胃癌细胞TRAIL受体的表达与其对TRAIL敏感性的关系

目的:探讨胃癌细胞表面TRAIL受体表达水平及其与TRAIL敏感性的关系.方法:PI染色、流式细胞仪检测TRAIL诱导BGC-823及SGC-7901细胞的凋亡率,流式细胞仪检测细胞膜表面四种TRAIL受体-R1、R2、R3、R4的表达情况.结果:TRAIL诱导胃癌细胞凋亡具有剂量和时间依赖性,BGC-823较SGC-7901对TRAIL诱导的凋亡更敏感,TRAIL(100μg·L-1)作用24h的细胞凋亡率分别是59.9%、24.3%.死亡受体TRAIL-R1/DR4、TRAIL-R2/DR5在BGC-823细胞膜表面表达的阳性率高达97.87%和99.42%,而在SGC-7901分别为7.03%和95-31%,诱骗受体TRAIL-R3/DcR1、TRAIL-R4/DcR2在两株细胞膜表面极少表达.结论:胃癌细胞对TRAIL诱导凋亡的敏感性差异可能与细胞膜表面死亡受体有关,尤其与DR4的表达有关.     

TFPI-2对人肝癌细胞生长增殖、凋亡及AFP合成的影响

目的: 探讨TFPI-2基因对人肝癌细胞Hep3B生长增殖、凋亡及甲胎蛋白AFP表达的影响。 方法: 将重组质粒PCDNA3.1-TFPI-2转染Hep3B细胞并经G418稳定筛选后,RT-PCR和Western blot检测转染前后TFPI-2 mRNA和蛋白表达水平,采用CCK-8法、生长曲线观察TFPI-2对人肝癌细胞Hep3B生长增殖的影响,通过平板克隆形成实验观察单个细胞的增殖能力,RT-PCR检测AFP mRNA的表达,并用电化学发光法测定培养上清液中甲胎蛋白AFP含量,流式细胞仪检测细胞早晚期凋亡情况。 结果: 转染成功的Hep3B细胞检测到TFPI-2 mRNA和蛋白的表达;与转染空载体及未转染的细胞相比,转染TFPI-2的细胞生长增殖能力明显减弱;AFP mRNA表达抑制率为16.51%,AFP蛋白分泌明显低于对照组(P<0.01);流式细胞术检测转染TFPI-2的Hep3B细胞早期凋亡率明显增加(24.03%±7.28% vs 8.77%±3.66%)。 结论: TFPI-2表达可显著抑制肝癌细胞生长和AFP的表达,同时还能诱导细胞早期凋亡。为进一步探讨靶向TFPI-2的肝癌基因治疗提供了实验依据。     

从人胚胎干细胞畸胎瘤中有效获取间充质干细胞和神经前体细胞

通过人胚胎干细胞(human embryonic stem cells,hESC)体外分化方法和畸胎瘤形成可以分化获得多种成体细胞．但目前尚不清楚是否可以从hESCs畸胎瘤中分离某些特异性细胞．通过体外筛选方法,有效地从hESCs畸胎瘤中分离出神经前体细胞(neural progenitor cells,NPCs)和间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cells,MSCs)．这种hESCs畸胎瘤来源的NPCs和MSCs与体内神经前体细胞和间充质干细胞有着相似的分子标记和特性,并具有进一步的分化潜能——分别可以诱导成为神经元、神经胶质细胞、脂肪细胞和骨骼细胞等．根据人胚胎干细胞畸胎瘤中含有不同分化阶段的外胚层、中胚层和内胚层的组织或细胞,认为人胚胎干细胞畸胎瘤可以作为另一个细胞来源以获取多种(包括人胚胎干细胞体外分化难以得到的)各种前体/干细胞和终末分化细胞．     

