Project description:Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Cigarette smoking behaviors (e.g., initiation, nicotine dependence, cessation) are heritable, and many genetic risk loci have been identified. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the genetic risk loci along the trajectory of smoking are largely unknown. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) differences between smokers and nonsmokers can provide insight into mechanisms that predispose to smoking behaviors and consequences of the smoking exposure itself. Here, we provide RNA-seq data generated in nucleus accumbens, an addiction-relevant brain tissue, from 223 deceased individuals: 50 current cigarette smokers, 171 nonsmokers, and 2 individuals with undetermined smoking status. DNA methylation data on the Illumina HumanMethylationEPIC array are also available on most of these individuals and made available (GEO accession number GSE147040).
Project description:Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Cigarette smoking behaviors (e.g., initiation, nicotine dependence, cessation) are heritable, and many genetic risk loci have been identified. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the genetic risk loci along the trajectory of smoking are largely unknown. DNA methylation (DNAm) differences between smokers and nonsmokers can provide insight into mechanisms that predispose to smoking behaviors and consequences of the smoking exposure itself. Differential DNAm by smoking has been found at many CpG sites in blood, but because of the tissue specificity of gene regulation, differential DNAm that can only be detected in brain may have been missed. Here, we provide Illumina HumanMethylationEPIC array data generated in nucleus accumbens, an addiction-relevant brain tissue, from 221 deceased individuals: 53 current cigarette smokers, 168 nonsmokers. From these data, we have conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) and identified several CpG associations with smoking. A subset of the identified CpGs map to genes that were previously indicated as blood-based smoking DNAm biomarkers, but the other CpGs map to genes that were previously undetected in blood and may reflect brain-specific processes related to smoking.
Project description:The small airway epithelium (SAE) the pseudostratified epithelium that covers the majority of the human airway surface from the 6th generation to the alveoli, is the major site of lung disease caused by smoking, and the cell population that exhibits the earliest manifestations of smoking-induced disease. The focus of this study is to use RNA-Seq (massive parallel sequencing technology) to sequence all polyA+ mRNAs expressed by the SAE of healthy nonsmokers to gain new insights into the biology of the SAE, and how these cells respond to cigarette smoke. Taking advantage of RNA-Seq providing quantitative mRNA levels, that data demonstrates that while the SAE shares its transcriptome with many cell types, it has unique characteristics that are enriched in this cell population, with the mostly highly expressed genes (SCGB1A1) characteristics of Clara cells, an airway epithelial cell unique to the human small airways. Among other genes expressed by the SAE are those characteristic of ciliated and mucin-producing cells, basal cells and neuroendocrine cells. The RNA-Seq data includes identification of the highly expressed SAE transcription factors, transmembrane receptors, signaling ligands and growth factors. RNA-Seq permitted quantification of expression of highly homologous gene families, the absolute smoking-induced changes in SAE gene expression, including genes expressed at low levels, and assessment of the effect of smoking on SAE gene splicing. Together, these observations can serve as the baseline for assessment of the dysregulation of SAE gene expression in human airway disease.
Project description:The small airway epithelium (SAE) the pseudostratified epithelium that covers the majority of the human airway surface from the 6th generation to the alveoli, is the major site of lung disease caused by smoking, and the cell population that exhibits the earliest manifestations of smoking-induced disease. The focus of this study is to use RNA-Seq (massive parallel sequencing technology) to sequence all polyA+ mRNAs expressed by the SAE of healthy nonsmokers to gain new insights into the biology of the SAE, and how these cells respond to cigarette smoke. Taking advantage of RNA-Seq providing quantitative mRNA levels, that data demonstrates that while the SAE shares its transcriptome with many cell types, it has unique characteristics that are enriched in this cell population, with the mostly highly expressed genes (SCGB1A1) characteristics of Clara cells, an airway epithelial cell unique to the human small airways. Among other genes expressed by the SAE are those characteristic of ciliated and mucin-producing cells, basal cells and neuroendocrine cells. The RNA-Seq data includes identification of the highly expressed SAE transcription factors, transmembrane receptors, signaling ligands and growth factors. RNA-Seq permitted quantification of expression of highly homologous gene families, the absolute smoking-induced changes in SAE gene expression, including genes expressed at low levels, and assessment of the effect of smoking on SAE gene splicing. Together, these observations can serve as the baseline for assessment of the dysregulation of SAE gene expression in human airway disease. The small airway epithelium (SAE) is the major site of lung disease caused by smoking, and the cell population that exhibits the earliest manifestations of smoking-induced disease. This study used RNA-Seq to sequence all polyA+ mRNAs expressed by the SAE of 5 healthy nonsmokers to gain new insights into the biology of the SAE, and evaluate how these cells respond to cigarette smoke using 6 healthy smoker samples (SRA029282.1). Taking advantage of RNA-Seq providing quantitative mRNA levels, that data demonstrates that while the SAE shares its transcriptome with many cell types, it has unique characteristics that are enriched in this cell population. Coverage of RNA-Seq expression was also compared to the HG-U133 Plus 2.0 microarray expression of 27 previously published healthy nonsmoker samples presented here.
