Project description:Human infants are born to breastfeed. While 50% of lactating persons report struggling to make enough milk, there are no governmentally-approved drugs to enhance lactation1. Here, we engineer a variant of the naturally-occurring driver of lactation, the hormone Prolactin, to increase its serum half-life and produce a viable drug candidate. Our engineered variant,Prolactin-eXtra Long-acting(Prolactin-XL), is comprised of endogenously active human prolactin fused to an engineered human IgG1 Fc domain designed to overcome the unique drug development challenges specific to the lactating person-infant dyad. Our Prolactin-XL has a serum half-life of 70.9h in mice, 2,625-fold longer than endogenously active prolactin alone (70.9h v. 0.027h). We demonstrate that Prolactin-XL increases milk production and restores growth of pups fed by dams with pharmacologically-ablated lactation. We show that Prolactin-XL-enhanced lactation is accompanied by reversible, alveolar cell-driven changes in mammary gland morphology. Prolactin-XL treatment was associated with no identifiable pathology or adverse side effect in the lactating mice or nursing pups. This work establishes long-acting prolactins as a potentially powerful pharmacologic means to combat insufficient lactation. Implications for future research in lactating mammary gland biology and a potential preclinical path for developing Prolactin-XL for use in lactating persons are discussed.
Project description:Progestin secretion increases remarkably during pregnancy and lactation. To explore how prolactin affect tumor growth, we used microarray to detailed the different expressed genes between lactation mice and ctrl mice.
Project description:CONTEXT:Lactation insufficiency has many aetiologies including complete or relative prolactin deficiency. Exogenous prolactin may increase breast milk volume in this subset. We hypothesized that recombinant human prolactin (r-hPRL) would increase milk volume in mothers with prolactin deficiency and mothers of preterm infants with lactation insufficiency. DESIGN:Study 1: R-hPRL was administered in an open-label trial to mothers with prolactin deficiency. Study 2: R-hPRL was administered in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to mothers with lactation insufficiency that developed while pumping breast milk for their preterm infants. PATIENTS:Study 1: Mothers with prolactin deficiency (n = 5). Study 2: Mothers of premature infants exclusively pumping breast milk (n = 11). DESIGN:Study 1: R-hPRL (60 ?g/kg) was administered subcutaneously every 12 h for 28 days. Study 2: Mothers of preterm infants were randomized to receive r-hPRL (60 ?g/kg), placebo or r-hPRL alternating with placebo every 12 h for 7 days. MEASUREMENTS:Change in milk volume. RESULTS:Study 1: Peak prolactin (27·9 ± 17·3 to 194·6 ± 19·5 ?g/l; P < 0·003) and milk volume (3·4 ± 1·6 to 66·1 ± 8·3 ml/day; P < 0·001) increased with r-hPRL administration. Study 2: Peak prolactin increased in mothers treated with r-hPRL every 12 h (n = 3; 79·3 ± 55·4 to 271·3 ± 36·7 ?g/l; P < 0·05) and daily (101·4 ± 61·5 vs 178·9 ± 45·9 ?g/l; P < 0·04), but milk volume increased only in the group treated with r-hPRL every 12 h (53·5 ± 48·5 to 235·0 ± 135·7 ml/day; P < 0·02). CONCLUSION:Twice daily r-hPRL increases milk volume in mothers with prolactin deficiency and in preterm mothers with lactation insufficiency.
Project description:Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common endocrine disorder frequently affecting postmenopausal women. In this study we have investigated expression of the prolactin receptor (PRLr) in a panel of 37 sporadic parathyroid tumours, as well as functionality in vitro in cultured parathyroid tumour cells. High levels of the prolactin receptor gene (PRLR) transcripts were demonstrated in parathyroid tissues as compared to other reference tissues and breast cancer cells. PRLr products of 60/70 kDa were highly expressed in all parathyroid tumours. In addition varying levels of the 80 kDa PRLr isoform, with known proliferative activity, were demonstrated. In parathyroid tumours PRLr immunoreactivity was observed in cytoplasm in all cases and in addition in the plasma membrane (n = 12) or enlarged lysosomes (n = 4). In normal parathyroid rim PRLr was expressed in cytoplasm and granulae. In in vitro studies of short-term cultured human parathyroid tumour cells prolactin stimulation was associated with transcriptional changes in JAK/STAT, RIG-I like receptor and type II interferon signaling pathways as documented by gene expression profiling. Moreover, PRLR gene expression in parathyroid tumors was significantly inversely correlated with plasma total Ca2+ levels. In conclusion, the prolactin receptor was found highly abundant in human parathyroid gland, parathyroid tumours, correlated with patient Ca2+ levels and functionally responsive to physiological levels of prolactin. These findings suggest a role for the prolactin receptor in human parathyroid adenomas. Expression profiling was done in parathyroid adenomas subjected to prolactin treatment in culture. In addition, corresponding paraffin sections were obtained for verification of PRLr expression by immunohistochemistry. 200 mg/L prolactin (recombinant humanM-BM- prolactin, Cat. No. JM-4687-50, MBL Woburn, MA) was added to 1M-CM-^W 10^6 attached parathyroid tumour cells. Cells were harvested using RNAlater (QIAGEN) and homogenized with QIAshredder for RNA extraction after 3 h and 24 h in culture, respectively. Negative controls were collected in parallel with each case at the same time points. RNA was extracted using QIA Cube, and quality assessed with Bioanalyser and Nanodrop. Expression array profiling and data analysis was done at the KI core facility Bioinformatics and Expression Analysis (BEA, Novum, Huddinge) using the Affymetrix platform and the TITAN ST 1.1 array. A total of 16 samples were analysed including 4 parathyroid adenomas cultured for 3 h or 24 h in the presence of prolactin plus control samples cultured in parallel without prolactin.
