Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Article Title: Identification of a Novel Subset of Human Airway Epithelial Basal Stem Cells

doi: 10.3390/ijms25189863

Figure Lengend Snippet: Primary hBECs require MRC5 stromal cells to form bronchospheres composed of differentiated airway epithelial cell lineages. ( A ) Primary hBECs are harvested from proximal airway and seeded as single cells into MatriGel ® matrix that is layered into a Transwell ® insert to generate an air–liquid interface culture condition. ( B ) Bronchospheres grown for 14 days from unsorted hBECs co-cultured with MRC5 human fetal lung fibroblasts. Scale bars, 2000 µm. ( C ) Bar graph of number of bronchospheres formed by MRC5 fibroblasts, hBECs, and hBECs co-cultured with MRC5 fibroblasts across six donors, three technical replicates per donor. Data presented as mean (±S.D.). Paired t -test performed, * p < 0.05. ( D ) Bronchospheres grown for 42 days from unsorted hBECs form lumens in the interior of the spheroid and contain basal cells that are KRT5+, mitotically active basal cells (KRT14+), ciliated cells (TUBA4A+), and secretory goblet cells (MUC5B+). Scale bar: 50 µm.

Article Snippet: Primary hBECs were embedded in >95% Matrigel ® extracellular matrix (Corning #356231, Corning, MA, USA) and submerged in growth media containing ALK5 inhibitor SB431542 (Tocris #1614, Minneapolis, MN, USA) and supplemented with WNT-agonist R-spondin, Noggin, and FGF-10 [ ].

Techniques: Cell Culture

Journal: Clinical Cancer Research

Article Title: Statins Synergize with Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors for Treatment of Medulloblastoma

doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-2923

Figure Lengend Snippet: Figure 1. Cholesterol biosynthesis is enhanced in Hh subtype of medulloblastoma. A, A schematic diagram of cholesterol biosynthesis pathway with genes encoding corresponding enzymes listed along arrows. Enzymes: HMGCS1 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 1; HMGCR 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase; MVD mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase; FDPS farnesyl diphosphate synthase; FDFT1 farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1; SQLE squalene epoxidase; LSS lanosterol synthase; NSDHL NAD(P) dependent steroid dehydrogenase-like; DHCR7 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase; DHCR24 24-dehydrocholesterol reductase. Statins inhibit conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate through competitive inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR). Triparanol blocks the last step of cholesterol biosynthetic pathway through inhibition of 24-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR24). B and C, Boxplots showing the enrichment scores from GSVA. x and y-axes illustrate enrichment statistics across 4 different subtypes of medulloblastoma. Positive and negative scores indicate positive and negative enrichment, respectively. Pink dots represent the enrichment score for each sample in that subtype. Black bar in the middle of the box indicates median. D, Heatmaps showing expression of representative genes in the Hh and cholesterol synthesis pathways. z-scores calculated for each gene are plotted on a red (higher expression) and blue (low expression) scale. Top color bar, subtype. E–G, IHC analysis of NSDHL (E), ABCA1 (F), and SREBP2 (G) proteins in mouse Ptch1þ/ medulloblastoma. Normal adjacent tissue represents a cerebellar lobe with differentiated granule neurons used as a control. Scale bar, 100 mm; inset, 10 mm.

Article Snippet: Membranes were probed with antibodies against Gli1 (Cell Signaling Technology, CST2534, 1:1,000), NSDHL (Proteintech, 15111-1- AP, 1:1,000), Ptch1 (Novus Biologicals, MAB41051, 1:1,000), GAPDH (Sigma-Aldrich, G8795, 1:1,000).

Techniques: Inhibition, Expressing, Control

Journal: Clinical Cancer Research

Article Title: Statins Synergize with Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors for Treatment of Medulloblastoma

doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-2923

Figure Lengend Snippet: Figure 2. Deficiency of NSDHL inhibits Ptch1þ/ medulloblastoma cell proliferation. A, Western blot analysis of NSDHL and Gli1 protein expression in Ptch1þ/ medulloblastoma cells following infection with lentivirus carrying Nsdhl shRNA (#3 and #4) or scrambled shRNA and uninfected control after 48 hours in culture. GAPDH was used as a loading control. B and C, Immunofluorescence analysis of BrdUrd among Ptch1þ/ medulloblastoma cells infected with scrambled control shRNA (mCherryþ, B) or Nsdhl shRNA #4 (mCherryþ, C) after 48 hours in culture. D, Percentage of BrdUrdþ cells in infected medulloblastoma cells (mCherryþ) in Fig. 2B and C. E and F, Sagittal sections of medulloblastoma tissue from Math1-CreERT2/R26R-eYFP/Ptch1þ/ mice were immunostained against Zic1 and YFP (E), S100b, and YFP (F). G, Western blot analysis of NSDHL and Gli1 protein expression in medulloblastoma tissue from Math1-CreERT2/Nsdhlfl/fl/Ptch1þ/ and Nsdhlfl/fl/Ptch1þ/

Article Snippet: Membranes were probed with antibodies against Gli1 (Cell Signaling Technology, CST2534, 1:1,000), NSDHL (Proteintech, 15111-1- AP, 1:1,000), Ptch1 (Novus Biologicals, MAB41051, 1:1,000), GAPDH (Sigma-Aldrich, G8795, 1:1,000).

