest level responses noted against renal pelvis and cortex specific antigens. The renal medulla is of low immunogenicity as none of the outer or inner medulla specific targets generated significant post-transplant antibody responses. Immunohistochemistry confirmed pelvis and cortex specific localizations of selected targeted antigens, supporting the robust nature of this discovery. This study provides a road map of renal compartment-specific non-HLA antigenic targets responsible for generating alloimmune responses, opening the door for clinical correlations with post-transplant dysfunctional states to be determined. Keywords: alloimmune response after kidney transplantation
Project description:Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a known complication of COVID-19 and is associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. Unbiased proteomics using biological specimens can lead to improved risk stratification and discover pathophysiological mechanisms. Methods: Using measurements of ~4000 plasma proteins in two cohorts of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, we discovered and validated markers of COVID-associated AKI (stage 2 or 3) and long-term kidney dysfunction. In the discovery cohort (N= 437), we identified 413 higher plasma abundances of protein targets and 40 lower plasma abundances of protein targets associated with COVID-AKI (adjusted p <0.05). Of these, 62 proteins were validated in an external cohort (p <0.05, N =261). Results: We demonstrate that COVID-AKI is associated with increased markers of tubular injury (NGAL) and myocardial injury. Using estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) measurements taken after discharge, we also find that 25 of the 62 AKI-associated proteins are significantly associated with decreased post-discharge eGFR (adjusted p <0.05). Proteins most strongly associated with decreased post-discharge eGFR included desmocollin-2, trefoil factor 3, transmembrane emp24 domain-containing protein 10, and cystatin-C indicating tubular dysfunction and injury. Conclusions: Using clinical and proteomic data, our results suggest that while both acute and long-term COVID-associated kidney dysfunction are associated with markers of tubular dysfunction, AKI is driven by a largely multifactorial process involving hemodynamic instability and myocardial damage.