Project description:SUMMARY: Basal breast cancer has been associated with mutations in a number of specific tumor suppressor genes, however, the mechanism by which these tumors express a basal lineage remains unknown. Notch signaling suppresses mammary stem cell (MaSC) self-renewal, while promoting luminal cell fate specification. Here we show that Lfng, a sugar transferase that facilitates Notch activation, suppresses mammary stem/bipotent progenitor cell proliferation. Targeted deletion of Lfng in mammary epithelium induces basal tumors with reduced expression of Notch targets, amplification of the Met/Caveolin gene locus, and elevated Met and Igf-1R signaling. Human basal breast cancer, a disease associated with elevated MET receptor signaling and Caveolin protein, express low levels of LFNG. Thus, reduced LFNG expression cooperates with a Met/ Caveolin amplicon to promote basal breast disease. SIGNIFICANCE: Anti-Notch therapy is currently being tested for efficacy against basal-like breast cancer in humans. Here we report that LFNG, which controls Notch receptor activation, is consistently expressed at a low level in basal tumors and that deletion of this gene in the mouse mammary gland reduces Notch signaling, increases proliferation and induces basal mammary tumors in cooperation with amplification of the Met/Caveolin gene locus. These mutations interact to promote basal gene expression by decreasing Notch pathway activation, as well as to enhance Met and Igf-1R signaling. These pathways can be targeted at multiple levels in humans harboring basal breast cancer with amplification of MET and CAV1/2 32 array samples
Project description:SUMMARY: Basal breast cancer has been associated with mutations in a number of specific tumor suppressor genes, however, the mechanism by which these tumors express a basal lineage remains unknown. Notch signaling suppresses mammary stem cell (MaSC) self-renewal, while promoting luminal cell fate specification. Here we show that Lfng, a sugar transferase that facilitates Notch activation, suppresses mammary stem/bipotent progenitor cell proliferation. Targeted deletion of Lfng in mammary epithelium induces basal tumors with reduced expression of Notch targets, amplification of the Met/Caveolin gene locus, and elevated Met and Igf-1R signaling. Human basal breast cancer, a disease associated with elevated MET receptor signaling and Caveolin protein, express low levels of LFNG. Thus, reduced LFNG expression cooperates with a Met/ Caveolin amplicon to promote basal breast disease. SIGNIFICANCE: Anti-Notch therapy is currently being tested for efficacy against basal-like breast cancer in humans. Here we report that LFNG, which controls Notch receptor activation, is consistently expressed at a low level in basal tumors and that deletion of this gene in the mouse mammary gland reduces Notch signaling, increases proliferation and induces basal mammary tumors in cooperation with amplification of the Met/Caveolin gene locus. These mutations interact to promote basal gene expression by decreasing Notch pathway activation, as well as to enhance Met and Igf-1R signaling. These pathways can be targeted at multiple levels in humans harboring basal breast cancer with amplification of MET and CAV1/2
Project description:Amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition is an initiating factor in Alzheimer´s disease (AD). Microglia are the brain immune cells that surround and phagocytose Aβ, but their phagocytic capacity declines in AD. This is in agreement with studies that associate AD risk loci with genes regulating phagocytic function. Immunotherapies are currently pursued as therapeutic strategies against AD and there are increased efforts to understand the role of the immune system in ameliorating AD pathology. Here, we evaluated the effect of the Aβ targeting ACI-24 vaccine in preventing the AD pathology in an amyloidosis mouse model. ACI-24 vaccination elicited a robust and sustained antibody response in APPPS1 mice with an accompanying reduction of Aβ plaque load, amyloid plaque-associated ApoE and dystrophic neurites as compared to non-vaccinated controls. Furthermore, plaque-associated microglia had the tendency to be more activated post vaccination. The lower Aβ plaque load triggered by vaccination with ACI-24 was in concordance with the bulk transcriptomic analysis that revealed a reduction in the expression of several disease-associated microglial signatures. Accordingly, plaque-distant microglia displayed a more ramified morphology, supporting beneficial effects of the vaccination on bulk microglial phenotypes. Our study demonstrates that administration of the Aβ targeting vaccine, ACI-24, triggers protective microglial responses that translate into a reduction of AD pathology suggesting its use as a safe and cost effective AD therapeutic intervention.