Techniques: Western Blot, Expressing, Infection, shRNA, Control

Journal: Clinical Cancer Research

Article Title: Statins Synergize with Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors for Treatment of Medulloblastoma

doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-2923

Figure Lengend Snippet: Figure 3. Cholesterol is required for Smo activation in Hh signal transduction. A, Western blot analysis of Gli1 protein expression in Ptch1þ/ medulloblastoma (MB) cells following treatment with simvastatin alone or in combination with WSC for 48 hours. B, Western blot analysis of Gli1 protein expression in NIH 3T3 cells following treatment with Hh-CM, simvastatin, triparanol, or together with WSC for 48 hours. C and D, Western blot analysis of Gli1 protein expression in Ptch1fl/flMEFs (C) or SmoM2 MEFs (D) infected with a lentivirus carrying Cre recombinase or control empty vector following treatment with simvastatin, triparanol, or WSC for 48 hours. E, Western blot analysisof Gli1and Ptch1 proteins in NIH 3T3 cells infected with a lentivirus carrying a Gli1-HA construct or an empty vector following treatment with simvastatin, triparanol, or WSC for 48 hours. GAPDH was used as a loading control. F, A schematic diagram of Hh signaling pathway. In the absence of Hh ligand, its receptor Ptch1 tethers Smo, preventing the downstream activation of Hh pathway. After interaction with Hh, Ptch1 releases Smo, causing activation of Gli1/2 transcription factor and leading to transcription of Hh pathway genes (Gli1, Ptch1, etc.). Cholesterol is required for Smo activation in Hh signal transduction.

Article Snippet: Membranes were probed with antibodies against Gli1 (Cell Signaling Technology, CST2534, 1:1,000), NSDHL (Proteintech, 15111-1- AP, 1:1,000), Ptch1 (Novus Biologicals, MAB41051, 1:1,000), GAPDH (Sigma-Aldrich, G8795, 1:1,000).

Techniques: Activation Assay, Transduction, Western Blot, Expressing, Infection, Control, Plasmid Preparation, Construct

Journal: Clinical Cancer Research

Article Title: Statins Synergize with Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors for Treatment of Medulloblastoma

doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-2923

Figure Lengend Snippet: Figure 4. Cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors suppress proliferation of Ptch1þ/ medulloblastoma cells. A–K, Medulloblastoma cells isolated from Ptch1þ/ mouse were cultured in the presence of vehicle (A) or simvastatin(B–D), triparanol (E), or together with WSC (F–J) for 48 hours, before cultured cellswere immunostained against Ki67 (red) and counterstained with DAPI. Scale bar, 10 mm. K, Percentage of Ki67-positive cells in cultured Ptch1þ/ medulloblastoma cells in the presence of simvastatin, triparanol, or with addition of WSC. Significance asterisk key: P < 0.05 (), P < 0.01 (), P < 0.001 (), P < 0.0001 ().

Article Snippet: Membranes were probed with antibodies against Gli1 (Cell Signaling Technology, CST2534, 1:1,000), NSDHL (Proteintech, 15111-1- AP, 1:1,000), Ptch1 (Novus Biologicals, MAB41051, 1:1,000), GAPDH (Sigma-Aldrich, G8795, 1:1,000).

Techniques: Isolation, Cell Culture

Journal: Clinical Cancer Research

Article Title: Statins Synergize with Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors for Treatment of Medulloblastoma

doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-2923

Figure Lengend Snippet: Figure 5. Simvastatin inhibits growth of Ptch1þ/

Article Snippet: Membranes were probed with antibodies against Gli1 (Cell Signaling Technology, CST2534, 1:1,000), NSDHL (Proteintech, 15111-1- AP, 1:1,000), Ptch1 (Novus Biologicals, MAB41051, 1:1,000), GAPDH (Sigma-Aldrich, G8795, 1:1,000).

Techniques:

Journal: Clinical Cancer Research

Article Title: Statins Synergize with Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitors for Treatment of Medulloblastoma

doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-2923

Figure Lengend Snippet: Figure 6. Statins synergize with vismodegib in inhibiting Ptch1þ/ medulloblastoma (MB) growth. A and B, Growth rate (A) and size (B) of subcutaneous Ptch1þ/

Article Snippet: Membranes were probed with antibodies against Gli1 (Cell Signaling Technology, CST2534, 1:1,000), NSDHL (Proteintech, 15111-1- AP, 1:1,000), Ptch1 (Novus Biologicals, MAB41051, 1:1,000), GAPDH (Sigma-Aldrich, G8795, 1:1,000).

Techniques: