| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Ajore, Ram, et al.
(author)
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Deletion of ribosomal protein genes is a common vulnerability in human cancer, especially in concert with TP53 mutations
- 2017
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4684 .- 1757-4676. ; 9:4, s. 498-507
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Heterozygous inactivating mutations in ribosomal protein genes (RPGs) are associated with hematopoietic and developmental abnormalities, activation of p53, and altered risk of cancer in humans and model organisms. Here we performed a large-scale analysis of cancer genome data to examine the frequency and selective pressure of RPG lesions across human cancers. We found that hemizygous RPG deletions are common, occurring in about 43% of 10,744 cancer specimens and cell lines. Consistent with p53-dependent negative selection, such lesions are underrepresented in TP53-intact tumors (P ≪ 10−10), and shRNA-mediated knockdown of RPGs activated p53 in TP53-wild-type cells. In contrast, we did not see negative selection of RPG deletions in TP53-mutant tumors. RPGs are conserved with respect to homozygous deletions, and shRNA screening data from 174 cell lines demonstrate that further suppression of hemizygously deleted RPGs inhibits cell growth. Our results establish RPG haploinsufficiency as a strikingly common vulnerability of human cancers that associates with TP53 mutations and could be targetable therapeutically.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Appelberg, S., et al.
(author)
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A universal SARS-CoV DNA vaccine inducing highly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies and T cells
- 2022
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 14:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- New variants in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic are more contagious (Alpha/Delta), evade neutralizing antibodies (Beta), or both (Omicron). This poses a challenge in vaccine development according to WHO. We designed a more universal SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine containing receptor-binding domain loops from the huCoV-19/WH01, the Alpha, and the Beta variants, combined with the membrane and nucleoproteins. The vaccine induced spike antibodies crossreactive between huCoV-19/WH01, Beta, and Delta spike proteins that neutralized huCoV-19/WH01, Beta, Delta, and Omicron virus in vitro. The vaccine primed nucleoprotein-specific T cells, unlike spike-specific T cells, recognized Bat-CoV sequences. The vaccine protected mice carrying the human ACE2 receptor against lethal infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant. Interestingly, priming of cross-reactive nucleoprotein-specific T cells alone was 60% protective, verifying observations from humans that T cells protect against lethal disease. This SARS-CoV vaccine induces a uniquely broad and functional immunity that adds to currently used vaccines.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Ayoglu, Burcu, et al.
(author)
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Affinity proteomics within rare diseases : a BIO-NMD study for blood biomarkers of muscular dystrophies
- 2014
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 6:7, s. 918-936
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite the recent progress in the broad-scaled analysis of proteins in body fluids, there is still a lack in protein profiling approaches for biomarkers of rare diseases. Scarcity of samples is the main obstacle hindering attempts to apply discovery driven protein profiling in rare diseases. We addressed this challenge by combining samples collected within the BIO-NMD consortium from four geographically dispersed clinical sites to identify protein markers associated with muscular dystrophy using an antibody bead array platform with 384 antibodies. Based on concordance in statistical significance and confirmatory results obtained from analysis of both serum and plasma, we identified eleven proteins associated with muscular dystrophy, among which four proteins were elevated in blood from muscular dystrophy patients: carbonic anhydrase III (CA3) and myosin light chain 3 (MYL3), both specifically expressed in slow-twitch muscle fibers and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase 2 (MDH2) and electron transfer flavo-protein A (ETFA). Using age-matched sub-cohorts, 9 protein profiles correlating with disease progression and severity were identified, which hold promise for the development of new clinical tools for management of dystrophinopathies.
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| 7. |
- Bahnan, Wael, et al.
(author)
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A human monoclonal antibody bivalently binding two different epitopes in streptococcal M protein mediates immune function
- 2023
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4684 .- 1757-4676. ; 15:2, s. 1-21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Group A streptococci have evolved multiple strategies to evade human antibodies, making it challenging to create effective vaccines or antibody treatments. Here, we have generated antibodies derived from the memory B cells of an individual who had successfully cleared a group A streptococcal infection. The antibodies bind with high affinity in the central region of the surface-bound M protein. Such antibodies are typically non-opsonic. However, one antibody could effectively promote vital immune functions, including phagocytosis and in vivo protection. Remarkably, this antibody primarily interacts through a bivalent dual-Fab cis mode, where the Fabs bind to two distinct epitopes in the M protein. The dual-Fab cis-binding phenomenon is conserved across different groups of M types. In contrast, other antibodies binding with normal single-Fab mode to the same region cannot bypass the M protein's virulent effects. A broadly binding, protective monoclonal antibody could be a candidate for anti-streptococcal therapy. Our findings highlight the concept of dual-Fab cis binding as a means to access conserved, and normally non-opsonic regions, regions for protective antibody targeting.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Betsholtz, Christer
(author)
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Cell-cell signaling in blood vessel development and function
- 2018
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 10:3
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The blood vasculature is an organ pervading all other organs (almost). During vascular development, cell-cell signaling by extracellular ligands and cell surface receptors ensure that new vessels sprout into non-vascularized regions and simultaneously acquire organ-specific specializations and adaptations that match the local physiological needs. The vessels thereby specialize in their permeability, molecular transport between blood and tissue, and ability to regulate blood flow on demand. Over the past decades, we have learnt about the generic cell-cell signaling mechanisms governing angiogenic sprouting, mural cell recruitment, and vascular remodeling, and we have obtained the first insights into signals that induce and maintain vascular organotypicity. However, intra-organ vascular diversity and arterio-venous hierarchies complicate the molecular characterization of the vasculature's cellular building blocks. Single-cell RNA sequencing provides a way forward, as it allows elucidation at a genome-wide and quantitative level of the transcriptional diversity occurring within the same cell types at different anatomical positions and levels of arterio-venous hierarchy in the organs. In this Louis-Jeantet Prize Winner: Commentary, I give a brief overview of vascular development and how recent advances in the field pave the way for more systematic efforts to explore vascular functions in health and disease.
