Aneuploidy, a deviation of the chromosome number from euploidy, is one of the hallmarks of cancer. High levels of aneuploidy are generally correlated with metastasis and poor prognosis in cancer patients. However, the causality of aneuploidy in cancer metastasis remains to be explored. Here we demonstrate that teratomas derived from aneuploid murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs), but not from isogenic diploid ESCs, disseminated to multiple organs, for which no additional copy number variations were required. Notably, no cancer driver gene mutations were identified in any metastases. Aneuploid circulating teratoma cells were successfully isolated from peripheral blood and showed high capacities for migration and organ colonization. Single-cell RNA sequencing of aneuploid primary teratomas and metastases identified a unique cell population with high stemness that was absent in diploid ESCs-derived teratomas. Further investigation revealed that aneuploid cells displayed decreased proteasome activity and overactivated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress during differentiation, thereby restricting the degradation of proteins produced from extra chromosomes in the ESC state and causing differentiation deficiencies. Noticeably, both proteasome activator Oleuropein and ER stress inhibitor 4-PBA can effectively inhibit aneuploid teratoma metastasis.
Epstein Barr virus (EBV) plays a causal role in some diseases, including infectious mononucleosis, lymphoproliferative diseases and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Detection of EBV infection has been shown to be a useful tool for diagnosing EBV-related diseases. In the present study, we compared the performance of molecular tests, including fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and EBV real-time PCR, to those of serological assays for the detection of EBV infection.Thirty-eight patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) were enrolled, of whom 31 were diagnosed with a mild type, and seven were diagnosed with IM with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and chronic active EBV infection. Twenty healthy controls were involved in the study. The atypical lymphocytes in peripheral blood were detected under a microscope and the percentage of positive cells was calculated. EBV DNA load in peripheral blood was detected using real-time PCR. The FISH assay was developed to detect the EBV genome from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Other diagnosis methods including the heterophil agglutination (HA) test and EBV-VCA-IgM test, to detect EBV were also compared. SPSS17.0 was used for statistical analysis.In all, 5-41% atypical lymphocytes were found among the PBMC in mild IM patients, whereas 8-51% atypical lymphocytes were found in IM patients with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and chronic active EBV infection patients. There was no significant difference in the ratios of atypical lymphoma between patients of the different types. We observed that 71.2% of mild IM patients and 85.7% of IM patients with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and chronic active EBV infection patients were positive for EBV-VCA-IgM. EBV-VCA-IgM was negative in all healthy control subjects. In addition, 67.1% of mild IM patients tested heterophile antibody positive, whereas 71.4% of IM patients with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and chronic active EBV infection tested positive. EBV DNA detected using real-time PCR was observed in 89.5% of these IM patients. The EBV genome was detected by the FISH assay in 97.4% of the IM patients. The EB viral loads detected by FISH and real-time PCR increased with the severity of IM. The EBV genome was detected in almost all the PBMC of IM with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and chronic active EBV infection patients.Molecular tests, including FISH and EBV real-time PCR, are more sensitive than serological assays for the detection of EBV infection. The FISH assay detecting EBV copies in unfractionated whole blood is preferable and superior to plasma real-time PCR in its reflection of the absolute viral burden circulating in the patients.
Abstract BACKGROUND The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in glioblastoma (GBM) is rich in CXCL12, a chemokine known for stimulating angiogenesis. CXCL12 also controls immune cell trafficking and promotes polarization to an immunosuppressive phenotype. We postulated that inhibiting CXCL12 will modulate the immunosuppressive TIME in GBM, thereby augmenting the efficacy of immunotherapy agents like immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We examined the immunomodulatory and therapeutic efficacy of CXCL12 inhibition, using a small molecule NOX-A12, with and without ICIs in pre-clinical murine GBM models. METHODS B6 immunocompetent mice bearing intracranial (i.c.) or subcutaneous (s.c.) SB28 tumors received either vehicle, NOX-A12, anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 (dual ICI) or NOX-A12 + dual ICI (combination). Tumor growth was measured by IVIS imaging and immune cells in brain were analyzed using high dimensional flow cytometry. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and log rank test. RESULTS Combination treatment resulted in tumor regression and long-term survival in 40% of s.c. tumor bearing mice compared to 10% treated with dual ICI only. Three of 4 mice rechallenged with contralateral s.c. tumor remained tumor free while all naive mice reached endpoint. TIME from treated s.c. tumors revealed increase in CD4 and effector memory CD8 T cells by combination treatment compared to dual ICI. In i.c. GBM tumors, while no survival benefit or growth inhibition was seen, combination treatment induced an early increase in effector memory CD8 T cells and PD-L1+ B cells, and a later increase in MHC-II+ microglia compared to dual ICI. CONCLUSION Inhibition of CXCL12 enabled the increase of effector cytotoxic T cells by ICI, improving survival in the s.c. GBM model, but not in i.c. GBM model. This might be due to differences in CXCL12 effect between extra and intra-CNS tumor or due to robust immune response causing excessive brain edema and death. These will be further explored in ongoing and future studies.
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