Project description:Tumour and adjacent components from human resected biliary tract cancers were characterised for the expression of immunorelated transcripts
Project description:MicroRNAs from serum samples could detect pancreatic and biliary tract cancer patients more accurately than other traditional markers. Prospective miRNA markers for pancreatic/biliary tract cancer were selected in the training cohort. Using these miRNAs, discriminant analysis was performed, and the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were calculated in the test cohort.
Project description:Organoid culture is important for maintenance of epithelial cell characteristics, stemness, and tumorigenic activity of biliary tract cancer initiating cells. To investigate whether organoid culture maintain cancer stem cell properties of biliary tract cancer initiating cells, we compared the gene expression changes between organoid culture and adherent culture.
Project description:The gut microbiome can impact brain health and is altered in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. The vermiform appendix is a lymphoid tissue implicated in the storage and regulation of the gut microbiome. Here, we investigate changes in the functional microbiome in the appendix of PD patients relative to controls by metatranscriptomic analysis. In the PD appendix, we find microbial dysbiosis affecting lipid metabolism, particularly an upregulation of bacteria responsible for secondary bile acid synthesis. Likewise, proteomic and transcript analysis in the PD gut corroborates a disruption in cholesterol homeostasis and lipid catabolism. Bile acid analysis in the PD appendix reveals an increase in the microbially-derived, toxic secondary bile acids deoxycholic acid (DCA) and lithocholic acid (LCA). Synucleinopathy in mice induces similar microbiome alterations to those of PD patients and heightens microbial changes to gut inflammation. As observed in PD, the mouse model of synucleinopathy has elevated DCA and LCA. Raised levels of DCA and LCA can lead to liver injury, and an analysis of blood markers of liver dysfunction shows evidence of biliary abnormalities in PD patients, including elevated alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. Increased bilirubin levels are also evident before PD diagnosis, in individuals at-risk of developing PD. In sum, microbially-derived toxic bile acids are heightened in PD and biliary changes may even precede the onset of overt motor symptoms.
Project description:Purpose: To analyze human and bacteria proteomic profiles in bile, exposed to a tumor vs. non-tumor microenvironment, in order to identify differences between these conditions, which may contribute to a better understanding of pancreatic carcinogenesis. Patients and Methods: Using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, human and bacteria proteomic profiles of a total of 20 bile samples (7 from gallstone (GS) patients, and 13 from pancreatic head ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients) that were collected during surgery, and taken directly from the gallbladder were compared. g:Profiler and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) Mapper Reconstruct Pathway was used as the main comparative platform focusing on over-represented biological pathways among human proteins and interaction pathways among bacterial proteins. Results: Three bacterial infection pathways were over-represented in the human PDAC group of proteins. IL-8 is the only human protein that coincides in the three pathways and this protein is only present in the PDAC group. Quantitative and qualitative differences in bacterial proteins suggest a dysbiotic microenvironment in the PDAC group, supported by significant participation of antibiotic biosynthesis enzymes. Prokaryote interaction signaling pathways highlight the presence of zeatin in the GS group and surfactin in the PDAC group, the former in the metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides, and the latter in both metabolisms of terpenoids, polyketides and quorum sensing. Based on our findings, we propose a bacterial-induced carcinogenesis model for the biliary tract. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first study with the aim of comparing human and bacteria bile proteins in a tumor vs. non-tumor microenvironment. We proposed a new carcinogenesis model for the biliary tract based on bile metaproteomic findings. Our results suggest that bacteria may be key players in biliary tract carcinogenesis, in a long-lasting dysbiotic and epithelially harmful microenvironment, in which specific bacterial species biofilm formation is of utmost importance. Our finding should be further explored in future using in vitro and in vivo investigations
Project description:Aging is associated with declining immunity and inflammation as well as alterations in the gut microbiome with a decrease of beneficial microbes and increase in pathogenic ones. The aim of this study was to investigate aging associated gut microbiome in relation to immunologic and metabolic profile in a non-human primate (NHP) model. 12 old (age>18 years) and 4 young (age 3-6 years) Rhesus macaques were included in this study. Immune cell subsets were characterized in PBMC by flow cytometry and plasma cytokines levels were determined by bead based multiplex cytokine analysis. Stool samples were collected by ileal loop and investigated for microbiome analysis by shotgun metagenomics. Serum, gut microbial lysate and microbe-free fecal extract were subjected to metabolomic analysis by mass-spectrometry. Our results showed that the old animals exhibited higher inflammatory biomarkers in plasma and lower CD4 T cells with altered distribution of naïve and memory T cell maturation subsets. The gut microbiome in old animals had higher abundance of Archaeal and Proteobacterial species and lower Firmicutes than the young. Significant enrichment of metabolites that contribute to inflammatory and cytotoxic pathways was observed in serum and feces of old animals compared to the young. We conclude that aging NHP undergo immunosenescence and age associated alterations in the gut microbiome that has a distinct metabolic profile.
Project description:Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are aggressive malignancies encompassing intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder carcinoma, and ampullary carcinoma. Here, we report integrative analysis of 63 BTC cell lines via multi-omics and genome-scale CRISPR screens. We identify widespread EGFR dependency in BTC, alongside dependencies selective to anatomic subtypes. Additionally, we delineate strategies to overcome therapeutic resistance, with combined EGFR inhibition potentiating targeting of KRAS-mutant and FGFR2-fusion-driven models, and SHP2 inhibition effective in the latter context. Clustering RNA/protein expression and dependencies data revealed functional relationships transcending single-gene alterations, with biliary, squamous, or dual biliary/hepatocyte lineage signatures stratifying BTC models. These subtypes exhibit distinct dependency profiles— including cell fate transcription factors GRHL2, TP63, and HNF1B, respectively— and demonstrate prognostic significance in patient samples. Potential subtype-specific targetable vulnerabilities include Integrin-a3 and the detoxification enzyme UXS1. This cell line atlas reveals therapeutic targets in molecularly-defined BTCs, unveils disease subtypes, and provides a resource for therapeutic development.