Publications by authors named "Harry Begthel"

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium that is notorious for airway infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) subjects. Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) coordinates virulence factor expression and biofilm formation at population level. Better understanding of QS in the bacterium-host interaction is required.

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  • The mammalian pancreas has three key parts: exocrine acini and ducts, along with endocrine islets, all originating from a common progenitor during development.
  • Researchers created 18 human fetal pancreas organoid lines from samples between 8-17 weeks of gestation, with four lines showing the ability to produce all three cell types while thriving in culture for over two years.
  • Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed LGR5 cells as crucial developmental stem cells, indicating that these organoids are capable of long-term growth and can differentiate into acinar, ductal, and endocrine cells.
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Carcinogenesis results from the sequential acquisition of oncogenic mutations that convert normal cells into invasive, metastasizing cancer cells. Colorectal cancer exemplifies this process through its well-described adenoma-carcinoma sequence, modeled previously using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) to induce four consecutive mutations in wild-type human gut organoids. Here, we demonstrate that long-term culture of mismatch-repair-deficient organoids allows the selection of spontaneous oncogenic mutations through the sequential withdrawal of Wnt agonists, epidermal growth factor (EGF) agonists and the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) antagonist Noggin, while TP53 mutations were selected through the addition of Nutlin-3.

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In mice, intestinal tuft cells have been described as a long-lived, postmitotic cell type. Two distinct subsets have been identified: tuft-1 and tuft-2 (ref. ).

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Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) orchestrate T cell development by imposing positive and negative selection on thymocytes. Current studies on TEC biology are hampered by the absence of long-term ex vivo culture platforms, while the cells driving TEC self-renewal remain to be identified. Here, we generate long-term (>2 years) expandable 3D TEC organoids from the adult mouse thymus.

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  • FBXW7 is a protein that helps break down other proteins, and when it's mutated, it can contribute to cancer.
  • Scientists used a special tool called CRISPR to change certain parts of this protein in colon tissue samples, which made the samples grow better without needing as much EGF, a growth factor.
  • The research showed that these mutations help keep another protein called EGFR alive longer, making the cancer cells less sensitive to certain treatments.
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  • The conjunctival epithelium has two key cell types: goblet cells that produce mucus and keratinocytes that secrete water, with keratinocytes presenting mucins on their surface.
  • Research involves long-term organoid cultures of human and mouse conjunctiva, revealing essential gene expression and identification of conjunctival stem cells.
  • The study also explores viral infections (HSV1, hAdV8, SARS-CoV-2) in conjunctival cultures, demonstrating treatment options for some infections and documenting gene expression changes induced by these viruses, highlighting the potential for organoid transplantation to study conjunctival health and disease.
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Organoid technology is rapidly gaining ground for studies on organ (patho)physiology. Tubuloids are long-term expanding organoids grown from adult kidney tissue or urine. The progenitor state of expanding tubuloids comes at the expense of differentiation.

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Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) comprise well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). Treatment options for patients with NENs are limited, in part due to lack of accurate models. We establish patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) from pulmonary NETs and derive PDTOs from an understudied subtype of NEC, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), arising from multiple body sites.

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Enteroendocrine cells (EECs) are hormone-producing cells residing in the epithelium of stomach, small intestine (SI), and colon. EECs regulate aspects of metabolic activity, including insulin levels, satiety, gastrointestinal secretion, and motility. The generation of different EEC lineages is not completely understood.

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  • - The study explores the use of advanced CRISPR/Cas9-based base editors for creating intricate tumor models using human organoids derived from adult stem cells (ASC), specifically focusing on liver (hepatocyte) and endometrial organoids.
  • - Results demonstrate the effectiveness of cytosine and adenine base editors in inducing specific mutations, such as CTNNB1 mutations in liver organoids and PTEN nonsense mutations in endometrial organoids, which lead to tumor development even with one mutated copy.
  • - Additionally, the researchers enhanced base editing capabilities by employing multiple Cas9 variants for targeted mutations and established a method to model colorectal cancer by editing five cancer genes simultaneously in one experiment.
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Background: Organoids are in vitro three-dimensional structures that can be grown from patient tissue. Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a collective term used for multiple tumor types including squamous cell carcinomas and salivary gland adenocarcinomas.

