Project description:In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), epithelial abnormalities are present including bronchiolization and alveolar cell death and dysfunction. As epithelial progenitor cells are directed by their microenvironment, we hypothesized that changes in the microenvironment disrupt normal epithelial growth and differentiation. We therefore mimicked the soluble factor microenvironment in IPF using an IPF cocktail (IPFc), composed of 9 factors which are increased in IPF lungs (CCL2, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-8, IL-13, IL-33, TGF-β, TNFα and TSLP) and in COPD exacerbations using an exacerbation cocktail (EC) composed of 4 factors that are increased during an exacerbation of COPD (TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8). We asked whether the soluble factor milieu in IPF and COPD exacerbations affects epithelial growth and differentiation. Mouse lung organoids (primary EpCAM+ cells co-cultured with CCL206 fibroblasts) were used to study epithelial growth and differentiation. Organoids exposed to IPFc, EC or TGF-β (as a comparator) were resorted into EpCAM+ and CCL206 fractions, and subjected to RNA-sequencing.
Project description:To further understand the pathologic microenvironment in IPF, we have employed whole genome microarray expression profiling as a discovery platform to identify genes with the potential to distinguish normal and IPF lung in normal-looking, fibrotic foci and hyperplastic areas of IPF lung. Four IPF lungs were dissected into normal-looking, fibrotic foci and hyperplastic areas by Laser-Capture-Microdissection. Gene expression analysis showed that 638 significantly different genes were identified that clearly distinguished the different IPF microenvironments . Among them, MMP19 was revealed as one of the most significantly up-regulated genes that distinguished normal looking epithelial cells (N) to hyperplastic epithelial cells, MMP19 up-regulation in IPF lungs was verified by immunohistochemical (IHC), qRT-PCR and Western-blot. IPF lungs are heterogeneity complex, which comprise normal looking area, fibrotic foci and hyperplastic area. In this study we separated the normal, fibrotic foci and hyperplastic area by LCM and employed Agilent whole genome gene expression microarray profiling to identify genes with the potential to distinguish the unique microenironment of IPF
Project description:Exosomal miRNAs have been studied in relation to many diseases. However, there is little to no knowledge regarding the miRNA population of BALF or the lung tissue derived exosomes in COPD and IPF. Considering this, we determined and compared the miRNA profiles of BALF and lung tissue-derived exosomes from healthy non-smokers, healthy smokers, and patients with COPD and IPF. NGS results identified three differentially expressed miRNAs in the BALF, while one in the lung-derived exosomes from COPD patients as compared to healthy non-smokers. Of these, we found three- and five-fold downregulation of miR-122-5p amongst the lung tissue-derived exosomes from COPD patients as compared to healthy non-smokers and smokers, respectively. Interestingly, there were key 55 differentially expressed miRNAs in the lung tissue-derived exosomes of IPF patients compared to non-smoking controls.
Project description:To further understand the pathologic microenvironment in IPF, we have employed whole genome microarray expression profiling as a discovery platform to identify genes with the potential to distinguish normal and IPF lung in normal-looking, fibrotic foci and hyperplastic areas of IPF lung. Four IPF lungs were dissected into normal-looking, fibrotic foci and hyperplastic areas by Laser-Capture-Microdissection. Gene expression analysis showed that 638 significantly different genes were identified that clearly distinguished the different IPF microenvironments . Among them, MMP19 was revealed as one of the most significantly up-regulated genes that distinguished normal looking epithelial cells (N) to hyperplastic epithelial cells, MMP19 up-regulation in IPF lungs was verified by immunohistochemical (IHC), qRT-PCR and Western-blot.
Project description:To understand the cellular composition and transcriptional phenotype of fibrotic lung tissue we performed single-cell RNA-seq on stromal, immune, epithelial, and endothelial cell populations from human lung explants. Tissue was collected from normal control lungs, patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and patients with systemic sclerosis associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). Using the 10X Genomics Chromium platform, we generated transcriptional profiles of approximately 200,500 cells across 4 IPF, 3 SSc-ILD and 3 normal control lungs.
Project description:Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of IPF lungs in fibroblasts, we performed RNA-Sequencing of fibroblasts derived from normal and IPF lungs Method: NHLF(Normal human lung fibroblast) and DHLF-IPF (DIPF; Diseased human lung fibroblasts derived from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) were purchased from Lonza (Walkersville, MD, USA) .Total RNA was extracted from fibroblasts (NHLF and DIPF) using an RNeasy® Mini Kit (#74106; Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA). Preparation of a next-generation sequencing library was performed using a SMARTer® Stranded Total RNA Sample Prep Kit–Pico Input Mammalian (TaKaRa, Shiga, Japan). Sequencing was performed on an Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform in 75-base single-end mode with Illumina Casava 1.8.2 software for base calling. Sequenced reads were mapped to the human reference genome sequence (hg19) using TopHat v.2.0.13 software, in combination with Bowtie 2 v.2.2.3 and SAMtools v.0.1.19. Result: Of the 26,257 genes analyzed, for NHLF and DHLF-IPF (DIPF), FPKM was required to be greater than or equal to 0.3. Under these conditions, 764 genes were up regulated inDHLF-IPF (DIPF) and 691 genes were down regulated.
Project description:The mast cell-specific metalloprotease CPA3 has been given important roles in lung tissue homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. However, the dynamics and spatial distribution of mast cells CPA3 expression in lung diseases remains unknown. Methods: Using a histology-based approach for spatial and quantitative simultaneous decoding of mRNA and protein expression at a single cell level, this study investigates the dynamics of CPA3 expression across mast cells residing in lungs from healthy controls and patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or idiopathic lung fibrosis (IPF). Results: Mast cells in COPD lungs had increased CPA3 mRNA (bronchioles p<0.001, pulmonary vessels p< 0.01, alveolar parenchyma p< 0.01) compared to controls, while granule stored CPA3 protein was unaltered. IPF lungs had a significant upregulation of both CPA3 mRNA (p<0.001) and protein (p<0.05) in the fibrotic alveolar tissue. IPF was also characterized by highest density of distal lung mast cells. As an indication of disease relevant increased CPA3 turnover, spatial expression maps revealed altered mast cell mRNA/protein quotients in lung areas subjected to disease-relevant histopathological alterations. Single cell RNA sequencing of bronchial mast cells confirmed CPA3 as a top expressed gene with potential links to both inflammatory and protective markers. Conclusion: This study shows that lung tissue mast cell populations in COPD and IPF-affected lungs have spatially complex and markedly up-regulated CPA3 expression profiles that correlates with sites of structural pathologies. Given the proposed roles of CPA3 in tissue homeostasis, remodeling and inflammation, these alterations are likely to have clinical consequences.