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:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE20680: Whole Blood Cell Gene Expression Profiling in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease from the Cathgen Registry GSE20681: Whole Blood Cell Gene Expression Profiling in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease from the PREDICT Trial Refer to individual Series
Project description:Advanced age represents one of the major risk factors for Parkinson’s Disease. Recent studies posit a role for microRNAs in Parkinson’s Disease and it is well established that microRNAs are remodelled during ageing, but the relationship between the two processes have not been clarified yet. The aim of the present study is to unravel the relevance of microRNAs as biomarkers of Parkinson’s Disease within the ageing framework. We used Next Generation Sequencing to profile serum microRNAs from samples informative for Parkinson’s Disease (recently diagnosed, drug-naïve Parkinson’s Disease patients) and healthy ageing (centenarians) plus healthy controls age-matched with Parkinson’s Disease patients. Potential candidates, emerging from the combination of differential expression and network analyses, were further validated in an independent cohort including both drug-naïve and advanced Parkinson’s Disease patients together with healthy siblings of Parkinson’s Disease patients at higher genetic risk for Parkinson’s Disease. While we did not find evidences of microRNAs co-regulated in Parkinson’s Disease and ageing, we report that hsa-miR-144-3p is consistently down-regulated in early and advanced Parkinson’s Disease and in Parkinson’s Disease siblings. Interestingly, functional analysis revealed that hsa-miR-144-3p is involved in the regulation of coagulation, a process known to be altered in Parkinson’s Disease. Our results consistently show the down-regulation of hsa-mir144-3p in early and advanced Parkinson’s Disease, robustly confirmed across a variety of analytical and experimental analyses. These results are promising, and additional research is needed to unveil the functional details of its relevance and involvement in Parkinson’s Disease.
Project description:Whole transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from de novo and drug-naive sporadic Parkinson’s disease patients
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.
Project description:Early onset Parkinson’s Disease (onset <50 years) accounts for between 10-20 percent of all patients. While some of these cases are associated with specific mutations, the majority are sporadic where the cause is unknown. We generated induced pluripotent stem cells from sporadic early onset patients and differentiated them to dopamine neurons. At early stages in culture (30 days) we found significant elevations in soluble α-synuclein protein levels when compared to controls. This was associated with reductions in lysosomal membrane proteins such as LAMP1 and an increase in phosphorylated protein kinase C-α (p-PKCα). Testing activators of lysosomal function showed that specific phorbal esters reduced both α-synuclein and p-PKCα levels and increased LAMP1 expression. Interestingly, very low doses of the drug PEP005 were able to reduce α-synuclein levels without affecting p-PKCα. Similar effects of PEP005 on α-synuclein expression were seen following infusion into the mouse brain. Our data show that early onset sporadic Parkinson’s Disease can be accurately predicted using a ratio of α-synuclein and p-PKCα in dopamine neural cultures derived from patient iPSC’s and that specific phorbal esters can alter both biomarkers making these drugs promising candidates to treat Parkinson’s Disease.