Project description:Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common endocrine disorder frequently affecting postmenopausal women. In this study we have investigated expression of the prolactin receptor (PRLr) in a panel of 37 sporadic parathyroid tumours, as well as functionality in vitro in cultured parathyroid tumour cells. High levels of the prolactin receptor gene (PRLR) transcripts were demonstrated in parathyroid tissues as compared to other reference tissues and breast cancer cells. PRLr products of 60/70 kDa were highly expressed in all parathyroid tumours. In addition varying levels of the 80 kDa PRLr isoform, with known proliferative activity, were demonstrated. In parathyroid tumours PRLr immunoreactivity was observed in cytoplasm in all cases and in addition in the plasma membrane (n = 12) or enlarged lysosomes (n = 4). In normal parathyroid rim PRLr was expressed in cytoplasm and granulae. In in vitro studies of short-term cultured human parathyroid tumour cells prolactin stimulation was associated with transcriptional changes in JAK/STAT, RIG-I like receptor and type II interferon signaling pathways as documented by gene expression profiling. Moreover, PRLR gene expression in parathyroid tumors was significantly inversely correlated with plasma total Ca2+ levels. In conclusion, the prolactin receptor was found highly abundant in human parathyroid gland, parathyroid tumours, correlated with patient Ca2+ levels and functionally responsive to physiological levels of prolactin. These findings suggest a role for the prolactin receptor in human parathyroid adenomas.
Project description:The exact role of prolactin on breast cancer still remains unclear. Clues supportive or unsurpportive for prolactin to be cancer driver are confusing. To clarify the role of autocrine prolactin of breast cancer cells on cancer development, we construct T47D cells overexpressing prolactin.
Project description:The bovine mammary epithelial cell line Mac-T has been used to study mammary gland in vitro. The reliability of this system to study mammary gland has not been tested using genomics approaches. In the present experimetn a direct transcriptomics comparison between Mac-T cells and mammary tissue at -30 and at 60 day in milk (DIM) is performed. Data indicated that Mac-T cells and mammary tissue had a substantially different transcriptome with a larger difference between Mac-T cells and lactating mammary tissue (i.e., 60 DIM) compared to non-lactating mammary tissue (i.e., -30 DIM). In addition, data indicated that the Mac-T cells substantially differ with mammary tissue in lactation-specific functions. cDNA from Mac-T cells induced in vitro into lactation for 36h (addition of prolactin) was directly hybridize in the microarray chip with cDNA from mammary tissue at -30 or 60 day in milk from 3 cows.
Project description:Tumor-stromal communication within the microenvironment contributes to initiation of metastasis and may present a therapeutic opportunity. Using serial single cell RNA-sequencing in an orthotopic mouse prostate cancer model, we find upregulation of Prolactin receptor as cancer cells that have disseminated to the lung expand into micrometastases. Secretion of the ligand Prolactin by adjacent lung stromal cells is induced by tumor cell production of the COX-2 synthetic product prostaglandin E-2 (PGE-2). PGE-2 treatment of fibroblasts activates the nuclear orphan receptor NR4A (Nur77), with Prolactin as a major transcriptional target for the NR4A-Retinoid X receptor (RXR) heterodimer. Ectopic expression of Prolactin receptor in mouse cancer cells enhances micrometastasis, while treatment with the COX-2 inhibitor Celecoxib abrogates Prolactin secretion by fibroblasts and reduces tumor initiation. Across multiple human cancers, COX-2, Prolactin, and Prolactin receptor show consistent differential expression in tumor and stromal compartments. Such paracrine crosstalk may thus contribute to the documented efficacy of COX-2 inhibitors in cancer suppression.
Project description:Tumor-stromal communication within the microenvironment contributes to initiation of metastasis and may present a therapeutic opportunity. Using serial single cell RNA-sequencing in an orthotopic mouse prostate cancer model, we find upregulation of Prolactin receptor as cancer cells that have disseminated to the lung expand into micrometastases. Secretion of the ligand Prolactin by adjacent lung stromal cells is induced by tumor cell production of the COX-2 synthetic product prostaglandin E-2 (PGE-2). PGE-2 treatment of fibroblasts activates the nuclear orphan receptor NR4A (Nur77), with Prolactin as a major transcriptional target for the NR4A-Retinoid X receptor (RXR) heterodimer. Ectopic expression of Prolactin receptor in mouse cancer cells enhances micrometastasis, while treatment with the COX-2 inhibitor Celecoxib abrogates Prolactin secretion by fibroblasts and reduces tumor initiation. Across multiple human cancers, COX-2, Prolactin, and Prolactin receptor show consistent differential expression in tumor and stromal compartments. Such paracrine crosstalk may thus contribute to the documented efficacy of COX-2 inhibitors in cancer suppression.