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| 10. |
- Biel, D., et al.
(author)
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sTREM2 is associated with amyloid-related p-tau increases and glucose hypermetabolism in Alzheimer's disease
- 2023
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In: Embo Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 15:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Microglial activation occurs early in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and previous studies reported both detrimental and protective effects of microglia on AD progression. Here, we used CSF sTREM2 to investigate disease stage-dependent drivers of microglial activation and to determine downstream consequences on AD progression. We included 402 patients with measures of earliest beta-amyloid (CSF A beta(1-42)) and late-stage fibrillary A beta pathology (amyloid-PET centiloid), as well as sTREM2, p-tau(181), and FDG-PET. To determine disease stage, we stratified participants into early A beta-accumulators (A beta CSF+/PET-; n = 70) or late A beta-accumulators (A beta CSF+/PET+; n = 201) plus 131 controls. In early A beta-accumulators, higher centiloid was associated with cross-sectional/longitudinal sTREM2 and p-tau(181) increases. Further, higher sTREM2 mediated the association between centiloid and cross-sectional/longitudinal p-tau(181) increases and higher sTREM2 was associated with FDG-PET hypermetabolism. In late A beta-accumulators, we found no association between centiloid and sTREM2 but a cross-sectional association between higher sTREM2, higher p-tau(181) and glucose hypometabolism. Our findings suggest that a TREM2-related microglial response follows earliest A beta fibrillization, manifests in inflammatory glucose hypermetabolism and may facilitate subsequent p-tau(181) increases in earliest AD.
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| 11. |
- Brueffer, Christian, et al.
(author)
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The mutational landscape of the SCAN‐B real‐world primary breast cancer transcriptome
- 2020
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4684 .- 1757-4676. ; 12:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Breast cancer is a disease of genomic alterations, of which the panorama of somatic mutations and how these relate to subtypes and therapy response is incompletely understood. Within SCAN‐B (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02306096), a prospective study elucidating the transcriptomic profiles for thousands of breast cancers, we developed a RNA‐seq pipeline for detection of SNVs/indels and profiled a real‐world cohort of 3,217 breast tumors. We describe the mutational landscape of primary breast cancer viewed through the transcriptome of a large population‐based cohort and relate it to patient survival. We demonstrate that RNA‐seq can be used to call mutations in genes such as PIK3CA, TP53, and ERBB2, as well as the status of molecular pathways and mutational burden, and identify potentially druggable mutations in 86.8% of tumors. To make this rich dataset available for the research community, we developed an open source web application, the SCAN‐B MutationExplorer (http://oncogenomics.bmc.lu.se/MutationExplorer). These results add another dimension to the use of RNA‐seq as a clinical tool, where both gene expression‐ and mutation‐based biomarkers can be interrogated in real‐time within 1 week of tumor sampling.
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| 12. |
- Brunetti, Dario, et al.
(author)
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Defective PITRM1 mitochondrial peptidase is associated with A amyloidotic neurodegeneration
- 2016
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 8:3, s. 176-190
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mitochondrial dysfunction and altered proteostasis are central features of neurodegenerative diseases. The pitrilysin metallopeptidase 1 (PITRM1) is a mitochondrial matrix enzyme, which digests oligopeptides, including the mitochondrial targeting sequences that are cleaved from proteins imported across the inner mitochondrial membrane and the mitochondrial fraction of amyloid beta (A). We identified two siblings carrying a homozygous PITRM1 missense mutation (c.548G>A, p.Arg183Gln) associated with an autosomal recessive, slowly progressive syndrome characterised by mental retardation, spinocerebellar ataxia, cognitive decline and psychosis. The pathogenicity of the mutation was tested invitro, in mutant fibroblasts and skeletal muscle, and in a yeast model. A Pitrm1(+/-) heterozygous mouse showed progressive ataxia associated with brain degenerative lesions, including accumulation of A-positive amyloid deposits. Our results show that PITRM1 is responsible for significant A degradation and that impairment of its activity results in A accumulation, thus providing a mechanistic demonstration of the mitochondrial involvement in amyloidotic neurodegeneration.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Cepeda, D., et al.
