Retained NK cell phenotype and functionality in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the progressive stage non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is the predominant cause of chronic liver disease globally. As part of the complex pathogenesis, natural killer (NK) cells have been implicated in the development of liver inflammation in experimental murine models of NASH. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how NK cells are affected in humans with this disease. Here, we explored the presence of disease-specific changes within circulating and tissue-resident NK cell populations, as well as within other major immune cell subsets, in patients with liver biopsy-confirmed NAFLD. Using 18-color-flow cytometry, substantial changes were observed in certain myeloid populations in patients as compared to controls. NK cell numbers, on the other hand, were not altered. Furthermore, only minor differences in expression of activating and inhibitory NK cell receptors were noted, with the exception of an increased expression of NKG2D on NK cells from patients with NASH. NK cell differentiation remained constant, and NK cells from these patients retain their ability to respond adequately upon stimulation. Instead, considerable alterations were observed between liver, adipose tissue, and peripheral blood NK cells, independently of disease status. Taken together, these results increase our understanding of the importance of the local microenvironment in shaping the NK cell compartment and stress the need for further studies exploring how NASH affects intrahepatic NK cells in humans.publishedVersio

Enhanced metabolism and negative regulation of ER stress support higher erythropoietin production in HEK293 cells

Recombinant protein production can cause severe stress on cellular metabolism, resulting in limited titer and product quality. To investigate cellular and metabolic characteristics associated with these limitations, we compare HEK293 clones producing either erythropoietin (EPO) (secretory) or GFP (non-secretory) protein at different rates. Transcriptomic and functional analyses indicate significantly higher metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation in EPO producers compared with parental and GFP cells. In addition, ribosomal genes exhibit specific expression patterns depending on the recombinant protein and the production rate. In a clone displaying a dramatically increased EPO secretion, we detect higher gene expression related to negative regulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, including upregulation of ATF6B, which aids EPO production in a subset of clones by overexpression or small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown. Our results offer potential target pathways and genes for further development of the secretory power in mammalian cell factories

Sluta gnata, hantera din data - Ta fram en kravspecifikation för ett LIMS

Excel is a great tool, however it has its flaws. Files quickly become slow as they increase in size, and Excel has no built-in feature to easily search through several documents for a specific word, phrase or value. This can be resolved through a LIMS, a Laboratory Information Management System, which is a database solution that can be used to store and trace laboratory data and information. Our task was to evaluate what system requirements the company Olink Proteomics AB has for a LIMS. By interviewing several departments at Olink, we gained information about what each group wanted from such a system and condensed it into a needs assessment. The interviews showed that traceability was needed for every single department, as well as having easy features for adding data into the system. We were also tasked by Olink to research which Swedish laws apply to old patient data, as the company wants to reuse the data for R&D. Our conclusions are that if data is made fully anonymous, there are no issues in using it for R&D. However, this can be difficult as many criteria have to be fulfilled in order for the data to become fully anonymous

Sluta gnata, hantera din data - Ta fram en kravspecifikation för ett LIMS

Excel is a great tool, however it has its flaws. Files quickly become slow as they increase in size, and Excel has no built-in feature to easily search through several documents for a specific word, phrase or value. This can be resolved through a LIMS, a Laboratory Information Management System, which is a database solution that can be used to store and trace laboratory data and information. Our task was to evaluate what system requirements the company Olink Proteomics AB has for a LIMS. By interviewing several departments at Olink, we gained information about what each group wanted from such a system and condensed it into a needs assessment. The interviews showed that traceability was needed for every single department, as well as having easy features for adding data into the system. We were also tasked by Olink to research which Swedish laws apply to old patient data, as the company wants to reuse the data for R&D. Our conclusions are that if data is made fully anonymous, there are no issues in using it for R&D. However, this can be difficult as many criteria have to be fulfilled in order for the data to become fully anonymous