The widespread use of elite sires by means of artificial insemination in livestock breeding leads to the frequent emergence of recessive genetic defects, which cause significant economic and animal ...welfare concerns. Here we show that the availability of genome-wide, high-density SNP panels, combined with the typical structure of livestock populations, markedly accelerates the positional identification of genes and mutations that cause inherited defects. We report the fine-scale mapping of five recessive disorders in cattle and the molecular basis for three of these: congenital muscular dystony (CMD) types 1 and 2 in Belgian Blue cattle and ichthyosis fetalis in Italian Chianina cattle. Identification of these causative mutations has an immediate translation into breeding practice, allowing marker assisted selection against the defects through avoidance of at-risk matings.
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DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We herein describe the positional identification of a 2-bp deletion in the open reading frame of the MRC2 receptor causing the recessive Crooked Tail Syndrome in cattle. The resulting frame-shift ...reveals a premature stop codon that causes nonsense-mediated decay of the mutant messenger RNA, and the virtual absence of functional Endo180 protein in affected animals. Cases exhibit skeletal anomalies thought to result from impaired extracellular matrix remodeling during ossification, and as of yet unexplained muscular symptoms. We demonstrate that carrier status is very significantly associated with desired characteristics in the general population, including enhanced muscular development, and that the resulting heterozygote advantage caused a selective sweep which explains the unexpectedly high frequency (25%) of carriers in the Belgian Blue Cattle Breed.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We herein describe the positional identification of a 2-bp deletion in the open reading frame of the MRC2 receptor causing the recessive Crooked Tail Syndrome in cattle. The resulting frame-shift ...reveals a premature stop codon that causes nonsense-mediated decay of the mutant messenger RNA, and the virtual absence of functional Endo180 protein in affected animals. Cases exhibit skeletal anomalies thought to result from impaired extracellular matrix remodeling during ossification, and as of yet unexplained muscular symptoms. We demonstrate that carrier status is very significantly associated with desired characteristics in the general population, including enhanced muscular development, and that the resulting heterozygote advantage caused a selective sweep which explains the unexpectedly high frequency (25%) of carriers in the Belgian Blue Cattle Breed.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Imaging early molecular changes in osteoarthritic (OA) joints is instrumental for the development of disease‐modifying drugs. To this end, a fluorescent resonance energy transfer‐based peptide probe ...that is cleavable by matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP‐13) has been developed. This protease degrades type II collagen, a major matrix component of cartilage. The probe exhibits high catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM = 6.5 × 105m−1 s−1) and high selectivity for MMP‐13 over a set of nine MMPs. To achieve optimal in vivo pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration, the probe has been further conjugated to a linear l‐polyglutamate chain of 30 kDa. The conjugate detects early biochemical events that occur in a surgically induced murine model of OA before major histological changes. The nanometric probe is suitable for the monitoring of in vivo efficacy of an orally bioavailable MMP‐13 inhibitor, which effectively blocks cartilage degradation during the development of OA. This new polymer‐probe can therefore be a useful tool in detecting early OA, disease progression, and in developing MMP‐13‐based disease‐modifying drugs for OA.
An in vivo optical imaging probe comprised of a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) peptide specific for MMP13 conjugated to poly‐l‐glutamic acid allows live in vivo imaging of disease‐related events. The nanometric probe detects early stages of the disease in a murine surgical model of osteoarthritis and provides real time readout on therapeutic efficacy of MMP13 inhibitors.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
ADAPTeR is a prospective, phase II study of nivolumab (anti-PD-1) in 15 treatment-naive patients (115 multiregion tumor samples) with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) aiming to ...understand the mechanism underpinning therapeutic response. Genomic analyses show no correlation between tumor molecular features and response, whereas ccRCC-specific human endogenous retrovirus expression indirectly correlates with clinical response. T cell receptor (TCR) analysis reveals a significantly higher number of expanded TCR clones pre-treatment in responders suggesting pre-existing immunity. Maintenance of highly similar clusters of TCRs post-treatment predict response, suggesting ongoing antigen engagement and survival of families of T cells likely recognizing the same antigens. In responders, nivolumab-bound CD8+ T cells are expanded and express GZMK/B. Our data suggest nivolumab drives both maintenance and replacement of previously expanded T cell clones, but only maintenance correlates with response. We hypothesize that maintenance and boosting of a pre-existing response is a key element of anti-PD-1 mode of action.
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•115 pre- and post-nivolumab multiregion tumor samples in a prospective phase II study•Maintenance of pre-treatment expanded TCR clones associates with response•Expanded CD8+ T cells upregulate GZMB/K in responders•HERV expression reflects tumor purity and indirectly correlates with response
ADAPTeR is a phase II study of nivolumab (anti-PD-1) in treatment-naive patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Through multi-omic analysis of multiregion tumor biopsies taken pre- and post-treatment, Au et al. evaluate genomic and tumor immune microenvironment features underpinning anti-PD-1 response and resistance using bulk and single-cell approaches.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Approximately 50% of patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who undergo surgery with curative intent will relapse within 5 years
. Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) at ...the time of surgery may represent a tool to identify patients at higher risk of recurrence for whom more frequent monitoring is advised. Here we asked whether CellSearch-detected pulmonary venous CTCs (PV-CTCs) at surgical resection of early-stage NSCLC represent subclones responsible for subsequent disease relapse. PV-CTCs were detected in 48% of 100 patients enrolled into the TRACERx study
, were associated with lung-cancer-specific relapse and remained an independent predictor of relapse in multivariate analysis adjusted for tumor stage. In a case study, genomic profiling of single PV-CTCs collected at surgery revealed higher mutation overlap with metastasis detected 10 months later (91%) than with the primary tumor (79%), suggesting that early-disseminating PV-CTCs were responsible for disease relapse. Together, PV-CTC enumeration and genomic profiling highlight the potential of PV-CTCs as early predictors of NSCLC recurrence after surgery. However, the limited sensitivity of PV-CTCs in predicting relapse suggests that further studies using a larger, independent cohort are warranted to confirm and better define the potential clinical utility of PV-CTCs in early-stage NSCLC.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Low l-selectin (CD62L) on CD4+ T cells after cryopreservation has been introduced in 2013 as a risk biomarker for the development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) during ...natalizumab treatment or HIV infection. The biomarker has been reproduced retrospectively in some international cohorts, but not in others, potentially because of its sensitivity to biomaterial quality, assay protocols, and the time point of testing. With regard to current approaches to PML risk reduction, natalizumab extended interval dosing is thought to improve immune surveillance and reduce PML risk, whereas clinical efficacy seems unaffected.