(author)
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CDK-mediated activation of the SCFFBXO28 ubiquitin ligase promotes MYC-driven transcription and tumourigenesis and predicts poor survival in breast cancer
- 2013
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 5:7, s. 999-1018
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- SCF (Skp1/Cul1/F-box) ubiquitin ligases act as master regulators of cellular homeostasis by targeting key proteins for ubiquitylation. Here, we identified a hitherto uncharacterized F-box protein, FBXO28 that controls MYC-dependent transcription by non-proteolytic ubiquitylation. SCFFBXO28 activity and stability are regulated during the cell cycle by CDK1/2-mediated phosphorylation of FBXO28, which is required for its efficient ubiquitylation of MYC and downsteam enhancement of the MYC pathway. Depletion of FBXO28 or overexpression of an F-box mutant unable to support MYC ubiquitylation results in an impairment of MYC-driven transcription, transformation and tumourigenesis. Finally, in human breast cancer, high FBXO28 expression and phosphorylation are strong and independent predictors of poor outcome. In conclusion, our data suggest that SCFFBXO28 plays an important role in transmitting CDK activity to MYC function during the cell cycle, emphasizing the CDK-FBXO28-MYC axis as a potential molecular drug target in MYC-driven cancers, including breast cancer. FBXO28 is identified as part of a SCF complex acting as a regulator of tumor cell proliferation and an important modifier of MYC function. FBXO28 may be a new prognostic factor in breast cancer and a new potential drug target in MYC- driven tumors.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Claesson-Welsh, Lena
(author)
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What is normal? : Apelin and VEGFA, drivers of tumor vessel abnormality
- 2019
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 11:8
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine, Uribesalgo and coworkers show that high Apelin expression correlates with poor survival in advanced breast (MMTV-NeuT) and lung (KRASG12D) murine tumor models as well as in breast and lung cancer in humans. Combining Apelin inhibition (genetically or using an inactive Apelin agonist) with anti-angiogenic therapy using different small molecular weight kinase inhibitors (sunitinib, axitinib) led to marked delay in breast cancer growth in mice. The vasculature in Apelin-targeted cancer showed normalized features including improved perfusion and reduced leakage. These important data provide a strong incentive to target Apelin in human cancer treatment.
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| 19. |
- Cuttano, Roberto, et al.
(author)
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KLF4 is a key determinant in the development and progression of cerebral cavernous malformations
- 2016
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 8:1, s. 6-24
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular malformations located within the central nervous system often resulting in cerebral hemorrhage. Pharmacological treatment is needed, since current therapy is limited to neurosurgery. Familial CCM is caused by loss-of-function mutations in any of Ccm1, Ccm2, and Ccm3 genes. CCM cavernomas are lined by endothelial cells (ECs) undergoing endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). This switch in phenotype is due to the activation of the transforming growth factor beta/bone morphogenetic protein (TGFb/BMP) signaling. However, the mechanism linking Ccm gene inactivation and TGFb/ BMP-dependent EndMT remains undefined. Here, we report that Ccm1 ablation leads to the activation of a MEKK3-MEK5-ERK5MEF2 signaling axis that induces a strong increase in Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) in ECs in vivo. KLF4 transcriptional activity is responsible for the EndMT occurring in CCM1-null ECs. KLF4 promotes TGFb/BMP signaling through the production of BMP6. Importantly, in endothelial-specific Ccm1 and Klf4 double knockout mice, we observe a strong reduction in the development of CCM and mouse mortality. Our data unveil KLF4 as a therapeutic target for CCM.
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| 20. |
- Drouin-Ouellet, Janelle, et al.
(author)
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REST suppression mediates neural conversion of adult human fibroblasts via microRNA-dependent and -independent pathways
- 2017
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4684 .- 1757-4676. ; 9:8, s. 1117-1131
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Direct conversion of human fibroblasts into mature and functional neurons, termed induced neurons (iNs), was achieved for the first time 6 years ago. This technology offers a promising shortcut for obtaining patient- and disease-specific neurons for disease modeling, drug screening, and other biomedical applications. However, fibroblasts from adult donors do not reprogram as easily as fetal donors, and no current reprogramming approach is sufficiently efficient to allow the use of this technology using patient-derived material for large-scale applications. Here, we investigate the difference in reprogramming requirements between fetal and adult human fibroblasts and identify REST as a major reprogramming barrier in adult fibroblasts. Via functional experiments where we overexpress and knockdown the REST-controlled neuron-specific microRNAs miR-9 and miR-124, we show that the effect of REST inhibition is only partially mediated via microRNA up-regulation. Transcriptional analysis confirmed that REST knockdown activates an overlapping subset of neuronal genes as microRNA overexpression and also a distinct set of neuronal genes that are not activated via microRNA overexpression. Based on this, we developed an optimized one-step method to efficiently reprogram dermal fibroblasts from elderly individuals using a single-vector system and demonstrate that it is possible to obtain iNs of high yield and purity from aged individuals with a range of familial and sporadic neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's, Huntington's, as well as Alzheimer's disease.
