Project description:It is widely believed that the carcinogenic action of ionizing radiation is due to targeted DNA damage and resulting mutations, but there is also substantial evidence that non-targeted radiation effects alter epithelial phenotype and the stromal microenvironment. Activation of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ) is a non-targeted radiation effect that mediates cell fate decisions following DNA damage and regulates microenvironment composition; it could either suppress or promote cancer. We asked if such non-targeted radiation effects contribute to carcinogenesis by using a novel radiation chimera model. Unirradiated Trp53 null mammary epithelium was transplanted to the mammary stroma, previously divested of endogenous epithelia, of mice previously exposed to a single low (10 -100 cGy) radiation dose. By 300 days, 100% of transplants in irradiated hosts at either 10 or 100 cGy had developed Trp53 null breast carcinomas compared to 54% in unirradiated hosts. Tumor growth rate was also increased by high, but not low, dose host irradiation. In contrast, irradiation of Tgfb1 heterozygote mice prior to transplantation failed to decrease tumor latency, or increase growth rate at any dose. Host irradiation significantly reduced the latency of invasive ductal carcinoma compared to spindle cell carcinoma. However, irradiation of either host genotype significantly increased the frequency of estrogen receptor negative tumors. These data demonstrate two concepts critical to understanding radiation risks. First, non-targeted radiation effects can significantly promote the frequency and alter the features of epithelial cancer. Second, radiation-induced TGFβ activity is a key mechanism of tumor promotion. Keywords: Differential gene expression after low dose irradiation
Project description:This is a genome-wide approach to identifying genes persistently induced in the mouse mammary gland by acute whole body low dose ionizing radiation (10cGy), 1 and 4 weeks after exposure. Gene expression that is modified under these parameters were compared between Tgfb1 wild type and heterozygote littermates in order to determine which genes induced or repressed by radiation were mediated via Tgfb1 status. Differential gene expression was analyzed in Tgfb1 heterozygote and wild type littermate 4th mammary glands, after whole body exposure to an acute dose of 10cGy ionizing radiation. Estrus cycle was normalized in all mice two days prior to irradiation by injection with an estrogen and progesterone mixture. It is widely believed that the carcinogenic action of ionizing radiation is due to targeted DNA damage and resulting mutations, but there is also substantial evidence that non-targeted radiation effects alter epithelial phenotype and the stromal microenvironment. Activation of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFbeta) is a non-targeted radiation effect that mediates cell fate decisions following DNA damage and regulates microenvironment composition; it could either suppress or promote cancer. Gene expression profiling shown herein demonstrates that low dose radiation (10 cGy) elicits persistent changes in Tgfb1 wild type and heterozygote murine mammary gland that are highly modulated by TGFbeta. We asked if such non-targeted radiation effects contribute to carcinogenesis by using a novel radiation chimera model. Unirradiated Trp53 null mammary epithelium was transplanted to the mammary stroma of mice previously exposed to a single low (10 -100 cGy) radiation dose. By 300 days, 100% of transplants in irradiated hosts at either 10 or 100 cGy had developed Trp53 null breast carcinomas compared to 54% in unirradiated hosts. Tumor growth rate was also increased by high, but not low, dose host irradiation. In contrast, irradiation of Tgfb1 heterozygote mice prior to transplantation failed to decrease tumor latency, or increase growth rate at any dose. Host irradiation significantly reduced the latency of invasive ductal carcinoma compared to spindle cell carcinoma, as well as those tumors negative for smooth muscle actin in wild type but not Tgfb1 heterozygote mice. However, irradiation of either host genotype significantly increased the frequency of estrogen receptor negative tumors. These data demonstrate two concepts critical to understanding radiation risks. First, non-targeted radiation effects can significantly promote the frequency and alter the features of epithelial cancer. Second, radiation-induced TGFbeta activity is a key mechanism of tumor promotion. Keywords: Differential gene expression after low dose irradiation Two genotypes: TGBbeta1 heterozygote and wildtype mouse mammary glands. Two time points post-10cGy-irradiation per genotype (1 week, 4 weeks); control time point was 1 week post-sham-irradiation. Two or three replicates per time point.
