Project description:Our current understanding of CTEPH pathobiology is primarily derived from cell-based studies limited by the use of specific cell markers or phenotypic modulation in cell culture. Therefore, our main objective is to identify the multiple cell types that comprise the CTEPH thrombus and to study their dysfunction. Here we used single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) of tissue removed at the time of pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) surgery from five patients to identify the multiple cell types. Our scRNAseq identify the multiple cell types including macrophages, T cells, and smooth muscle cells, that comprise CTEPH thrombus. Notably, multiple macrophage subclusters were identified but broadly split into two categories, with the larger group characterized by an upregulation of inflammatory signaling predicted to promote pulmonary vascular remodeling. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were identified and likely contribute to chronic inflammation in CTEPH. Smooth muscle cells were a heterogeneous population, with a cluster of myofibroblasts that express markers of fibrosis and are predicted to arise from other smooth muscle cell clusters based on pseudotime analysis. Lastly, our analysis identified protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) as a potential therapeutic target that links thrombosis to chronic PE in CTEPH
Project description:The Agilent Human Gene Expression(8*60K,Design ID:039494) was used in this experiment of sequencing of the 12 samples. A total of 12 tissues were sequenced from adjacent and cancerous tissues of 6 patients with TNM stage 3 colon cancer. Three patients had cancer thrombus and three patients had no cancer thrombus.
Project description:Inflammatory mechanisms and immune cells are involved in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and may lead to acute plaque rupture. However, the local expression of the different genes potentially involved is largely unknown. We therefore performed an Affymetrix analysis of genes expressed in white blood cells obtained from an occluding coronary thrombus or peripheral blood of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
Project description:Thromboembolic diseases are commonly associated with thrombus-induced ischemia and tissue damage; identification of the location of the thrombus, or thrombus-targeting, may facilitate diagnosis and target therapy. We hypothesized that aptamers with high affinity and specificity for coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) can serve as thrombus-targeting probes. With systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment technology and semi-activated FXIII (FXIII’) as the target, guanine-rich FXIII’-binding aptamers (FAs; 76 nt) were selected from a library of single-stranded DNA. Next generation sequencing identified FAs with the highest frequency; bio-layer interferometry revealed a dissociation constant (Kd) from 0.7 to 2.5 nM. Truncation with preservation of a conserved region based on entropy analysis resulted in three truncated FAs (FATs; 41-47 nt) that exhibited 4-fold signal in binding to activated vs. resting platelets, as determined by flowcytometry. In addition, FAT2 exhibited up to 4.2-fold binding of that from scrambled ssDNA to platelet/fibrin clot or whole blood clot in vitro, suggesting binding to both activated plateltes and fibrin. FAT2 also exhibited targeting effects in a microcirculatory thrombosis model in mice. Nevertheless, FATs induced no effect on blood coagulation, as determined by thromboelastometry. In conclusion, FXIII-binding aptamers are potentially amenable to thrombus targeting in theranostic application of thromboembolic diseases.
Project description:Inflammatory mechanisms and immune cells are involved in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and may lead to acute plaque rupture. However, the local expression of the different genes potentially involved is largely unknown. We therefore performed an Affymetrix analysis of genes expressed in white blood cells obtained from an occluding coronary thrombus or peripheral blood of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Thrombi of ACS patients were harvested from the site of coronary occlusion. Leukocytes were isolated by Ficoll centrifugation. Peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) were treated in a similar fashion and mRNA was extracted from both cells.
Project description:Currently, no mouse models manifest calcification and thrombus formation, which is frequently associated with human atherosclerosis. We demonstrated that lack of Favine/CCDC3 in apoE knockout mice accelerated atherosclerosis accompanied by large cholesterol crystals and calcification, and also promoted thrombus formation in the left ventricle and arteries. Circulating Favine was detectable in WT mouse lasma. RNA-sequencing analysis of aortae in DKO mice showed similar gene expression patterns of human atherosclerosis with unstable and vulnerable plaques. Importantly, human FAVINE mRNA expressions were lower in atheroma plaque than in adjacent intact aortic tissue and decreased with the progression of atherosclerosis. Pathway analysis of aortae in DKO mice suggested the decrease of the MEF2C-KLF2-mediated transcriptional pathway. Favine insufficiency and its attenuated downstream pathways may increase atherosclerosis progression with calcification and thrombus, which have not previously been fully modeled in experimental animals. Favine and its downstream pathways may have therapeutic potential for atherosclerosis.
Project description:Fresh resected human lung tissue (parenchymal lung and distal airway specimens) was obtained via the CPC BioArchive at the Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M, Munich, Germany) and profiled using single cell RNA sequencing technology (Drop-seq). In total, we analysed parenchymal tissue of uninvolved areas of tumour resection material from four patients.
Project description:Background: Clinical failure of arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) is frequently due to juxta-anastomotic neointimal hyperplasia (JANIH). Although the mouse AVF model recapitulates human AVF maturation, previous studies focused on the outflow vein distal to the anastomosis. We hypothesized that the juxta-anastomotic area (JAA) has increased NIH compared to the outflow vein. Method: AVF were created in C57BL/6 mice without or with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Temporal and spatial changes of the JAA were examined using histology and immunofluorescence. Computational techniques were used to model the AVF. RNA-seq and bioinformatic analyses were performed to compare the JAA with the outflow vein. The jugular vein to carotid artery AVF model was created in Wistar rats. Result: The neointima in the JAA shows increased volume compared to the outflow vein. Computational modeling shows increased volume of disturbed flow at the JAA compared to the outflow vein. Endothelial cells are immediately lost from the wall contralateral to the fistula exit, followed by thrombus formation and JANIH. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of the 1862 differentially expressed genes (DEG) between the JANIH and the outflow vein identified 525 overexpressed genes. The rat jugular vein to carotid artery AVF showed changes similar to the mouse AVF. Conclusion: Disturbed flow through the JAA correlates with rapid endothelial cell loss, thrombus formation, and JANIH; late endothelialization of the JAA channel correlates with late AVF patency. Early thrombus formation in the JAA may influence later development of JANIH.
Project description:Minimally- invasive diagnostic biomarkers for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and distal cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are warranted to enhance early and accurate diagnosis. This study identified tumor tissue secreted proteins, the “secretome”, which was analysed for differential candidate diagnostic plasma proteins. Secretome of tumor and normal tissue was collected directly after resection of the primary tumor from 4 patients with PDAC and distal CCA. The tissue secretome was investigated by label-free LC-MSMS, and database searching identified a total of 5179 proteins. 696 proteins were differentially enriched in tumor secretome compared to normal tissue. Thrombospondin-2 (THBS2) emerged as most promising candidate diagnostic biomarker. Subsequent analysis of THBS2 in plasma samples of patients with PDAC and distal CCA by ELISA showed significantly higher abundance compared to healthy individuals (p<0.001) and resulted in an AUC of 0.844.