Methods: Organoids were established from HNC patient tumor tissue and characterized using immunohistochemistry and DNA sequencing.

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  • Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) are tiny lab-grown tissues that help scientists find new cancer treatments.
  • Researchers tested 414 different drugs to see which ones could make cancer cells die instead of just stop growing.
  • They found that a drug called vinorelbine works well against colorectal cancer cells and could be even better when combined with other treatments, leading to plans for patient tests.
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The lacrimal gland is an essential organ for ocular surface homeostasis. By producing the aqueous part of the tear film, it protects the eye from desiccation stress and external insults. Little is known about lacrimal gland (patho)physiology because of the lack of adequate in vitro models.

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Opposing roles have been proposed for IL-22 in intestinal pathophysiology. We have optimized human small intestinal organoid (hSIO) culturing, constitutively generating all differentiated cell types while maintaining an active stem cell compartment. IL-22 does not promote the expansion of stem cells but rather slows the growth of hSIOs.

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Intestinal epithelial cells derive from stem cells at the crypt base and travel along the crypt-villus axis to die at the villus tip. The two dominant villus epithelial cell types, absorptive enterocytes and mucous-secreting goblet cells, are mature when they exit crypts. Murine enterocytes switch functional cell states during migration along the villus.

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The thyroid maintains systemic homeostasis by regulating serum thyroid hormone concentrations. Here we report the establishment of three-dimensional (3D) organoids from adult thyroid tissue representing murine and human thyroid follicular cells (TFCs). The TFC organoids (TFCOs) harbor the complete machinery of hormone production as visualized by the presence of colloid in the lumen and by the presence of essential transporters and enzymes in the polarized epithelial cells that surround a central lumen.

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Patient-derived human organoids can be used to model a variety of diseases. Recently, we described conditions for long-term expansion of human airway organoids (AOs) directly from healthy individuals and patients. Here, we first optimize differentiation of AOs towards ciliated cells.

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Cervical cancer is a common gynecological malignancy often caused by high-risk human papillomavirus. There is a paucity of human-derived culture systems to study the cervical epithelium and the cancers derived thereof. Here we describe a long-term culturing protocol for ecto- and endocervical epithelia that generates 3D organoids that stably recapitulate the two tissues of origin.

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  • The lacrimal gland is crucial for keeping the eye lubricated and protected; problems in its fluid production can lead to dry eye syndrome, causing discomfort and eye damage.
  • This research establishes long-term 3D organoid cultures for both mouse and human lacrimal glands, which mimic key features of their natural structure and function.
  • The study identifies Pax6 as a critical gene for developing lacrimal gland cells and offers a detailed cell map of human lacrimal tissue, demonstrating that these organoids can replicate tear secretion and even successfully engraft in mouse models.
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The upper gastrointestinal tract, consisting of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, controls food transport, digestion, nutrient uptake, and hormone production. By single-cell analysis of healthy epithelia of these human organs, we molecularly define their distinct cell types. We identify a quiescent COL17A1 KRT15 stem/progenitor cell population in the most basal cell layer of the esophagus and detect substantial gene expression differences between identical cell types of the human and mouse stomach.

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High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HG-SOC)-often referred to as a "silent killer"-is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. The fallopian tube (murine oviduct) and ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) are considered the main candidate tissues of origin of this cancer. However, the relative contribution of each tissue to HG-SOC is not yet clear.

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Background: Pancreatic patient-derived organoids (PDOs) are a well-established model for studying pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) carcinogenesis and are potential predictors of clinical responses to chemotherapy. Oncolytic virotherapy is envisioned as a novel treatment modality for pancreatic cancer, and candidate viruses are being tested in clinical trials. Here, we explore the feasibility of using PDOs as a screening platform for the oncolytic adenovirus (OA) response.

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