Project description:It is widely believed that the molecular and cellular features of a tumor reflect its cell-of-origin and can thus provide clues about treatment targets. The retinoblastoma cell-of-origin has been debated for over a century. Here we report that human and mouse retinoblastomas have molecular, cellular, and neurochemical features of multiple cell classes, principally amacrine/horizontal interneurons, retinal progenitor cells, and photoreceptors. Importantly, single-cell gene expression array analysis showed that these multiple cell type–specific developmental programs are coexpressed in individual retinoblastoma cells, which creates a progenitor/neuronal hybrid cell. Importantly, neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, and biosynthetic enzymes are expressed in human retinoblastoma, and targeted disruption of these pathways reduces retinoblastoma growth in vivo and in vitro. Our finding that retinoblastoma tumor cells express multiple neuronal differentiation programs that are normally incompatible in development suggests that the pathways that control retinal development and establish distinct cell types are perturbed during tumorigenesis. Therefore, the cell-of-origin for retinoblastoma cannot be inferred from the features of the tumor cells themselves. However, we now have a detailed understanding of the neuronal pathways that are deregulated in retinoblastoma and targeting the catecholamine and indolamine receptors or downstream components could provide useful therapeutic approaches in future studies. This example highlights the importance of comprehensive molecular, cellular and physiological characterization of human cancers with single cell resolution as we incorporate molecular targeted therapy into treatment regimens. 55 primary pediatric retinoblastoma tumors were collected and assayed and compared to with 3 passaged xenografts and 4 RB cell lines
Project description:It is widely believed that the molecular and cellular features of a tumor reflect its cell-of-origin and can thus provide clues about treatment targets. The retinoblastoma cell-of-origin has been debated for over a century. Here we report that human and mouse retinoblastomas have molecular, cellular, and neurochemical features of multiple cell classes, principally amacrine/horizontal interneurons, retinal progenitor cells, and photoreceptors. Importantly, single-cell gene expression array analysis showed that these multiple cell type–specific developmental programs are coexpressed in individual retinoblastoma cells, which creates a progenitor/neuronal hybrid cell. Importantly, neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, and biosynthetic enzymes are expressed in human retinoblastoma, and targeted disruption of these pathways reduces retinoblastoma growth in vivo and in vitro. Our finding that retinoblastoma tumor cells express multiple neuronal differentiation programs that are normally incompatible in development suggests that the pathways that control retinal development and establish distinct cell types are perturbed during tumorigenesis. Therefore, the cell-of-origin for retinoblastoma cannot be inferred from the features of the tumor cells themselves. However, we now have a detailed understanding of the neuronal pathways that are deregulated in retinoblastoma and targeting the catecholamine and indolamine receptors or downstream components could provide useful therapeutic approaches in future studies. This example highlights the importance of comprehensive molecular, cellular and physiological characterization of human cancers with single cell resolution as we incorporate molecular targeted therapy into treatment regimens. 20 single cells isolated from primary pediatric retinoblastoma tumors were assayed to asses the within tumor consistency of expression signals
Project description:It is widely believed that the molecular and cellular features of a tumor reflect its cell-of-origin and can thus provide clues about treatment targets. The retinoblastoma cell-of-origin has been debated for over a century. Here we report that human and mouse retinoblastomas have molecular, cellular, and neurochemical features of multiple cell classes, principally amacrine/horizontal interneurons, retinal progenitor cells, and photoreceptors. Importantly, single-cell gene expression array analysis showed that these multiple cell type–specific developmental programs are coexpressed in individual retinoblastoma cells, which creates a progenitor/neuronal hybrid cell. Importantly, neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, and biosynthetic enzymes are expressed in human retinoblastoma, and targeted disruption of these pathways reduces retinoblastoma growth in vivo and in vitro. Our finding that retinoblastoma tumor cells express multiple neuronal differentiation programs that are normally incompatible in development suggests that the pathways that control retinal development and establish distinct cell types are perturbed during tumorigenesis. Therefore, the cell-of-origin for retinoblastoma cannot be inferred from the features of the tumor cells themselves. However, we now have a detailed understanding of the neuronal pathways that are deregulated in retinoblastoma and targeting the catecholamine and indolamine receptors or downstream components could provide useful therapeutic approaches in future studies. This example highlights the importance of comprehensive molecular, cellular and physiological characterization of human cancers with single cell resolution as we incorporate molecular targeted therapy into treatment regimens.
