Project description:Airway hillocks are stratified epithelial structures of unknown function. We show that the luminal cells of hillocks are squamous barrier cells that shield a unique population of underlying hillock basal stem cells. Hillocks occur in characteristic locations and persist for months in uninjured mice. Following injury, hillock basal stem cells undergo massive clonal expansion, resurface denuded airway, and demonstrate extreme plasticity, generating classic airway epithelium with its six component cell types. Remarkably, hillocks resist a very broad spectrum of injuries, including toxins, infection, acid, and physical injury. Furthermore, hillock basal stem cells are characterized by enhanced expression associated with barrier function, cell adhesion, and retinoic acid catabolism. Indeed, hillock basal cells preferentially expand, stratify, and keratinize in the setting of retinoic acid signaling inhibition, a known clinical cause of squamous metaplasia. Finally, we identify human hillocks whose basal cells demonstrate preferential sensitivity to retinoic acid inhibition and conserved barrier properties. Given their capacity for clonal expansion, their plasticity, and their retinoic acid sensitivity, the existence of hillocks and hillock basal stem cells have broad implications for injury repair and for defining the origin of squamous metaplasia, long thought to be a precursor of lung cancer.
Project description:Airway hillocks are stratified epithelial structures of unknown function. We show that the luminal cells of hillocks are squamous barrier cells that shield a unique population of underlying hillock basal stem cells. Hillocks occur in characteristic locations and persist for months in uninjured mice. Following injury, hillock basal stem cells undergo massive clonal expansion, resurface denuded airway, and demonstrate extreme plasticity, generating classic airway epithelium with its six component cell types. Remarkably, hillocks resist a very broad spectrum of injuries, including toxins, infection, acid, and physical injury. Furthermore, hillock basal stem cells are characterized by enhanced expression associated with barrier function, cell adhesion, and retinoic acid catabolism. Indeed, hillock basal cells preferentially expand, stratify, and keratinize in the setting of retinoic acid signaling inhibition, a known clinical cause of squamous metaplasia. Finally, we identify human hillocks whose basal cells demonstrate preferential sensitivity to retinoic acid inhibition and conserved barrier properties. Given their capacity for clonal expansion, their plasticity, and their retinoic acid sensitivity, the existence of hillocks and hillock basal stem cells have broad implications for injury repair and for defining the origin of squamous metaplasia, long thought to be a precursor of lung cancer.
Project description:Bronchopulmonary dysplasia remains one of the most common complication of prematurity, despite significant improvements in perinatal care. Functional modeling of human lung development and disease, like BPD, is limited by our ability to access the lung and to maintain relevant stem cell populations in culture. Single cell RNA-sequencing confirmed the presence of epithelial cells in tracheal aspirates obtained from intubated neonates. Using combined SMAD signaling inhibition and mTOR inhibition neonatal tracheal-aspirate derived (nTAD) basal stem cells can be expanded long-term and retain the ability to differentiate into pseudo-stratified airway epithelium. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that neonatal tracheal aspirate-derived epithelial cells can provide a novel ex vivo human cellular model to study neonatal lung development and disease.
Project description:Bronchopulmonary dysplasia remains one of the most common complication of prematurity, despite significant improvements in perinatal care. Functional modeling of human lung development and disease, like BPD, is limited by our ability to access the lung and to maintain relevant stem cell populations in culture. Single cell RNA-sequencing confirmed the presence of epithelial cells in tracheal aspirates obtained from intubated neonates. Using combined SMAD signaling inhibition and mTOR inhibition neonatal tracheal-aspirate derived (nTAD) basal stem cells can be expanded long-term and retain the ability to differentiate into pseudo-stratified airway epithelium. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that neonatal tracheal aspirate-derived epithelial cells can provide a novel ex vivo human cellular model to study neonatal lung development and disease.
Project description:Epithelial basal cells (BCs) are an important stem cell population of the airways. We purified BCs from a KRT5-GFP transgenic mouse line and used Affymetrix arrays to compare there gene expression to that of non-BC epithelium.
Project description:Epithelial basal cells (BCs) are an important stem cell population of the airways. We purified BCs from a KRT5-GFP transgenic mouse line and used Affymetrix arrays to compare there gene expression to that of non-BC epithelium. Experiment Overall Design: Three populations of cells were obtained by FACS: 1. KRT5-GFP-, lectin- columnar epithelium. 2. KRT5-GFP-, lectin+ BCs. 3. KRT5-GFP+, lectin+ BCs. Three biological replicates of each sample were hybridized to Affymetrix microarray.
Project description:Microarrays were used to examine gene expression changes in patient derived tracheal basal cell lines after treatment with Lenti-SOX2. Comparisons were made between baseline, Lenti-SOX2 and Lenti-SOX2 with a PI3K inhibitor (BKM120).