无饲养层培养人胚胎干细胞方法的建立

人胚胎干细胞(human embryonic stem cell,hES细胞)是当前医学研究的热点之一．然而hES细胞培养条件苛刻,通常需要采用鼠胚胎成纤维细胞(mouse embryonic fibroblast,MEFs)饲养层来维持其未分化状态,成为目前hES细胞研究的瓶颈之一、本实验成功地将hES细胞接种在细胞外基质包被的六孔板上培养,传代20次后细胞仍然保持良好的未分化状态,各种hES细胞生物学特性(如表面标志物SSEA-3、SSEA-4、TRA-1-60和TRA-1-8l,OCT-4,碱性磷酸酶及体内外分化潜能等)均无改变;其冻存、复苏效果与生长在饲养层上的hES细胞无明显差异．因此,该无饲养层培养体系可以用于培养hES细胞,并为hES细胞转基因研究及大规模培养打下良好的基础．     

靶向诱骗受体3的小干扰RNA抑制人结肠癌裸鼠皮下移植瘤的实验研究

目的：以脂质体为载体,探讨靶向诱骗受体3（DcR3）的小干扰RNA（siRNA）对人结肠癌SW480细胞裸鼠皮下移植瘤生长的抑制作用。方法：裸鼠背部皮下种植结肠癌SW480细胞,建立结肠癌SW480细胞裸鼠皮下移植瘤模型;针对靶标DcR3基因,利用Dharmacon公司的软件设计合成siRNA序列,通过瘤体局部多点注射脂质体与DcR3siRNA混合物,将DcR3siRNA转染到裸鼠背部皮下移植瘤内,同时设立阴性对照组和空白对照组;观察肿瘤治疗前后体积变化,评价DcR3siRNA对肿瘤的抑制作用;比较肿瘤治疗前后的细胞形态学改变;免疫组织化学及RT-PCR检测DcR3基因表达;原位细胞凋亡检测肿瘤的凋亡。结果：治疗组肿瘤体积明显小于对照组,肿瘤组织内坏死面积增大,细胞凋亡率显著增高,DcR3蛋白表达水平降低;治疗过程中裸鼠生长良好,无明显毒性反应。结论：脂质体介导的DcR3siRNA对裸鼠皮下结肠癌SW480细胞移植瘤有明显的抑制、杀伤作用,细胞凋亡是DcR3siRNA致肿瘤细胞死亡的重要形式。     

一种简便高效的人胚胎干细胞转染方法

目的 :利用Fugene 6基因转染试剂建立一种简便高效的人胚胎干细胞转染方法 ,并建立稳定表达增强型绿色荧光蛋白 (enhancedgreenfluorescentprotein ,EGFP)报告基因的人胚胎干细胞系 ,为人胚胎干细胞研究提供一个非常有用的细胞模型。方法 :通过Fugene 6基因转染试剂成功地将EGFP基因转入无饲养层培养的人胚胎干细胞中 ,嘌呤霉素筛选得到稳定表达EGFP的克隆 ;利用倒置荧光显微镜和流式细胞仪检测EGFP在人胚胎干细胞中的表达情况。结果 :EGFP瞬时转染效率为 30 %～ 40 % ,稳定转染效率约 1/10^4～5,且稳定转染的人胚胎干细胞均表达EGFP。结论 :Fugene 6是一种良好的基因转染试剂 ,它可以有效地将外源基因转入人胚胎干细胞中 ,为人胚胎干细胞的转基因研究提供新的实验手段。     

多顺反子质粒重编程人脂肪干细胞为诱导多能干细胞

为建立多顺反子质粒载体转染技术获得人脂肪干细胞(adipose stem cells,ASCs)来源的诱导多能干细胞(induced pluripotency stem cells,iPSCs),应用2A元件连接Oct4/Sox2/KLF4/c-Myc四因子基因,构建为单一开放阅读框的多顺反子质粒载体．使用该质粒对ASCs进行转染及重编程为iPSC．采用形态学观察、特异性抗体免疫荧光鉴定、体外拟胚体诱导分化和体内畸胎瘤形成等方法进行鉴定．结果显示,ASCs成功重编程为iPSCs,具有与人胚胎干细胞相似的形态学及多向分化潜能;通过拟胚体和畸胎瘤实验证实iPSCs能在体内外分化成三胚层细胞;DNA印迹实验显示质粒载体序列未整合至iPSCs基因组中．因此,通过多顺反子质粒载体重编程技术成功建立的人iPSCs具有多向分化潜能,可减免发生插入突变和免疫排斥问题,为iPSCs在遗传性或退行性疾病的治疗奠定了实验基础．     