Project description:Thyroid gland is among the most sensitive organs to ionizing radiation. Whether low-dose radiation-induced papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) differs from sporadic PTC is yet unknown. We used microarrays to identify gene signature of radiation-induced papillary thyroid carcinomas
Project description:Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key regulators of diverse cell functions and processes. However, the relevance of lncRNAs in the cell and tissue response to ionizing radiation has not yet been characterized. Here we used microarray profiling to determine lncRNA and mRNA expression in mammary glands of BALB/c and SPRET/EiJ mice after low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) exposure. We found that unirradiated mammary tissues of these strains differed significantly in baseline expressions of 290 lncRNAs. LDIR exposure (10 cGy) induced a significant change in the expression of many lncRNAs. For BALB/c mice, a total of 357, 480, and 335 lncRNAs and 550, 911, and 389 coding RNAs were identified at 2, 4, and 8 weeks post-irradiation, respectively, while for SPRET/EiJ, a total of 327 lncRNAs and 424 mRNAs were identified at 4 weeks post-irradiation.
Project description:Accumulating data support the concept that ionizing radiation therapy (RT) has the potential to convert the tumor into an in situ, individualized vaccine; however this potential is rarely realized by RT alone. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) is an immunosuppressive cytokine that is activated by RT and inhibits the antigen-presenting function of dendritic cells and the differentiation of effector CD8+ T cells. Here we tested the hypothesis that TGFβ hinders the ability of RT to promote anti-tumor immunity. Development of tumor-specific immunity was examined in a pre-clinical model of metastatic breast cancer. Mice bearing established 4T1 mouse mammary carcinoma treated with pan-isoform specific TGFβ neutralizing antibody, 1D11, showed significantly improved control of the irradiated tumor and non-irradiated metastases, but no effect in the absence of RT. Notably, whole tumor transcriptional analysis demonstrated the selective upregulation of genes associated with immune-mediated rejection only in tumors of mice treated with RT+TGFβ blockade. Mice treated with RT+TGFβ blockade exhibited cross-priming of CD8+ T cells producing IFNγ in response to three tumor-specific antigens in tumor-draining lymph nodes, which was not evident for single modality treatment. Analysis of the immune infiltrate in mouse tumors showed a significant increase in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells only in mice treated with the combination of RT+TGFβ blockade. Depletion of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells abrogated the therapeutic benefit of RT+TGFβ blockade. These data identify TGFβ as a master inhibitor of the ability of RT to generate an in situ tumor vaccine, which supports testing inhibition of TGFβ during radiotherapy to promote therapeutically effective anti-tumor immunity. We used genome-wide microarray to depict main biological processes responsibles for the therapeutic benefit of the combination ofTGF-beta blockade and local radiotherapy. To gain a more comprehensice protrait of the effects of RT and TGFbeta blockade on gene expressionin tumors, we collected 4T1 tumors 4 days after completion of RT. Three tumors from each group were then subjected to RNA extraction and hybridization on affymetrix array.
Project description:Densely ionizing radiation is a major component of the space radiation environment and has potentially greater carcinogenic effect compared to sparsely ionizing radiation that is prevalent in the terrestrial environment. It is unknown to what extent the irradiated microenvironment contributes to the differential carcinogenic potential of densely ionizing radiation. To address this gap, 10-week old BALB/c mice were irradiated with 100 cGy sparsely ionizing g-radiation or 10, 30, or 80 cGy of densely ionizing, 350 MeV/amu Si particles and transplanted 3 days later with syngeneic Trp53 null mammary fragments. Tumor appearance was monitored for 600 days. Tumors arising in Si-particle irradiated mice had a shorter median time to appearance, grew faster and were more likely to metastasize. Most tumors arising in sham-irradiated mice were ER-positive, pseudo-glandular and contained both basal keratin 14 and luminal keratin 8/18 cells (designated K14/18), while most tumors arising in irradiated hosts were K8/18 positive (designated K18) and ER negative. Comparison of K18 vs K14/18 tumor expression profiles showed that genes increased in K18 tumors were associated with ERBB2 and KRAS while decreased genes overlapped with those down regulated in metastasis and by loss of E-cadherin. Consistent with this, K18 tumors grew faster than K14/18 tumors and more mice with K18 tumors developed lung metastases compared to mice with K14/18 tumors. However, K18 tumors arising in Si-particle irradiated mice grew even faster and were more metastatic compared to control mice. A K18 Si-irradiated host profile was enriched in genes involved in mammary stem cells, stroma, and Notch signaling. Thus systemic responses to densely ionizing radiation enriches for a ER-negative, K18-positive tumor, whose biology is more aggressive compared to similar tumors arising in non-irradiated hosts. Key Words: ionizing radiation; breast cancer; heavy ion radiation;initiation; promotion 3 different dose of Si were used. Total RNA was extracted from mammary tumors derived from transplantations of non-irradiated p53null mammary fragments into irradiated hosts. We analyzed a total of 45 Trp53-null tumors: 18 from sham-irradiated hosts, 9 from 10 cGy Si-irradiated hosts, 10 from 30 cGy Si-irradiated hosts, and 8 from irradiated hosts.