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Fu, Z. J., et al.
(author)
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Dyslipidemia in retinal metabolic disorders
- 2019
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In: Embo Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 11:10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The light-sensitive photoreceptors in the retina are extremely metabolically demanding and have the highest density of mitochondria of any cell in the body. Both physiological and pathological retinal vascular growth and regression are controlled by photoreceptor energy demands. It is critical to understand the energy demands of photoreceptors and fuel sources supplying them to understand neurovascular diseases. Retinas are very rich in lipids, which are continuously recycled as lipid-rich photoreceptor outer segments are shed and reformed and dietary intake of lipids modulates retinal lipid composition. Lipids (as well as glucose) are fuel substrates for photoreceptor mitochondria. Dyslipidemia contributes to the development and progression of retinal dysfunction in many eye diseases. Here, we review photoreceptor energy demands with a focus on lipid metabolism in retinal neurovascular disorders.
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| 24. |
- Fu, Zhongjie, et al.
(author)
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Photoreceptor glucose metabolism determines normal retinal vascular growth
- 2018
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 10:1, s. 76-90
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The neural cells and factors determining normal vascular growth are not well defined even though vision-threatening neovessel growth, a major cause of blindness in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (and diabetic retinopathy), is driven by delayed normal vascular growth. We here examined whether hyperglycemia and low adiponectin (APN) levels delayed normal retinal vascularization, driven primarily by dysregulated photoreceptor metabolism. In premature infants, low APN levels correlated with hyperglycemia and delayed retinal vascular formation. Experimentally in a neonatal mouse model of postnatal hyperglycemia modeling early ROP, hyperglycemia caused photoreceptor dysfunction and delayed neurovascular maturation associated with changes in the APN pathway; recombinant mouse APN or APN receptor agonist AdipoRon treatment normalized vascular growth. APN deficiency decreased retinal mitochondrial metabolic enzyme levels particularly in photoreceptors, suppressed retinal vascular development, and decreased photoreceptor platelet-derived growth factor (Pdgfb). APN pathway activation reversed these effects. Blockade of mitochondrial respiration abolished AdipoRon-induced Pdgfb increase in photoreceptors. Photoreceptor knockdown of Pdgfb delayed retinal vascular formation. Stimulation of the APN pathway might prevent hyperglycemia-associated retinal abnormalities and suppress phase I ROP in premature infants.
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
- Goedel, A, et al.
(author)
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In search of the next super models
- 2019
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In: EMBO molecular medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4684 .- 1757-4676. ; 11:12, s. e11502-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Hankeova, S., et al.
(author)
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Sex differences and risk factors for bleeding in Alagille syndrome
- 2022
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In: Embo Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 14:12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Spontaneous bleeds are a leading cause of death in the pediatric JAG1-related liver disease Alagille syndrome (ALGS). We asked whether there are sex differences in bleeding events in patients, whether Jag1(Ndr/Ndr) mice display bleeds or vascular defects, and whether discovered vascular pathology can be confirmed in patients non-invasively. We performed a systematic review of patients with ALGS and vascular events following PRISMA guidelines, in the context of patient sex, and found significantly more girls than boys reported with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage. We investigated vascular development, homeostasis, and bleeding in Jag1(Ndr/Ndr) mice, using retina as a model. Jag1(Ndr/Ndr) mice displayed sporadic brain bleeds, a thin skull, tortuous blood vessels, sparse arterial smooth muscle cell coverage in multiple organs, which could be aggravated by hypertension, and sex-specific venous defects. Importantly, we demonstrated that retinographs from patients display similar characteristics with significantly increased vascular tortuosity. In conclusion, there are clinically important sex differences in vascular disease in ALGS, and retinography allows non-invasive vascular analysis in patients. Finally, Jag1(Ndr/Ndr) mice represent a new model for vascular compromise in ALGS.
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| 31. |
- Hansson, Oskar, et al.
(author)
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The genetic regulation of protein expression in cerebrospinal fluid
- 2023
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 15:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Studies of the genetic regulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins may reveal pathways for treatment of neurological diseases. 398 proteins in CSF were measured in 1,591 participants from the BioFINDER study. Protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) were identified as associations between genetic variants and proteins, with 176 pQTLs for 145 CSF proteins (P < 1.25 × 10−10, 117 cis-pQTLs and 59 trans-pQTLs). Ventricular volume (measured with brain magnetic resonance imaging) was a confounder for several pQTLs. pQTLs for CSF and plasma proteins were overall correlated, but CSF-specific pQTLs were also observed. Mendelian randomization analyses suggested causal roles for several proteins, for example, ApoE, CD33, and GRN in Alzheimer's disease, MMP-10 in preclinical Alzheimer's disease, SIGLEC9 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and CD38, GPNMB, and ADAM15 in Parkinson's disease. CSF levels of GRN, MMP-10, and GPNMB were altered in Alzheimer's disease, preclinical Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, respectively. These findings point to pathways to be explored for novel therapies. The novel finding that ventricular volume confounded pQTLs has implications for design of future studies of the genetic regulation of the CSF proteome.