抗MRP3单链抗体-sTRAIL融合蛋白诱导U251多形性胶质母细胞瘤凋亡

采用重组PCR技术获得抗多药耐药相关蛋白3(multidrug resistance protein 3, MRP3)的单链抗体(scFv)与人源可溶性肿瘤坏死因子相关凋亡诱导配体(soluble TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand, sTRAIL)的融合蛋白质的基因编码序列, 利用原核表达载体pMAL-c2,构建含麦芽糖结合蛋白(maltose binding protein, MBP)标签肽的antiMRP3(scFv)-sTRAIL融合蛋白, 经亲和层析柱纯化. 获得纯化的antiMRP3(scFv)-sTRAIL融合蛋白,用MRP3阳性U251多形性胶质母细胞瘤做增殖抑制实验、细胞凋亡诱导实验,结果均显示具有明显的活性, 而MBP无明显作用. 上述结果表明,成功表达了antiMRP3(scFv)-sTRAIL融合蛋白, 该融合蛋白具有诱导U251多形性胶质母细胞瘤细胞凋亡的活性, 为开发靶向性抗肿瘤药物奠定了基础.     

诱杀受体3——肿瘤基因治疗的新靶点

诱杀受体3（DcR3）又称肿瘤坏死因子受体（TNFR）6B,是最近发现的TNFR超家族成员之一。DcR3是一种凋亡抑制蛋白,能够抑制肿瘤细胞凋亡,促进肿瘤细胞免疫逃避。研究显示,DcR3在人类正常分化组织中很少表达,却特异性表达在常见的肿瘤,它的表达上调可预示肿瘤恶性程度和预后。作为肿瘤分子标志物,体液及组织中高水平的DcR3表达能够辅助肿瘤诊断和治疗监测。应用分子生物技术可以抑制肿瘤细胞中DcR3的表达,从而诱导肿瘤细胞的凋亡。     

Stella基因真核表达载体的构建及其对小鼠胚胎干细胞多能性的影响

构建Stella基因真核表达质粒,转染小鼠胚胎干细胞(Embryonic stem cells,ESC)并初步探讨Stella对减数分裂起始相关基因(Stra8)及胚胎干细胞多能性的影响。通过RT-PCR扩增目的基因,并连接至真核表达载体pEGFP-C1,利用重组质粒转染小鼠胚胎干细胞。对转染细胞进行荧光检测,确认Stella的表达,并利用免疫荧光及PCR检测转染细胞基因表达情况。酶切鉴定及测序分析表明成功构建含Stella基因的重组真核表达质粒,过表达Stella对ES细胞的增殖和形态学特征、进入减数分裂阶段的相关基因及其多能性基因的表达影响并不显著。故此得出结论:Stella在小鼠胚胎干细胞中能够正确表达,但对ES细胞的分化、Stra8基因的表达及其多能性基因的表达并无显著影响。     

Adeno-associated virus-mediated gene transfer of a secreted form of TRAIL inhibits tumor growth and occurrence in an experimental tumor model

BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces cell death in various tumor cells, but relatively spares normal cells. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors have a number of advantages including in vivo long-term gene expression. Here, we assessed the biological activity of a novel, secreted form of TRAIL (sTRAIL) for cancer gene therapy using a rAAV2 vector. METHODS: A plasmid and rAAV2 vectors were constructed encoding sTRAIL composed of a leader sequence, the isoleucine zipper, and the active domain of TRAIL (aa 95-281). The functionality of sTRAIL was validated by cell viability, FACS analysis, caspase-3 activity, and TUNEL staining. rAAV-sTRAIL was injected intratumorally to nude mice bearing human A549 lung tumor cells. Nude mice received A549 tumor cells after intravenous delivery of rAAV-sTRAIL. The antitumor effect was then evaluated by measuring tumor regression and occurrence in the experimental animal. RESULTS: sTRAIL was released from cells transfected with the sTRAIL expression construct or transduced with rAAV-sTRAIL, and induced apoptosis in cancer cells, but spared normal fibroblast cells. Secreted sTRAIL formed oligomers including trimers with intersubunit disulfide. Purified sTRAIL exerted much lower cytotoxicity on primary human hepatocytes compared to recombinant TRAIL. Intratumoral delivery of rAAV-sTRAIL significantly inhibited growth of A549 tumors established in nude mice. A number of apoptotic tumor cells were detected by TUNEL staining in mice treated with rAAV-sTRAIL. Systemic pretreatment with rAAV-sTRAIL significantly inhibited tumor formation in nude mice. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that rAAV-sTRAIL may be useful for local or systemic cancer gene therapy for treating TRAIL-sensitive tumors.     

Expression of endostatin mediated by a novel non-viral delivery system inhibits human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro

Ultrasound (US)-mediated microbubble destruction is recognized to have considerable potential for gene delivery, whereas, there is few report of its effect on enhancing liposomal transfection. In this study, we used pIRES2-EGFP/hES containing human endostatin (hES) cDNA as target gene to test the hypothesis that US exposure with microbubbles could improve liposomal transfection, and to investigate the possibility of intracellular delivery of ES gene using this method. Under the controlled US exposure condition with microbubbles, the plasmid:liposome was transferred into COS-7 cells. The transfection rate, the expression of endostatin and the inhibition effect of transfection-endostatin on endothelial cells were assessed. The results revealed that US-mediated microbubble destruction together with liposome could significantly enhance gene transfection without obvious cell damage. By this means, endostatin gene could be efficiently transferred into COS-7 cells and expressed. The transfection-endostatin could inhibit endothelial proliferation and migration, which suggests that the non-viral method might be useful in anti-angiogenesis therapy in the future.     

Glycolipid core structure switching from globo- to lacto- and ganglio-series during retinoic acid-induced differentiation of TERA-2-derived human embryonal carcinoma cells

We have analyzed the glycolipid markers of a recently cloned human embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell line, NTERA-2, which differentiates extensively into a variety of somatic cell types when exposed to retinoic acid. These tumor cells provide a model system that can be used to study the ontogeny of glycolipid diversity during human embryonic development. Glycolipid antigens were identified by cell surface immunofluorescence and thin-layer chromatography immunostaining using a comprehensive set of anticarbohydrate monoclonal antibodies. Undifferentiated NTERA-2 cells were found to express predominantly globo-series glycolipids, including Gb3, Gb5 (IV3GalGb4), globo-ganglioside (IV3NeuAc alpha 2----3GalGb4), globo-H (IV3Fuc alpha 1----2GalGb4), and globo-A (IV3GalNAc alpha 1----3[Fuc alpha 1----2]GalGb4). When NTERA-2 cells were induced to differentiate by culturing in the presence of 10(-5) M retinoic acid, a remarkable shift of cellular glycolipids from globo-series to lacto- and ganglio-series was observed: Globo-series structures declined, particularly during the period 7-20 days after first exposure to retinoic acid, while lacto-series structures, including fucosyl alpha 1----3 type 2 chain (Lex) and sialosyl type 2 chain, and ganglio-series structures, including GM3, GD3, 9-O-acetyl-GD3, GM2, GD2, and GT3, increased. The presence of globo-A and globo-H as the major ABH blood group antigens in undifferentiated NTERA-2 cells suggests that globo-series blood group antigens are embryonic antigens, synthesis of which switches to lacto-series during human development. Two-color immunofluorescence analysis indicated preferential expression of several ganglio- and lacto-series antigens on different subsets of differentiated cells and permitted the relationship of these subsets to the development of neurons in NTERA-2 cultures to be determined. The results suggest that glycosyltransferase, particularly those involved in controlling glycoconjugate core structure assembly, are key enzymes regulated during the differentiation of human EC cells and, by implication, during human embryogenesis.     

