Project description:<p>The GOLDN study was initiated to assess how genetic factors interact with environmental (diet and drug) interventions to influence blood levels of triglycerides and other atherogenic lipid species and inflammation markers (registered at clinicaltrials.gov, number <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00083369" target="_blank">NCT00083369</a>). The study recruited Caucasian participants primarily from three-generational pedigrees from two NHLBI Family Heart Study (FHS) field centers (Minneapolis, MN and Salt Lake City, UT). Only families with at least two siblings were recruited and only participants who did not take lipid-lowering agents (pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals) for at least 4 weeks prior to the initial visit were included. The diet intervention followed the protocol of Patsch et al. (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1420093" target="_blank">1992</a>). The whipping cream (83% fat) meal had 700 Calories/m2 body surface area (2.93 mJ/m2 body surface area): 3% of calories were derived from protein (instant nonfat dry milk) and 14% from carbohydrate (sugar). The ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat was 0.06 and the cholesterol content of the average meal was 240 mg. The mixture was blended with ice and flavorings. Blood samples were drawn immediately before (fasting) and at 3.5 and 6 hours after consuming the high-fat meal. The diet intervention was administered at baseline as well as after a 3-week treatment with 160 mg micronized fenofibrate. Participants were given the option to complete one or both (diet and drug) interventions. Of all participants, 1079 had phenotypic data and provided appropriate consent, and underwent whole genome sequencing through the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program.</p> <p>Comprehensive phenotypic and pedigree data for GOLDN study participants are available through dbGaP <a href="./study.cgi?study_id=phs000741">phs000741</a>.</p>
Project description:<p>The GOLDN study was initiated to assess how genetic factors interact with environmental (diet and drug) interventions to influence blood levels of triglycerides and other atherogenic lipid species and inflammation markers (registered at <a href="http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00083369">clinicaltrails.gov</a>, number NCT00083369). The study recruited Caucasian participants primarily from three-generational pedigrees from two NHLBI Family Heart Study (FHS) field centers (Minneapolis, MN and Salt Lake City, UT). Only families with at least two siblings were recruited and only participants who did not take lipid-lowering agents (pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals) for at least 4 weeks prior to the initial visit were included. A total of 1048 GOLDN participants were included in the diet intervention. The diet intervention followed the protocol of Patsch et al. (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1420093">1992</a>). The whipping cream (83% fat) meal had 700 Calories/m2 body surface area (2.93 MJ/m2 body surface area): 3% of calories were derived from protein (instant nonfat dry milk) and 14% from carbohydrate (sugar). The ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat was 0.06 and the cholesterol content of the average meal was 240 mg. The mixture was blended with ice and flavorings. Blood samples were drawn immediately before (fasting) and at 3.5 and 6 hours after consuming the high-fat meal. For the GOLDN lipidomics study, sterols and fatty acids were measured from stored plasma (-80 degrees Celsius) collected at fasting and 3.5 hours after the diet intervention using TrueMass Panels from Lipomics (West Sacramento, CA). A total of 11 sterols were quantified in nmols/gram of sample including total cholesterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol, desmosterol, lanosterol, lathasterol, cholestanol, coprostanol, beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and 7alpha-hydroxycholesterol. A total of 35 fatty acids were quantified in nmols/gram of sample inlcuding myristic acid (14:0); pentadecanoic acid (15:0); palmitic acid (16:0); stearic acid (18:0); arachidic acid (20:0); behenic acid (22:0); lignoceric acid (24:0); myristoleic acid (14:1n5); palmitoleic acid (16:1n7); palmitelaidic acid (t16:1n7); oleic acid (18:1n9); elaidic acid (t18:1n9); vaccenic acid (18:1n7); linoleic acid (18:2n6); gamma-linolenic acid (18:3n6); alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n3); stearidonic acid (18:4n3); eicosenoic acid (20:1n9); eicosadienoic acid (20:2n6); mead acid (20:3n9); di-homo-gamma-linolenic acid (20:3n6); arachidonic acid (20:4n6); eicsoatetraenoic acid (20:4n3); eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3); erucic acid (22:1n9); docosadienoic acid (22:2n6); adrenic acid (22:4n6); docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n6); docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n3); docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3); nervonic acid (24:1n9); and plasmalogen derivatives of 16:0, 18:0, 18:1n9, and 18:1n7.</p>
Project description:Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies in cancer accelerate atherosclerosis progression. Here, we have charted the landscape of immune checkpoint gene expression and defined the network of disease-relevant interactions with single-cell resolution. We found that signaling through PD-1 and CTLA4 is driven by a population of dendritic cells enriched for FSCN1 that can be derived from peripheral blood cells following anti-PD-1 or -CTLA4 treatment ex vivo. Type 2 diabetes dampened plaque PD-1 and CTLA4 signaling, showing that cardiometabolic comorbidities elicit unique responses to ICIs. Lipid-lowering therapy equalized the intensity and direction of immune checkpoint interactions in human blood, while atherosclerotic mice subjected to a lipid-lowering diet displayed both increased co-inhibitory signaling and a downregulation of inflammatory transcriptional programs in plaques. Our findings underscore the potential of lipid-lowering therapies in stabilizing immune checkpoint interactions and reducing plaque inflammation, offering new insights on atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risks in cancer patients undergoing ICI treatments.
Project description:Thromboembolic events secondary to rupture or erosion of advanced atherosclerotic lesions are the leading cause of death in the world. The most common and effective means to reduce these major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke, is aggressive lipid lowering via a combination of drugs and dietary modifications. However, little is known regarding the effects of reducing dietary lipids on the composition and stability of advanced atherosclerotic lesions, the mechanisms that regulate these processes, and what therapeutic approaches might augment the benefits of lipid lowering.
Project description:A deeper understanding of the genetics of rice grain starch structure is crucial in tailoring grain digestibility and ensuring cooking quality to meet consumer preferences. Significant association peaks on chromosomes 6 and 7 were identified through genome-wide association study (GWAS) of debranched starch structure from grains of a 320 indica rice diversity panel using genotyping data from the high-density rice array. A systems genetics approach that interrelates starch structure data from GWAS to functional pathways from a gene regulatory network identified known and novel genes with high correlation to the proportion of amylose and amylopectin. A novel SNP in the promoter region of Granule Bound Starch Synthase I (GBSS I) was identified along with seven other SNPs to form haplotypes that discriminate samples into different phenotypic ranges of amylose. A novel GWAS peak on chromosome 7 between LOC_Os07g11020 and LOC_Os07g11520 indexed by a non-synonymous SNP mutation on exon 5 of a bHLH transcription factor was found to elevate the proportion of amylose at the expense of reduced short-chain amylopectin. Linking starch structure with starch digestibility by determining the kinetics of cooked grain amylolysis of selected haplotypes revealed strong association of starch structure with estimated digestibility kinetics. Combining all results from grain quality genomics, systems genetics, and digestibility phenotyping, we propose novel target haplotypes for fine-tuning starch structure in rice through marker-assisted breeding that can be used to alter the digestibility of rice grain, thus offering rice consumers a new diet-based intervention to mitigate the impact of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases.
Project description:Elevated plasma cholesterol and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) are associated with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Individuals treated with cholesterol-lowering statins have increased T2D risk, while individuals with hypercholesterolemia have reduced T2D risk. We explored the relationship between lipid and glucose control by constructing network models from the STARNET study with sequencing data from seven cardiometabolic tissues obtained from CAD patients during coronary artery by-pass grafting surgery. By integrating gene expression, genotype, metabolomic and clinical data, we identified a Glucose and Lipid Determining (GLD) regulatory network showing inverse relationships with lipid and glucose traits. Master regulators of the GLD network also impacted lipid and glucose levels in inverse directions. Experimental knockdown of one of the GLD network master regulators, Lanosterol Synthase (LSS), in mouse confirmed the inverse relationships to glucose and lipid levels as predicted by our model and provided mechanistic insights.