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| 32. |
- Heindryckx, Femke, et al.
(author)
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Endoplasmic reticulum stress enhances fibrosis through IRE1α-mediated degradation of miR-150 and XBP-1 splicing
- 2016
-
In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 8:7, s. 729-744
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ER stress results in activation of the unfolded protein response and has been implicated in the development of fibrotic diseases. In this study, we show that inhibition of the ER stress-induced IRE1α signaling pathway, using the inhibitor 4μ8C, blocks TGFβ-induced activation of myofibroblasts in vitro, reduces liver and skin fibrosis in vivo, and reverts the fibrotic phenotype of activated myofibroblasts isolated from patients with systemic sclerosis. By using IRE1α(-/-) fibroblasts and expression of IRE1α-mutant proteins lacking endoribonuclease activity, we confirmed that IRE1α plays an important role during myofibroblast activation. IRE1α was shown to cleave miR-150 and thereby to release the suppressive effect that miR-150 exerted on αSMA expression through c-Myb. Inhibition of IRE1α was also demonstrated to block ER expansion through an XBP-1-dependent pathway. Taken together, our results suggest that ER stress could be an important and conserved mechanism in the pathogenesis of fibrosis and that components of the ER stress pathway may be therapeutically relevant for treating patients with fibrotic diseases.
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| 33. |
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
- Jin, Chuan, et al.
(author)
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Safe engineering of CAR T cells for adoptive cell therapy of cancer using long-term episomal gene transfer
- 2016
-
In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 8:7, s. 702-711
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a new successful treatment for refractory B-cell leukemia. Successful therapeutic outcome depends on long-term expression of CAR transgene in T cells, which is achieved by delivering transgene using integrating gamma retrovirus (RV) or lentivirus (LV). However, uncontrolled RV/LV integration in host cell genomes has the potential risk of causing insertional mutagenesis. Herein, we describe a novel episomal long-term cell engineering method using non-integrating lentiviral (NILV) vector containing a scaffold/matrix attachment region (S/MAR) element, for either expression of transgenes or silencing of target genes. The insertional events of this vector into the genome of host cells are below detection level. CD19 CAR T cells engineered with a NILV-S/MAR vector have similar levels of CAR expression as T cells engineered with an integrating LV vector, even after numerous rounds of cell division. NILV-S/MAR-engineered CD19 CAR T cells exhibited similar cytotoxic capacity upon CD19(+) target cell recognition as LV-engineered T cells and are as effective in controlling tumor growth in vivo We propose that NILV-S/MAR vectors are superior to current options as they enable long-term transgene expression without the risk of insertional mutagenesis and genotoxicity.
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| 37. |
- Kirschenbaum, Daniel, et al.
(author)
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Whole-brain microscopy reveals distinct temporal and spatial efficacy of anti-A beta therapies
- 2023
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : WILEY. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 15
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many efforts targeting amyloid-beta (A beta) plaques for the treatment of Alzheimers Disease thus far have resulted in failures during clinical trials. Regional and temporal heterogeneity of efficacy and dependence on plaque maturity may have contributed to these disappointing outcomes. In this study, we mapped the regional and temporal specificity of various anti-A beta treatments through high-resolution light-sheet imaging of electrophoretically cleared brains. We assessed the effect on amyloid plaque formation and growth in Thy1-APP/PS1 mice subjected to beta-secretase inhibitors, polythiophenes, or anti-A beta antibodies. Each treatment showed unique spatiotemporal A beta clearance, with polythiophenes emerging as a potent anti-A beta compound. Furthermore, aligning with a spatial-transcriptomic atlas revealed transcripts that correlate with the efficacy of each A beta therapy. As observed in this study, there is a striking dependence of specific treatments on the location and maturity of A beta plaques. This may also contribute to the clinical trial failures of A beta-therapies, suggesting that combinatorial regimens may be significantly more effective in clearing amyloid deposition.
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| 38. |
- Kobialka, Piotr, et al.
