Project description:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disorder in obese people and is becoming the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, lncRNAs have been proven to play remarkable roles in numerous biological processes and human diseases, including NAFLD. However, the function of lncRNA in NAFLD pathogenesis remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the lncRNA expression profile in NAFLD mice and to identify novel lncRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. We performed microarray analysis to compare the expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs in the liver of diabetic db/db mice with NAFLD and normal mice.
Project description:Sustained hepatic inflammation can contribute to cancer initiation and progression via tumor-initiating cell expansion, but underlying mechanisms remains unknown. Expression profiles of lncRNAs/mRNAs were measured in normal, chronic hepatitis, cirrhotic and cancerous livers. We found abundant disease-related lncRNAs/mRNAs deregulated across different stages of inflammation-triggered liver disease and refined a transformation gene signature to distinguish pathological liver tissues. Amongst this signature, a conserved lncRNA DANCR was silenced in normal adult liver, but overexpressed in fetal and cancerous livers. Remarkably, increased DANCR significantly correlates with poor prognosis in multiple-center cohorts and is directly induced by inflammatory pathways including NF-κB and STAT3. DANCR could suppress cell differentiation and drive expansion of tumor-initiating cells, leading to chemoresistance. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo inhibition confirms the significance of DANCR as a therapeutic target when combined with other chemotherapy. We illustrate the role of DANCR relies on the regulation of CTNNB1 in a novel miRNA-blocking manner. Our studies reveal the expression of lncRNAs/mRNAs in normal and pathological livers and suggest the importance of oncofetal lncRNA DANCR in inflammation-induced malignant transformation, offering a potential prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for HCC. In the study, 10 normal livers (NL), 10 chronic inflammatory livers (IL), 10 cirrhotic livers (CL), 13 early HCC (eHCC) and 13 advanced HCC (aHCC) samples were profiled their lncRNA/mRNA expression
Project description:Many protein-coding oncofetal genes are highly expressed in murine and human fetal liver and silenced in adult liver. The protein products of these hepatic oncofetal genes have been used as clinical markers for the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and as therapeutic targets for HCC. Herein, we examined the expression profiles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs found in fetal and adult liver in mice.LncRNA-mPvt1 is an oncofetal RNA that was found to promote cell proliferation, cell cycling and the expression of stem cell-like properties of murine cells. Human lncRNA-hPVT1 promotes cell proliferation, cell cycling and the acquisition of stem cell-like properties in HCC cells by stabilizing NOP2 protein. Regulation of the lncRNA-hPVT1/NOP2 pathway may have beneficial effects in the treatment of HCC. We collected mouse fetal livers (E12.5, E14.5, E17.5 days), neonatal murine livers and adult murine livers (8 weeks). The total RNAs recovered from these developmental livers and were used to acquire different expression profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Homo sapiens inflammatory skin diseases (whole skin biospies): Psoriasis (Pso), vs Atopic Dermatitis (AD) vs Lichen planus (Li), vs Contact Eczema (KE), vs Healthy control (KO) In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/TNFα-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, due to its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation. In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/TNFα-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, due to its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation.
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:Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play key roles in various diseases; however, their functions in hyperlipidemia (HLP) are unclear. In the present study, microarray technology was utilized to analyze the differential expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs in liver tissues of HLP ApoE-/- mice and control mice. We identified 104 and 96 differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs, respectively. Differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in biological processes such as nitric oxide biosynthesis, innate immune response, and inflammatory response. Two pairs of target genes and 38 transcription factors with regulatory functions in HLP were predicted based on the lncRNA and mRNA co-expression network. The lncRNA expression profile changes significantly in liver tissues of HLP mice model, and can provide new targets for research and treatment.