22937 results for "ega"

in 30.30 milliseconds.

• The immunological characterization of expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in renal cell carcinoma patients

  In this study, we comprehensively characterized the non-expanded and expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from treatment-naïve RCC patients, as well as the corresponding “young” TILs (pre-REP TILs) and “rapidly expanded” TILs (REP TILs) following a clinical-grade TIL production protocol. From our scRNA+TCRαβ-seq and TCRβ-seq analyses, we show that the REP protocol preferentially favors the expansion CD4+ T-cells that originate from small T-cell clones in the tumor microenvironment (TME), indicating that the large, exhausted T-cell clones in the tumor do not expand during the protocol. We further identified RCC-associated TCR motifs that were validated in multiple TCRαβ-seq and scRNA+TCRαβ-seq datasets, as well as quantified the RCC-associated TCRs from the REP protocol. Overall, the T-cells carrying the RCC-associated TCRs remained high in the tumors and corresponding pre-REP TILs, but the frequency was reduced in the REP TILs. Furthermore, the overall anti-viral TCRs remained low throughout the REP protocol. Our results provide an in-depth understanding of the origin, phenotype, and specificity of the TCRs in RCC TILs.

  Study EGAS00001006952

• Pre-activated anti-viral innate immunity in the upper airways controls early SARS-CoV-2 infection in children

  Children have reduced SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and a substantially lower risk for developing severe COVID-19 than adults. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying protection in younger age groups remain unknown. Here, we characterize the single-cell transcriptional landscape in the upper airways of SARS-CoV-2-negative (n=18) and age-matched SARS-CoV-2–positive children (n=24) and corresponding samples from adults (n=44), covering an age range of four weeks to 77 years. Children displayed higher basal expression of the relevant pattern recognition receptors (PRR) such as MDA5 (IFIH1) and RIG-I (DDX58) in upper airway epithelial cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells, resulting in stronger innate antiviral responses upon SARS-CoV-2 infection than adults. We further detected distinct immune cell subpopulations including KLRC1 (NKG2A)+ cytotoxic T cells and a CD8+ T cell population with a memory phenotype occurring predominantly in children. Our study provides evidence that the airway immune cells of children are primed for virus sensing, resulting in a stronger early innate antiviral responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection than adults.

  Study EGAS00001005461

• HLA-DR is absent in primitive macrophages through epigenetic silencing of master regulator CIITA

  The earliest macrophages are generated during embryonic development from erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMPs) via primitive haematopoiesis. This process is poorly understood in humans and in the mouse is thought to be spatially restricted to the yolk sac. Human fetal placental macrophages, Hofbauer cells (HBC), arise during the primitive haematopoietic wave at ~18 days post conception. Here we identify a population of placental erythro-myeloid progenitors (PEMPs) in the early human placenta that give rise to HBC. PEMP are fetal CD34+CD43+ progenitors found exclusively at early gestational timepoints. Transcriptomic analyses reveal that PEMP have conserved features of primitive yolk sac EMPs, including the lack of HLF expression. Using in vitro single-cell culture experiments we show that PEMP generate HBC-like cells that completely lack HLA-DR expression  and demonstrate that this is a conserved feature of all macrophages generated by primitive haematopoiesis in humans. Finally, we demonstrate that the class II transactivator, CTIIA, the master regulator HLA-DR expression, is epigenetically silenced during primitive haematopoiesis, leading to HLA-DRneg macrophages. These findings demonstrate that HBC are derived locally from PEMP and establish the human placenta as an additional site of primitive haematopoiesis.

