| 1. |
- Gorcenco, Sorina, et al.
(författare)
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Ataxia-pancytopenia syndrome with SAMD9L mutations
- 2017
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Ingår i: Neurology: Genetics. - 2376-7839. ; 3:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: We describe the neurologic, neuroradiologic, and ophthalmologic phenotype of 1 Swedish and 1 Finnish family with autosomal dominant ataxia-pancytopenia (ATXPC) syndrome and SAMD9L mutations.METHODS: Members of these families with germline SAMD9L c.2956C>T, p.Arg986Cys, or c.2672T>C, p.Ile891Thr mutations underwent structured interviews and neurologic and ophthalmologic examinations. Neuroimaging was performed, and medical records were reviewed. Previous publications on SAMD9L-ATXPC were reviewed.RESULTS: Twelve individuals in both families were affected clinically. All mutation carriers examined had balance impairment, although severity was very variable. All but 1 had nystagmus, and all but 1 had pyramidal tract signs. Neurologic features were generally present from childhood on and progressed slowly. Two adult patients, who experienced increasing clumsiness, glare, and difficulties with gaze fixation, had paracentral retinal dysfunction verified by multifocal electroretinography. Brain MRI showed early, marked cerebellar atrophy in most carriers and variable cerebral periventricular white matter T2 hyperintensities. Two children were treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies, and the neurologic symptoms of one of these worsened after treatment. Three affected individuals had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or cognitive problems. Retinal dysfunction was not previously reported in individuals with ATXPC.CONCLUSIONS: The neurologic phenotype of this syndrome is defined by balance or gait impairment, nystagmus, hyperreflexia in the lower limbs and, frequently, marked cerebellar atrophy. Paracentral retinal dysfunction may contribute to glare, reading problems, and clumsiness. Timely diagnosis of ATXPC is important to address the risk for severe hemorrhage, infection, and hematologic malignancies inherent in this syndrome; regular hematologic follow-up might be beneficial.
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| 2. |
- Ch'ng, Jun-Hong, et al.
(författare)
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Epitopes of anti-RIFIN antibodies and characterization of rif-expressing Plasmodium falciparum parasites by RNA sequencing
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Variable surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum have been a major research focus since they facilitate parasite sequestration and give rise to deadly malaria complications. Coupled with its potential use as a vaccine candidate, the recent suggestion that the repetitive interspersed families of polypeptides (RIFINs) mediate blood group A rosetting and influence blood group distribution has raised the research profile of these adhesins. Nevertheless, detailed investigations into the functions of this highly diverse multigene family remain hampered by the limited number of validated reagents. In this study, we assess the specificities of three promising polyclonal anti-RIFIN antibodies that were IgG-purified from sera of immunized animals. Their epitope regions were mapped using a 175,000-peptide microarray holding overlapping peptides of the P. falciparum variable surface antigens. Through immunoblotting and immunofluorescence imaging, we show that different antibodies give varying results in different applications/assays. Finally, we authenticate the antibody-based detection of RIFINs in two previously uncharacterized non-rosetting parasite lines by identifying the dominant rif transcripts using RNA sequencing.
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| 3. |
- Jespersen, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Concomitant use of pembrolizumab and entinostat in adult patients with metastatic uveal melanoma (PEMDAC study): protocol for a multicenter phase II open label study.
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMC cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2407. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While recent years have seen a revolution in the treatment of metastatic cutaneous melanoma, no treatment has yet been able to demonstrate any prolonged survival in metastatic uveal melanoma. Thus, metastatic uveal melanoma remains a disease with an urgent unmet medical need. Reports of treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors have thus far been disappointing. Based on animal experiments, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the effect of immunotherapy may be augmented by epigenetic therapy. Proposed mechanisms include enhanced expression of HLA class I and cancer antigens on cancer cells, as well as suppression of myeloid suppressor cells.The PEMDAC study is a multicenter, open label phase II study assessing the efficacy of concomitant use of the PD1 inhibitor pembrolizumab and the class I HDAC inhibitor entinostat in adult patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. Primary endpoint is objective response rate. Eligible patients have histologically confirmed metastatic uveal melanoma, ECOG performance status 0-1, measurable disease as per RECIST 1.1 and may have received any number of prior therapies, with the exception of anticancer immunotherapy. Twenty nine patients will be enrolled. Patients receive pembrolizumab 200mg intravenously every third week in combination with entinostat 5mg orally once weekly. Treatment will continue until progression of disease or intolerable toxicity or for a maximum of 24months.The PEMDAC study is the first trial to assess whether the addition of an HDAC inhibitor to anti-PD1 therapy can yield objective anti-tumoral responses in metastatic UM.ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT02697630 . (Registered 3 March 2016). EudraCT registration number: 2016-002114-50.
