Guido Gambara - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

1 Apr 2017–30 Sep 2019 Postdoctoral Scientist German Cancer Consortium Berlin (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Berlin (Germany) European Precision Oncology and Personalized Therapy Prediction Project (EFREPOP): Establishment of cancer patient-derived 3D cell culture (organoids) as a new precision medicine tool to identify tailored interventions Strategy design, laboratory managing, experimental planning and execution, data analysis, manuscript drafting

1 Nov 2014–31 Mar 2017 Postdoctoral Scientist Institute of Anatomy, Charité University, Berlin (Germany) Disuse-induced skeletal muscle atrophy in bed rest and space flight: strategy design, biological specimen collection, experimental planning and execution, data analysis, manuscript drafting

1 Apr 2012–31 Mar 2014 Postdoctoral Scientist Sapienza University, Rome (Italy) Investigation of innate immunity agonists in cancer therapy: strategy design, experimental planning and execution, data analysis, manuscript drafting, histology educational activity.

1 Feb 2009–Feb 2012 Research Fellow George Mason University (GMU)/Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Manassas (United States) GMU (U.S.): Phospho-proteomic profile in biomarker discovery and personalized cancer therapy (Reverse Phase Protein Microarray). ISS (Italy): Investigation of Cancer Stem Cells pathophysiology. Strategy design, experimental planning and execution, data analysis, manuscript drafting

12 Mar 2008 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Sapienza University, Rome (Italy) Cell science and technology

16 Dec 2002 Master's Degree Sapienza University, Rome (Italy) Biological Sciences (110 with honors/110)

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Papers by Guido Gambara

Research paper thumbnail of MOESM2 of Ned-19 inhibition of parasite growth and multiplication suggests a role for NAADP mediated signalling in the asexual development of Plasmodium falciparum

Additional file 2: Figure S2. Representative examples of asexual parasites. ER: Early rings; LR: ... more Additional file 2: Figure S2. Representative examples of asexual parasites. ER: Early rings; LR: Late rings; ET: Early trophozoites; LT: Late trophozoites; ES: Early schizonts; LS: Late schizonts. Scale bar: 5 μm.

Research paper thumbnail of V1a AVP receptor is required for neurohypophyseal hormone- dependent differentiation in C2C12 cells

Basic and Applied Myology, 2009

Vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT) and related peptides induce differentiation and hypertrophy in m... more Vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT) and related peptides induce differentiation and hypertrophy in myogenic cells expressing the V1a-vasopressin receptor (V1aR) or the oxytocin receptor (OTR). Either receptor can transduce both ligand signals. Binding of AVP and OT to the V1aR the target cells activates phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis, which in turn releases Ca 2+ from internal stores. The AVP-dependent increase in cytosolic Ca 2+ induces the activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMK) and calcineurin signaling, two pathways required for the full expression of the differentiated phenotype. Here we investigate the role of V1aR in myogenesis and hypertrophy by ectopically restoring V1aR expression and function using the C2C12 cell line, which is an experimental model of satellite cells that do not respond to AVP treatment. Our results show that AVP treatment enhances myogenic differentiation in V1aR-transfected C2C12 cultures alone. Moreover, calcium imaging analyses perform...

Research paper thumbnail of Beta-distrobrevina e pancortina interagiscono in maniera diretta nel cervello di topo

Research paper thumbnail of Stem Cells Tumorigenic and Metastatic Activity of Human Thyroid Cancer

Research paper thumbnail of Nitrosative Redox Homeostasis and Antioxidant Response Defense in Disused Vastus lateralis Muscle in Long-Term Bedrest (Toulouse Cocktail Study)

Increased oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) i... more Increased oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) is a major determinant of disuse-induced muscle atrophy. Muscle biopsies (thigh vastus lateralis, VL) obtained from healthy male subjects enrolled in the Toulouse Cocktail bedrest (BR) study were used to assess efficacy of an antioxidant cocktail (polyphenols, omega-3, vitamin E, and selenium) to counteract the increased redox homeostasis and enhance the antioxidant defense response by using label-free LC–MS/MS and NITRO-DIGE (nitrosated proteins), qPCR, and laser confocal microscopy. Label-free LC–MS/MS indicated that treatment prevented the redox homeostasis dysregulation and promoted structural remodeling (TPM3, MYH7, MYBPC, MYH1, MYL1, HRC, and LUM), increment of RyR1, myogenesis (CSRP3), and skeletal muscle development (MUSTN1, LMNA, AHNAK). These changes were absent in the Placebo group. Glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid beta-oxidation...

