Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Pamela Tozzo, Arianna Delicati, Renato Zambello, Luciana Caenazzo
Summary: The paper provides a comparative overview of molecular biology techniques for studying chimerism after bone marrow transplantation, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each method. While STR-PCR remains the gold standard option due to its high power of differentiation, other methods such as qPCR, dPCR, and NGS offer potential advantages in terms of sensitivity and earlier detection of chimerism.
Review
Hematology
Figen Abatay Sel, Fatma Savran Oguz
Summary: Chimerism assay is a useful approach to monitor the success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Short tandem repeat PCR is the gold standard method, but it cannot detect mixed chimerism in patients with minimal residual disease. Recent years have seen the development of sensitive and accurate molecular genetic assays for post-transplant chimerism analysis.
ANNALS OF HEMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Christophe Picard, Coralie Frassati, Nicem Cherouat, Sandrine Maioli, Philippe Moskovtchenko, Mathilde Cherel, Jacques Chiaroni, Pascal Pedini
Summary: Quantifying chimerism is crucial for follow-up of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and can also be useful for immune tolerance assessment after solid organ transplantation. Traditional methods used genomic DNA, but recent technological advances have made quantification of chimerism using donor-derived cell-free DNA particularly relevant in solid organ transplantation.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Julien De Wolf, Edouard Robin, Alexandre Vallee, Justine Cohen, Abdul Hamid, Antoine Roux, Morgan Leguen, Romane Beaurepere, Ivan Bieche, Julien Masliah-Planchon, Matthieu Glorion, Yves Allory, Edouard Sage, Foch lung Transplant Grp
Summary: This study examines the origin of graft cancer in lung transplant recipients and finds that the prevalence of lung cancer in these recipients is very low, but there are cases where the cancer originates from the recipient. These results highlight the importance of donor selection and medical supervision after lung transplantation.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Anzhong Hu, Lin Chen, Xuelei Geng, Ling Zhu, Yong Liu, Ke Yang, Huaqing Zhu, Cancan Zhu
Summary: This study developed a novel method for DNA extraction from trace amounts of human tissue cells or body fluids at crime scenes using chitosan-modified magnetic nanoparticles. The Chitosan@Beads showed higher DNA enrichment efficiency and simpler operation compared to traditional methods. The extracted DNA had a higher STR loci rate, indicating its potential for forensic trace evidence analysis.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL-GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Anna Toldra, Karl B. Andree, Ana Roque, Assaf Lowenthal, Ytzhak Rozenberg, M. Dolors Furones, Monica Campas
Summary: This study introduces a method using magnetic beads coated with anionic polymer to pre-concentrate Ostreid Herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1), allowing for the detection of extremely low virus concentrations in seawater through a combination with quantitative PCR (qPCR) detection technology. The approach demonstrated high sensitivity and the ability to monitor virus release kinetics in seawater, which was applied in a UV disinfection experiment to differentiate between treated and untreated seawater.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ayesha Nayyar, Suhaib Ahmed
Summary: The study aimed to optimize and evaluate real time PCR of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism by SYBR Green for detecting donor chimerism after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The results showed that this method was sensitive and effective in detecting chimerism in post-transplant patients with various haematological disorders.
PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Hematology
Stefan O. Ciurea, Ashish Kothari, Sean Sana, Monzr M. Al Malki
Summary: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the preferred treatment for high-risk or relapsed acute leukemia. However, relapse after transplantation remains a common cause of treatment failure. Molecular profiling has allowed for early detection of minimal/measurable residual disease (MRD) before and after transplant, but it remains challenging to detect early relapse in patients without molecular markers. Chimerism monitoring, although primarily used for assessing engraftment, has shown correlation with relapse post-transplant, but lacks standardized and reliable methods for detection. This paper reviews methods for MRD and chimerism detection post-transplant and discusses future trends.
Article
Immunology
Matthew F. Cusick, Lauren Clark, Thuydung Tu, John Goforth, Xiaohai Zhang, Bobby LaRue, Ryan Gutierrez, Peter T. Jindra
Summary: Chimerism testing provides important clinical data on biological sample mixtures. This study presents data on using a FORENSIC NGS chimerism platform to accurately measure the percentage of donor/recipient mixtures. The NGS method is a sensitive and reliable alternative to traditional CE for chimerism testing.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Xinyao Miao, Yuesheng Shen, Xiaojuan Gong, Huiyun Yu, Bowen Li, Liao Chang, Yinan Wang, Jingna Fan, Zuhuan Liang, Bowen Tan, Shengbin Li, Bao Zhang
Summary: The novel forensic panel developed on the BGISEQ-500(TM) platform demonstrated high performance, reliability, and suitability for individual identification and paternity testing.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Iraj Alipourfard, Ayeh Khorshidian, Emad Babakhanzadeh, Majid Nazari
Summary: Infertility is a major problem affecting 10-15% of couples worldwide, with half of the cases attributed to male factors. This study found a significant association between PRM2 gene polymorphism and male infertility in Iranian population. Additionally, the GTCT haplotype was found to be more frequent in azoospermic patients, and gene-gene interaction played a role in male infertility. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the causes of male infertility.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liudmila Leppik, Anna Gempp, Zyrafete Kuci, Selim Kuci, Peter Bader, Halvard Boenig, Ingo Marzi, Dirk Henrich
Summary: The clinical breakthrough of bone tissue engineering relies on providing consistent pharmacological quality BTE products, which is hindered by the availability of stem cells. To overcome this, the suggestion is to immobilize heterologous osteoinductive MSCs onto osteoconductive matrices, freeze them, and then release them as ready-to-use products for surgery. In our study, we found that freeze-thawed hMSCs maintained their metabolic activity and showed favorable osteogenic potential, possibly through the activation of HIF1 alpha and YBX1 genes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erik Schilling, Lukas Pfeiffer, Sunna Hauschildt, Ulrike Koehl, Claudia Claus
Summary: Macrophages play an important role in the pathogenesis of rubella virus (RuV) and provide insights into its interaction with the innate immune system. A study found that downregulation of CD14 expression in infected macrophages contributes to virus-host adaptation by reducing the IFN response.
