Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activated in cutaneous basal cell carcinoma and in the peritumoural skin

Abstract Background Cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the commonest cancer worldwide. BCC is locally invasive and the surrounding stromal microenvironment is pivotal for tumourigenesis. Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the microenvironment are essential for tumour growth in a variety of neoplasms but their role in BCC is poorly understood. Methods Material included facial BCC and control skin from the peritumoural area and from the buttocks. With next-generation sequencing (NGS) we compared mRNA expression between BCC and peritumoural skin. qRT-PCR, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent staining were performed to validate the NGS results and to investigate CAF-related cyto-and chemokines. Results NGS revealed upregulation of 65 genes in BCC coding for extracellular matrix components pointing at CAF-related matrix remodeling. qRT-PCR showed increased mRNA expression of CAF markers FAP-α, PDGFR-β and prolyl-4-hydroxylase in BCC. Peritumoural skin (but not buttock skin) also exhibited high expression of PDGFR-β and prolyl-4-hydroxylase but not FAP-α. We found a similar pattern for the CAF-associated chemokines CCL17, CCL18, CCL22, CCL25, CXCL12 and IL6 with high expression in BCC and peritumoural skin but absence in buttock skin. Immunofluorescence revealed correlation between FAP-α and PDGFR-β and CXCL12 and CCL17. Conclusion Matrix remodeling is the most prominent molecular feature of BCC. CAFs are present within BCC stroma and associated with increased expression of chemokines involved in tumour progression and immunosuppression (CXCL12, CCL17). Fibroblasts from chronically sun-exposed skin near tumours show gene expression patterns resembling that of CAFs, indicating that stromal fibroblasts in cancer-free surgical BCC margins exhibit a tumour promoting phenotype

Correction to: Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activated in cutaneous basal cell carcinoma and in the peritumoural skin

Abstract After publication of the original article [1] it was identified that order of the author list had been presented incorrectly. The author Robert Gniadecki’s surname was also incorrect in the original article

Visualization and genetic modification of resident brain microglia using lentiviral vectors regulated by microRNA-9.

Functional studies of resident microglia require molecular tools for their genetic manipulation. Here we show that microRNA-9-regulated lentiviral vectors can be used for the targeted genetic modification of resident microglia in the rodent brain. Using transgenic reporter mice, we demonstrate that murine microglia lack microRNA-9 activity, whereas most other cells in the brain express microRNA-9. Injection of microRNA-9-regulated vectors into the adult rat brain induces transgene expression specifically in cells with morphological features typical of ramified microglia. The majority of transgene-expressing cells colabels with the microglia marker Iba1. We use this approach to visualize and isolate activated resident microglia without affecting circulating and infiltrating monocytes or macrophages in an excitotoxic lesion model in rat striatum. The microRNA-9-regulated vectors described here are a straightforward and powerful tool that facilitates functional studies of resident microglia

Destabilizing Domains Enable Long-Term and Inert Regulation of GDNF Expression in the Brain

Regulation of therapeutic transgene expression can increase the safety of gene therapy interventions, especially when targeting critical organs such as the brain. Although several gene expression systems have been described, none of the current systems has the required safety profile for clinical applications. Our group has previously adapted a system for novel gene regulation based on the destabilizing domain degron technology to successfully regulate glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor in the brain (GDNF-F-DD). In the present study, we used GDNF-F-DD as a proof-of-principle molecule to fully characterize DD regulation in the brain. Our results indicate that DD could be regulated in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, GDNF-F-DD could also be induced in vivo repeatedly, without loss of activity or efficacy in vivo. Finally, DD regulation was able to be sustained for 24 weeks without loss of expression or any overt toxicity. The present study shows that DD has great potential to regulate gene expression in the brain

Reductive openings of benzylidene acetals. Kinetic studies of borane and alane activation by Lewis acids.

The reaction kinetics for a number of reductive openings of methyl 2,3-di-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-alpha-d-glucopyranoside have been investigated. Openings to give free HO-6 (using BH(3).THF-AlCl(3)-THF or LiAlH(4)-AlCl(3)-Et(2)O) follow first order kinetics, while reactions yielding free HO-4 (using BH(3).NMe(3)-AlCl(3)-THF or BH(3).NMe(3)-BF(3).OEt(2)-THF) follow higher order kinetics. The addition of water to the BH(3).NMe(3)-AlCl(3)-THF results in faster reactions. The BH(3).SMe(2)-AlCl(3)-THF system constitutes a borderline case, yielding both free HO-6 (by a first order reaction) and free HO-4 (by a higher order reaction). These results correlate well with the concept of regioselectivity by activation of borane complexes

Additional file 2: Table S2. of Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activated in cutaneous basal cell carcinoma and in the peritumoural skin

The list contains the 65 genes coding for extracellular matrix components or enzymes involved in matrix metabolism that were found upregulated in BCC. (DOCX 18 kb

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activated in cutaneous basal cell carcinoma and in the peritumoural skin

The number of reads in the mRNA sequencing analysis and the following reads that were actually mapped. Whereas approximately 97% of all reads mapped to the human genome, duplicate reads constituted a significant fraction leaving only around 48 million unique reads. (DOCX 33 kb