Research paper thumbnail of Successful generation of patient derived xenografts and patient derived 3D cultures as preclinical models for breast cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology

12080Background: The establishment of patient-derived preclinical models in breast cancer has bee... more 12080Background: The establishment of patient-derived preclinical models in breast cancer has been a challenge for many years. We report our successful experience in establishing breast cancer patient derived xenografts (PDX) and patient derived 3D cultures (PD3D). Methods: Tumor tissue samples (twice 3mm diameter) from breast cancer patients undergoing surgery were collected by a team of gynecologists and pathologists. Ischemia time was minimized. Small tumor fragments were transplanted to immunodeficient NOG mice. The other part was used to establish a cell culture on serum free organoid media in the presence of growth hormones and, in case of hormone receptor positive breast cancer, estradiol supplementation. To address the question whether the genetics features of the model have changed during the process of engraftment and expansion the established models are currently undergoing molecular profiling. Results: Since May 2017 28 breast cancer samples have been processed. The sample characteristics are ...

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 4099: Novel patient-derived 3D (PD3D) cell models and matched patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer for drug testing and biomarker analysis

Research paper thumbnail of Peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer (pmCRC): identification of predictive molecular signatures by a novel preclinical platform of matching pmCRC PDX/PD3D models

Research paper thumbnail of PD-L1 quantification across tumor types using the reverse phase protein microarray: implications for precision medicine

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer

BackgroundAnti-programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) agents ... more BackgroundAnti-programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) agents are broadly used in first-line and second-line treatment across different tumor types. While immunohistochemistry-based assays are routinely used to assess PD-L1 expression, their clinical utility remains controversial due to the partial predictive value and lack of standardized cut-offs across antibody clones. Using a high throughput immunoassay, the reverse phase protein microarray (RPPA), coupled with a fluorescence-based detection system, this study compared the performance of six anti-PD-L1 antibody clones on 666 tumor samples.MethodsPD-L1 expression was measured using five antibody clones (22C3, 28–8, CAL10, E1L3N and SP142) and the therapeutic antibody atezolizumab on 222 lung, 71 ovarian, 52 prostate and 267 breast cancers, and 54 metastatic lesions. To capture clinically relevant variables, our cohort included frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples, surgical specime...

Research paper thumbnail of Protein network mapping of platinum-resistant and poor-survival ovarian cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology

5560 Background: Epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is the fifth leading cause of tumor related d... more 5560 Background: Epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is the fifth leading cause of tumor related death in the female population, with only 30% of patients alive at 5 years after diagnosis. Platinum resistance is a major cause of treatment failure. The aim of the study was to perform broad-scale drug target activation mapping of EOC to identify new druggable targets for personalized therapy. Methods: 72 ovarian primary lesions collected from chemo-naïve EOC patients were analyzed. Highly enriched tumor epithelial cells were isolated by laser capture microdissection, lysed and subjected to reverse phase protein microarray analysis for multiplexed protein pathway activation mapping. The activation/phosphorylation level of 156 key signaling proteins was analysed. Based on the disease-free interval to platinum therapy, 61 stage II-IV patients were segregated into platinum-resistant (<6 months), platinum-sensitive (6-12 months), and platinum-supersensitive disease (>12 months). One-w...