Article
Oncology
P. J. Hayden, C. Roddie, P. Bader, G. W. Basak, H. Bonig, C. Bonini, C. Chabannon, F. Ciceri, S. Corbacioglu, R. Ellard, F. Sanchez-Guijo, U. Jaeger, M. Hildebrandt, M. Hudecek, M. J. Kersten, U. Koehl, J. Kuball, S. Mielke, M. Mohty, J. Murray, A. Nagler, J. Rees, C. Rioufol, R. Saccardi, J. A. Snowden, J. Styczynski, M. Subklewe, C. Thieblemont, M. Topp, A. U. Ispizua, D. Chen, R. Vrhovac, J. G. Gribben, N. Kroeger, H. Einsele, I Yakoub-Agha
Summary: Several autologous chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) products targeting CD19 have been approved in Europe, with more approvals for different diseases expected in the near future. The European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)-Joint Accreditation Committee of ISCT and EBMT (JACIE) and the European Haematology Association collaborated to provide best practice recommendations to support consistent and high-quality care in this rapidly advancing field.
ANNALS OF ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Andreas Oberbach, Nadine Schlichting, Christian Hagl, Stefanie Lehmann, Yvonne Kullnick, Maik Friedrich, Ulrike Kohl, Friedemann Horn, Vivek Kumbhari, Bettina Loffler, Frank Schmidt, Dominik Joskowiak, Frank Born, Shekhar Saha, Erik Bagaev
Summary: Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a serious condition with a high mortality rate. accurate identification of the pathogens is crucial for successful therapy and patient survival. Staphylococcus aureus is the most commonly diagnosed species, and multi-drug resistance pathogens are increasing in prevalence. Blood cultures and echocardiography are commonly used diagnostic methods, but blood culture findings are not always accurate. This review discusses the diversity and virulence potential of PVE-associated pathogens, as well as the challenges in making a microbial diagnosis and offers recommendations for enhanced pathogen identification.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Wolfgang Glienke, Anna Christina Dragon, Katharina Zimmermann, Alexandra Martyniszyn-Eiben, Mira Mertens, Hinrich Abken, Claudia Rossig, Bianca Altvater, Krasimira Aleksandrova, Lubomir Arseniev, Christina Kloth, Andriana Stamopoulou, Thomas Moritz, Holger N. Lode, Nikolai Siebert, Rainer Blasczyk, Lilia Goudeva, Axel Schambach, Ulrike Koehl, Britta Eiz-Vesper, Ruth Esser
Summary: This study demonstrates the feasibility of translating the manufacturing method of CAR T cells to produce TRUCKs, which secrete IL-18. Using the CliniMACS Prodigy (R) system and a lentiviral vector, IL-18-secreting TRUCKs targeting GD(2) tumor antigen were successfully generated. The engineered T cells obtained from two donors showed similar functionality to laboratory-scale TRUCKs and exhibited specific cytotoxicity towards GD(2)-expressing target cells.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Katharina Eva Ruppel, Stephan Fricke, Ulrike Koehl, Dominik Schmiedel
Summary: Cancer immunotherapies utilize the immune system to effectively target malignant cells. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) equipped T cells have shown promising results in treating B cell lymphomas. However, autologous CAR-T cells are expensive and have potential severe side effects. Natural Killer (NK) cells, which can be safely transferred from healthy donors, provide a potential off-the-shelf immunotherapy. Activation of NK cells in cancer therapy has shown poor anti-cancer responses, but genetic modifications such as CARs promise to enhance recognition of tumor cells and improve clinical efficacy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ulrich Blache, Georg Popp, Anna Duenkel, Ulrike Koehl, Stephan Fricke
Summary: CAR T cell therapy is effective in treating cancer, but obstacles in biology and manufacturing hinder its widespread application. New technologies are needed to enable the treatment of larger patient groups.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Henry Loeffler-Wirth, Michael Rade, Arsen Arakelyan, Markus Kreuz, Markus Loeffler, Ulrike Koehl, Kristin Reiche, Hans Binder
Summary: Anti-CD19 CAR-T cell immunotherapy is a potential treatment option for B cell lymphomas, but it can lead to severe adverse effects like neurotoxicity. Single-cell RNA sequencing data analysis reveals differences in T cell composition and transcriptional states between patients with different levels of ICANS. The abundance of cycling cells, LAG3-mediated exhaustion, and CAR positive cells varies among patients. These findings provide molecular insights that could help overcome neurotoxicity.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Carolin Schimmelpfennig, Michael Rade, Susanne Fuessel, Dennis Loeffler, Conny Blumert, Catharina Bertram, Angelika Borkowetz, Dominik J. Otto, Sven-Holger Puppel, Pia Hoenscheid, Ulrich Sommer, Gustavo B. Baretton, Ulrike Koehl, Manfred Wirth, Christian Thomas, Friedemann Horn, Markus Kreuz, Kristin Reiche
