Somatilaka et al. report that upregulating the STING signaling pathway in NF1-related malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) leads to T cell infiltration into the microenvironment. This reprogramming of the MPNST microenvironment sensitized tumors to destruction that is enhanced by immune checkpoint blockade. The cover art shows an MPNST (blue) targeted for immune destruction by infiltrating T cells (pink). Image credit: Bandarigoda Somatilaka.
The diversity of structural variants (SVs) in melanoma and how they impact oncogenesis are incompletely known. We performed harmonized analysis of SVs across melanoma histological and genomic subtypes, and we identified distinct global properties between subtypes. These included the frequency and size of SVs and SV classes, their relation to chromothripsis events, and the role of topologically associated domain (TAD) boundary altering SVs on cancer-related genes. Following our prior identification of double-stranded break repair deficiency in a subset of triple wild-type cutaneous melanoma, we identified MRE11 and NBN loss-of-function SVs in melanomas with this mutational signature. Experimental knockouts of MRE11 and NBN, followed by olaparib cell viability assays in melanoma cells, indicated that dysregulation of each of these genes may cause sensitivity to PARPi in cutaneous melanomas. Broadly, harmonized analysis of melanoma SVs revealed distinct global genomic properties and molecular drivers, which may have biological and therapeutic impact.
Jake R. Conway, Riaz Gillani, Jett Crowdis, Brendan Reardon, Jihye Park, Seung Hun Han, Breanna M. Titchen, Mouadh Benamar, Rizwan Haq, Eliezer M. Van Allen
Cells expressing features of senescence, including upregulation of p21 and p16, appear transiently following tissue injury, yet the properties of these cells or how they contrast with age-induced senescent cells remains unclear. Here, we used skeletal injury as a model and identified the rapid appearance following fracture of p21+ cells expressing senescence markers, mainly as osteochondroprogenitors (OCHs) and neutrophils. Targeted genetic clearance of p21+ cells suppressed senescence-associated signatures within the fracture callus and accelerated fracture healing. By contrast, p21+ cell clearance did not alter bone loss due to aging; conversely, p16+ cell clearance, known to alleviate skeletal aging, did not affect fracture healing. Following fracture, p21+ neutrophils were enriched in signaling pathways known to induce paracrine stromal senescence, while p21+ OCHs were highly enriched in senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors known to impair bone formation. Further analysis revealed an injury-specific stem cell-like OCH subset that was p21+ and highly inflammatory, with a similar inflammatory mesenchymal population (fibro-adipogenic progenitors) evident following muscle injury. Thus, intercommunicating senescent-like neutrophils and mesenchymal progenitor cells were key regulators of tissue repair in bone and potentially across tissues. Moreover, our findings established contextual roles of p21+ vs p16+ senescent/senescent-like cells that may be leveraged for therapeutic opportunities.
Dominik Saul, Madison L. Doolittle, Jennifer L. Rowsey, Mitchell N. Froemming, Robyn L. Kosinsky, Stephanie J. Vos, Ming Ruan, Nathan K. LeBrasseur, Abhishek Chandra, Robert J. Pignolo, João F. Passos, Joshua N. Farr, David G. Monroe, Sundeep Khosla
Given the global surge in autoimmune diseases, it is critical to evaluate emerging therapeutic interventions. Despite numerous new targeted immunomodulatory therapies, comprehensive approaches to apply and evaluate the effects of these treatments longitudinally are lacking. Here, we leveraged advances in programmable-phage immunoprecipitation (PhIP-Seq) methodology to explore the modulation, or lack thereof, of autoantibody profiles, proteome-wide, in both health and disease. Using a custom set of over 730,000 human derived peptides, we demonstrated that each individual, regardless of disease state, possesses a distinct and complex constellation of autoreactive antibodies. For each individual, the set of resulting autoreactivites constituted a unique immunological fingerprint, or "autoreactome,” that was remarkably stable over years. Using the autoreactome as a primary output, we evaluated the relative effectiveness of various immunomodulatory therapies in altering autoantibody repertoires. We found that therapies targeting B-Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) profoundly altered an individual’s autoreactome, while anti-CD19 and CD20 therapies had minimal effects. These data both confirm that the autoreactome is comprised of autoantibodies secreted by plasma cells, and strongly suggest that BCMA or other plasma cell targeting therapies may be highly effective in treating currently refractory autoantibody mediated diseases.