Research paper thumbnail of Reactive Jumps Preserve Skeletal Muscle Structure, Phenotype, and Myofiber Oxidative Capacity in Bed Rest

Frontiers in Physiology

Identification of countermeasures able to prevent disuse-induced muscle wasting is crucial to inc... more Identification of countermeasures able to prevent disuse-induced muscle wasting is crucial to increase performance of crew members during space flight as well as ameliorate patient's clinical outcome after long immobilization periods. We report on the outcome of short but high-impact reactive jumps (JUMP) as countermeasure during 60 days of 6 • head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest on myofiber size, type composition, capillarization, and oxidative capacity in tissue biopsies (pre/post/recovery) from the knee extensor vastus lateralis (VL) and deep calf soleus (SOL) muscle of 22 healthy male participants (Reactive jumps in a sledge, RSL-study 2015-2016, DLR:envihab, Cologne). Bed rest induced a slow-to-fast myofiber shift (type I->II) with an increased prevalence of hybrid fibers in SOL after bed rest without jumps (control, CTRL, p = 0.016). In SOL, JUMP countermeasure in bed rest prevented both fast and slow myofiber cross-sectional area (CSA) decrements (p = 0.005) in CTRL group. In VL, bed rest only induced capillary rarefaction, as reflected by the decrease in local capillaryto-fiber ratio (LCFR) for both type II (pre vs. post/R + 10, p = 0.028/0.028) and type I myofibers (pre vs. R + 10, p = 0.012), which was not seen in the JUMP group. VO 2maxFiber (pL × mm −1 × min −1) calculated from succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)stained cryosections (OD 660 nm) showed no significant differences between groups. High-impact jump training in bed rest did not prevent disuse-induced myofiber atrophy in VL, mitigated phenotype transition (type I->II) in SOL, and attenuated capillary rarefaction in the prime knee extensor VL however with little impact on oxidative capacity changes.

Research paper thumbnail of Reflection of neuroblastoma intratumor heterogeneity in the new OHC‐NB1 disease model

International Journal of Cancer

Accurate modeling of intratumor heterogeneity presents a bottleneck against drug testing. Flexibi... more Accurate modeling of intratumor heterogeneity presents a bottleneck against drug testing. Flexibility in a preclinical platform is also desirable to support assessment of different endpoints. We established the model system, OHC-NB1, from a bone marrow metastasis from a patient diagnosed with MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma and performed whole-exome sequencing on the source metastasis and the different models and passages during model development (monolayer cell line, 3D spheroid culture and subcutaneous xenograft tumors propagated in mice). OHC-NB1 harbors a MYCN amplification in double minutes, 1p deletion, 17q gain and diploid karyotype, which persisted in all models. A total of 80-540 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) was detected in each sample, and comparisons between the source metastasis and models identified 34 of 80 somatic SNVs to be propagated in the models. Clonal reconstruction using the combined copy number and SNV data revealed marked clonal heterogeneity in the originating metastasis, with four clones being reflected in the model systems. The set of OHC-NB1 models represents 43% of somatic SNVs and 23% of the cellularity in the originating metastasis with varying clonal compositions, indicating that heterogeneity is partially preserved in our model system.

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 469: Patient-derived sarcoma models: First results from the SARQMA study

Clinical Research (Excluding Clinical Trials)

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 5013: Rapid generation of phenomic and functional profiles of patient-derived 3D cell culture models for identification of treatment vulnerabilities of breast cancer: Early results of the EFRE-PoP project

Research paper thumbnail of Protein network mapping of glucose metabolism in ovarian cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology

Research paper thumbnail of Ned-19 inhibition of parasite growth and multiplication suggests a role for NAADP mediated signalling in the asexual development of Plasmodium falciparum

Malaria Journal

Background: Although malaria is a preventable and curable human disease, millions of people risk ... more Background: Although malaria is a preventable and curable human disease, millions of people risk to be infected by the Plasmodium parasites and to develop this illness. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new anti-malarial drugs. Ca 2+ signalling regulates different processes in the life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, representing a suitable target for the development of new drugs. Results: This study investigated for the first time the effect of a highly specific inhibitor of nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP)-induced Ca 2+ release (Ned-19) on P. falciparum, revealing the inhibitory effect of this compound on the blood stage development of this parasite. Ned-19 inhibits both the transition of the parasite from the early to the late trophozoite stage and the ability of the late trophozoite to develop to the multinucleated schizont stage. In addition, Ned-19 affects spontaneous intracellular Ca 2+ oscillations in ring and trophozoite stage parasites, suggesting that the observed inhibitory effects may be associated to regulation of intracellular Ca 2+ levels. Conclusions: This study highlights the inhibitory effect of Ned-19 on progression of the asexual life cycle of P. falciparum. The observation that Ned-19 inhibits spontaneous Ca 2+ oscillations suggests a potential role of NAADP in regulating Ca 2+ signalling of P. falciparum.

