Project description:The aim of this study was to investigate the transciptional mechanisms regulated by three PIM kinases during early human Th17 cell differentiation. PIM kinases were transiently silenced using RNAi (KD) approach followed by RNA-seq to determine their global transciptional targets.
Project description:The aim of this study was to investigate the transciptional mechanisms regulated by three PIM kinases at singel cell level during early human Th17 cell differentiation. PIM kinases were transiently silenced using RNAi (KD) approach followed by single cell RNA-seq to determine the gene expression profile of PIM negative Th17 cells.
Project description:PIM kinases have important pro-tumorigenic roles and mediate several oncogenic traits, including cell proliferation, survival, and chemotherapeutic resistance. As a result, multiple PIM inhibitors have been pursued as investigational new drugs in cancer; however, response to PIM inhibitors in solid tumors has fallen short of expectations. We found that inhibition of PIM kinase activity stabilizes protein levels of all three PIM isoforms (PIM1/2/3), and this can promote resistance to PIM inhibitors and chemotherapy. To overcome this effect, we designed PIM proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) to target PIM for degradation. PIM PROTACs effectively downmodulated PIM levels through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Importantly, degradation of PIM kinases was more potent than inhibition of catalytic activity in inducing apoptosis in prostate cancer cell line models. In conclusion, we provide evidence of the advantages of degrading PIM kinases versus inhibiting their catalytic activity to target the oncogenic functions of PIM kinases.
Project description:The aim of this study was to investigate the transciptional mechanisms governed by FOSL1, FOSL2 and BATF for regulation of human Th17 cell-function. FOSL factors were transiently perturbed using RNAi (KD) and over-expression (OE) strategies, whereas BATF was perturbed using RNAi only. RNA-seq was then performed to determine their global transciptional targets.
Project description:T cell antigen-receptor (TCR) and cytokine receptor engagement trigger large changes in Serine/Threonine kinase signalling networks to drive T cell activation and differentiation. The role of only few kinase signalling pathways have been studied in detail, and in this context, Pim kinases are an interesting, yet understudied, family of Serine/Threonine kinases, with reported roles in key processes including survival, proliferation, metabolism across a range of cell types. T lymphocytes predominantly express PIM1 and PIM2, which are rapidly induced by TCR, costimulation and cytokine signalling. Using single shot DDA mass spectrometry we examine the impact of 24 hours treatment with two different pan-Pim kinase inhibitors PIM447 and AZD1208 on in vitro IL2 differentiated effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The Jak1/3 inhibitor tofacitinib was included as a control as this also blocks production of Pim kinases downstream of IL2. We find that treatment with pan-Pim kinase inhibitors has a similar phenotype to Pim1/Pim2 double deficiency, showing a reduction in proteins that are key for effector cell function: glucose transporters SLC2A1 and SLC2A3 and key effector molecule Granzyme B and an increase in the translational repressor PDCD4.