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| 4. |
- Einarsdottir, Berglind Osk, 1979, et al.
(författare)
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A patient-derived xenograft pre-clinical trial reveals treatment responses and a resistance mechanism to karonudib in metastatic melanoma
- 2018
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Ingår i: Cell Death & Disease. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-4889. ; 9:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Karonudib (TH1579) is a novel compound that exerts anti-tumor activities and has recently entered phase I clinical testing. The aim of this study was to conduct a pre-clinical trial in patient-derived xenografts to identify the possible biomarkers of response or resistance that could guide inclusion of patients suffering from metastatic melanoma in phase II clinical trials. Patient-derived xenografts from 31 melanoma patients with metastatic disease were treated with karonudib or a vehicle for 18 days. Treatment responses were followed by measuring tumor sizes, and the models were categorized in the response groups. Tumors were harvested and processed for RNA sequencing and protein analysis. To investigate the effect of karonudib on T-cell-mediated anti-tumor activities, tumor-infiltrating T cells were injected in mice carrying autologous tumors and the mice treated with karonudib. We show that karonudib has heterogeneous anti-tumor effect on metastatic melanoma. Thus, based on the treatment responses, we could divide the 31 patient-derived xenografts in three treatment groups: progression group (32%), suppression group (42%), and regression group (26%). Furthermore, we show that karonudib has anti-tumor effect, irrespective of major melanoma driver mutations. Also, we identify high expression of ABCB1, which codes for p-gp pumps as a resistance biomarker. Finally, we show that karonudib treatment does not hamper T-cell-mediated anti-tumor responses. These findings can be used to guide future use of karonudib in clinical use with a potential approach as precision medicine.
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| 5. |
- Vinnars, Marie-Therese, et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced Th1 and inflammatory mRNA responses upregulate NK cell cytotoxicity and NKG2D ligand expression in human pre-eclamptic placenta and target it for NK cell attack
- 2018
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Ingår i: American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. - : Wiley. - 1046-7408 .- 1600-0897. ; 80:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ProblemPre-eclampsia (PE), a severe human pregnancy disorder, is associated with exaggerated systemic inflammation, enhanced cytokine production, and increased shedding of microvesicles leading to endothelial dysfunction, coagulopathy, and extensive placenta destruction. The cause of PE is still unclear. Evidence suggests that its origin lies in the placenta and that the maternal immune system is involved. A shift in cytokine production in PE pregnancy promotes NK cell activation, suggested to be important in PE pathogenesis. In line with this suggestion, we studied NK cell cytotoxicity in peripheral blood of PE patients and controls and the mRNA expression of cytokines and of the NKG2D receptor and its ligands MICA/B and ULBP1-3 in PE- and normal placenta. Method of studyThe cytotoxic capacity of peripheral blood NK cells was analyzed using K562 target cells. The cytokine mRNA profiles and the mRNA expression of the NKG2D receptor and its ligands MICA/B and ULBP 1-3 in PE placenta were assessed and compared to those in normal placenta using real-time quantitative RT-PCR. ResultsThe cytotoxicity of peripheral blood NK cells was upregulated in PE cases. Further, we found an enhanced inflammatory cytokine mRNA response combined with a dysregulated regulatory response and a significant mRNA overexpression of NKG2D receptor and its ligands MICA/B and ULBP in PE placenta. ConclusionThe destruction of chorionic villi observed in PE placenta might be conveyed by an enhanced local cytotoxic response through the NKG2D receptor-ligand pathway, which in turn might be promoted by an intense inflammatory response not counteracted by regulatory cytokine responses.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Haghighi, Mona, et al.
