Product Citations: 4

Neurovascular interactions (NVIs) are critical in establishing vascular patterning, barrier function, and in regulating cerebral blood flow, thereby maintaining neuronal homeostasis and brain health. While developmental programs and neuronal activity play a central role in cerebral cortex angiogenesis during a critical postnatal period, whether cellular heterogeneity causes region-specific angiogenic regulation remains unknown. Here, we combine spatial and endothelial single-cell RNAseq (scRNAseq) transcriptomic analysis to establish a molecular atlas of developing brain regions and a comprehensive list of spatiotemporal-specific NVIs. We find that the thalamic area has a higher vascular density than the other brain regions and our atlas identifies transforming growth factor β ( Tgfβ ) and Vegfc ligands enrichment in this area during a critical postnatal period. Neonatal endothelial Tgfβr1 deletion ( Tgfβr1iEKO ) induces vascular malformations and hemorrhages, primarily in the thalamic area. Mechanistically, we show that loss of endothelial TGFβ signaling increases VEGFC-induced AKT/mTOR signaling in vitro and in vivo , and that mTOR inhibitor Rapamycin efficiently inhibits intracerebral bleeding and vascular defects in Tgfβr1iEKO mice. Altogether, our data suggest that spatiotemporal-specific NVIs control brain vascular heterogeneity, which extends our knowledge of region-specific cerebrovascular development and will benefit our understanding of neurovascular disorders.

Mechanical stretch induces hair regeneration through the alternative activation of macrophages.

In Nature Communications on 3 April 2019 by Chu, S. Y., Chou, C. H., et al.

Tissues and cells in organism are continuously exposed to complex mechanical cues from the environment. Mechanical stimulations affect cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration, as well as determining tissue homeostasis and repair. By using a specially designed skin-stretching device, we discover that hair stem cells proliferate in response to stretch and hair regeneration occurs only when applying proper strain for an appropriate duration. A counterbalance between WNT and BMP-2 and the subsequent two-step mechanism are identified through molecular and genetic analyses. Macrophages are first recruited by chemokines produced by stretch and polarized to M2 phenotype. Growth factors such as HGF and IGF-1, released by M2 macrophages, then activate stem cells and facilitate hair regeneration. A hierarchical control system is revealed, from mechanical and chemical signals to cell behaviors and tissue responses, elucidating avenues of regenerative medicine and disease control by demonstrating the potential to manipulate cellular processes through simple mechanical stimulation.

  • FC/FACS
  • Mus musculus (House mouse)

The process for obtaining monoclonal antibodies against a specific antigen is very laborious, involves sophisticated technologies and it is not available in most research laboratories. Considering that most cytokines remain partially conserved among species during evolution, the search for antibody cross-reactivity is an important strategy for immunological studies in veterinary medicine. In this context, the amino acid sequence from human and canine cytokines have demonstrated 49-96 % homology, suggesting high probability of cross-reactivity amongst monoclonal antibodies. For this, 17 commercially available anti-human monoclonal antibodies [IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8 (#1, #2), IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17A, IFN-γ (#1, #2), TNF-α (#1, #2) and TGF-β], were evaluated in vitro for intracellular cytokine detection in a stimulated canine blood culture by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Lymphocytes from peripheral blood of healthy and two unhealthy dogs were analyzed.
Eleven anti-human mAbs [IL-1α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8 (#1, #2), IL-12, IL-17A, TNF-α (#1, #2) and TGF-β] cross-reacted against canine intracellular cytokines. The specificity of the assays was not affected after Fc-blocking. Three anti-human cytokine mAbs [IL-4, IL-8 (#2) and TGF-β] when evaluated by confocal microscopy also cross-reacted with intracellular canine cytokines. The identification of human mAbs that cross-reacted with canine cytokines may support their use as immunological biomarkers in veterinary medicine studies.
The identification of these 11 anti-human cytokine mAbs that cross-reacted with canine cytokines will be useful immunological biomarkers for pathological conditions by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy in dogs.

  • Cardiovascular biology
  • Veterinary Research

Paralog-selective Hsp90 inhibitors define tumor-specific regulation of HER2.

In Nature Chemical Biology on 1 November 2013 by Patel, P. D., Yan, P., et al.

Although the Hsp90 chaperone family, comprised in humans of four paralogs, Hsp90α, Hsp90β, Grp94 and Trap-1, has important roles in malignancy, the contribution of each paralog to the cancer phenotype is poorly understood. This is in large part because reagents to study paralog-specific functions in cancer cells have been unavailable. Here we combine compound library screening with structural and computational analyses to identify purine-based chemical tools that are specific for Hsp90 paralogs. We show that Grp94 selectivity is due to the insertion of these compounds into a new allosteric pocket. We use these tools to demonstrate that cancer cells use individual Hsp90 paralogs to regulate a client protein in a tumor-specific manner and in response to proteome alterations. Finally, we provide new mechanistic evidence explaining why selective Grp94 inhibition is particularly efficacious in certain breast cancers.

  • FC/FACS
  • Cancer Research
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