Project description:Development of systems that reconstitute hallmark features of human pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanINs), the precursor to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, could generate new strategies for early diagnosis and intervention. However, human cell-based PanIN models with defined mutations are unavailable. Here, we report that genetic modification of primary human pancreatic cells leads to development of lesions resembling native human PanINs. Primary human pancreas duct cells harbouring oncogenic KRAS and induced mutations in CDKN2A, SMAD4 and TP53 expand in vitro as epithelial spheres. After pancreatic transplantation, mutant clones form lesions histologically similar to native PanINs, including prominent stromal responses. Gene expression profiling reveals molecular similarities of mutant clones with native PanINs, and identifies potential PanIN biomarker candidates including Neuromedin U, a circulating peptide hormone. Prospective reconstitution of human PanIN development from primary cells provides experimental opportunities to investigate pancreas cancer development, progression and early-stage detection.
Project description:Constitutive Kras and NF-kB activation is identified as signature alterations in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we report that pancreas-targeted IKK2/beta inactivation inhibited NF-kB activation and completely suppressed PDAC development. Our findings demonstrated that NF-kB is required for development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma that was initiated by Kras activation. Pancreatic tissue from 4 groups of mice were used in this project: (1) the pancreas normal appearance of Pdx1-cre;KrasLSL-G12D;IKK2/beta mice, (2) the normal pancreas of Pdx1-cre;KrasLSL-G12D mice, (3) the pancreatic lesion of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) of Pdx1-cre;KrasLSL-G12D mice, and (4) the pancreatic lesion of PDAC of Pdx1-cre;KrasLSL-G12D mice. Each group included three mice. RNA samples from mouse pancreas were hybridized on GeneChip Mouse Gene 1.0 ST arrays (Affymetrix). Group (1) and group (2) were compared, and group (2), group (3) and group (4) were compared.
Project description:Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDA) develops predominantly through pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) precursor lesions. Pancreatic acinar cells are reprogrammed to a “ductal like” state during PanIN-PDA formation. Here, we demonstrate a parallel mechanism operative in mature duct cells where they undergo “ductal retrogression” to form IPMN-PDA. Brg1, a catalytic subunit of the SWI/SNF complexes, plays a critical antagonistic role in IPMN-PDA development. In mature duct cells Brg1 inhibits the dedifferentiation that precedes neoplastic transformation, thus attenuating tumor initiation. In contrast, Brg1 promotes tumorigenesis in full-blown PDA by supporting a mesenchymal-like transcriptional landscape. We have exploited this duality of Brg1 functions to develop a novel therapeutic approach using an epigenetic drug JQ1. In summary, this study demonstrates the context-dependent roles of Brg1 and points to potential therapeutic treatment options based on epigenetic regulation in PDA. Duct cells were isolated from mice of 3 different genotypes and duct cells from 3 mice of each genotype were sequenced. For the put back experiments, control retrovirus and that expressing Brg1 were transdcued in Brg1 null IPMN mouse cell line.
Project description:The new concept of neoplastic lesion of biliary tree, Biliary intraepithelial neoplasia (BilIN) and intraductal papillary neoplasm of bile duct (IPNB), as a conunterpart of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), have been reported to be precancerous lesions in hilar and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and arise from lining bile duct epithelium and peribiliary gland (PBG) under inflammation microenvironment in human. However, mouse model is lacking different from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma arised from canal of Hering in the liver. In a Doxycyclin-controlled transgenic mouse model of BilIN and IPNB, overexpression of Fibroblast Growth Factor 10 (FGF10) phenocopies human pathology with mutistep progression of cholangiocarcinogenesis in chronic cholangitis. The development and branching morphogenesis of BilIN and IPNB was induced by Fgf10/Erk signal and inhibited by MEK inhibiter. Pdx1+ PBG cells present in IPNB were able to lineage trace the early IPNB lesion as well as Krt19+ cholangiocytes. BiliN and IPNB with Kras mutation was irreversible different from no Kras mutation, and loss of p16 contributed to malignant transformation of BilIN and IPNB. Our data challenge the common paradigms regarding the pathogenesis of BilIN and IPNB.
