Oral Tolerance Induction in Hemophilia B Dogs Fed with Transplastomic Lettuce

Anti-drug antibodies in hemophilia patients substantially complicate treatment. Their elimination through immune tolerance induction (ITI) protocols poses enormous costs, and ITI is often ineffective for factor IX (FIX) inhibitors. Moreover, there is no prophylactic ITI protocol to prevent anti-drug antibody (ADA) formation. Using general immune suppression is problematic. To address this urgent unmet medical need, we delivered antigen bioencapsulated in plant cells to hemophilia B dogs. Commercial-scale production of CTB-FIX fusion expressed in lettuce chloroplasts was done in a hydroponic facility. CTB-FIX (∼1 mg/g) in lyophilized cells was stable with proper folding, disulfide bonds, and pentamer assembly after 30-month storage at ambient temperature. Robust suppression of immunoglobulin G (IgG)/inhibitor and IgE formation against intravenous FIX was observed in three of four hemophilia B dogs fed with lyophilized lettuce cells expressing CTB-FIX. No side effects were detected after feeding CTB-FIX-lyophilized plant cells for >300 days. Coagulation times were markedly shortened by intravenous FIX in orally tolerized treated dogs, in contrast to control dogs that formed high-titer antibodies to FIX. Commercial-scale production, stability, prolonged storage of lyophilized cells, and efficacy in tolerance induction in a large, non-rodent model of human disease offer a novel concept for oral tolerance and low-cost production and delivery of biopharmaceuticals

Combination of Reverse and Chemical Genetic Screens Reveals Angiogenesis Inhibitors and Targets

We combined reverse and chemical genetics to identify targets and compounds modulating blood vessel development. Through transcript profiling in mice, we identified 150 potentially druggable microvessel-enriched gene products. Orthologs of 50 of these were knocked down in a reverse genetic screen in zebrafish, demonstrating that 16 were necessary for developmental angiogenesis. In parallel, 1280 pharmacologically active compounds were screened in a human cell-based assay, identifying 28 compounds selectively inhibiting endothelial sprouting. Several links were revealed between the results of the reverse and chemical genetic screens, including the serine/threonine (S/ T) phosphatases ppp1ca, ppp1cc, and ppp4c and an inhibitor of this gene family; Endothall. Our results suggest that the combination of reverse and chemical genetic screens, in vertebrates, is an efficient strategy for the identification of drug targets and compounds that modulate complex biological systems, such as angiogenesis

Learn2Reg: comprehensive multi-task medical image registration challenge, dataset and evaluation in the era of deep learning

Image registration is a fundamental medical image analysis task, and a wide variety of approaches have been proposed. However, only a few studies have comprehensively compared medical image registration approaches on a wide range of clinically relevant tasks. This limits the development of registration methods, the adoption of research advances into practice, and a fair benchmark across competing approaches. The Learn2Reg challenge addresses these limitations by providing a multi-task medical image registration data set for comprehensive characterisation of deformable registration algorithms. A continuous evaluation will be possible at https://learn2reg.grand-challenge.org. Learn2Reg covers a wide range of anatomies (brain, abdomen, and thorax), modalities (ultrasound, CT, MR), availability of annotations, as well as intra- and inter-patient registration evaluation. We established an easily accessible framework for training and validation of 3D registration methods, which enabled the compilation of results of over 65 individual method submissions from more than 20 unique teams. We used a complementary set of metrics, including robustness, accuracy, plausibility, and runtime, enabling unique insight into the current state-of-the-art of medical image registration. This paper describes datasets, tasks, evaluation methods and results of the challenge, as well as results of further analysis of transferability to new datasets, the importance of label supervision, and resulting bias. While no single approach worked best across all tasks, many methodological aspects could be identified that push the performance of medical image registration to new state-of-the-art performance. Furthermore, we demystified the common belief that conventional registration methods have to be much slower than deep-learning-based methods

Studies of laminin a2 chain deficient mice -muscle sparing, charaterization of Cib2 and defective spermatorgenesis

Mutations in the gene encoding laminin α2 chain, an extracellular matrix protein mainly expressed in the neuromuscular system, cause a severe form of muscular dystrophy, congenital muscular dystrophy type 1A (MDC1A). Laminin α2 chain is associated to the muscle fibers by two major receptors, where one of them, integrin α7β1, is diminished upon laminin α2 chain deficiency. The majority of the skeletal muscles display severe dystrophic phenotypes upon laminin α2 chain absence, but we report a spared muscle group, the intrinsic laryngeal muscles (ILM). No evidence of muscle degeneration is detected and expression of various laminin chains is similar to that of limb muscles but sustained integrin α7B expression is noted. We therefore conclude that ILM are spared in the dy3K/dy3K mouse model of congenital muscular dystrophy type 1A. The singling mediated by laminin α2 chain is poorly understood. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying MDC1A, we have performed gene expression profiling of laminin α2 chain deficient mouse limb muscle. One of the down-regulated genes encodes a protein called calcium and integrin binding protein 2 (Cib2) whose expression and function is unknown. However, the closely related Cib1 has been reported to bind integrin αIIb and may be involved in outside-in-signaling in platelets. Since Cib2 might be a novel integrin α7β1 binding protein in muscle, we have studied Cib2 expression in the developing and adult mouse. We demonstrate that Cib2 is a calcium binding protein that interacts with integrin α7Bβ1D. Thus, our data suggest a role for Cib2 as a cytoplasmic effector of integrin α7Bβ1D signaling in skeletal muscle. Moreover, we have in the seminiferous tubules of laminin α2 chain deficient mice observed a defect in the timing of lumen formation, resulting in production of fewer spermatides. We also demonstrate that overexpression of laminin α1 chain in testis of dy3K/dy3K mice compensated for laminin α2 chain deficiency and significantly reversed the appearance of the histopathological features. We thus provide genetic data that laminin α chains are essential for normal testicular function in vivo. In summary, the increased knowledge about the roles of laminin α2 chain in development and disease will hopefully help us to design novel therapeutic approaches for MDC1A

Laminin {alpha}1 Chain Corrects Male Infertility Caused by Absence of Laminin {alpha}2 Chain.

Laminins are important for basement membrane structure and function. The laminin alpha2 chain is a major component of muscle basement membranes, and mutations in the laminin alpha2 gene lead to congenital muscular dystrophy in humans and mice. Although the laminin alpha2 chain is prominently expressed in testicular basement membranes, its role in testis has remained unclear. Here, we show that laminin alpha1, alpha2, beta1, beta2, gamma 1, and gamma 3 chains are the major laminin chains in basement membranes of seminiferous tubules. In laminin alpha2 chain-deficient dy(3 K)/dy(3 ASK) mice, lack of laminin alpha2 chain led to concurrent reduction of laminin gamma 3 chain and abnormal testicular basement membranes. Seminiferous tubules of laminin alpha2 chain-deficient dy(3 K)/dy(3 K) mice displayed a defect in the timing of lumen formation, resulting in production of fewer spermatides. We also demonstrate that overexpression of laminin alpha1 chain in testis of dy(3 K)/dy(3 K) mice compensated for laminin alpha2 chain deficiency and significantly reversed the appearance of the histopathological features. We thus provide genetic data that laminin alpha chains are essential for normal testicular function in vivo

Office-cycling : a promising way to raise pain thresholds and increase metabolism with minimal compromising of work performance

Aim: Establishing the effects of low intensity cycling (LC), moderate intensity cycling (MC), and standing at a simulated office workstation on pain modulation, work performance, and metabolic expenditure. Methods: 36 healthy adults (21 females), mean age 26.8 (SD 7.6) years, partook in this randomized 3 x 3 crossover trial with 75 minutes of LC on 20% of maximum aerobic power (MAP) output, 30 minutes of MC on 50% of MAP, and standing 30 minutes with 48-hour wash-out periods. Outcome measures were pain modulation (pressure pain threshold (PPT) and thermal pain threshold)), work performance (transcription, mouse pointing, and cognitive performance), and metabolic expenditure. Results: PPTs increased in all conditions. PPT trapezius showed the highest increase after LC, 39.3 kilopascals (kPa) (15.6; 78.6), compared to MC, 17.0 kPa (2.8; 49.9), and standing, 16.8 kPa (-5.6; 39.4),p = 0.015. Transcription was reduced during LC and MC. Mouse pointing precision was best during standing and worst and slowest during MC. Cognitive performance did not differ between conditions. Metabolic expenditure rates were 1.4 (1.3; 1.7), 3.3 (2.3; 3.7), and 7.5 (5.8; 8.7) kcal/minute during standing, LC, and MC, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: LC seems to be the preferred option; it raised PPTs, more than doubled metabolic expenditure, whilst minimally influencing work performance

MicroRNA profiling in human neutrophils during bone marrow granulopoiesis and in vivo exudation

The purpose of this study was to describe the microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of neutrophils and their precursors from the initiation of granulopoiesis in the bone marrow to extravasation and accumulation in skin windows. We analyzed three different cell populations from human bone marrow, polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMNs) from peripheral blood, and extravasated PMNs from skin windows using the Affymetrix 2.0 platform. Our data reveal 135 miRNAs differentially regulated during bone marrow granulopoiesis. The majority is differentially regulated between the myeloblast/promyelocyte (MB/PM) and myelocyte/metamyelocyte (MC/MM) stages of development. These 135 miRNAs were divided into six clusters according to the pattern of their expression. Several miRNAs demonstrate a pronounced increase or reduction at the transition between MB/PM and MC/MM, which is associated with cell cycle arrest and the initiation of terminal differentiation. Seven miRNAs are differentially up-regulated between peripheral blood PMNs and extravasated PMNs and only one of these (miR-132) is also differentially regulated during granulopoiesis. The study indicates that several different miRNAs participate in the regulation of normal granulopoiesis and that miRNAs might also regulate activities of extravasated neutrophils. The data present the miRNA profiles during the development and activation of the neutrophil granulocyte in healthy humans and thus serves as a reference for further research of normal and malignant granulocytic development

Cib2 binds integrin a7Bb1D and is reduced in laminin a2 chain deficient muscular dystrophy

Mutations in the gene encoding laminin alpha 2 chain cause congenital muscular dystrophy type 1A. In skeletal muscle, laminin alpha 2 chain binds at least two receptor complexes: the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex and integrin alpha 7 beta 1. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying this disorder, we performed gene expression profiling of laminin alpha 2 chain-deficient mouse limb muscle. One of the down-regulated genes encodes a protein called Cib2 (calcium-and integrin-binding protein 2) whose expression and function is unknown. However, the closely related Cib1 has been reported to bind integrin alpha IIb and may be involved in outside-in-signaling in platelets. Since Cib2 might be a novel integrin alpha 7 beta 1-binding protein in muscle, we have studied Cib2 expression in the developing and adult mouse. Cib2 mRNA is mainly expressed in the developing central nervous system and in developing and adult skeletal muscle. In skeletal muscle, Cib2 colocalizes with the integrin alpha 7B subunit at the sarcolemma and at the neuromuscular and myotendinous junctions. Finally, we demonstrate that Cib2 is a calcium-binding protein that interacts with integrin alpha 7B beta 1D. Thus, our data suggest a role for Cib2 as a cytoplasmic effector of integrin alpha 7B beta 1D signaling in skeletal muscle