Browsing by Author "Wang, Lu"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    ATG14 plays a critical role in hepatic lipid droplet homeostasis
    (Elsevier, 2023) Huang, Menghao; Zhang, Yang; Park, Jimin; Chowdhury, Kushan; Xu, Jiazhi; Lu, Alex; Wang, Lu; Zhang, Wenjun; Ekser, Burcin; Yu, Liqing; Dong, X. Charlie; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
    Background & aims: Autophagy-related 14 (ATG14) is a key regulator of autophagy. ATG14 is also localized to lipid droplet; however, the function of ATG14 on lipid droplet remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of ATG14 in lipid droplet homeostasis. Methods: ATG14 loss-of-function and gain-of-function in lipid droplet metabolism were analyzed by fluorescence imaging in ATG14 knockdown or overexpression hepatocytes. Specific domains involved in the ATG14 targeting to lipid droplets were analyzed by deletion or site-specific mutagenesis. ATG14-interacting proteins were analyzed by co-immunoprecipitation. The effect of ATG14 on lipolysis was analyzed in human hepatocytes and mouse livers that were deficient in ATG14, comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58), or both. Results: Our data show that ATG14 is enriched on lipid droplets in hepatocytes. Mutagenesis analysis reveals that the Barkor/ATG14 autophagosome targeting sequence (BATS) domain of ATG14 is responsible for the ATG14 localization to lipid droplets. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis illustrates that ATG14 interacts with adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and CGI-58. Moreover, ATG14 also enhances the interaction between ATGL and CGI-58. In vitro lipolysis analysis demonstrates that ATG14 deficiency remarkably decreases triglyceride hydrolysis. Conclusions: Our data suggest that ATG14 can directly enhance lipid droplet breakdown through interactions with ATGL and CGI-58.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    CV1-secreting sCAR-T cells potentiate the abscopal effect of microwave ablation in heterogeneous tumors
    (Elsevier, 2025) Cao, Bihui; Liu, Manting; Xiao, Zecong; Leng, Dongliang; Zhou, Yubo; Zhang, Zhenfeng; Wang, Lu; Huang, Xinkun; Ni, Qianqian; Cheng, Wei; Assaraf, Yehuda G.; Zhao, Qi; Shen, Jia; Zhu, Kangshun; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Microwave ablation (MWA) triggers a weak systemic immune response that leads to the abscopal regression of distant metastases while killing local tumors, known as the abscopal effect. Combining MWA with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells demonstrates promise in enhancing the abscopal effect in antigen-homogeneous tumors. However, the loss of the antigen recognized by CAR or intrinsic antigenic heterogeneity in solid tumors poses a major obstacle. SIRPα variant (CV1)-secreting CAR-T (sCAR-T) cells elicit an abscopal effect on distant tumors with antigen heterogeneity in mice receiving local MWA. Mechanistically, sCAR-T cells can locally eliminate antigen-positive tumors and secrete CV1, whereas the secreted CV1 can activate macrophages that migrate to non-ablated tumor sites in response to post-MWA chemokines, eliciting a macrophage-dependent abscopal effect that enables phagocytosis of antigen-heterogeneous cancer cells. This macrophage-dependent abscopal effect instigated by MWA and sCAR-T cells offers a clinically translatable strategy in metastatic solid tumors with antigen heterogeneity.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Genetic events in the progression of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast to high-grade triple-negative breast cancer
    (SpringerNature, 2016-11) Fusco, Nicola; Geyer, Felipe C.; De Filippo, Maria R.; Martelotto, Luciano G.; Piscuoglio, Salvatore; Guerini-Rocco, Elena; Schultheis, Anne M.; Fuhrmann, Laetitia; Wang, Lu; Jungbluth, Achim A.; Burke, Kathleen A.; Lim, Raymond S.; Vincent-Salomon, Anne; Bamba, Masamichi; Moritani, Suzuko; Badve, Sunil S.; Ichihara, Shu; Ellis, Ian O.; Reis-Filho, Jorge S.; Weigelt, Britta; Ng, Charlotte K.Y.; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, IU School of Medicine
    Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast is a rare histologic type of triple-negative breast cancer with an indolent clinical behavior, often driven by the MYB-NFIB fusion gene. Here we sought to define the repertoire of somatic genetic alterations in two adenoid cystic carcinomas associated with high-grade triple-negative breast cancer. The different components of each case were subjected to copy number profiling and massively parallel sequencing targeting all exons and selected regulatory and intronic regions of 488 genes. Reverse transcription PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization were employed to investigate the presence of the MYB-NFIB translocation. The MYB-NFIB fusion gene was detected in both adenoid cystic carcinomas and their associated high-grade triple-negative breast cancer components. Whilst the distinct components of both cases displayed similar patterns of gene copy number alterations, massively parallel sequencing analysis revealed intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity. In case 1, progression from the trabecular adenoid cystic carcinoma to the high-grade triple-negative breast cancer was found to involve clonal shifts with enrichment of mutations affecting EP300, NOTCH1, ERBB2 and FGFR1 in the high-grade triple-negative breast cancer. In case 2, a clonal KMT2C mutation was present in the cribriform adenoid cystic carcinoma, solid adenoid cystic carcinoma and high-grade triple-negative breast cancer components, whereas a mutation affecting MYB was present only in the solid and high-grade triple-negative breast cancer areas and additional three mutations targeting STAG2, KDM6A and CDK12 were restricted to the high-grade triple-negative breast cancer. In conclusion, adenoid cystic carcinomas of the breast with high-grade transformation are underpinned by MYB-NFIB fusion gene, and, akin to other forms of cancer, may be constituted by a mosaic of cancer cell clones at diagnosis. The progression from adenoid cystic carcinoma to high-grade triple-negative breast cancer of no special type may involve the selection of neoplastic clones and/ or the acquisition of additional genetic alterations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Multi-ancestry study of the genetics of problematic alcohol use in over 1 million individuals
    (Springer Nature, 2023) Zhou, Hang; Kember, Rachel L.; Deak, Joseph D.; Xu, Heng; Toikumo, Sylvanus; Yuan, Kai; Lind, Penelope A.; Farajzadeh, Leila; Wang, Lu; Hatoum, Alexander S.; Johnson, Jessica; Lee, Hyunjoon; Mallard, Travis T.; Xu, Jiayi; Johnston, Keira J. A.; Johnson, Emma C.; Galimberti, Marco; Dao, Cecilia; Levey, Daniel F.; Overstreet, Cassie; Byrne, Enda M.; Gillespie, Nathan A.; Gordon, Scott; Hickie, Ian B.; Whitfield, John B.; Xu, Ke; Zhao, Hongyu; Huckins, Laura M.; Davis, Lea K.; Sanchez-Roige, Sandra; Madden, Pamela A. F.; Heath, Andrew C.; Medland, Sarah E.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Ge, Tian; Smoller, Jordan W.; Hougaard, David M.; Børglum, Anders D.; Demontis, Ditte; Krystal, John H.; Gaziano, J. Michael; Edenberg, Howard J.; Agrawal, Arpana; Million Veteran Program; Justice, Amy C.; Stein, Murray B.; Kranzler, Henry R.; Gelernter, Joel; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
    Problematic alcohol use (PAU), a trait that combines alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related problems assessed with a questionnaire, is a leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide. Here we conducted a large cross-ancestry meta-analysis of PAU in 1,079,947 individuals (European, N = 903,147; African, N = 122,571; Latin American, N = 38,962; East Asian, N = 13,551; and South Asian, N = 1,716 ancestries). We observed a high degree of cross-ancestral similarity in the genetic architecture of PAU and identified 110 independent risk variants in within- and cross-ancestry analyses. Cross-ancestry fine mapping improved the identification of likely causal variants. Prioritizing genes through gene expression and chromatin interaction in brain tissues identified multiple genes associated with PAU. We identified existing medications for potential pharmacological studies by a computational drug repurposing analysis. Cross-ancestry polygenic risk scores showed better performance of association in independent samples than single-ancestry polygenic risk scores. Genetic correlations between PAU and other traits were observed in multiple ancestries, with other substance use traits having the highest correlations. This study advances our knowledge of the genetic etiology of PAU, and these findings may bring possible clinical applicability of genetics insights-together with neuroscience, biology and data science-closer.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Serum Bile Acids Improve Prediction of Alzheimer's Progression in a Sex-Dependent Manner
