Project description:Wilms tumor (WT), also known as nephroblastoma, is the most commonly observed renal tumor within the genitourinary tract of children and constitutes 5% of all childhood malignancies. In this study, we used microarray technology to explore methylation patterns in both WT and adjacent healthy tissues from excised kidneys prior to any chemotherapy treatment in stage I and II WTs. We report several differentially methylated regions that show potential as prognostic biomarkers for disease relapse, and overall patient survival. To explain the mechanistic role of DNA methylation changes in WT relapse, we explore the genes controlled by the differentially methylated IGF2 region, and show elevated expression of INS-IGF2 transcript in tumour tissue of patients that have relapsed after treatment. Altogether, this study provides insights into causes of chemotherapy resistance in patients with low risk WT.
Project description:Expression analysis was performed in 77 Wilms tumors in order to select genes responsible for tumor development, metastasis and progression.
Project description:The definition of biomarkers correlating with disease progression could have impact on the rational design of novel diagnostic approaches for bovine tuberculosis in cattle. We have used the advantages of the murine model to identify promising candidates in the host transcriptome post-infection. RNA from BALB/c splenocytes and lung cells after aerogenic Mycobacterium bovis infection were with high-density microarrays to defining biomarkers of disease progression. In antigen-stimulated splenocytes we found statically significant modulation of 1109 genes early after infection and 1134 at later time-point post-infection. 618 of these genes were modulated at both time points. In the lung 282 genes were significantly modulated post-infection. Amongst the most strongly up-regulated genes were granzyme A in spleen, and cxcl9, granzyme B, interleukin-22, interluekin-17A receptor, and ccr6 in lungs. The expression of 20 of the most up-regulated genes identified in the murine studies were evaluated using PBMC from uninfected and naturally infected cattle. We could show that the expression of cxcl9, granzyme A and interleukin-22 following in vitro stimulation with PPD was significantly increased in infected cows compared to naïve animals. Thus, we have demonstrated that murine transcriptome analysis can be used to predict responses in cattle. In addition, we have prioritised CXCL9, GnzA and IL-22 as potential additional readout systems for the ante-mortem diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis. Two groups of 5 BALB/c mice each were infecetd with approx 600 CFU M. bovis via the intranasal route. At days 3 and 14 post challenge five mice per group were euthanized and spleens and lungs harvested. One group of 5 mice were used as a control. Their splenocytes and lung cells were stimulated in vitro for 3 days with M7 protein pool. Antigen cell culture stimulations in mice were performed using an equal pool of seven secreted, immunogenic recombinant mycobacterial proteins (Rv1886c, Rv3019c, Rv3763, Rv3804c, Rv0251, Rv0287 and Rv0288) common to M. bovis and BCG, referred here as M7 protein cocktail. Each protein was used at final concentration of 2μg/ml in 3-day culture.
Project description:The definition of biomarkers correlating with disease progression could have impact on the rational design of novel diagnostic approaches for bovine tuberculosis in cattle. We have used the advantages of the murine model to identify promising candidates in the host transcriptome post-infection. RNA from BALB/c splenocytes and lung cells after aerogenic Mycobacterium bovis infection were with high-density microarrays to defining biomarkers of disease progression. In antigen-stimulated splenocytes we found statically significant modulation of 1109 genes early after infection and 1134 at later time-point post-infection. 618 of these genes were modulated at both time points. In the lung 282 genes were significantly modulated post-infection. Amongst the most strongly up-regulated genes were granzyme A in spleen, and cxcl9, granzyme B, interleukin-22, interluekin-17A receptor, and ccr6 in lungs. The expression of 20 of the most up-regulated genes identified in the murine studies were evaluated using PBMC from uninfected and naturally infected cattle. We could show that the expression of cxcl9, granzyme A and interleukin-22 following in vitro stimulation with PPD was significantly increased in infected cows compared to naïve animals. Thus, we have demonstrated that murine transcriptome analysis can be used to predict responses in cattle. In addition, we have prioritised CXCL9, GnzA and IL-22 as potential additional readout systems for the ante-mortem diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis.
Project description:Parkinson’s Disease is a multi-system, disabling progressive neurodegenerative condition. Clinical progression is highly heterogeneous and, thus far, there are not available biomarkers to accurately predict the rate of disease progression. Thus, identifying molecular signatures that allow discriminating between different progression rates might significantly assist the therapeutic strategy, and enable improved outcomes in clinical trials. We performed an exploratory cross-sectional study aimed at determining whether gene expression differences in peripheral blood may be used to discriminate between patients with slow or rapid Parkinson’s disease progression
Project description:PREDICT/Predicting individual response and resistance to VEGFR/mTOR pathway therapeutic intervention using biomarkers discovered through tumour functional genomics.