Project description:It is widely believed that the molecular and cellular features of a tumor reflect its cell-of-origin and can thus provide clues about treatment targets. The retinoblastoma cell-of-origin has been debated for over a century. Here we report that human and mouse retinoblastomas have molecular, cellular, and neurochemical features of multiple cell classes, principally amacrine/horizontal interneurons, retinal progenitor cells, and photoreceptors. Importantly, single-cell gene expression array analysis showed that these multiple cell type–specific developmental programs are coexpressed in individual retinoblastoma cells, which creates a progenitor/neuronal hybrid cell. Importantly, neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, and biosynthetic enzymes are expressed in human retinoblastoma, and targeted disruption of these pathways reduces retinoblastoma growth in vivo and in vitro. Our finding that retinoblastoma tumor cells express multiple neuronal differentiation programs that are normally incompatible in development suggests that the pathways that control retinal development and establish distinct cell types are perturbed during tumorigenesis. Therefore, the cell-of-origin for retinoblastoma cannot be inferred from the features of the tumor cells themselves. However, we now have a detailed understanding of the neuronal pathways that are deregulated in retinoblastoma and targeting the catecholamine and indolamine receptors or downstream components could provide useful therapeutic approaches in future studies. This example highlights the importance of comprehensive molecular, cellular and physiological characterization of human cancers with single cell resolution as we incorporate molecular targeted therapy into treatment regimens.
Project description:It is widely believed that the molecular and cellular features of a tumor reflect its cell-of-origin and can thus provide clues about treatment targets. The retinoblastoma cell-of-origin has been debated for over a century. Here we report that human and mouse retinoblastomas have molecular, cellular, and neurochemical features of multiple cell classes, principally amacrine/horizontal interneurons, retinal progenitor cells, and photoreceptors. Importantly, single-cell gene expression array analysis showed that these multiple cell type–specific developmental programs are coexpressed in individual retinoblastoma cells, which creates a progenitor/neuronal hybrid cell. Importantly, neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, and biosynthetic enzymes are expressed in human retinoblastoma, and targeted disruption of these pathways reduces retinoblastoma growth in vivo and in vitro. Our finding that retinoblastoma tumor cells express multiple neuronal differentiation programs that are normally incompatible in development suggests that the pathways that control retinal development and establish distinct cell types are perturbed during tumorigenesis. Therefore, the cell-of-origin for retinoblastoma cannot be inferred from the features of the tumor cells themselves. However, we now have a detailed understanding of the neuronal pathways that are deregulated in retinoblastoma and targeting the catecholamine and indolamine receptors or downstream components could provide useful therapeutic approaches in future studies. This example highlights the importance of comprehensive molecular, cellular and physiological characterization of human cancers with single cell resolution as we incorporate molecular targeted therapy into treatment regimens.
Project description:Mutations in the gene encoding the transcription factor forkhead box P1 or FOXP1 occur in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. However, the function of FOXP1 in the brain remains mostly unknown. Here, we identify the gene expression program regulated by FoxP1 in both human neural cells and mouse brain and demonstrate a conserved role for FOXP1 transcriptional regulation of autism and Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) mediated pathways. Coexpression networks support a role for Foxp1 in neuronal activity, and we show that Foxp1 is necessary for neuronal excitability. Using a Foxp1 mouse model, we observe defects in ultrasonic vocalizations. This behavioral phenotype is reflected at the genomic level as striatal Foxp1-regulated overlap with genes known to be important in rodent vocalizations. These data support an integral role for FOXP1 in regulating signaling pathways vulnerable in developmental disorders and the specific regulation of pathways important for vocal communication. We carried out RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and ChIP-sequencing of human neural progenitors cells. We carried out RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of mouse striatal tissue, mouse hippocampal tissue and mouse cortical tissue. For the RNA-seq, four indipendent replicates were used for the neural progenitor cells and mouse tissues. For the Chip-seq, a single neural progenitor cell line was used.
Project description:Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular cancer of infancy and childhood, with an incidence of one case per 15,000 - 20,000 live births. An early event in retinoblastoma genesis is a functional loss of both alleles of the RB1 gene. However, other genes are likely to be involved in the development of this cancer. In this study we sought to build a comprehensive molecular portrait of this cancer by performing transcriptomic, methylomic, genomic profiling of primary retinoblastoma samples. Most of the patients whose tumors were studied had received no treatment prior to surgical enucleation.