Research paper thumbnail of Microgravity-Induced Transcriptome Adaptation in Mouse Paraspinal longissimus dorsi Muscle Highlights Insulin Resistance-Linked Genes

Frontiers in physiology, 2017

Microgravity as well as chronic muscle disuse are two causes of low back pain originated at least... more Microgravity as well as chronic muscle disuse are two causes of low back pain originated at least in part from paraspinal muscle deconditioning. At present no study investigated the complexity of the molecular changes in human or mouse paraspinal muscles exposed to microgravity. The aim of this study was to evaluate longissimus dorsi adaptation to microgravity at both morphological and global gene expression level. C57BL/N6 male mice were flown aboard the BION-M1 biosatellite for 30 days (BF) or housed in a replicate flight habitat on ground (BG). Myofiber cross sectional area and myosin heavy chain subtype patterns were respectively not or slightly altered in longissimus dorsi of BF mice. Global gene expression analysis identified 89 transcripts differentially regulated in longissimus dorsi of BF vs. BG mice. Microgravity-induced gene expression changes of lipocalin 2 (Lcn2), sestrin 1(Sesn1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, regulatory subunit polypeptide 1 (p85 alpha) (Pik3r1), v-m...

Research paper thumbnail of Kinase-driven metabolic signalling as a predictor of response to carboplatin-paclitaxel adjuvant treatment in advanced ovarian cancers

British journal of cancer, Jan 29, 2017

The biological mechanisms underlying early- and advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) ... more The biological mechanisms underlying early- and advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) are still poorly understood. This study explored kinase-driven metabolic signalling in early and advanced EOCs, and its role in tumour progression and response to carboplatin-paclitaxel treatment. Tumour epithelia were isolated from two independent sets of primary EOC (n=72 and 30 for the discovery and the validation sets, respectively) via laser capture microdissection. Reverse phase protein microarrays were used to broadly profile the kinase-driven metabolic signalling of EOC with particular emphasis on the LBK1-AMPK and AKT-mTOR axes. Signalling activation was compared between early and advanced lesions, and carboplatin-paclitaxel-sensitive and -resistant tumours. Advanced EOCs were characterised by a heterogeneous kinase-driven metabolic signature and decreased phosphorylation of the AMPK-AKT-mTOR axis compared to early EOC (P<0.05 for AMPKα T172, AMPKα1 S485, AMPKβ1 S108, AKT S47...

Research paper thumbnail of Enrichment of PIK3-AKT-MTOR pathway activation in hepatic metastases from breast cancer

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, Jan 26, 2017

Purpose: Little is known about the molecular signatures associated with specific metastatic sites... more Purpose: Little is known about the molecular signatures associated with specific metastatic sites in breast cancer. Using comprehensive multi-omic molecular profiling, we assessed whether alterations or activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway is associated with specific sites of breast cancer metastasis. <p>Experimental Design: NGS-based whole exome sequencing was coupled with Reverse Phase Protein Microarray (RPPA) functional signaling network analysis to explore the PI3K-AKT-mTOR axis in 32 pretreated breast cancer metastases. RPPA-based signaling data were further validated in an independent cohort of 154 metastatic lesions from breast cancer and 101 un-matched primary breast tumors. The proportion of cases with PI3K-AKT-mTOR genomic alterations or signaling network activation were compared between hepatic and non-hepatic lesions.</p> <p>Results:PIK3CA mutation and activation of AKT (S473) and p70S6K (T389) were detected more frequently among liver metastases th...