Summary: This study investigated gene fusions in prostate cancer and identified two potential novel fusions, MBTTPS2,L0XNC01::SMS and AMACR::AMACR. The results showed that the number of gene fusions was associated with the prognosis of prostate cancer. However, further validation and assessment of clinical value are needed.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Frederik Fabian Feigl, Anika Stahringer, Matthias Peindl, Gudrun Dandekar, Ulrike Koehl, Stephan Fricke, Dominik Schmiedel
Summary: Natural killer (NK) cells have the potential for cancer immunotherapy due to their natural anti-tumor activity and the ability to transplant cells from healthy donors to patients. However, the infiltration of immune cells into solid tumors is often limited. In this study, genetically engineered NK cells expressing chemokine receptors were able to migrate towards chemokines without impairing their natural effector functions, potentially enhancing the therapeutic effect of immunotherapies in solid tumors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Johannes R. Schmidt, Janine Haupt, Sina Riemschneider, Christoph Kaempf, Dennis Loeffler, Conny Blumert, Kristin Reiche, Ulrike Koehl, Stefan Kalkhof, Joerg Lehmann
Summary: In this study, the effects of high-affinity AhR ligand benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and low-affinity AhR ligand indole-3-carbinol (I3C) on gene expression patterns in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) were compared using mRNA sequencing. The results showed that AhR regulated the expression of over 1,000 genes, involving cellular processes, immune functions, and phenotypic transformation of the cells. Some of the identified genes were previously known to be regulated by AhR, while others were newly discovered to be AhR-regulated.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Juliette Nowak, Marco Bentele, Ivana Kutle, Katharina Zimmermann, Jonathan Lukas Luehmann, Doris Steinemann, Stephan Kloess, Ulrike Koehl, Willi Rossberg, Amed Ahmed, Dirk Schaudien, Lavinia Neubert, Jan-Christopher Kamp, Mark P. Kuehnel, Athanasia Warnecke, Axel Schambach, Michael Morgan
Summary: Despite poor prognosis and survival rates for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), immunotherapy using CAR-NK cells targeting HER1/EGFR shows promise for HNSCC treatment. However, targeting HER1 alone is not sufficient to eliminate potential cancer stem cells. It is necessary to target multiple tumor-associated antigens to reduce high relapse rates in HNSCC.
Article
Cell Biology
Natascha Piede, Melanie Bremm, Anne Farken, Lisa-Marie Pfeffermann, Claudia Cappel, Halvard Bonig, Theres Fingerhut, Laura Puth, Kathrin Vogelsang, Andreas Peinelt, Rolf Marschalek, Matthias Mueller, Peter Bader, Zyrafete Kuci, Selim Kuci, Sabine Huenecke
Summary: A flow cytometry-based mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) was developed to analyze the inhibitory effect of MSCs on T cell proliferation. The MLR showed <10% variation for repeatability and <15% for intermediate precision, and a linear correlation of r = 0.9021 compared to a non-compendial reference method. The assay was unaffected by PBMC inter-donor variability, demonstrating its applicability as part of quality control tests for the validation of MSCs as a clinical product.
Letter
Hematology
Bettina Glatte, Kerstin Wenk, Anja Grahnert, Maik Friedrich, Maximilian Merz, Vladan Vucinic, Luise Fischer, Kristin Reiche, Miriam Alb, Michael Hudecek, Paul Franz, Stephan Fricke, Uwe Platzbecker, Ulrike Koehl, Ulrich Sack, Andreas Boldt, Sunna Hauschildt, Ronald Weiss
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Dorota Kaniowska, Kerstin Wenk, Phil Rademacher, Ronald Weiss, Claire Fabian, Isabell Schulz, Max Guthardt, Franziska Lange, Sebastian Greiser, Matthias Schmidt, Ulf-Dietrich Braumann, Frank Emmrich, Ulrike Koehl, Yarua Jaimes
Summary: Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) and MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have therapeutic effects in various degenerative and inflammatory diseases. EVs, loaded with proteins, lipids, and RNA, serve as intercellular communicators. In this study, we demonstrate that EVs can be internalized by murine microglial cells and partially reduce their activation against beta-amyloid aggregates. This inhibition of microglia activation may present an effective strategy for controlling/treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
STEM CELL REVIEWS AND REPORTS
(2022)