Project description:Pancreatitis is more frequent in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) although the underlying cause is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that ongoing beta-cell stress and apoptosis in T2DM induces ductal tree proliferation, particularly the pancreatic duct gland (PDG) compartment, and thus potentially obstructs exocrine outflow. PDG replication was increased two-fold in human pancreas from individuals with T2DM (P<0.01), and was associated with increased pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanINs) (P<0.05), lesions associated with pancreatic inflammation and with the potential to obstruct pancreatic outflow. Increased PDG replication (p<0.05) in the prediabetic HIP rat model of T2DM was concordant with increased beta-cell stress but preceding metabolic derangement. Moreover, the most abundantly expressed chemokines released by the islets in response to beta-cell stress in T2DM, CXCL1, 4 and 10, induced proliferation in human pancreatic ductal epithelium (p<0.05). Also, the diabetes medications that are reported as potential modifiers for the risk of pancreatitis in T2DM modulated PDG proliferation accordingly. We conclude that chronic stimulation and proliferation of the PDG compartment of the pancreas in response to islet inflammation in T2DM is a novel mechanism that serves as a link to the increased risk for pancreatitis in T2DM and may potentially be modified by currently available diabetes therapy.
Project description:Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDA) develops predominantly through pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) precursor lesions. Pancreatic acinar cells are reprogrammed to a “ductal like” state during PanIN-PDA formation. Here, we demonstrate a parallel mechanism operative in mature duct cells where they undergo “ductal retrogression” to form IPMN-PDA. Brg1, a catalytic subunit of the SWI/SNF complexes, plays a critical antagonistic role in IPMN-PDA development. In mature duct cells Brg1 inhibits the dedifferentiation that precedes neoplastic transformation, thus attenuating tumor initiation. In contrast, Brg1 promotes tumorigenesis in full-blown PDA by supporting a mesenchymal-like transcriptional landscape. We have exploited this duality of Brg1 functions to develop a novel therapeutic approach using an epigenetic drug JQ1. In summary, this study demonstrates the context-dependent roles of Brg1 and points to potential therapeutic treatment options based on epigenetic regulation in PDA.
Project description:Gene expression data from the RNA sequencing of laser microdissected pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and pancreatic normal ducts.
Project description:Inflammation of the pancreas contributes to the development of diabetes mellitus. Although it is well-accepted that local inflammation leads to a progressive loss of functional beta cell mass that eventually causes the onset of the disease, the development of islet inflammation remains unclear. Here, we used single-cell RNA sequencing to explore the cell type-specific molecular response of primary human pancreatic cells exposed to an inflammatory environment. We identified a duct subpopulation presenting a unique proinflammatory signature among all pancreatic cell types. Overall, the findings of this study point towards a role for duct cells in the propagation of islet inflammation, and in immune cell recruitment and activation, which are key steps in the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus.
Project description:Lineage tracing using genetically engineered mouse models has become an essential tool for investigating cell-fate decisions of progenitor cells and biology of mature cell types, with respect to physiology and disease progression. To study disease development, an inventory of an organ’s cell types and understanding of physiologic function is paramount. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing to examine heterogeneity of murine pancreatic duct cells, pancreatobiliary cells, and intrapancreatic bile duct cells. We isolated duct cells within the murine pancreas using the DBA lectin sorting strategy that labels all pancreatic duct cell types. Our data contest the paradigm suggested by previous single cell studies that murine pancreatic duct cells are homogenous. We describe an epithelial mesenchymal transitory axis among our two subpopulations of pancreatic duct cells and identify SPP1 as a regulator of this phenotype and human duct cell de-differentiation. Our results further define functional heterogeneity of pancreatic duct subpopulations by elucidating a role for Geminin in accumulation of DNA damage in the setting of chronic pancreatitis. Our findings implicate diverse functional roles for subpopulations of pancreatic duct cells in disease progression and establish a comprehensive road map of murine pancreatic duct cell, pancreatobiliary cell, and intrapancreatic bile duct cell homeostasis.
Project description:The host antitumor immunity changes drastically during carcinogenesis. Intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas is a precursor lesion of pancreatic cancer and progresses according to adenoma-carcinoma sequence. We found that the host antitumor immune reaction changes from an immune response to immune tolerance between intraductal papillary-mucinous adenoma (IPMA) and intraductal papillary-mucinous carcinoma (IPMC). In order to determine molecules affecting intraepithelial DC infiltration in IPMNs during multistep carcinogenesis, we examined the gene-expression profiles of entire transcripts of neoplastic cells at different stages. We collected normal and neoplastic epithelial cells from frozen tissue sections (normal main pancreatic duct, IPMA, IPMC, and invasive carcinoma originating in IPMN) by laser microdissection, extracted total RNA from them, and analyzed their gene expression profiles using Affymetrix microarrays.