  Study EGAS00001006981

• Covid19 Transcriptomic Data analysis in Irish Population

  The Samples were collected from Saint James's Hospital, Dublin and after informed consent. RNA-Sequencing library preparation was performed using the Illumina TruSeq Stranded Total RNA Library Prep Globin kit (20020612) with an input amount of 100 – 1000 ng. Library preparation was automated and processed using a Hamilton NGS Star. Library quality was assessed using the Roche KAPA Library Quantification Kit (7960298001) and GX Caliper HS Assay (CLS760672, 760517), run on Roche Lightcycler 480 II and Perkin Elmer LabChip GX Touch analyser respectively. Libraries were pooled and sequenced (75bp PE) on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 instrument using NovaSeq 6000 S2 Reagent Kit v1.5 (20028314) targeting 50M paired reads. Raw data (BCL format) were demultiplexed and converted to FASTQ format using BCL2FastQ (Illumina). Adapters were trimmed using Skewer (PMID: 24925680) and QC assessed using FASTQC. STAR (PMID: 23104886) was used to align reads to the reference genome (GRCh38/hg38) as well as to the transcriptome (GENCODE v. 25). Quality of the RNA alignment was assessed using Picard QC. Gene and isoform quantification was performed using RSEM (PMID: 21816040). The study shares expression data (gene.results) and chimeric.junction.out.

  Study EGAS00001007116

• RNAseq

  Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a prototypical periodic fever syndrome caused by genetic variation in MEFV. While it is known that especially IL-1β responses are dysregulated in FMF, its innate immune landscape has not been comprehensively described. Therefore, we extensively characterized the function of monocytes and neutrophils in patients with FMF in between disease attacks, as well as their circulating inflammatory proteome. We found that monocyte IL-1 and IL-6 production was enhanced following a range of stimulations, in concordance with alterations in the plasma inflammatory proteome. In contrast, neutrophil function in FMF was normal. Additionally, ATAC-seq and RNA-seq analyses revealed important epigenetic and transcriptional reprogramming arguing for monocyte function dysregulation. Interestingly, chromatin-accessibility was down-regulated in genomic regions related to cellular responses. This argues that the primary immune dysregulation in monocytes due to MEFV mutations leads to a chronic inflammatory profile that is subsequently associated with counterregulatory epigenetic and transcriptional changes reminiscent of tolerance (rather than trained immunity) induction. These data increase our understanding of the innate immune changes in FMF, that can be used in the design of novel approaches to manage chronic inflammation of these patients.

  Study EGAS00001007165

• Functional single-cell characterization of immune aplastic anemia shows convergence of NK and NK-like CD8+ T cells with disease-associated TCR signature

  Immune aplastic anemia (AA) is a life-threatening bone marrow (BM) failure disorder driven by an autoimmune T cell attack against the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, the autoantigen targets and the role of other immune cells are unknown. Here, by analyzing an international cohort of 156 AA patients with scRNA+TCRαβ-seq, TCRβ-seq, flow cytometry, and plasma cytokine profiling with comparisons to healthy controls and patients with other hematological disorders, we identify NK cells and CD8+ TEMRA cells expressing NK receptors with AA-associated TCRβ-seq motifs as the most dysregulated immune cell populations in AA BM. Functional co-culture experiments with scRNA-TCRαβ-seq readout utilizing primary HSPCs and immune cells provide evidence that NK cellscannot kill HSPCs alone, but sensitize them to CD8+ T cell-mediated killing. Furthermore, HSPCs induce strong activation of T cell clones with CD8+ TEMRA NK-like phenotype and AA-associated TCR motifs. Our results reveal the convergent evolution of innate and adaptive immune cells in AA, where NK cells support CD8+ T cell-mediated autoimmunity.

  Study EGAS00001007602

• Single-cell profiling of co-cultures of GSCCs and macrophages

  Glioblastoma (GBM) remains the most malignant primary brain tumor, with a median survival rarely exceeding 2 years. Tumor heterogeneity and an immunosuppressive microenvironment are key factors contributing to the poor response rates of current therapeutic approaches. GBM-associated macrophages (GAMs) often exhibit immunosuppressive features that promote tumor progression. However, their dynamic interactions with GBM tumor cells remain poorly understood. Here, we used patient-derived GBM stem cell cultures and combined single-cell RNA sequencing of GAM-GBM co-cultures and real-time in vivo monitoring of GAM-GBM interactions in orthotopic zebrafish xenograft models to provide insight into the cellular, molecular, and spatial heterogeneity. Our analyses revealed substantial heterogeneity across GBM patients in GBM-induced GAM polarization and the ability to attract and activate GAMs – features that correlated with patient survival. Differential gene expression analysis, immunohistochemistry on original tumor samples, and knock-out experiments in zebrafish subsequently identified LGALS1 as a primary regulator of immunosuppression. Overall, our work highlights that GAM-GBM interactions can be studied in a clinically relevant way using co-cultures and avatar models, while offering new opportunities to identify promising immune-modulating targets.