(author)
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The onset of PI3K-related vascular malformations occurs during angiogenesis and is prevented by the AKT inhibitor miransertib
- 2022
-
In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO Press. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 14:7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Low-flow vascular malformations are congenital overgrowths composed of abnormal blood vessels potentially causing pain, bleeding and obstruction of different organs. These diseases are caused by oncogenic mutations in the endothelium, which result in overactivation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Lack of robust in vivo preclinical data has prevented the development and translation into clinical trials of specific molecular therapies for these diseases. Here, we demonstrate that the Pik3caH1047R activating mutation in endothelial cells triggers a transcriptome rewiring that leads to enhanced cell proliferation. We describe a new reproducible preclinical in vivo model of PI3K-driven vascular malformations using the postnatal mouse retina. We show that active angiogenesis is required for the pathogenesis of vascular malformations caused by activating Pik3ca mutations. Using this model, we demonstrate that the AKT inhibitor miransertib both prevents and induces the regression of PI3K-driven vascular malformations. We confirmed the efficacy of miransertib in isolated human endothelial cells with genotypes spanning most of human low-flow vascular malformations.
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Lantero Rodriguez, Juan, et al.
(author)
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P-tau235: a novel biomarker for staging preclinical Alzheimer's disease.
- 2021
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In: EMBO molecular medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4684 .- 1757-4676. ; 13:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterised by a long preclinical phase. Although phosphorylated tau (p-tau) species such as p-tau217 and p-tau231 provide accurate detection of early pathological changes, other biomarkers capable of staging disease progression during preclinical AD are still needed. Combining exploratory and targeted mass spectrometry methods in neuropathologically confirmed brain tissue, we observed that p-tau235 is a prominent feature of AD pathology. In addition, p-tau235 seemed to be preceded by p-tau231, in what appeared to be a sequential phosphorylation event. To exploit its biomarker potential in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), we developed and validated a new p-tau235 Simoa assay. Using three clinical cohorts, we demonstrated that (i) CSF p-235 increases early in AD continuum, and (ii) changes in CSF p-tau235 and p-tau231 levels during preclinical AD are consistent with the sequential phosphorylation evidence in AD brain. In conclusion, CSF p-tau235 appears to be not only a highly specific biomarker of AD but also a promising staging biomarker for the preclinical phase. Thus, it could prove useful tracking disease progression and help enriching clinical trial recruitment.
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| 41. |
- Le Joncour, Vadim, et al.
(author)
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Vulnerability of invasive glioblastoma cells to lysosomal membrane destabilization.
- 2019
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 11:6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The current clinical care of glioblastomas leaves behind invasive, radio- and chemo-resistant cells. We recently identified mammary-derived growth inhibitor (MDGI/FABP3) as a biomarker for invasive gliomas. Here, we demonstrate a novel function for MDGI in the maintenance of lysosomal membrane integrity, thus rendering invasive glioma cells unexpectedly vulnerable to lysosomal membrane destabilization. MDGI silencing impaired trafficking of polyunsaturated fatty acids into cells resulting in significant alterations in the lipid composition of lysosomal membranes, and subsequent death of the patient-derived glioma cells via lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP). In a preclinical model, treatment of glioma-bearing mice with an antihistaminergic LMP-inducing drug efficiently eradicated invasive glioma cells and secondary tumours within the brain. This unexpected fragility of the aggressive infiltrating cells to LMP provides new opportunities for clinical interventions, such as re-positioning of an established antihistamine drug, to eradicate the inoperable, invasive, and chemo-resistant glioma cells from sustaining disease progression and recurrence.
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| 42. |
- Leuzy, Antoine, et al.
(author)
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Blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease
- 2022
-
In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 14:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) represent a mounting public health challenge. As these diseases are difficult to diagnose clinically, biomarkers of underlying pathophysiology are playing an ever-increasing role in research, clinical trials, and in the clinical work-up of patients. Though cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positron emission tomography (PET)-based measures are available, their use is not widespread due to limitations, including high costs and perceived invasiveness. As a result of rapid advances in the development of ultra-sensitive assays, the levels of pathological brain- and AD-related proteins can now be measured in blood, with recent work showing promising results. Plasma P-tau appears to be the best candidate marker during symptomatic AD (i.e., prodromal AD and AD dementia) and preclinical AD when combined with Aβ42/Aβ40. Though not AD-specific, blood NfL appears promising for the detection of neurodegeneration and could potentially be used to detect the effects of disease-modifying therapies. This review provides an overview of the progress achieved thus far using AD blood-based biomarkers, highlighting key areas of application and unmet challenges.
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| 43. |
- Littmann, Marie, et al.
(author)
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Streptococcus pneumoniae evades human dendritic cell surveillance by pneumolysin expression
- 2009
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4684 .- 1757-4676. ; 1:4, s. 211-222
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dendritic cells (DCs) protect the respiratory epithelium via induction of innate immune responses and priming of naive T cells during the initiation of adaptive immunity. Streptococcus pneumoniae, a commonly carried asymptomatic member of the human nasopharyngeal microflora, can cause invasive and inflammatory diseases and the cholesterol-dependent cytotoxin pneumolysin is a major pneumococcal virulence factor implicated in compounding tissue damage and mediating inflammatory responses. While most studies examining the impact of pneumolysin have been based on murine models, we have focused this study on human DC responses. We show that expression of haemolytic pneumolysin inhibits human DC maturation, induction of proinflammatory cytokines and activation of the inflammasome. Furthermore, intracellular production of pneumolysin induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in infected DCs. Similarly, clinical isolates with non-haemolytic pneumolysin were more proinflammatory and caused less apoptosis compared to clonally related strains with active pneumolysin. This study describes a novel role of pneumolysin in the evasion of human DC surveillance that could have a profound clinical impact upon inflammatory disease progression and highlights the need to study human responses to human-specific pathogens.
