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Ghani F, Zubair AC. Possible impacts of cosmic radiation on leukemia development during human deep space exploration. Leukemia 2025:10.1038/s41375-025-02624-4. [PMID: 40275072 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-025-02624-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2025] [Accepted: 04/14/2025] [Indexed: 04/26/2025]
Abstract
With the advent of deep space exploration and ambitious plans to return humans to the Moon and journey onward to Mars, humans will face exposure to ionizing radiation beyond Earth's atmosphere and magnetosphere. This is particularly concerning for the hematopoietic system that is sensitive to galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) during interplanetary missions. Epidemiological studies and animal studies implicate that exposure to ionizing radiation can cause leukemias, with recent consensus showing that almost all types of leukemias, even chronic lymphocytic leukemia, can be caused by ionizing radiation despite previous controversies. The possible deleterious effects of deep space travel on the formation, development, etiology, and pathophysiology of hematologic malignancies, specifically leukemias, remain largely unclear. The mechanism(s) by which ionizing radiations cause leukemia differs for different leukemia types and is poorly understood in the spaceflight environment, posing a serious health risk for future astronauts. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the various studies and evidence available on Earth and in space assessing the relationship between ionizing radiation and increased risk of leukemia. We also discuss the unique characteristics of leukemia in space, ethical considerations, risk assessments and potential challenges this may bring to astronauts and healthcare professionals as humanity continues to explore the cosmos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay Ghani
- Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Abba C Zubair
- Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
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2
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Finkelstein SR, Patel R, Deland K, Mercer J, Starr B, Zhu D, Min H, Reinsvold M, Campos LDS, Williams NT, Luo L, Ma Y, Neff J, Hoenerhoff MJ, Moding EJ, Kirsch DG. 56Fe-ion Exposure Increases the Incidence of Lung and Brain Tumors at a Similar Rate in Male and Female Mice. Radiat Res 2024; 202:734-744. [PMID: 39307527 DOI: 10.1667/rade-24-00004.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
The main deterrent to long-term space travel is the risk of Radiation Exposure Induced Death (REID). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has adopted Permissible Exposure Levels (PELs) to limit the probability of REID to 3% for the risk of death due to radiation-induced carcinogenesis. The most significant contributor to current REID estimates for astronauts is the risk of lung cancer. Recently updated lung cancer estimates from Japan's atomic bomb survivors showed that the excess relative risk of lung cancer by age 70 is roughly fourfold higher in females compared to males. However, whether sex differences may impact the risk of lung cancer due to exposure to high charge and energy (HZE) radiation is not well studied. Thus, to evaluate the impact of sex differences on the risk of solid cancer development after HZE radiation exposure, we irradiated Rbfl/fl, Trp53fl/+ male and female mice infected with Adeno-Cre with various doses of 320 kVp X rays or 600 MeV/n 56Fe ions and monitored them for any radiation-induced malignancies. We conducted complete necropsy and histopathology of major organs on 183 male and 157 female mice after following them for 350 days postirradiation. We observed that lung adenomas/carcinomas and esthesioneuroblastomas (ENBs) were the most common primary malignancies in mice exposed to X rays and 56Fe ions, respectively. In addition, 1 Gy 56Fe-ion exposure compared to X-ray exposure led to a significantly increased incidence of lung adenomas/carcinomas (P = 0.02) and ENBs (P < 0.0001) in mice. However, we did not find a significantly higher incidence of any solid malignancies in female mice as compared to male mice, regardless of radiation quality. Furthermore, gene expression analysis of ENBs suggested a distinct gene expression pattern with similar hallmark pathways altered, such as MYC targets and MTORC1 signaling, in ENBs induced by X rays and 56Fe ions. Thus, our data revealed that 56Fe-ion exposure significantly accelerated the development of lung adenomas/carcinomas and ENBs compared to X rays, but the rate of solid malignancies was similar between male and female mice, regardless of radiation quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie R Finkelstein
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Rutulkumar Patel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Katherine Deland
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Joshua Mercer
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Bryce Starr
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Daniel Zhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Hooney Min
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Michael Reinsvold
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Nerissa T Williams
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Lixia Luo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Yan Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jadee Neff
- Department of Pathology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Mark J Hoenerhoff
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Everett J Moding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - David G Kirsch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
- Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
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3
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Finkelstein SR, Patel R, Deland K, Mercer J, Starr B, Zhu D, Min H, Reinsvold M, Campos LDS, Williams N, Luo L, Ma Y, Neff J, Hoenerhoff M, Moding EJ, Kirsch DG. 56 Fe ion exposure increases the incidence of lung and brain tumors at a similar rate in male and female mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.06.543754. [PMID: 37333373 PMCID: PMC10274718 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.06.543754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
