Project description:Neuroblastoma tumors frequently show loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 11q with a shortest region of overlap in the 11q23 region. These deletions are thought to cause inactivation of tumor suppressor genes leading to haploinsufficiency. Alternatively, micro-deletions could lead to gene fusion products that are tumor-driving. To identify such events we analyzed a series of neuroblastomas by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays and integrated these data with Affymetrix mRNA profiling data with the bioinformatic tool R2 (http://r2.amc.nl). We identified three neuroblastoma samples with small interstitial deletions at 11q23, upstream of the forkhead-box transcription factor FOXR1. Genes at the proximal side of the deletion were fused to FOXR1, resulting in fusion transcripts of MLL-FOXR1 and PAFAH1B2-FOXR1. FOXR1 expression has only been detected in early embryogenesis. Affymetrix microarray analysis showed high FOXR1 mRNA expression exclusively in the neuroblastomas with micro-deletions and rare cases of other tumor types, including osteosarcoma cell line HOS. RNAi silencing of FOXR1 strongly inhibited proliferation of HOS cells and triggered apoptosis. Expression profiling of these cells and reporter assays suggested that FOXR1 is a negative regulator of forkhead-box factor mediated transcription. The neural crest stem cell line JoMa1 proliferates in culture conditional to activity of a MYC-ER transgene. Over-expression of the wild-type FOXR1 could functionally replace MYC and drive proliferation of JoMa1. We conclude that FOXR1 is recurrently activated in neuroblastoma by intrachromosomal deletion/fusion events, resulting in over-expression of fusion transcripts. Forkhead-box transcription factors have not been previously implicated in neuroblastoma pathogenesis. Furthermore, this is the first identification of intrachromosomal fusion genes in neuroblastoma. Time series Affymetrix U133p2 profiling of Osteosarcoma HOS cells transduced with FOXR1 targeted shRNAs or control shRNA
Project description:Neuroblastoma tumors frequently show loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 11q with a shortest region of overlap in the 11q23 region. These deletions are thought to cause inactivation of tumor suppressor genes leading to haploinsufficiency. Alternatively, micro-deletions could lead to gene fusion products that are tumor-driving. To identify such events we analyzed a series of neuroblastomas by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays and integrated these data with Affymetrix mRNA profiling data with the bioinformatic tool R2 (http://r2.amc.nl). We identified three neuroblastoma samples with small interstitial deletions at 11q23, upstream of the forkhead-box transcription factor FOXR1. Genes at the proximal side of the deletion were fused to FOXR1, resulting in fusion transcripts of MLL-FOXR1 and PAFAH1B2-FOXR1. FOXR1 expression has only been detected in early embryogenesis. Affymetrix microarray analysis showed high FOXR1 mRNA expression exclusively in the neuroblastomas with micro-deletions and rare cases of other tumor types, including osteosarcoma cell line HOS. RNAi silencing of FOXR1 strongly inhibited proliferation of HOS cells and triggered apoptosis. Expression profiling of these cells and reporter assays suggested that FOXR1 is a negative regulator of forkhead-box factor mediated transcription. The neural crest stem cell line JoMa1 proliferates in culture conditional to activity of a MYC-ER transgene. Over-expression of the wild-type FOXR1 could functionally replace MYC and drive proliferation of JoMa1. We conclude that FOXR1 is recurrently activated in neuroblastoma by intrachromosomal deletion/fusion events, resulting in over-expression of fusion transcripts. Forkhead-box transcription factors have not been previously implicated in neuroblastoma pathogenesis. Furthermore, this is the first identification of intrachromosomal fusion genes in neuroblastoma.
Project description:T cell dysfunction critically limits the efficacy of T cell-based immunotherapies in solid tumors, yet the intrinsic regulators of T cell dysfunction, remain incompletely understood. Through an in vivo genome-wide CRISPR screen in tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, we identified the Forkhead Box R1 (FOXR1) as a potent transcriptional suppressor of CD8+ T cell effector functions. Genetic ablation of FOXR1 significantly enhanced cytokine production and cytotoxic capacity in both murine and human CD8+ T cells, whereas its overexpression impaired T cell activation and effector molecule expression. Mechanistically, multi-omics integration of RNA-seq, CUT&Tag, and ATAC-seq revealed that FOXR1 binds directly to promoter regions of key effector genes, including IL2, GZMB, and PRF1, repressing their expression by restricting chromatin accessibility. Importantly, FOXR1 deletion in human anti-CD19 CAR T cells improved their efficacy against solid tumors, demonstrating FOXR1 as a previously unrecognized checkpoint of T cell effector function and its targeting as a promising strategy to enhance CAR T cell efficacy against solid tumors.
Project description:T cell dysfunction critically limits the efficacy of T cell-based immunotherapies in solid tumors, yet the intrinsic regulators of T cell dysfunction, remain incompletely understood. Through an in vivo genome-wide CRISPR screen in tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, we identified the Forkhead Box R1 (FOXR1) as a potent transcriptional suppressor of CD8+ T cell effector functions. Genetic ablation of FOXR1 significantly enhanced cytokine production and cytotoxic capacity in both murine and human CD8+ T cells, whereas its overexpression impaired T cell activation and effector molecule expression. Mechanistically, multi-omics integration of RNA-seq, CUT&Tag, and ATAC-seq revealed that FOXR1 binds directly to promoter regions of key effector genes, including IL2, GZMB, and PRF1, repressing their expression by restricting chromatin accessibility. Importantly, FOXR1 deletion in human anti-CD19 CAR T cells improved their efficacy against solid tumors, demonstrating FOXR1 as a previously unrecognized checkpoint of T cell effector function and its targeting as a promising strategy to enhance CAR T cell efficacy against solid tumors.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by airway inflammation and remodeling. The role of 15-oxo-5Z,8Z,11Z,13E-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-oxoETE), a 15-HETE metabolite catalyzed by 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), has been relatively unexplored in asthma. In this study, we used RNA-seq to explore the effect of 15-KETE on the transcriptome of airway epithelial cells, aiming to identify its potential downstream targets and mechanisms of action.