Biomarkers for monitoring pre-analytical quality variation of mRNA in blood samples.

There is an increasing need for proper quality control tools in the pre-analytical phase of the molecular diagnostic workflow. The aim of the present study was to identify biomarkers for monitoring pre-analytical mRNA quality variations in two different types of blood collection tubes, K2EDTA (EDTA) tubes and PAXgene Blood RNA Tubes (PAXgene tubes). These tubes are extensively used both in the diagnostic setting as well as for research biobank samples.

Prediction of mild cognitive impairment that evolves into Alzheimer's disease dementia within two years using a gene expression signature in blood: a pilot study.

Background: The focus on Alzheimer's disease (AD) is shifting from dementia to the prodromal stage of the disorder, to a large extent due to increasing efforts in trying to develop disease modifying treatment for the disorder. For development of disease-modifying drugs, a reliable and accurate test for identification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD is essential.

Objective: In the present study, MCI progressing to AD will be predicted using blood-based gene expression.

Transiently redirected T cells for adoptive transfer.

Background Aims: T cells can be redirected to reject cancer by retroviral transduction with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or by administration of a bispecific T cell engager (BiTE). We demonstrate that transfection of T cells with messenger (m) RNA coding for CAR is an alternative strategy.

Methods: We describe the pre-clinical evaluation of a method based on transient modification of expanded T cells with a CD19 CAR directed against B-cell malignancies.

Extensive adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation of patterned human mesenchymal stem cells in a microfluidic device.

Microtechnology offers great prospects for cellular research by enabling controlled experimental conditions that cannot be achieved by traditional methods. This study demonstrates the use of a microfluidic platform for long-term cultivation (3 weeks) of human mesenchymal stem-like cells (MSCs), a cell population of high interest for tissue engineering. The typical high motility of the MSCs required a strategy for preventing cells from inhabiting the feeding channels and thus interfere with a steady perfusion of medium to the cell cultivation chamber.

beta-catenin is involved in N-cadherin-dependent adhesion, but not in canonical Wnt signaling in E2A-PBX1-positive B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells.

Objective: The t(1;19)(q23;13) translocation, resulting in the production of the E2A-PBX1 chimeric protein, is a common nonrandom translocation in pediatric B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). The E2A-PBX1 chimeric protein activates expression of several genes, including Wnt16. In the present study, we explored the role of Wnt16 and beta-catenin in t(1;19) B-ALL cells.

Bone marrow stroma cells regulate TIEG1 expression in acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells: role of TGFbeta/BMP-6 and TIEG1 in chemotherapy escape.

The bone marrow microenvironment regulates early B lymphopoiesis and protects leukemia cells against chemotherapy treatment, thus the microenvironment may serve as a sanctuary site for these cells. Yet, few factors that contribute to this process are known. We have explored the role of transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) and bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP-6) and one target gene, TGFbeta inducible early gene 1 (TIEG1), in the communication between stroma cells and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines and their escape from chemotherapy.

Characterization of early stages of human B cell development by gene expression profiling.

We have characterized several stages of normal human B cell development in adult bone marrow by gene expression profiling of hemopoietic stem cells, early B (E-B), pro-B, pre-B, and immature B cells, using RNA amplification and Lymphochip cDNA microarrays (n = 6). Hierarchical clustering of 758 differentially expressed genes clearly separated the five populations. We used gene sets to investigate the functional assignment of the differentially expressed genes.

Wnt3A activates canonical Wnt signalling in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) cells and inhibits the proliferation of B-ALL cell lines.

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in children. Recently, there has been a growing interest in Wnt signalling in several aspects of cellular development, including cancer formation. Little is known about Wnt signalling in B-ALL.

Wnt expression and canonical Wnt signaling in human bone marrow B lymphopoiesis.

Background: The early B lymphopoiesis in mammals is regulated through close interactions with stromal cells and components of the intracellular matrix in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. Although B lymphopoiesis has been studied for decades, the factors that are implicated in this process, both autocrine and paracrine, are inadequately explored. Wnt signaling is known to be involved in embryonic development and growth regulation of tissues and cancer.

BMP-6 inhibits human bone marrow B lymphopoiesis--upregulation of Id1 and Id3.

Objective: In mammals, factors produced by bone marrow (BM) stromal cells are instrumental in orchestrating the developmental process of B lymphocytes. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are multifunctional cytokines previously found to regulate hematopoietic stem cells. In the present study, we have explored the role of BMP-6 in human B progenitor cells.

CD10+ stromal cells form B-lymphocyte maturation niches in the human bone marrow.

In adult mammals, early B-lymphopoiesis takes place in the bone marrow in close association with stromal cells. Both the phenotype of the stromal cells and the molecules involved in this essential interaction are as yet inadequately described. In this study, all benign, differentiating B-cells (Pax-5+ lymphoid cells) are shown, by using two-colour immunohistochemistry on biopsies from human bone marrow, to be in close contact with scant dendritic CD10+ stromal cells until they leave via the sinusoids.

Butyrate response factor 1 is regulated by parathyroid hormone and bone morphogenetic protein-2 in osteoblastic cells.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) exerts potent and diverse effects in bone and cartilage through activation of type 1 PTH receptors (PTH1R) capable of coupling to protein kinase A (PKA) and PKC. We have used macroarrays to identify zinc finger protein butyrate response factor-1 (BRF1) as a novel PTH regulated gene in clonal and normal osteoblasts of human and rodent origin. We further demonstrate that in human osteoblast-like OHS cells, biologically active hPTH(1-84) and hPTH(1-34) stimulate BRF1 mRNA expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner, while the amino-terminally truncated hPTH(3-84) which does not activate PTH1R has no effect.

Molecular heterogeneity in human osteosarcoma demonstrated by enriched mRNAs isolated by directional tag PCR subtraction cloning.

Directional tag PCR subtractive hybridization was applied to construct a cDNA library generated from three different human osteosarcoma (OS) target cell lines (OHS, SaOS-2 and KPDXM) from which normal osteoblast (NO) sequences were subtracted. After two consecutive subtractive steps more than 98% of the common mRNAs species were depleted, leading to effective enrichment of the remaining target sequences. After differential screening of 960 clones, 81 candidates were further studied by Northern blot analysis and 73 represented separate mRNA species.

The human solute carrier SLC41A1 belongs to a novel eukaryotic subfamily with homology to prokaryotic MgtE Mg2+ transporters.

We report here the first identification and structural characterization of a eukaryotic protein with homology to the bacterial MgtE family of potential Mg(2+) transporters. This human protein, denoted solute carrier family 41 member 1 (SLC41A1), consists of 513 amino acids with an estimated molecular weight of 56kDa. Computer analysis of the protein structure reveals that the protein consists of 10 putative transmembrane domains and includes two distinct domains highly homologous to the integral membrane part of the bacterial MgtE protein family.

Characterization of the novel human transmembrane protein 9 (TMEM9) that localizes to lysosomes and late endosomes.

We have identified and characterized the novel human transmembrane protein 9 (TMEM9). TMEM9 encodes a 183 amino-acid protein that contains an N-terminal signal peptide, a single transmembrane region, three potential N-glycosylation sites, and three conserved cys-rich domains in the N-terminus, but no hitherto known functional domains. The protein is highly conserved between species from Caenorhabditis elegans to man and belongs to a novel family of transmembrane proteins.