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| 44. |
- Losa, Marco, et al.
(author)
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The ASC inflammasome adapter governs SAA-derived protein aggregation in inflammatory amyloidosis
- 2024
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : SPRINGERNATURE. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Extracellularly released molecular inflammasome assemblies -ASC specks- cross-seed A beta amyloid in Alzheimer's disease. Here we show that ASC governs the extent of inflammation-induced amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, a systemic disease caused by the aggregation and peripheral deposition of the acute-phase reactant serum amyloid A (SAA) in chronic inflammatory conditions. Using super-resolution microscopy, we found that ASC colocalized tightly with SAA in human AA amyloidosis. Recombinant ASC specks accelerated SAA fibril formation and mass spectrometry after limited proteolysis showed that ASC interacts with SAA via its pyrin domain (PYD). In a murine model of inflammatory AA amyloidosis, splenic amyloid load was conspicuously decreased in Pycard-/- mice which lack ASC. Treatment with anti-ASC(PYD) antibodies decreased amyloid loads in wild-type mice suffering from AA amyloidosis. The prevalence of natural anti-ASC IgG (-logEC(50 )>= 2) in 19,334 hospital patients was <0.01%, suggesting that anti-ASC antibody treatment modalities would not be confounded by natural autoimmunity. These findings expand the role played by ASC and IL-1 independent inflammasome employments to extraneural proteinopathies and suggest that anti-ASC immunotherapy may contribute to resolving such diseases.
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| 45. |
- Marazioti, Antonia, et al.
(author)
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KRAS signaling in malignant pleural mesothelioma
- 2022
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4684 .- 1757-4676. ; 14:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) arises from mesothelial cells lining the pleural cavity of asbestos-exposed individuals and rapidly leads to death. MPM harbors loss-of-function mutations in BAP1, NF2, CDKN2A, and TP53, but isolated deletion of these genes alone in mice does not cause MPM and mouse models of the disease are sparse. Here, we show that a proportion of human MPM harbor point mutations, copy number alterations, and overexpression of KRAS with or without TP53 changes. These are likely pathogenic, since ectopic expression of mutant KRASG12D in the pleural mesothelium of conditional mice causes epithelioid MPM and cooperates with TP53 deletion to drive a more aggressive disease form with biphasic features and pleural effusions. Murine MPM cell lines derived from these tumors carry the initiating KRASG12D lesions, secondary Bap1 alterations, and human MPM-like gene expression profiles. Moreover, they are transplantable and actionable by KRAS inhibition. Our results indicate that KRAS alterations alone or in accomplice with TP53 alterations likely play an important and underestimated role in a proportion of patients with MPM, which warrants further exploration.
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| 46. |
- Mattsson-Carlgren, Niklas, et al.
(author)
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Soluble P-tau217 reflects amyloid and tau pathology and mediates the association of amyloid with tau
- 2021
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 13:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by β-amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Plasma levels of phospho-tau217 (P-tau217) accurately differentiate Alzheimer’s disease dementia from other dementias, but it is unclear to what degree this reflects β-amyloid plaque accumulation, tau tangle accumulation, or both. In a cohort with post-mortem neuropathological data (N = 88), both plaque and tangle density contributed independently to higher P-tau217, but P-tau217 was not elevated in patients with non-Alzheimer’s disease tauopathies (N = 9). Several findings were replicated in a cohort with PET imaging (“BioFINDER-2”, N = 426), where β-amyloid and tau PET were independently associated with P-tau217. P-tau217 concentrations correlated with β-amyloid PET (but not tau PET) in early disease stages and with both β-amyloid and (more strongly) tau PET in late disease stages. Finally, P-tau217 mediated the association between β-amyloid and tau in both cohorts, especially for tau outside of the medial temporal lobe. These findings support the hypothesis that plasma P-tau217 concentration is increased by both β-amyloid plaques and tau tangles and is congruent with the hypothesis that P-tau is involved in β-amyloid-dependent formation of neocortical tau tangles.
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| 47. |
- Mattsson, Niklas, et al.
