Project description:Macrophages, dendritic cells, conventional CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and regulatory T cells isolated from mouse colon cancer model MC38 tumors implanted subcutaneously to young (3 month) and aged (12 month) mice were sequenced using ImmGen's standard ultra-low input RNA-seq pipeline, in order to study age-dependent differences in intraltumoral immune cell functions and their impact on tumor control
Project description:Aging has multifaceted effects on the immune system, but how aging affects tissue-specific immunity is not well-defined. Bladder diseases characterized by chronic inflammation are highly prevalent in older women, but mechanisms by which aging promotes these pathologies remain unknown. Tissue transcriptomics of unperturbed, young, and aged bladders identified a highly altered immune landscape as a fundamental feature of the aging female bladder. Detailed mapping of immune cells using single cell RNA- sequencing revealed novel subsets of macrophages and dendritic cells and unique changes to the immune repertoire in the aged bladder. B and T cells are highly enriched in aged bladders and spontaneously form organized bladder tertiary lymphoid tissues (bTLTs).
Project description:The immune system undergoes a progressive functional remodeling with age, polarizing the immune responses toward a “killer” or “healer” phenotype. Understanding how the age bias shapes anti-tumor immunity is essential in designing effective immunotherapies. In this manuscript we explore the anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses generated in young (prepubescent) and adult (pre-senescent) mice. Using an MHCI-deficient, trackable tumor model, we observed that tumor reactive CD8+ T cells that expanded in young tumor-bearing (TB) mice acquired a terminally differentiated phenotype characterized by overexpression of inhibitory receptors and the transcription factor Tox1. Furthermore, tumor infiltrating CD8+ T cells from young tumors yielded a poor cytokine response compared to CD8+ T cells infiltrating adult tumors. Young migratory dendritic cells (migDC) and mononuclear phagocytic cells (MPCs) infiltrating young tumors were more competent in capturing and cross-presenting tumor antigen, leading to enhanced priming of CD8+ T cells in the draining lymph nodes (dLNs), and their subsequent terminal differentiation in the tumors. Notably, single-cell transcriptional profiling of tumor infiltrating MPCs revealed that young MPCs are polarized toward an inflammatory, effector phenotype. Consistent with our observations in young vs adult TB mice, analysis of immune infiltrates from pediatric solid tumors revealed a significant correlation between tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells with an exhaustion phenotype and the frequency of PD-L1-expressing phagocytic cells. Collectively, these data indicate that the young microenvironment of an actively developing tissue contributes to the generation of an immune response skewed toward a terminal effector state, thus narrowing the window for immunotherapeutic interventions.
Project description:Analysis of function of CD11c+ cells from middle-aged and young mice at gene level. This experiment provided insight into the different genes that plays roles in inflammation, immune response and mainly arachidonic acid cascade that are differentiall expressed in CD11c+ cells from middle aged and young mice. Total RNA was isolated from pulmonary CD11c cells (separated using magnetic beads) from middle-aged and young mice
Project description:The immune system undergoes a progressive functional remodeling with age, polarizing the immune responses toward a “killer” or “healer” phenotype. Understanding how the age bias shapes anti-tumor immunity is essential in designing effective immunotherapies. In this manuscript we explore the anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses generated in young (prepubescent) and adult (pre-senescent) mice. Using an MHCI-deficient, trackable tumor model, we observed that tumor reactive CD8+ T cells that expanded in young tumor-bearing (TB) mice acquired a terminally differentiated phenotype characterized by overexpression of inhibitory receptors and the transcription factor Tox1. Furthermore, tumor infiltrating CD8+ T cells from young tumors yielded a poor cytokine response compared to CD8+ T cells infiltrating adult tumors. Young migratory dendritic cells (migDC) and mononuclear phagocytic cells (MPCs) infiltrating young tumors were more competent in capturing and cross-presenting tumor antigen, leading to enhanced priming of CD8+ T cells in the draining lymph nodes (dLNs), and their subsequent terminal differentiation in the tumors. Notably, single-cell transcriptional profiling of tumor infiltrating MPCs revealed that young MPCs are polarized toward an inflammatory, effector phenotype. Consistent with our observations in young vs adult TB mice, analysis of immune infiltrates from pediatric solid tumors revealed a significant correlation between tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells with an exhaustion phenotype and the frequency of PD-L1-expressing phagocytic cells. Collectively, these data indicate that the young microenvironment of an actively developing tissue contributes to the generation of an immune response skewed toward a terminal effector state, thus narrowing the window for immunotherapeutic interventions.
Project description:Mice deficient in the glucocorticoid-regenerating enzyme 11β-HSD1 resist age-related spatial memory impairment. To investigate the mechanisms/pathways involved, we used microarrays to identify differentially expressed hippocampal genes that associate with cognitive ageing and 11β-HSD1. Aged wild-type mice were separated into memory-impaired and unimpaired relative to young controls according to their performance in the Y-maze. All individual aged 11β-HSD1-deficient mice showed intact spatial memory. The majority of differentially expressed hippocampal genes were increased with ageing (e.g. immune/inflammatory response genes) with no genotype differences. However, the neuronal-specific transcription factor, Npas4 and immediate early gene, Arc were reduced (relative to young) in the hippocampus of memory-impaired but not unimpaired aged wild-type or aged 11β-HSD1-deficient mice. Quantitative RT-PCR and in situ hybridization confirmed reduced Npas4 and Arc mRNA expression in memory-impaired aged wild-type mice. These findings suggest that 11β-HSD1 may contribute to the decline in Npas4 and Arc mRNA levels associated with memory impairment during ageing, and that decreased activity of synaptic plasticity pathways involving Npas4 and Arc may, in part, underlie the memory deficits seen in cognitively-impaired aged wild-type mice. 20 samples, 5 groups of 4 biological replicates each. Young, Wild Type animals are overall controls
Project description:Analysis of function of CD11c+ cells from middle-aged and young mice at gene level. This experiment provided insight into the different genes that plays roles in inflammation, immune response and mainly arachidonic acid cascade that are differentiall expressed in CD11c+ cells from middle aged and young mice.
Project description:T cells change substantially with age and are involved in atherosclerosis. Aging is the strongest clinical risk factor for atherosclerosis so we profiled T cells in young and aged mice prior to atherosclerosis (healthy) and in young and aged atherosclerotic mice (diseased).