Hemato-endothelial differentiation from lentiviral-transduced human embryonic stem cells retains durable reporter gene expression under the control of ubiquitin promoter

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are able to give rise to a variety of cell lineages under specific culture condition. An effective strategy for stable genetic modification in hES cells may provide a powerful tool for study of human embryogenesis and cell-based therapies. However, gene silences are documented in hES cells. In current study, we investigated whether genes controlled under ubiquitin promoter are expressed during hematopoietic-endothelial differentiation in hES cells. Undifferentiated hES cells (H1) were transduced by lentivirus encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene under ubiquitin promoter. GFP-expressing hES cells (GFP-H1) were established after several rounds of mechanical selection under fluorescence microscope. GFP gene was stably expressed in hES cells throughout prolonged (> 50 passages) cultivation, and in differentiated embryo body (EB) and teratoma. Hematopoietic and endothelial markers, including KDR (VEGFR2), CD34, CD31, Tie-2, GATA-1 and GATA-2, were expressed at similar levels during hES cell differentiation in parent hES cells and GFP-H1 hES cells. CD34⁺ cells isolated from GFP-H1 hES cells were capable to generate hematopoietic colony-forming cells and tubular structure-forming cells. Differentiated GFP-EB formed vasculature structures in a semi-solid sprouting EB model. These results indicated that a transgene under ubiquitin promoter in lentiviral transduced hES cells retained its expression in undifferentiated hES cells and in hES-derived hematopoietic and endothelial cells. With the view of embryonic mesodermal developing events in humans, genetic modification of hES cells by lentiviral vectors provides a powerful tool for study of hematopoiesis and vasculogenesis.     

Regulation of human Cripto-1 gene expression by TGF-beta1 and BMP-4 in embryonal and colon cancer cells

Human Cripto-1 (CR-1) is a cell membrane protein that is overexpressed in several different types of human carcinomas. In the present study we investigated the mechanisms that regulate the expression of CR-1 gene in cancer cells. We cloned a 2,481 bp 5'-flanking region of the human CR-1 gene into a luciferase reporter vector and transfected NTERA-2 human embryonal carcinoma cells and LS174-T colon cancer cells to test for promoter activity. Activity of CR-1 promoter in both cell lines was modulated by two TGF-beta family members, TGF-beta1 and BMP-4. In particular, TGF-beta1 significantly up-regulated CR-1 promoter activity, whereas a dramatic reduction in CR-1 promoter activity was observed with BMP-4 in NTERA-2 and LS174-T cells. Changes in the CR-1 promoter activity following TGF-beta1 and BMP-4 treatments correlated with changes in CR-1 mRNA and protein expression in NTERA-2 and LS174-T cells. We also identified three Smad binding elements (SBEs) within the CR-1 promoter and point mutation of SBE1 (-2,197/-2,189) significantly reduced response of the CR-1 promoter to both TGF-beta1 and BMP-4 in NTERA-2 and LS174-T cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay also demonstrated binding of Smad-4 to a CR-1 promoter DNA sequence containing SBE1 in LS174-T cells. Finally, BMP-4 inhibited migration of LS174-T cells and F9 mouse embryonal carcinoma cells by downregulation of CR-1 protein. In conclusion, these results suggest a differential modulation of CR-1 gene expression in embryonal and colon cancer cells by two different members of the TGF-beta family.     