  Study EGAS00001007482

• Massively parallel functional dissection of schizophrenia associated non-coding genetic variants

  Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe mental disorder affecting 1% of the world population. SCZ is characterized by an underlying genetic architecture that is highly polygenic. Genome wide association studies have identified thousands of genetic variants that are statistically linked to the disease. However, the translation of these associations into insights on the pathomechanisms has been challenging because the causal genetic variants, their molecular function, and their target genes remain largely unknown. To address these questions, we combined induced pluripotent stem cell technology with a massively parallel variant annotation pipeline (MVAP) to functionally characterize 35,000 SCZ associated non-coding genetic variants. This approach identified a set of 620 (1.7%) single nucleotide polymorphisms as functional on the molecular level in a highly cell type and condition specific fashion. Subsequent multi-modal integration of epigenomic data combined with CRISPR screening in human neurons enabled us to systematically translate SCZ variant associations into target genes, biological processes, and ultimately alterations of neuronal physiology. These results provide a new high-resolution map of functional variant-gene combinations and offer comprehensive biological insights into the developmental context and stimulus dependent molecular processes modulated by SCZ genetic variation beyond statistical association.

  Study EGAS00001007542

• Functional single-cell characterization of immune aplastic anemia shows convergence of NK and NK-like CD8+ T cells with disease-associated TCR signature

  Immune aplastic anemia (AA) is a life-threatening bone marrow (BM) failure disorder driven by an autoimmune T cell attack against the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, the autoantigen targets and the role of other immune cells are unknown. Here, by analyzing an international cohort of 156 AA patients with scRNA+TCRαβ-seq, TCRβ-seq, flow cytometry, and plasma cytokine profiling with comparisons to healthy controls and patients with other hematological disorders, we identify NK cells and CD8+ TEMRA cells expressing NK receptors with AA-associated TCRβ-seq motifs as the most dysregulated immune cell populations in AA BM. Functional co-culture experiments with scRNA-TCRαβ-seq readout utilizing primary HSPCs and immune cells provide evidence that NK cellscannot kill HSPCs alone, but sensitize them to CD8+ T cell-mediated killing. Furthermore, HSPCs induce strong activation of T cell clones with CD8+ TEMRA NK-like phenotype and AA-associated TCR motifs. Our results reveal the convergent evolution of innate and adaptive immune cells in AA, where NK cells support CD8+ T cell-mediated autoimmunity.

  Study EGAS00001007604

• Immune and clinicopathological features predict HER2-positive breast cancer prognosis in the neoadjuvant NeoALTTO and CALGB 40601 trials

  The identification of prognostic drivers in patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy is crucial for treatment optimization in HER2-positive breast cancer, with the immune microenvironment being a key factor. Here, we investigated the complexity of B and T cell receptor (BCR and TCR) repertoires, reflecting antigen-specific immune response, in the context of two phase III trials, namely NeoALTTO and CALGB 40601, evaluating neoadjuvant paclitaxel with trastuzumab and/or lapatinib in women affected by HER2-positive breast cancer. BCR/TCR features were heterogeneous, and BCR measures describing clonal expansion demonstrated independent prognostic value. A model developed in NeoALTTO and validated in CALGB 40601 predicted event-free survival (EFS) by integrating hormone receptor and clinical nodal status, treatment response (breast pCR)breast pathological complete response (pCR) as well as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and BCR evenness, measuring the equality of BCR clonal distribution. The HER2-EveNT score derived from the model allows the identification of patients with 5-year EFS > 90%, and, in those not achieving pCR, of a subgroup of immune-enriched tumors with an excellent outcome despite residual disease.

  Study EGAS00001007563