    (Wiley, 2024) Chen, Tianlu; Wang, Lu; Xie, Guoxiang; Kristal, Bruce S.; Zheng, Xiaojiao; Sun, Tao; Arnold, Matthias; Louie, Gregory; Li, Mengci; Wu, Lirong; Mahmoudiandehkordi, Siamak; Sniatynski, Matthew J.; Borkowski, Kamil; Guo, Qihao; Kuang, Junliang; Wang, Jieyi; Nho, Kwangsik; Ren, Zhenxing; Kueider-Paisley, Alexandra; Blach, Colette; Kaddurah-Daouk, Rima; Jia, Wei; Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI); Alzheimer Disease Metabolomics Consortium (ADMC); Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
    Sex disparities in serum bile acid (BA) levels and Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevalence have been established. However, the precise link between changes in serum BAs and AD development remains elusive. Here, authors quantitatively determined 33 serum BAs and 58 BA features in 4 219 samples collected from 1 180 participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. The findings revealed that these BA features exhibited significant correlations with clinical stages, encompassing cognitively normal (CN), early and late mild cognitive impairment, and AD, as well as cognitive performance. Importantly, these associations are more pronounced in men than women. Among participants with progressive disease stages (n = 660), BAs underwent early changes in men, occurring before AD. By incorporating BA features into diagnostic and predictive models, positive enhancements are achieved for all models. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve improved from 0.78 to 0.91 for men and from 0.76 to 0.83 for women for the differentiation of CN and AD. Additionally, the key findings are validated in a subset of participants (n = 578) with cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-beta and tau levels. These findings underscore the role of BAs in AD progression, offering potential improvements in the accuracy of AD prediction.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Standardized Reporting of Microscopic Renal Tumor Margins: Introduction of the Renal Tumor Capsule Invasion Scoring System
    (Elsevier, 2017-01) Snarskis, Connor; Calaway, Adam C.; Wang, Lu; Gondim, Dibson; Hughes, Ian; Idrees, Mohammad; Kleithermes, Stephanie; Maniar, Viraj; Picken, Maria M.; Boris, Ronald S.; Gupta, Gopal N.; Department of Urology, School of Medicine
    Purpose Renal tumor enucleation allows for maximal parenchymal preservation. Identifying pseudocapsule integrity is critically important in nephron sparing surgery by enucleation. Tumor invasion into and through the capsule may have clinical implications, although it is not routinely commented on in standard pathological reporting. We describe a system to standardize the varying degrees of pseudocapsule invasion and identify predictors of invasion. Materials and Methods We performed a multicenter retrospective review between 2002 and 2014 at Indiana University Hospital and Loyola University Medical Center. A total of 327 tumors were evaluated following removal via radical nephrectomy, standard margin partial nephrectomy or enucleation partial nephrectomy. Pathologists scored tumors using our i-Cap (invasion of pseudocapsule) scoring system. Multivariate analysis was done to determine predictors of higher score tumors. Results Tumor characteristics were similar among surgical resection groups. Enucleated tumors tended to have thinner pseudocapsule rims but not higher i-Cap scores. Rates of complete capsular invasion, scored as i-Cap 3, were similar among the surgical techniques, comprising 22% of the overall cohort. Papillary histology along with increasing tumor grade was predictive of an i-Cap 3 score. Conclusions A capsule invasion scoring system is useful to classify renal cell carcinoma pseudocapsule integrity. i-Cap scores appear to be independent of surgical technique. Complete capsular invasion is most common in papillary and high grade tumors. Further work is warranted regarding the relevance of capsular invasion depth as it relates to the oncologic outcome for local recurrence and disease specific survival.