Project description:Generating hematopoietic stem cells from pluripotent stem cells (PSC) has been a long lasting quest in the field of hematology. Previous studies suggested that the enforced expression of BCR-ABL, the oncogenic driver of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), in hematopoietic cells derived from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is sufficient to confer on them in vivo long-term repopulating potential. To uncover more precisely the events regulated by BCR-ABL expression during the course of ESC differentiation, we engineered a doxycycline inducible system to modulate BCR-ABL expression.
Project description:The biology of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)-stem cells is still incompletely understood. Therefore, we previously developed an inducible transgenic mouse model in which stem cell targeted induction of BCR-ABL expression leads to chronic phase CML-like disease. Here, we now demonstrate that the disease is transplantable using BCR-ABL positive LSK cells (lin-Sca-1+c-kit+). Interestingly, the phenotype is enhanced when unfractionated bone marrow (BM) cells are transplanted. However, neither progenitor cells (lin-Sca-1-c-kit+) nor mature granulocytes (CD11b+Gr-1+), or potential stem cell niche cells were able to transmit the disease or alter the phenotype. The phenotype was largely independent of BCR ABL priming prior to transplant. However, BCR-ABL abrogated the potential of LSK cells to induce full blown disease in secondary recipients. Subsequently, we found that BCR-ABL increased the fraction of multipotent progenitor cells (MPP) at the expense of long term HSC (LT-HSC) in the BM. Microarray analyses of LSK cells revealed that BCR-ABL alters the expression of genes involved in proliferation, survival, and hematopoietic development. Our results suggest that BCR-ABL induces differentiation of LT-HSC and decreases their self renewal capacity. Furthermore, reversion of BCR-ABL eradicates mature cells while leukemic stem cells persist, giving rise to relapsed CML upon re-induction of BCR-ABL.
Project description:To evaluate the long-term growth potential of BCR-ABL-transduced primitive human hematopoietic cells, lin- cord blood cells containing an MSCV-BCR-ABL-IRES-GFP (BCR-ABL) or control-GFP transgene (MIG) were injected IP into fetal goats at 45-55 days of gestation. Six transplant goats were born alive. One was examined three weeks after birth and showed GFP+ cells in the blood, bone marrow (BM), liver, kidney, lung, heart, and both skeletal and smooth muscle. FISH analysis also showed the liver of this goat contained BCR-ABL-GFP transgenic cells. The remaining five goats appear normal although, in some, the WBC count is elevated 3- to 5-fold. GFP+ cells, including cells identifiable by FACS as human CD34+ cells, have been detected in the blood of all these goats. The presence of BCR-ABL-GFP transgenic cells in the BM and liver was confirmed by FISH analysis, and quantitative real-time PCR analysis of genomic DNA isolated from unpurified BM cells obtained from three of the transplant goats demonstrated 3-5Ã104 copies of the transgene per microgram of DNA. Microarray transcript profiling was performed on blood and liver tissues of normal goats, BCR-ABL chimeric goats, MIG chimeric goats, and normal human samples. RNA for human genes was detected in goats transplanted with cord blood cells but not in normal goats, and the RNA abundance of some genes in BCR-ABL chimeric goat blood was similar to or greater than levels observed in MIG goat blood or normal human samples. Quantitative RT-PCR confirmed the differential expression of several genes in goats carrying the BCR-ABL vs. control transgene. These results demonstrate long-term engraftment but slow expansion in a large animal model of primitive human hematopoietic cells transduced with a BCR-ABL fusion gene and transplanted in utero. This novel xenotransplant goat model should be useful for analyzing the initial phases of development of human CML and for assessing new therapies with potential long-term benefits. Experiment Overall Design: Total RNA was extracted from liver (L) and blood (B) samples of normal goats (ng), humans (hu), chimeric goats engrafted with human cord blood stem cells containing control (mig) vector, and chimeric goats engrafted with CML (bcrabl) vector. RNA samples were profiled on Affymetrix human U133A GeneChips and examined for differentially expressed genes in CML vs control goats, filtering for signals significantly above background levels observed in normal goat to select for specific human gene expression.