Aaron Bodansky, David J.L. Yu, Alysa N. Rallistan, Muge Kalaycioglu, Jim Boonyaratanakornkit, Damian J. Green, Jordan Gauthier, Cameron J. Turtle, Kelsey C. Zorn, Brian O'Donovan, Caleigh Mandel-Brehm, James Asaki, Hannah Kortbawi, Andrew F. Kung, Elze Rackaityte, Chung-Yu Wang, Aditi Saxena, Kimberly de Dios, Gianvito Masi, Richard J. Nowak, Kevin C. O'Connor, Hao Li, Valentina E. Diaz, Rowan Saloner, Kaitlin B. Casaletto, Eva Q. Gontrum, Brandon J. Chan, Joel H. Kramer, Michael R. Wilson, Paul J. Utz, Joshua A. Hill, Shaun W. Jackson, Mark S. Anderson, Joseph L. DeRisi
Jarmila Stremenova Spegarova, Praisoody Sinnappurajar, Dalila Al Julandani, Rokas Navickas, Helen Griffin, Manisha Ahuja, Angela Grainger, Katie Livingstone, Gillian I. Rice, Fraser Sutherland, Corinne Hayes, Simon Parke, Lewis Pang, Marion R. Roderick, Mary Slatter, Yanick Crow, Athimalaipet V. Ramanan, Sophie Hambleton
Recently developed anti-migraine therapeutics targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) signaling are effective, though their sites of activity remain elusive. Notably, the lymphatic vasculature is responsive to CGRP signaling, but whether meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs) contribute to migraine pathophysiology is unknown. Mice with lymphatic vasculature deficient in the CGRP receptor (CalcrliLEC mice) treated with nitroglycerin (NTG)-mediated chronic migraine exhibit reduced pain and light avoidance compared to NTG-treated littermate controls. Gene expression profiles of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) isolated from the meninges of Rpl22HA/+;Lyve1Cre RiboTag mice treated with NTG revealed increased MLV-immune interactions compared to cells from untreated mice. Interestingly, the relative abundance of mucosal vascular addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 (MAdCAM1)-interacting CD4+ T cells was increased in the deep cervical lymph nodes of NTG-treated control mice but not in NTG-treated CalcrliLEC mice. Treatment of cultured hLECs with CGRP peptide in vitro induced vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin rearrangement and reduced functional permeability. Likewise, intra cisterna magna injection of CGRP caused rearrangement of VE-Cadherin, decreased MLV uptake of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and impaired CSF drainage in control mice, but not in CalcrliLEC mice. Collectively, these findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for lymphatics in chronic migraine, whereby CGRP signaling primes MLVs-immune interactions and reduces CSF efflux.
Nathan P. Nelson-Maney, Laszlo Balint, Anna L.S. Beeson, D. Stephen Serafin, Bryan M. Kistner, Elizabeth S. Douglas, Aisha H. Siddiqui, Alyssa M. Tauro, Kathleen M. Caron
JCI celebrates a century of publishing scientific discoveries with a special collection highlighting major innovations in medicine and key contributing mechanistic studies.
Vascular malformations in arteries, veins, and lymphatic vessels occur in a broad range of conditions that vary widely in severity and presentation. Leveraging the mechanisms specific to each type of malformation will be essential for optimizing disease management. This review series, developed with series editor Miikka Vikkula, will span hemangioma, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, lymphatic abnormalities, cerebral small vessel disease, capillary malformations, and more, with reviews contributed by leading experts in each condition.
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