Immunodeficient mice engrafted with human cells and tissues have provided an exciting alternative to in vitro studies with human tissues and nonhuman primates for the study of human immunobiology. A ...major breakthrough in the early 2000s was the introduction of a targeted mutation in the interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor common gamma chain (IL2rgn null ) into mice that were already deficient in T and B cells. Among other immune defects, natural killer (NK) cells are disrupted in these mice, permitting efficient engraftment with human hematopoietic cells that generate a functional human immune system. These humanized mouse models are becoming increasingly important for preclinical studies of human immunity, hematopoiesis, tissue regeneration, cancer, and infectious diseases. In particular, humanized mice have enabled studies of the pathogenesis of human-specific pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1, Epstein Barr virus, and Salmonella typhi. However, there are a number of limitations in the currently available humanized mouse models. Investigators are continuing to identify molecular mechanisms underlying the remaining defects in the engrafted human immune system and are generating "next generation" models to overcome these final deficiencies. This article provides an overview of some of the emerging models of humanized mice, their use in the study of infectious diseases, and some of the remaining limitations that are currently being addressed.
Approximately 50% of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) enter long-term remission after standard chemotherapy. Patients with DLBCL who do not respond to chemotherapy have few ...treatment options. There remains a critical need to identify effective and targeted therapeutics for DLBCL.
Recent studies have highlighted the incidence of increased c-MYC protein in DLBCL and the correlation between high levels of c-MYC protein and poor survival prognosis of patients with DLBCL, suggesting that c-MYC is a compelling target for DLBCL therapy. The small molecule JQ1 suppresses c-MYC expression through inhibition of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family of bromodomain proteins. We investigated whether JQ1 can inhibit proliferation of DLBCL cells in culture and xenograft models in vivo.
We show that JQ1 at nanomolar concentrations efficiently inhibited proliferation of human DLBCL cells in a dose-dependent manner regardless of their molecular subtypes, suggesting a broad effect of JQ1 in DLBCL. The initial G1 arrest induced by JQ1 treatment in DLBCL cells was followed by either apoptosis or senescence. The expression of c-MYC was suppressed as a result of JQ1 treatment from the natural, chromosomally translocated, or amplified loci. Furthermore, JQ1 treatment significantly suppressed growth of DLBCL cells engrafted in mice and improved survival of engrafted mice.
Our results demonstrate that inhibition of the BET family of bromodomain proteins by JQ1 has potential clinical use in the treatment of DLBCL.
Cancer stem cells have been proposed to be important for initiation, maintenance and recurrence of various malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We have previously reported that ...CD34+CD38- human primary AML stem cells residing in the endosteal region of the bone marrow are relatively chemotherapy resistant. Using a NOD/SCID/IL2rgamma(null) mouse model of human AML, we now show that the AML stem cells in the endosteal region are cell cycle quiescent and that these stem cells can be induced to enter the cell cycle by treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). In combination with cell cycle-dependent chemotherapy, G-CSF treatment significantly enhances induction of apoptosis and elimination of human primary AML stem cells in vivo. The combination therapy leads to significantly increased survival of secondary recipients after transplantation of leukemia cells compared with chemotherapy alone.
Understanding how the extracellular matrix impacts the function of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is a significant but poorly understood problem. We report that breast CSCs produce a laminin (LM) 511 ...matrix that promotes self-renewal and tumor initiation by engaging the α6Bβ1 integrin and activating the Hippo transducer TAZ. Although TAZ is important for the function of breast CSCs, the mechanism is unknown. We observed that TAZ regulates the transcription of the α5 subunit of LM511 and the formation of a LM511 matrix. These data establish a positive feedback loop involving TAZ and LM511 that contributes to stemness in breast cancer.
Acquisition of a lipid-laden phenotype by immune cells has been defined in infectious diseases and atherosclerosis but remains largely uncharacterized in cancer. Here, in breast cancer models, we ...found that neutrophils are induced to accumulate neutral lipids upon interaction with resident mesenchymal cells in the premetastatic lung. Lung mesenchymal cells elicit this process through repressing the adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) activity in neutrophils in prostaglandin E2-dependent and -independent manners. In vivo, neutrophil-specific deletion of genes encoding ATGL or ATGL inhibitory factors altered neutrophil lipid profiles and breast tumor lung metastasis in mice. Mechanistically, lipids stored in lung neutrophils are transported to metastatic tumor cells through a macropinocytosis-lysosome pathway, endowing tumor cells with augmented survival and proliferative capacities. Pharmacological inhibition of macropinocytosis significantly reduced metastatic colonization by breast tumor cells in vivo. Collectively, our work reveals that neutrophils serve as an energy reservoir to fuel breast cancer lung metastasis.
Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of death from gynecological cancer. Understanding the biology of this disease, particularly how tumor-associated lymphocytes and fibroblasts contribute to the ...progression and metastasis of the tumor, has been impeded by the lack of a suitable tumor xenograft model. We report a simple and reproducible system in which the tumor and tumor stroma are successfully engrafted into NOD-scid IL2Rγ(null) (NSG) mice. This is achieved by injecting tumor cell aggregates derived from fresh ovarian tumor biopsy tissues (including tumor cells, and tumor-associated lymphocytes and fibroblasts) i.p. into NSG mice. Tumor progression in these mice closely parallels many of the events that are observed in ovarian cancer patients. Tumors establish in the omentum, ovaries, liver, spleen, uterus, and pancreas. Tumor growth is initially very slow and progressive within the peritoneal cavity with an ultimate development of tumor ascites, spontaneous metastasis to the lung, increasing serum and ascites levels of CA125, and the retention of tumor-associated human fibroblasts and lymphocytes that remain functional and responsive to cytokines for prolonged periods. With this model one will be able to determine how fibroblasts and lymphocytes within the tumor microenvironment may contribute to tumor growth and metastasis, and will make it possible to evaluate the efficacy of therapies that are designed to target these cells in the tumor stroma.
Many patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have residual β cells producing small amounts of C-peptide long after disease onset but develop an inadequate glucagon response to hypoglycemia following T1D ...diagnosis. The features of these residual β cells and α cells in the islet endocrine compartment are largely unknown, due to the difficulty of comprehensive investigation. By studying the T1D pancreas and isolated islets, we show that remnant β cells appeared to maintain several aspects of regulated insulin secretion. However, the function of T1D α cells was markedly reduced, and these cells had alterations in transcription factors constituting α and β cell identity. In the native pancreas and after placing the T1D islets into a non-autoimmune, normoglycemic in vivo environment, there was no evidence of α-to-β cell conversion. These results suggest an explanation for the disordered T1D counterregulatory glucagon response to hypoglycemia.
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•T1D β cells appear to maintain several aspects of regulated insulin secretion•T1D α cells have impaired glucagon secretion and altered gene expression•Unlike in rodents, α-to-β cell conversion in human T1D is a very rare event•T1D α cell identity factors improve in a non-autoimmune, normoglycemic environment
Brissova et al. find that β cells in the type 1 diabetic (T1D) pancreas maintain several functional and molecular features, but α cells have impaired glucagon secretion and an altered gene expression profile. These findings provide insight into the mechanism of α cell dysfunction in T1D.
Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium is a food-borne pathogen that also selectively grows in tumours and functionally decreases P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a multidrug resistance transporter. Here we ...report that the Salmonella type III secretion effector, SipA, is responsible for P-gp modulation through a pathway involving caspase-3. Mimicking the ability of Salmonella to reverse multidrug resistance, we constructed a gold nanoparticle system packaged with a SipA corona, and found this bacterial mimic not only accumulates in tumours but also reduces P-gp at a SipA dose significantly lower than free SipA. Moreover, the Salmonella nanoparticle mimic suppresses tumour growth with a concomitant reduction in P-gp when used with an existing chemotherapeutic drug (that is, doxorubicin). On the basis of our finding that the SipA Salmonella effector is fundamental for functionally decreasing P-gp, we engineered a nanoparticle mimic that both overcomes multidrug resistance in cancer cells and increases tumour sensitivity to conventional chemotherapeutics.
With the increase in knowledge resulting from the sequencing of the human genome, the genetic basis for the underlying differences in individuals, their diseases, and how they respond to therapies is ...starting to be understood. This has formed the foundation for the era of precision medicine in many human diseases that is beginning to be implemented in the clinic, particularly in cancer. However, preclinical testing of therapeutic approaches based on individual biology will need to be validated in animal models prior to translation into patients. Although animal models, particularly murine models, have provided significant information on the basic biology underlying immune responses in various diseases and the response to therapy, murine and human immune systems differ markedly. These fundamental differences may be the underlying reason why many of the positive therapeutic responses observed in mice have not translated directly into the clinic. There is a critical need for preclinical animal models in which human immune responses can be investigated. For this, many investigators are using humanized mice, i.e., immunodeficient mice engrafted with functional human cells, tissues, and immune systems. We will briefly review the history of humanized mice, the remaining limitations, approaches to overcome them and how humanized mouse models are being used as a preclinical bridge in precision medicine for evaluation of human therapies prior to their implementation in the clinic.
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