(författare)
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A Comparison of Rule-based Analysis with Regression Methods in Understanding the Risk Factors for Study Withdrawal in a Pediatric Study
- 2016
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Regression models are extensively used in many epidemiological studies to understand the linkage between specific outcomes of interest and their risk factors. However, regression models in general examine the average effects of the risk factors and ignore subgroups with different risk profiles. As a result, interventions are often geared towards the average member of the population, without consideration of the special health needs of different subgroups within the population. This paper demonstrates the value of using rule-based analysis methods that can identify subgroups with heterogeneous risk profiles in a population without imposing assumptions on the subgroups or method. The rules define the risk pattern of subsets of individuals by not only considering the interactions between the risk factors but also their ranges. We compared the rule-based analysis results with the results from a logistic regression model in The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study. Both methods detected a similar suite of risk factors, but the rule-based analysis was superior at detecting multiple interactions between the risk factors that characterize the subgroups. A further investigation of the particular characteristics of each subgroup may detect the special health needs of the subgroup and lead to tailored interventions.
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| 9. |
- Muralidharan, Somsundar Veppil, et al.
(författare)
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BET bromodomain inhibitors synergize with ATR inhibitors in melanoma in melanoma.
- 2017
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Ingår i: Cell Death & Disease. - 2041-4889. ; 8:8, s. 1-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metastatic malignant melanoma continues to be a challenging disease despite clinical translation of the comprehensive understanding of driver mutations and how melanoma cells evade immune attack. In Myc-driven lymphoma, efficacy of epigenetic inhibitors of the bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) family of bromodomain proteins can be enhanced by combination therapy with inhibitors of the DNA damage response kinase ATR. Whether this combination is active in solid malignancies like melanoma, and how it relates to immune therapy, has not previously investigated. To test efficacy and molecular consequences of combination therapies cultured melanoma cells were used. To assess tumor responses to therapies in vivo we use patient-derived xenografts and B6 mice transplanted with B16F10 melanoma cells. Concomitant inhibition of BET proteins and ATR of cultured melanoma cells resulted in similar effects as recently shown in lymphoma, such as induction of apoptosis and p62, implicated in autophagy, senescence-associated secretory pathway and ER stress. In vivo, apoptosis and suppression of subcutaneous growth of patient-derived melanoma and B16F10 cells were observed. Our data suggest that ATRI/BETI combination therapies are effective in melanoma.
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| 10. |
- Wicher, Grzegorz K., et al.
(författare)
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Interleukin-33 Promotes Recruitment of Microglia/Macrophages in Response to Traumatic Brain Injury
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Neurotrauma. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 0897-7151 .- 1557-9042. ; 34:22, s. 3173-3182
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a devastating condition, often leading to life-long consequences for patients. Even though modern neurointensive care has improved functional and cognitive outcomes, efficient pharmacological therapies are still lacking. Targeting peripherally derived, or resident inflammatory, cells that are rapid responders to brain injury is promising, but complex, given that the contribution of inflammation to exacerbation versus improved recovery varies with time post-injury. The injury-induced inflammatory response is triggered by release of alarmins, and in the present study we asked whether interleukin-33 (IL-33), an injury-associated nuclear alarmin, is involved in TBI. Here, we used samples from human TBI microdialysate, tissue sections from human TBI, and mouse models of central nervous system injury and found that expression of IL-33 in the brain was elevated from nondetectable levels, reaching a maximum after 72 h in both human samples and mouse models. Astrocytes and oligodendrocytes were the main producers of IL-33. Post-TBI, brains of mice deficient in the IL-33 receptor, ST2, contained fewer microglia/macrophages in the injured region than wild-type mice and had an altered cytokine/chemokine profile in response to injury. These observations indicate that IL-33 plays a role in neuroinflammation with microglia/macrophages being cellular targets for this interleukin post-TBI.
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