Human fetal liver stromal cells that overexpress bFGF support growth and maintenance of human embryonic stem cells

In guiding hES cell technology toward the clinic, one key issue to be addressed is to culture and maintain hES cells much more safely and economically in large scale. In order to avoid using mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) we isolated human fetal liver stromal cells (hFLSCs) from 14 weeks human fetal liver as new human feeder cells. hFLSCs feeders could maintain hES cells for 15 passages (about 100 days). Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is known to play an important role in promoting self-renewal of human embryonic stem (hES) cells. So, we established transgenic hFLSCs that stably express bFGF by lentiviral vectors. These transgenic human feeder cells--bFGF-hFLSCs maintained the properties of H9 hES cells without supplementing with any exogenous growth factors. H9 hES cells culturing under these conditions maintained all hES cell features after prolonged culture, including the developmental potential to differentiate into representative tissues of all three embryonic germ layers, unlimited and undifferentiated proliferative ability, and maintenance of normal karyotype. Our results demonstrated that bFGF-hFLSCs feeder cells were central to establishing the signaling network among bFGF, insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2), and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), thereby providing the framework in which hES cells were instructed to self-renew or to differentiate. We also found that the conditioned medium of bFGF-hFLSCs could maintain the H9 hES cells under feeder-free conditions without supplementing with bFGF. Taken together, bFGF-hFLSCs had great potential as feeders for maintaining pluripotent hES cell lines more safely and economically.     

Transduction of human embryonic stem cells by ecotropic retroviral vectors

The steadily increasing availability of human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines has created strong interest in applying available tools for gene transfer in murine cells to human systems. Here we present a method for the transduction of hES cells with ecotropic retroviral vectors. hES cells were transiently transfected with a construct carrying the murine retrovirus receptor mCAT1. Subsequently, the cells were exposed to replication-deficient Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV) derivatives or pseudotyped lentiviral vectors. With oncoretroviral vectors, this procedure yields overall transduction efficiencies of up to 20% and permits selection of permanently transduced clones with high frequency. Selected clones maintained expression of pluripotency-associated markers and exhibited multi-germ layer differentiation both in vitro and in vivo. HES cell-derived somatic cells including neural progeny maintained high levels of transgene expression. Lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with the MoMuLV envelope could be introduced in the same manner with efficiencies of up to 33%. Transgene expression of lentivirally transduced hES cells remained permanent after differentiation even without selection pressure. Bypassing the regulatory issues associated with the use of amphotropic retroviral systems and exploiting the large pool of existing murine vectors, this method provides a safe and versatile tool for gene transfer and lineage analysis in hES cells and their progeny.     

Differential expression of the mouse and human Thy-1 gene in embryonal carcinoma cells.

Mouse P19 embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells express on their surfaces a Thy-1 glycoprotein. The expression of Thy-1 at the mRNA and protein levels is down-regulated during differentiation induced by retinoic acid (RA). Thy-1 is also expressed in human NTERA-2 EC cells, but its expression is not down-regulated during RA-induced differentiation. As a first step towards understanding differential regulation of the mouse and human Thy-1 gene in EC cells, we have introduced genomic DNA fragments encompassing the mouse or human Thy-1 gene into NTERA-2 and P19-derived cells and analyzed surface properties of the transfectants. In the transient transfection assay, both mouse and human Thy-1 genes were expressed on cell surfaces at comparable levels. P19-derived stable transfectants exhibited great clonal variations in the expressions of the transfected Thy-1 gene products, which in part reflected copy numbers. There was no simple correlation between the expression of the transfected Thy-1 gene and two stem cell surface markers, TEC-1 and TEC-4. In the course of differentiation induced by RA several clones with a surface phenotype of EC cells exhibited a significant decrease in the expression of the transfected mouse Thy-1, whereas expression of the human Thy-1 was less efficiently down-regulated. The results suggest the presence of multiple cis- and trans-acting elements controlling expression of the mouse and human Thy-1 genes in P19 EC cells and their differentiated derivatives.