Research paper thumbnail of The Adherent/Invasive Escherichia coli Strain LF82 Invades and Persists in Human Prostate Cell Line RWPE-1, Activating a Strong Inflammatory Response

Infection and Immunity, 2016

Adherent/invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains have recently been receiving increased attentio... more Adherent/invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains have recently been receiving increased attention because they are more prevalent and persistent in the intestine of Crohn's disease (CD) patients than in healthy subjects. Since AIEC strains show a high percentage of similarity to extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), neonatal meningitis-associated E. coli (NMEC), and uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains, here we compared AIEC strain LF82 with a UPEC isolate (strain EC73) to assess whether LF82 would be able to infect prostate cells as an extraintestinal target. The virulence phenotypes of both strains were determined by using the RWPE-1 prostate cell line. The results obtained indicated that LF82 and EC73 are able to adhere to, invade, and survive within prostate epithelial cells. Invasion was confirmed by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Moreover, cytochalasin D and colchicine strongly inhibited bacterial uptake of both strains, indicating the involvement of ac...

Research paper thumbnail of MOESM2 of Ned-19 inhibition of parasite growth and multiplication suggests a role for NAADP mediated signalling in the asexual development of Plasmodium falciparum

Additional file 2: Figure S2. Representative examples of asexual parasites. ER: Early rings; LR: ... more Additional file 2: Figure S2. Representative examples of asexual parasites. ER: Early rings; LR: Late rings; ET: Early trophozoites; LT: Late trophozoites; ES: Early schizonts; LS: Late schizonts. Scale bar: 5 μm.

Research paper thumbnail of V1a AVP receptor is required for neurohypophyseal hormone- dependent differentiation in C2C12 cells

Basic and Applied Myology, 2009

Vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT) and related peptides induce differentiation and hypertrophy in m... more Vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT) and related peptides induce differentiation and hypertrophy in myogenic cells expressing the V1a-vasopressin receptor (V1aR) or the oxytocin receptor (OTR). Either receptor can transduce both ligand signals. Binding of AVP and OT to the V1aR the target cells activates phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis, which in turn releases Ca 2+ from internal stores. The AVP-dependent increase in cytosolic Ca 2+ induces the activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMK) and calcineurin signaling, two pathways required for the full expression of the differentiated phenotype. Here we investigate the role of V1aR in myogenesis and hypertrophy by ectopically restoring V1aR expression and function using the C2C12 cell line, which is an experimental model of satellite cells that do not respond to AVP treatment. Our results show that AVP treatment enhances myogenic differentiation in V1aR-transfected C2C12 cultures alone. Moreover, calcium imaging analyses perform...

Research paper thumbnail of Beta-distrobrevina e pancortina interagiscono in maniera diretta nel cervello di topo

Research paper thumbnail of Stem Cells Tumorigenic and Metastatic Activity of Human Thyroid Cancer

Research paper thumbnail of Nitrosative Redox Homeostasis and Antioxidant Response Defense in Disused Vastus lateralis Muscle in Long-Term Bedrest (Toulouse Cocktail Study)

Increased oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) i... more Increased oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) is a major determinant of disuse-induced muscle atrophy. Muscle biopsies (thigh vastus lateralis, VL) obtained from healthy male subjects enrolled in the Toulouse Cocktail bedrest (BR) study were used to assess efficacy of an antioxidant cocktail (polyphenols, omega-3, vitamin E, and selenium) to counteract the increased redox homeostasis and enhance the antioxidant defense response by using label-free LC–MS/MS and NITRO-DIGE (nitrosated proteins), qPCR, and laser confocal microscopy. Label-free LC–MS/MS indicated that treatment prevented the redox homeostasis dysregulation and promoted structural remodeling (TPM3, MYH7, MYBPC, MYH1, MYL1, HRC, and LUM), increment of RyR1, myogenesis (CSRP3), and skeletal muscle development (MUSTN1, LMNA, AHNAK). These changes were absent in the Placebo group. Glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid beta-oxidation...

Research paper thumbnail of Successful generation of patient derived xenografts and patient derived 3D cultures as preclinical models for breast cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology

12080Background: The establishment of patient-derived preclinical models in breast cancer has bee... more 12080Background: The establishment of patient-derived preclinical models in breast cancer has been a challenge for many years. We report our successful experience in establishing breast cancer patient derived xenografts (PDX) and patient derived 3D cultures (PD3D). Methods: Tumor tissue samples (twice 3mm diameter) from breast cancer patients undergoing surgery were collected by a team of gynecologists and pathologists. Ischemia time was minimized. Small tumor fragments were transplanted to immunodeficient NOG mice. The other part was used to establish a cell culture on serum free organoid media in the presence of growth hormones and, in case of hormone receptor positive breast cancer, estradiol supplementation. To address the question whether the genetics features of the model have changed during the process of engraftment and expansion the established models are currently undergoing molecular profiling. Results: Since May 2017 28 breast cancer samples have been processed. The sample characteristics are ...

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 4099: Novel patient-derived 3D (PD3D) cell models and matched patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer for drug testing and biomarker analysis

Research paper thumbnail of Peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer (pmCRC): identification of predictive molecular signatures by a novel preclinical platform of matching pmCRC PDX/PD3D models

Research paper thumbnail of PD-L1 quantification across tumor types using the reverse phase protein microarray: implications for precision medicine

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer

BackgroundAnti-programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) agents ... more BackgroundAnti-programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) agents are broadly used in first-line and second-line treatment across different tumor types. While immunohistochemistry-based assays are routinely used to assess PD-L1 expression, their clinical utility remains controversial due to the partial predictive value and lack of standardized cut-offs across antibody clones. Using a high throughput immunoassay, the reverse phase protein microarray (RPPA), coupled with a fluorescence-based detection system, this study compared the performance of six anti-PD-L1 antibody clones on 666 tumor samples.MethodsPD-L1 expression was measured using five antibody clones (22C3, 28–8, CAL10, E1L3N and SP142) and the therapeutic antibody atezolizumab on 222 lung, 71 ovarian, 52 prostate and 267 breast cancers, and 54 metastatic lesions. To capture clinically relevant variables, our cohort included frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples, surgical specime...

Research paper thumbnail of Protein network mapping of platinum-resistant and poor-survival ovarian cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology

5560 Background: Epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is the fifth leading cause of tumor related d... more 5560 Background: Epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is the fifth leading cause of tumor related death in the female population, with only 30% of patients alive at 5 years after diagnosis. Platinum resistance is a major cause of treatment failure. The aim of the study was to perform broad-scale drug target activation mapping of EOC to identify new druggable targets for personalized therapy. Methods: 72 ovarian primary lesions collected from chemo-naïve EOC patients were analyzed. Highly enriched tumor epithelial cells were isolated by laser capture microdissection, lysed and subjected to reverse phase protein microarray analysis for multiplexed protein pathway activation mapping. The activation/phosphorylation level of 156 key signaling proteins was analysed. Based on the disease-free interval to platinum therapy, 61 stage II-IV patients were segregated into platinum-resistant (<6 months), platinum-sensitive (6-12 months), and platinum-supersensitive disease (>12 months). One-w...

Research paper thumbnail of Reactive Jumps Preserve Skeletal Muscle Structure, Phenotype, and Myofiber Oxidative Capacity in Bed Rest

Frontiers in Physiology

Identification of countermeasures able to prevent disuse-induced muscle wasting is crucial to inc... more Identification of countermeasures able to prevent disuse-induced muscle wasting is crucial to increase performance of crew members during space flight as well as ameliorate patient's clinical outcome after long immobilization periods. We report on the outcome of short but high-impact reactive jumps (JUMP) as countermeasure during 60 days of 6 • head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest on myofiber size, type composition, capillarization, and oxidative capacity in tissue biopsies (pre/post/recovery) from the knee extensor vastus lateralis (VL) and deep calf soleus (SOL) muscle of 22 healthy male participants (Reactive jumps in a sledge, RSL-study 2015-2016, DLR:envihab, Cologne). Bed rest induced a slow-to-fast myofiber shift (type I->II) with an increased prevalence of hybrid fibers in SOL after bed rest without jumps (control, CTRL, p = 0.016). In SOL, JUMP countermeasure in bed rest prevented both fast and slow myofiber cross-sectional area (CSA) decrements (p = 0.005) in CTRL group. In VL, bed rest only induced capillary rarefaction, as reflected by the decrease in local capillaryto-fiber ratio (LCFR) for both type II (pre vs. post/R + 10, p = 0.028/0.028) and type I myofibers (pre vs. R + 10, p = 0.012), which was not seen in the JUMP group. VO 2maxFiber (pL × mm −1 × min −1) calculated from succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)stained cryosections (OD 660 nm) showed no significant differences between groups. High-impact jump training in bed rest did not prevent disuse-induced myofiber atrophy in VL, mitigated phenotype transition (type I->II) in SOL, and attenuated capillary rarefaction in the prime knee extensor VL however with little impact on oxidative capacity changes.