Project description:BCR-Abl is a driver oncogene that causes chronic myeloid leukemia and a subset of acute lymphoid leukemias. Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors provide an effective treatment for these diseases, they generally do not kill leukemic stem cells. Leukemic stem cells are cancer-initiating cells that compete with normal hematopoietic stem cells for the bone marrow niche. Using BCR-Abl as a model oncogene, we performed a drug screen based on competition between isogenic untransformed cells and BCR-Abl-transformed cells, and identified several compounds that selectively target BCR-Abl-transformed cells. Systems-level analysis of one of these novel compounds, DJ34, revealed that it induced depletion of c-Myc and activation of p53. c-Myc depletion occurred in a wide range of tumor types, including leukemia, lymphoma, lung, glioblastoma and breast cancer. Further analyses revealed that DJ34 interferes with c-Myc synthesis at the level of transcription, and we provide data showing that DJ34 is a DNA intercalator and topoisomerase II inhibitor. Physiologically, DJ34 induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and cell differentiation, and primary leukemic stem cells were particularly sensitive to DJ34. Taken together, we have identified a novel compound that dually targets c-Myc and p53 in a wide variety of cancers, and with particularly strong activity against leukemic stem cells.
Project description:To evaluate the long-term growth potential of BCR-ABL-transduced primitive human hematopoietic cells, lin- cord blood cells containing an MSCV-BCR-ABL-IRES-GFP (BCR-ABL) or control-GFP transgene (MIG) were injected IP into fetal goats at 45-55 days of gestation. Six transplant goats were born alive. One was examined three weeks after birth and showed GFP+ cells in the blood, bone marrow (BM), liver, kidney, lung, heart, and both skeletal and smooth muscle. FISH analysis also showed the liver of this goat contained BCR-ABL-GFP transgenic cells. The remaining five goats appear normal although, in some, the WBC count is elevated 3- to 5-fold. GFP+ cells, including cells identifiable by FACS as human CD34+ cells, have been detected in the blood of all these goats. The presence of BCR-ABL-GFP transgenic cells in the BM and liver was confirmed by FISH analysis, and quantitative real-time PCR analysis of genomic DNA isolated from unpurified BM cells obtained from three of the transplant goats demonstrated 3-5×104 copies of the transgene per microgram of DNA. Microarray transcript profiling was performed on blood and liver tissues of normal goats, BCR-ABL chimeric goats, MIG chimeric goats, and normal human samples. RNA for human genes was detected in goats transplanted with cord blood cells but not in normal goats, and the RNA abundance of some genes in BCR-ABL chimeric goat blood was similar to or greater than levels observed in MIG goat blood or normal human samples. Quantitative RT-PCR confirmed the differential expression of several genes in goats carrying the BCR-ABL vs. control transgene. These results demonstrate long-term engraftment but slow expansion in a large animal model of primitive human hematopoietic cells transduced with a BCR-ABL fusion gene and transplanted in utero. This novel xenotransplant goat model should be useful for analyzing the initial phases of development of human CML and for assessing new therapies with potential long-term benefits.
Project description:Our research has demonstrated that high expression of surface cMPL receptor marks long-term repopulating human hematopoietic stem cells.
Project description:Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a malignant disease of the hematopoietic stem cell, characterized by the expression of the Bcr-Abl oncogene by leukemic cells. In order to analyze the molecular pathways modulated by Bcr-Abl, we have previously generated an inducible model of Bcr-Abl expression in the murine Ba/F3 cell line based on the Tet-OFF system. In the present study, through a microarray approach applied to cells grown with (Bcr-Abl-expression OFF) or without (Bcr-Abl-expression ON) doxycycline, a tetracycline analogue, we analyzed the gene expression variations upon Bcr-Abl expression.
Project description:Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a malignant disease of the hematopoietic stem cell, characterized by the expression of the Bcr-Abl oncogene by leukemic cells. In order to analyze the molecular pathways modulated by Bcr-Abl, we have previously generated an inducible model of Bcr-Abl expression in the murine Ba/F3 cell line based on the Tet-OFF system. In the present study, through a microarray approach applied to cells grown with (Bcr-Abl-expression OFF) or without (Bcr-Abl-expression ON) doxycycline, a tetracycline analogue, we analyzed the gene expression variations upon Bcr-Abl expression. Keywords: repeat sample
Project description:Purpose: The goals of this study are to further clarify the regulation mechanism after BCR/ABL expression was induced for three weeks in Scl/tTA-BCR/ABL trangenic mouse hematopoietic stem-progenitor cells. Moreover, integrated analysis of miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was built by combining the transcriptomic data with miRNA microarray data. Methods: Hematopoietic stem-progenitor cells mRNA profiles of BA mice after BCR/ABL expression induced for 0 week and 3 weeks were generated by deep sequencing, using Illumina Hiseq 2500, hematopoietic stem-progenitor cells of 3 mice were mixed in each group. The sequence reads that passed quality filters were analyzed at the transcript isoform level with TopHat followed by edgeR. qRT–PCR validation was performed using SYBR Green assays. Results: Using an optimized data analysis workflow, we investigated the regulation of mRNAs in BM LSKs during murine CML progression, GSEA and GO analysis were taken for the RNA-seq data, revealing that apoptosis pathway was downregulated while cell cycle was upregulated. Then, we comblined RNA-seq data with miRNA microarray data and identified integrated regulatory networks. To validate the analysis results, functional assays were performed with BM LSKs of BA mice and 32D-BCR/ABL cell line. Conclusions: Our study represents mRNA expression profiles bone marrow (BM) LSKs (Lin-Sca-1+C-kit+) at 0 and 3 weeks after doxycyline withdrawal of BA mice, the analysis identified that several pathways including cell cycle, apoptosis, myeloid differentiation and DNA damage were influenced by BCR/ABL expression.
Project description:The BCR-ABL oncogene, generated by Philadelphia chromosome, is present in about 95% human Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and 20~30% acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). One of BCR-ABL isoforms, P210, is more often detected in CML and ALL patients. Although BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors are effective in controlling the diseases, they do not provide cure due to the development of drug resistance and the insensitivity of leukemia stem cells to these drugs. Identification of new therapeutic targets is critical. To identify potential target against leukemia stem cells, we studied gene expression in leukemia stem cells, which were identified in mice in our lab (Hu Y, Swerdlow S, Duffy TM, Weinmann R, Lee FY, Li S. 2006. Targeting multiple kinase pathways in leukemic progenitors and stem cells is essential for improved treatment of Ph+ leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103(45):16870-16875.). The sorted leukemia stem cells that expressed BCR-ABL were used for isolation of RNA, followed by the analysis of gene expression using the DNA microarray. The same lineage of non-BCR-ABL-expressing normal hematopoietic stem cells was used as control. We have identified some interesting genes that are up- or down-regulated by BCR-ABL in these leukemia stem cells. We are currently studying the functions of these identified genes. Experiment Overall Design: Identification of genes that are regulated by BCR/ABL in HSCs. Experiment Overall Design: Bone marrow cells are isolated from the long bones of CML mice that are untreated or treated with imatinib. BCR-ABL-expressing or non-BCR-ABL-expressing (transduced with the empty GFP vector) hematopoietic stem cells (GFP+Lin-c-Kit+Sca-1+) are stored by FACS directly into RNAlater (Ambion, Austin, TX) and are homogenized in RLT Buffer (RNeasy Micro Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA)). Total RNA is isolated by following the protocol for the RNeasy Micro Kit, and quality is assessed using a 2100 Bioanalyzer instrument and RNA 6000 Pico LabChip assay (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA). Utilizing the GeneChip Whole Transcript Sense Target Labeling Assay kit (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA.) between 100-300ng of total RNA undergoes reverse transcription with random hexamers tagged with T7 sequence. The double stranded cDNA that is generated is then amplified by T7 RNA polymerase to produce cRNA. Second cycle first strand cDNA synthesis then takes place incorporating dUTP which is later used as sites where fragmentation occurs by utilizing an uracil DNA glycosylase and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 enzyme mix. The fragmented cDNA is then labeled by terminal transferase attaching a biotin molecule using Affymetrix proprietary DNA labeling Reagent. Approximately 2.0µg of fragmented and biotin-labeled cDNA is then hybridized onto a Mouse Gene ST 1.0 Array (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA.) for 16 hours at 45°C. Post-hybridization staining and washing are performed according to manufacturer's protocols using the Fluidics Station 450 instrument (Affymetrix). Finally, the arrays are scanned with a GeneChip? Scanner 3000. Images are acquired and cel files generated which are then used for analysis.