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Mechanistic Studies in the Inflammatory Response of Pancreatitis and Pancreatric Cancer - Role of Myeloid Derived Suppressor CellsCieza Rubio, Napoleon Eduardo January 2015 (has links)
Tumor-infiltrating myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), are important mediators of a tumor-permissive microenvironment that contributes to tumor growth and could account for the limited success of immunotherapeutic strategies. MDSCs suppress adaptive immunity by blocking T cell activation, inducing Treg accumulation, and inhibiting natural killer cell cytotoxicity against tumor cells. We investigated the roles of MDSCs in the regeneration of the exocrine pancreas associated with acute pancreatitis and the progression of acinar to ductal metaplasia. Acute pancreatitis was induced in wild type and P48+/Cre;LSL-KRASG12D mice using caerulein and an early influx of MDSCs into the pancreas was observed flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. Numbers of Gr1(+)CD11b(+) MDSCs increased over 20-fold in pancreata of mice with acute pancreatitis to account for nearly 15% of intrapancreatic leukocytes and have T cell suppressive properties. This marked accumulation of MDSCs returned to normal values within 24 hours of the insult in wild type mice; however, in the oncogenic KRAS mice, MDSCs levels remained elevated. When intrapancreatic MDSCs were depleted by administration of a CXCR2 antagonist (SB265610) in wild type mice the severity of acinar damage was increased. This was also accompanied by a delayed regeneration determined morphologically and with the mitotic immunomarker phospho-histone H3. Isolated intrapancreatic MDSCs from treated mice induce naïve acinar cells to undergo acinar ductal metaplasia when co-cultured in collagen 3D cultures. Purified splenic MDSCs failed to induce the phenotypic transdifferentiation. We conclude that MDSCs are required for adequate pancreatic regeneration in wild type mice with acute pancreatitis and their persistent elevation in oncogenic KRAS mice is not only associated with immune-evasion, but may also function as direct enhancer of malignant proliferation.
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Cell type-dependent differential activation of ERK by oncogenic KRAS or BRAF in the mouse intestinal epitheliumBrandt, Raphael 10 March 2023 (has links)
Kolorektale Karzinome (CRC) zeigen eine heterogene Ätiologie. Die Progression prämaligner Vorläufer zu CRC unterscheidet (U) sich in Morphologie, molekularen Veränderungen und Interaktion mit der Tumorumgebung. CRC weisen oft onkogene Mutationen in KRAS und BRAF auf. Diese steigern die MAPK Signalwegaktivität (Mpa). Obwohl sie im selben Signalweg wirken, sind KRAS und BRAF auf die CRC-Entitäten U verteilt. Dabei ist KRAS häufiger im sogenannten konventionellen und BRAF im serratierten Weg zu CRC mutiert. In dieser Studie nutzte ich murine intestinale Organoide (iO), die induzierbare (Ind) KRAS oder BRAF Onkogene exprimieren. Große U zwischen KRAS und BRAF zeigten sich sowohl in Signaltransduktion (ST) als auch im Phänotyp. Phosphoprotein-, ERK-Reporter-, scRNA-Seq und EM-Analysen ergaben eine starke Mpa durch BRAF, die zu hoher Expression von MAPK-Zielgenen und Verlust der epithelialen Integrität führte. iO nach KRAS-Ind blieben intakt, korrelierend mit moderater, zelltypspezifischer (ZS) Mpa in sekretorischen und undifferenzierten Zellen. Die meisten Enterozyten waren Mpa-negativ. ERK-Reporter zeigten: Das ZS Muster der Mpa ist nicht nur gegenüber KRAS, sondern auch dem Entzug von Wachstumsfaktoren stabil. Dies spricht für eine intrinsische, robuste Regulierung der Mpa. BRAF-Ind Mpa setzte die ZS Regulierung der MAPK außer Kraft und schädigte das Gewebe, im Einklang mit einer oberen Grenze tolerabler Mpa. Die ZS Mpa wurde in CRC-Zelllinien bestätigt, deren Mpa durch KRAS aber nicht BRAF U ausfiel. Ferner, nutzte ich iO mit bCatenin+KRAS-Ind, um den konventionellen Weg zu CRC zu modellieren. Die Kombination führte zu synergistischen Effekten, die sich in EGFR-unabhängigem Wachstum und der
Aufhebung der ZS Mpa-Blockade äußerten, die durch eine Verschiebung der Differenzierung zu mehr Progenitorzellen bewirkt wurde. Zusammenfassend konnte ich U in der Mpa durch KRAS oder BRAF im Darmepithel feststellen, was dazu beiträgt, deren Rollen in der CRC-Genese zu bestimmen. / Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease with heterogeneous etiology. Premalignant lesions
follow distinct routes of progression to carcinoma reflected by differences in morphology,
molecular alterations and the tumor environment. Mutant KRAS and BRAF are frequent,
leading to MAPK pathway activation (Mpa), which is relevant for CRC therapy. Despite
acting in the same pathway, mutant KRAS and BRAF segregate to different entities, as KRAS
is more frequent in the conventional- and BRAF being specific for the serrated route to
CRC. I used murine intestinal organoids (iO) expressing inducible oncogenic KRAS or BRAF
to study the impact of oncogenes in primary cells. I found marked differences in signal
transduction and phenotype. Phospho-protein, ERK-reporter, scRNA-seq and EM data showed
strong Mpa upon BRAF induction followed by ERK-target gene expression leading to tissue
disruption. In contrast, KRAS left the tissue intact resulting in less and cell
type-dependent Mpa limited to secretory cells, a subset of late-stage enterocytes and
undifferentiated crypt cells. Most enterocytes were irresponsive to KRAS. The pattern of
Mpa was robust towards KRAS or growth factor depletion arguing in favor of intrinsic,
resilient MAPK regulation. In iO, BRAF-induced Mpa could break this cell type-specific
regulation, indicating an upper limit of tolerable Mpa. I validated these findings in CRC
cell lines that differed in Mpa in response to oncogenic KRAS but not BRAF. Finally, I
used iO expressing an inducible form of stabilized bCatenin in combination with KRAS to
mimic events frequently found in the conventional pathway to CRC. Expression of KRAS and
bCatenin synergized in driving EGFR independent growth and breaking the villus-specific
block of Mpa by altering differentiation towards progenitor cell types. In summary, this
study emphasizes differences between Mpa induced by oncogenic KRAS or BRAF which helps
clarifying their nature in different etiological routes to CRC genesis.
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