Research paper thumbnail of Reflection of neuroblastoma intratumor heterogeneity in the new OHC‐NB1 disease model

International Journal of Cancer

Accurate modeling of intratumor heterogeneity presents a bottleneck against drug testing. Flexibi... more Accurate modeling of intratumor heterogeneity presents a bottleneck against drug testing. Flexibility in a preclinical platform is also desirable to support assessment of different endpoints. We established the model system, OHC-NB1, from a bone marrow metastasis from a patient diagnosed with MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma and performed whole-exome sequencing on the source metastasis and the different models and passages during model development (monolayer cell line, 3D spheroid culture and subcutaneous xenograft tumors propagated in mice). OHC-NB1 harbors a MYCN amplification in double minutes, 1p deletion, 17q gain and diploid karyotype, which persisted in all models. A total of 80-540 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) was detected in each sample, and comparisons between the source metastasis and models identified 34 of 80 somatic SNVs to be propagated in the models. Clonal reconstruction using the combined copy number and SNV data revealed marked clonal heterogeneity in the originating metastasis, with four clones being reflected in the model systems. The set of OHC-NB1 models represents 43% of somatic SNVs and 23% of the cellularity in the originating metastasis with varying clonal compositions, indicating that heterogeneity is partially preserved in our model system.

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 469: Patient-derived sarcoma models: First results from the SARQMA study

Clinical Research (Excluding Clinical Trials)

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 5013: Rapid generation of phenomic and functional profiles of patient-derived 3D cell culture models for identification of treatment vulnerabilities of breast cancer: Early results of the EFRE-PoP project

Research paper thumbnail of Protein network mapping of glucose metabolism in ovarian cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology

Research paper thumbnail of Ned-19 inhibition of parasite growth and multiplication suggests a role for NAADP mediated signalling in the asexual development of Plasmodium falciparum

Malaria Journal

Background: Although malaria is a preventable and curable human disease, millions of people risk ... more Background: Although malaria is a preventable and curable human disease, millions of people risk to be infected by the Plasmodium parasites and to develop this illness. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new anti-malarial drugs. Ca 2+ signalling regulates different processes in the life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, representing a suitable target for the development of new drugs. Results: This study investigated for the first time the effect of a highly specific inhibitor of nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP)-induced Ca 2+ release (Ned-19) on P. falciparum, revealing the inhibitory effect of this compound on the blood stage development of this parasite. Ned-19 inhibits both the transition of the parasite from the early to the late trophozoite stage and the ability of the late trophozoite to develop to the multinucleated schizont stage. In addition, Ned-19 affects spontaneous intracellular Ca 2+ oscillations in ring and trophozoite stage parasites, suggesting that the observed inhibitory effects may be associated to regulation of intracellular Ca 2+ levels. Conclusions: This study highlights the inhibitory effect of Ned-19 on progression of the asexual life cycle of P. falciparum. The observation that Ned-19 inhibits spontaneous Ca 2+ oscillations suggests a potential role of NAADP in regulating Ca 2+ signalling of P. falciparum.