Project description:BackgroundLung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is a subtype of highly malignant lung cancer with poor prognosis, for which smoking is the main risk factor. However, the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms of smoking-related LUSC remain largely unknown.MethodsWe mined existing LUSC-related mRNA, miRNA, and lncRNA transcriptome data and corresponding clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and divided them into smoking and nonsmoking groups, followed by differential expression analysis. Functional enrichment analysis of the unique differentially expressed mRNAs of the two groups was performed using the DAVID database. Subsequently, the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of LUSC in smoking and nonsmoking groups was constructed. Finally, survival analyses were performed to determine the effects of differentially expressed lncRNAs/mRNAs/miRNAs that were involved in the ceRNA network on overall survival and to discover the hub genes.ResultsA total of 1696 lncRNAs, 125 miRNAs, and 3246 mRNAs and 1784 lncRNAs, 96 miRNAs, and 3229 mRNAs with differentially expressed profiles were identified in the smoking and nonsmoking groups, respectively. The ceRNA network and survival analysis revealed four lncRNAs (LINC00466, DLX6-AS1, LINC00261, and AGBL1), one miRNA (hsa-mir-210), and two mRNAs (CITED2 and ENPP4), with the potential as biomarkers for smoking-related LUSC diagnosis and prognosis.ConclusionTaken together, our research has identified the differences in the ceRNA regulatory networks between smoking and nonsmoking LUSC, which could lay the foundation for future clinical research.
Project description:Lectins are proteins present on cell surfaces or as shed extracellular proteins that function in innate immune defense as phagocytic receptors to recognize specific bacterial cell wall components. Based on the knowledge that cigarette smoking is associated with increased risk of bacterial infection, we hypothesized that cigarette smoking may modulate the expression of lectin genes in the airway epithelium. Affymetrix HG U133 Plus 2.0 microarrays were used to survey expression of lectin genes in large (3rd to 4th order bronchi) airway epithelium from 9 normal nonsmokers and 20 phenotypic normal smokers and small (10th to 12th order bronchi) airway epithelium from 13 normal nonsmokers and 20 phenotypic normal smokers. From the 72 lectin genes that were surveyed, there were no changes (>2-fold change, p<0.05) in gene expression in either large or small airway epithelium among normal smokers compared to nonsmokers except for a striking down regulation in both large and small airway epithelium of normal smokers of intelectin 1, a recently described lectin that participates in the innate immune response by recognizing and binding to galactofuranosyl residues in the cell walls of bacteria (large airway epithelium, p<0.003; small airway epithelium, p<0.002). TaqMan RT-PCR confirmed the observation that intelectin 1 was down-regulated in both large (p<0.05) and small airway epithelium (p<0.02) of normal smokers compared to normal nonsmokers. Immunohistochemistry assessment of biopsies of the large airway epithelium of normal nonsmokers demonstrated intelectin 1 was expressed in secretory cells, with qualitatively decreased expression in biopsies from normal smokers. Western analysis confirmed the decreased expression of intelectin 1 in airway epithelium of normal smokers compared to normal nonsmokers (p<0.02). Finally, compared to normal nonsmokers, intelectin 1 expression was decreased in small airway epithelium of smokers with early COPD (n= 13, p<0.001) and smokers with established COPD (n= 14, p<0.001), in a fashion similar to that of normal smokers. In the context that intelectin 1 is an epithelial molecule that likely plays a role in defense against bacteria, the down regulation of expression of intelectin 1 in response to cigarette smoking may contribute to the increase in susceptibility to infections observed in smokers, including those with COPD. Keywords: COPD
Project description:Lectins are proteins present on cell surfaces or as shed extracellular proteins that function in innate immune defense as phagocytic receptors to recognize specific bacterial cell wall components. Based on the knowledge that cigarette smoking is associated with increased risk of bacterial infection, we hypothesized that cigarette smoking may modulate the expression of lectin genes in the airway epithelium. Affymetrix HG U133 Plus 2.0 microarrays were used to survey expression of lectin genes in large (3rd to 4th order bronchi) airway epithelium from 9 normal nonsmokers and 20 phenotypic normal smokers and small (10th to 12th order bronchi) airway epithelium from 13 normal nonsmokers and 20 phenotypic normal smokers. From the 72 lectin genes that were surveyed, there were no changes (>2-fold change, p<0.05) in gene expression in either large or small airway epithelium among normal smokers compared to nonsmokers except for a striking down regulation in both large and small airway epithelium of normal smokers of intelectin 1, a recently described lectin that participates in the innate immune response by recognizing and binding to galactofuranosyl residues in the cell walls of bacteria (large airway epithelium, p<0.003; small airway epithelium, p<0.002). TaqMan RT-PCR confirmed the observation that intelectin 1 was down-regulated in both large (p<0.05) and small airway epithelium (p<0.02) of normal smokers compared to normal nonsmokers. Immunohistochemistry assessment of biopsies of the large airway epithelium of normal nonsmokers demonstrated intelectin 1 was expressed in secretory cells, with qualitatively decreased expression in biopsies from normal smokers. Western analysis confirmed the decreased expression of intelectin 1 in airway epithelium of normal smokers compared to normal nonsmokers (p<0.02). Finally, compared to normal nonsmokers, intelectin 1 expression was decreased in small airway epithelium of smokers with early COPD (n= 13, p<0.001) and smokers with established COPD (n= 14, p<0.001), in a fashion similar to that of normal smokers. In the context that intelectin 1 is an epithelial molecule that likely plays a role in defense against bacteria, the down regulation of expression of intelectin 1 in response to cigarette smoking may contribute to the increase in susceptibility to infections observed in smokers, including those with COPD. Keywords: COPD Comparison of gene expression in airway epithelial cells of normal non-smokers, phenotypic normal smokers, smokers with early COPD, and smokers with COPD.
Project description:This phase I pilot trial studies the side effects of cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8)+ T cells in treating patients with gastrointestinal tumors that have spread to other places in the body. Tumor cells and blood are used to help create an adoptive T cell therapy, such as CD8+ T cell therapy, that is individually designed for a patient and may help doctors learn more about genetic changes in the tumor. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body’s immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving CD8+ T cell therapy and pembrolizumab may work better in treating patients with gastrointestinal tumors.