(author)
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18F-AV-1451 and CSF T-tau and P-tau as biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease
- 2017
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 9, s. 1212-1223
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To elucidate the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total-tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated tau (P-tau) with the tau PET ligand 18F-AV-1451 in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we examined 30 cognitively healthy elderly (15 with preclinical AD), 14 prodromal AD, and 39 AD dementia patients. CSF T-tau and P-tau were highly correlated (R = 0.92, P < 0.001), but they were only moderately associated with retention of 18F-AV-1451, and mainly in demented AD patients. 18F-AV-1451, but not CSF T-tau or P-tau, was strongly associated with atrophy and cognitive impairment. CSF tau was increased in preclinical AD, despite normal 18F-AV-1451 retention. However, not all dementia AD patients exhibited increased CSF tau, even though 18F-AV-1451 retention was always increased at this disease stage. We conclude that CSF T-tau and P-tau mainly behave as biomarkers of "disease state", since they appear to be increased in many cases of AD at all disease stages, already before the emergence of tau aggregates. In contrast, 18F-AV-1451 is a biomarker of "disease stage", since it is increased in clinical stages of the disease, and is associated with brain atrophy and cognitive decline.
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| 48. |
- Mattsson, Niklas, 1979, et al.
(author)
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Cerebrospinal fluid tau, neurogranin, and neurofilament light in Alzheimer's disease.
- 2016
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In: EMBO molecular medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4684 .- 1757-4676. ; 8, s. 1184-1196
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau (total tau, T-tau), neurofilament light (NFL), and neurogranin (Ng) are potential biomarkers for neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is unknown whether these biomarkers provide similar or complementary information in AD. We examined 93 patients with AD, 187 patients with mild cognitive impairment, and 109 controls. T-tau, Ng, and NFL were all predictors of AD diagnosis. Combinations improved the diagnostic accuracy (AUC 85.5% for T-tau, Ng, and NFL) compared to individual biomarkers (T-tau 80.8%; Ng 71.4%; NFL 77.7%). T-tau and Ng were highly correlated (ρ=0.79, P<0.001) and strongly associated with β-amyloid (Aβ) pathology, and with longitudinal deterioration in cognition and brain structure, primarily in people with Aβ pathology. NFL on the other hand was not associated with Aβ pathology and was associated with cognitive decline and brain atrophy independent of Aβ. T-tau, Ng, and NFL provide partly independent information about neuronal injury and may be combined to improve the diagnostic accuracy for AD. T-tau and Ng reflect Aβ-dependent neurodegeneration, while NFL reflects neurodegeneration independently of Aβ pathology.
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| 49. |
- Maurel, M., et al.
(author)
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Control of anterior GRadient 2 (AGR2) dimerization links endoplasmic reticulum proteostasis to inflammation
- 2019
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 11:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) is a dimeric protein disulfide isomerase family member involved in the regulation of protein quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Mouse AGR2 deletion increases intestinal inflammation and promotes the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although these biological effects are well established, the underlying molecular mechanisms of AGR2 function toward inflammation remain poorly defined. Here, using a protein-protein interaction screen to identify cellular regulators of AGR2 dimerization, we unveiled specific enhancers, including TMED2, and inhibitors of AGR2 dimerization, that control AGR2 functions. We demonstrate that modulation of AGR2 dimer formation, whether enhancing or inhibiting the process, yields pro-inflammatory phenotypes, through either autophagy-dependent processes or secretion of AGR2, respectively. We also demonstrate that in IBD and specifically in Crohn's disease, the levels of AGR2 dimerization modulators are selectively deregulated, and this correlates with severity of disease. Our study demonstrates that AGR2 dimers act as sensors of ER homeostasis which are disrupted upon ER stress and promote the secretion of AGR2 monomers. The latter might represent systemic alarm signals for pro-inflammatory responses.
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| 50. |
- Mohlin, Sofie, et al.
(author)
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Anti-tumor effects of PIM/PI3K/mTOR triple kinase inhibitor IBL-302 in neuroblastoma
- 2019
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In: EMBO Molecular Medicine. - : EMBO. - 1757-4676 .- 1757-4684. ; 11:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PI3K pathway is a major driver of cancer progression. However, clinical resistance to PI3K inhibition is common. IBL-302 is a novel highly specific triple PIM, PI3K, and mTOR inhibitor. Screening IBL-302 in over 700 cell lines representing 47 tumor types identified neuroblastoma as a strong candidate for PIM/PI3K/mTOR inhibition. IBL-302 was more effective than single PI3K inhibition in vitro, and IBL-302 treatment of neuroblastoma patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cells induced apoptosis, differentiated tumor cells, and decreased N-Myc protein levels. IBL-302 further enhanced the effect of the common cytotoxic chemotherapies cisplatin, doxorubicin, and etoposide. Global genome, proteome, and phospho-proteome analyses identified crucial biological processes, including cell motility and apoptosis, targeted by IBL-302 treatment. While IBL-302 treatment alone reduced tumor growth in vivo, combination therapy with low-dose cisplatin inhibited neuroblastoma PDX growth. Complementing conventional chemotherapy treatment with PIM/PI3K/mTOR inhibition has the potential to improve clinical outcomes and reduce severe late effects in children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
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