Research paper thumbnail of Microgravity-Induced Transcriptome Adaptation in Mouse Paraspinal longissimus dorsi Muscle Highlights Insulin Resistance-Linked Genes

Frontiers in physiology, 2017

Microgravity as well as chronic muscle disuse are two causes of low back pain originated at least... more Microgravity as well as chronic muscle disuse are two causes of low back pain originated at least in part from paraspinal muscle deconditioning. At present no study investigated the complexity of the molecular changes in human or mouse paraspinal muscles exposed to microgravity. The aim of this study was to evaluate longissimus dorsi adaptation to microgravity at both morphological and global gene expression level. C57BL/N6 male mice were flown aboard the BION-M1 biosatellite for 30 days (BF) or housed in a replicate flight habitat on ground (BG). Myofiber cross sectional area and myosin heavy chain subtype patterns were respectively not or slightly altered in longissimus dorsi of BF mice. Global gene expression analysis identified 89 transcripts differentially regulated in longissimus dorsi of BF vs. BG mice. Microgravity-induced gene expression changes of lipocalin 2 (Lcn2), sestrin 1(Sesn1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, regulatory subunit polypeptide 1 (p85 alpha) (Pik3r1), v-m...

Research paper thumbnail of Kinase-driven metabolic signalling as a predictor of response to carboplatin-paclitaxel adjuvant treatment in advanced ovarian cancers

British journal of cancer, Jan 29, 2017

The biological mechanisms underlying early- and advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) ... more The biological mechanisms underlying early- and advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) are still poorly understood. This study explored kinase-driven metabolic signalling in early and advanced EOCs, and its role in tumour progression and response to carboplatin-paclitaxel treatment. Tumour epithelia were isolated from two independent sets of primary EOC (n=72 and 30 for the discovery and the validation sets, respectively) via laser capture microdissection. Reverse phase protein microarrays were used to broadly profile the kinase-driven metabolic signalling of EOC with particular emphasis on the LBK1-AMPK and AKT-mTOR axes. Signalling activation was compared between early and advanced lesions, and carboplatin-paclitaxel-sensitive and -resistant tumours. Advanced EOCs were characterised by a heterogeneous kinase-driven metabolic signature and decreased phosphorylation of the AMPK-AKT-mTOR axis compared to early EOC (P<0.05 for AMPKα T172, AMPKα1 S485, AMPKβ1 S108, AKT S47...

Research paper thumbnail of Enrichment of PIK3-AKT-MTOR pathway activation in hepatic metastases from breast cancer

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, Jan 26, 2017

Purpose: Little is known about the molecular signatures associated with specific metastatic sites... more Purpose: Little is known about the molecular signatures associated with specific metastatic sites in breast cancer. Using comprehensive multi-omic molecular profiling, we assessed whether alterations or activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway is associated with specific sites of breast cancer metastasis. <p>Experimental Design: NGS-based whole exome sequencing was coupled with Reverse Phase Protein Microarray (RPPA) functional signaling network analysis to explore the PI3K-AKT-mTOR axis in 32 pretreated breast cancer metastases. RPPA-based signaling data were further validated in an independent cohort of 154 metastatic lesions from breast cancer and 101 un-matched primary breast tumors. The proportion of cases with PI3K-AKT-mTOR genomic alterations or signaling network activation were compared between hepatic and non-hepatic lesions.</p> <p>Results:PIK3CA mutation and activation of AKT (S473) and p70S6K (T389) were detected more frequently among liver metastases th...

Research paper thumbnail of The Adherent/Invasive Escherichia coli Strain LF82 Invades and Persists in Human Prostate Cell Line RWPE-1, Activating a Strong Inflammatory Response

Infection and Immunity, 2016

Adherent/invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains have recently been receiving increased attentio... more Adherent/invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains have recently been receiving increased attention because they are more prevalent and persistent in the intestine of Crohn's disease (CD) patients than in healthy subjects. Since AIEC strains show a high percentage of similarity to extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), neonatal meningitis-associated E. coli (NMEC), and uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains, here we compared AIEC strain LF82 with a UPEC isolate (strain EC73) to assess whether LF82 would be able to infect prostate cells as an extraintestinal target. The virulence phenotypes of both strains were determined by using the RWPE-1 prostate cell line. The results obtained indicated that LF82 and EC73 are able to adhere to, invade, and survive within prostate epithelial cells. Invasion was confirmed by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Moreover, cytochalasin D and colchicine strongly inhibited bacterial uptake of both strains, indicating the involvement of ac...