Project description:Bulk RNA-seq was performed on fibroblasts and mesothelial cells from 11 different healthy mouse tissues such as bone, epididymal, brown and inguinal fat pads, mesentery, omentum, pancreas, liver, lung, lymph node and spleen. This data was used to examine tissue specific gene expression programs of fibroblasts and mesothelial cells.
Project description:Bulk ATAC-seq was performed on fibroblasts from 8 different healthy mouse tissues such as bone, epididymal and inguinal fat pads, omentum, liver, lung and lymph node. This data was used to examine tissue specific chromatin landscapes in fibroblasts.
Project description:Single cell RNA-seq was performed on healthy mouse skin fibroblasts. This data along with single cell transcriptomics datasets of fibroblasts from other healthy tissues was used to construct a steady state mouse fibroblast atlas.
Project description:Microarray expression arrays on mesothelium and other tissues dissected from mice were used to identify candidate mesothelial lineage markers. These were then tested by qRTPCR across a panel of human mesothelioma cells lines, other cancers, and normal primary cells includidng mesothelial cells. Twenty four samples were analysed, composed of 8 tissues in triplicate
Project description:RNA-sequencing was carried out on ascetic fluid-isolated mesothelial cells from low-grade serous ovarian cancer patients, high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients, chemotherapy-treated high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients and control mesothelial cells obtained from non-oncologic patients to identify differentially expressed genes associated to mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition process.
Project description:Microarray expression arrays on mesothelium and other tissues dissected from mice were used to identify candidate mesothelial lineage markers. These were then tested by qRTPCR across a panel of human mesothelioma cells lines, other cancers, and normal primary cells includidng mesothelial cells.
Project description:To determine the transcriptional program that imparts adhesion capacity to healthy mesothelial cells, we analyzed subtle gene expression changes by performing highly parallel single-cell RNA-seq genome-wide expression profiling of individual mesothelial cells exposed to stress (Extended Figure 6A) using the Drop-seq workflow (Pubmed ID 26000488). We individually sequenced >16,000 cells from Met-5A mesothelial cells at various time-points after exposure to a 15 min desiccation shock, as well as under control unstressed conditions.
Project description:Introduction: Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is known as one of the most aggressive malignancies among all cancers, despite of usually absent tumor-driver mutations in oncogenes. It develops in a unique inflammatory tumor microenvironment (TME), which has been postulated as major contributor of PM’s highly aggressive nature. Mesothelioma-associated fibroblasts (Meso-CAFs), a main component of the TME have recently been shown to substantially stimulate several aspects of PM aggressiveness and promote the malignant transformation of pleural mesothelial cells. However, respective cell models for TME research in PM are still very limited. The most commonly used pleural mesothelial cell line Met5A has been established decades ago and patient-derived Meso-CAFs have just recently been characterized for the first time. The aim of the current study was to generate and characterize pleural mesothelial and Meso-CAF cell models with an extended life span that closely resemble the primary cells isolated from human tissue. Methods: Pleural mesothelial cells and Meso-CAFs were isolated from human tissue of pneumothorax and PM patients, respectively. Retroviral transduction was used to induce stable expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in the primary cells. The established cell models were evaluated by measuring their doubling times, gene expression and protein activity levels of hTERT, as well as the absolute lengths of telomeres. The transduced cells were compared to their primary counterparts on the protein level using proteome analysis and the impact of their conditioned media (CM) on tumor cell growth was investigated by videomicroscopy. Results: All transduced derivatives exhibit elevated hTERT gene expression and protein activity, increased hTERT protein amounts in the nucleus, and moderately higher absolute telomere lengths compared to their parental primary cells. The transduction with hTERT did not elicit marked changes in the morphology of the cells, as well as in their proteomes and secretomes. The CM of primary and hTERT-transduced Meso-CAFs comparably stimulated PM cell growth, while medium conditioned by normal pleural mesothelial cells including their hTERT-transduced derivatives was not able to induce a growth stimulating effect. Conclusion: The hTERT-transduced cells closely resemble their primary counterparts, while retaining telomerase activity, thus preventing replicative senescence. The new cell models provide valuable tools for the investigation of cellular interactions cellular interactions within the TME of PM and thus may help to identify novel biomarkers for early diagnosis and to develop new therapeutic strategies.