The main deterrent to long-term space travel is the risk of Radiation Exposure Induced Death (REID). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has adopted Permissible Exposure Levels (PELs) to limit the probability of REID to 3% for the risk of death due to radiation-induced carcinogenesis. The most significant contributor to current REID estimates for astronauts is the risk of lung cancer. Recently updated lung cancer estimates from Japan's atomic bomb survivors showed that the excess relative risk of lung cancer by age 70 is roughly four-fold higher in females compared to males. However, whether sex differences may impact the risk of lung cancer due to exposure to high charge and energy (HZE) radiation is not well studied. Thus, to evaluate the impact of sex differences on the risk of solid cancer development post-HZE radiation exposure, we irradiated Rb fl/fl ; Trp53 fl/+ male and female mice infected with Adeno-Cre with various doses of 320 kVp X-rays or 600 MeV/n 56 Fe ions and monitored them for any radiation-induced malignancies. We observed that lung adenomas/carcinomas and esthesioneuroblastomas (ENBs) were the most common primary malignancies in X-ray and 56 Fe ion-exposed mice, respectively. In addition, 1 Gy 56 Fe ion exposure compared to X-rays led to a significantly higher incidence of lung adenomas/carcinomas (p=0.02) and ENBs (p<0.0001). However, we did not find a significantly higher incidence of any solid malignancies in female mice as compared to male mice, regardless of radiation quality. Furthermore, gene expression analysis of ENBs suggested a distinct gene expression pattern with similar hallmark pathways altered, such as MYC targets and MTORC1 signaling, in X-ray and 56 Fe ion-induced ENBs. Thus, our data revealed that 56 Fe ion exposure significantly accelerated the development of lung adenomas/carcinomas and ENBs compared to X-rays, but the rate of solid malignancies was similar between male and female mice, regardless of radiation quality.
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Sun M, Moquet J, Ellender M, Bouffler S, Badie C, Baldwin-Cleland R, Monahan K, Latchford A, Lloyd D, Clark S, Anyamene NA, Ainsbury E, Burling D. Potential risks associated with the use of ionizing radiation for imaging and treatment of colorectal cancer in Lynch syndrome patients. Fam Cancer 2023; 22:61-70. [PMID: 35718836 PMCID: PMC9829596 DOI: 10.1007/s10689-022-00299-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this review is to investigate the literature pertaining to the potential risks of low-dose ionizing radiation to Lynch syndrome patients by use of computed tomography (CT), either diagnostic CT colonography (CTC), standard staging CT or CT surveillance. Furthermore, this review explores the potential risks of using radiotherapy for treatment of rectal cancer in these patients. No data or longitudinal observational studies of the impact of radiation exposure on humans with Lynch syndrome were identified. Limited experimental studies utilizing cell lines and primary cells exposed to both low and high radiation doses have been carried out to help determine radio-sensitivity associated with DNA mismatch repair gene deficiency, the defining feature of Lynch syndrome. On balance, these studies suggest that mismatch repair deficient cells may be relatively radio-resistant (particularly for low dose rate exposures) with higher mutation rates, albeit no firm conclusions can be drawn. Mouse model studies, though, showed an increased risk of developing colorectal tumors in mismatch repair deficient mice exposed to radiation doses around 2 Gy. With appropriate ethical approval, further studies investigating radiation risks associated with CT imaging and radiotherapy relevant doses using cells/tissues derived from confirmed Lynch patients or genetically modified animal models are urgently required for future clinical guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Sun
- UK Health Security Agency, Department of Radiation Effects, RCEHD, Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ, UK.
| | - Jayne Moquet
- UK Health Security Agency, Department of Radiation Effects, RCEHD, Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ UK
| | - Michele Ellender
- UK Health Security Agency, Department of Radiation Effects, RCEHD, Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ UK
| | - Simon Bouffler
- UK Health Security Agency, Department of Radiation Effects, RCEHD, Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ UK
| | - Christophe Badie
- UK Health Security Agency, Department of Radiation Effects, RCEHD, Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ UK ,Environmental Research Group Within the School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, W12 0BZ UK
| | - Rachel Baldwin-Cleland
- Intestinal Imaging Centre, St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Watford Road, Harrow, HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Kevin Monahan
- Lynch Syndrome Clinic, Centre for Familial Intestinal Cancer, St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Watford Road, Harrow, HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Andrew Latchford
- Lynch Syndrome Clinic, Centre for Familial Intestinal Cancer, St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Watford Road, Harrow, HA1 3UJ UK
| | - David Lloyd
- UK Health Security Agency, Department of Radiation Effects, RCEHD, Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ UK
| | - Susan Clark
- Lynch Syndrome Clinic, Centre for Familial Intestinal Cancer, St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Watford Road, Harrow, HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Nicola A. Anyamene
- East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Rickmansworth Road, Northwood, HA6 2RN Middlesex UK
| | - Elizabeth Ainsbury
- UK Health Security Agency, Department of Radiation Effects, RCEHD, Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ UK ,Environmental Research Group Within the School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, W12 0BZ UK
| | - David Burling
- Intestinal Imaging Centre, St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Watford Road, Harrow, HA1 3UJ UK
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Abstract
Although hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the bone marrow are in a state of quiescence, they harbor the self-renewal capacity and the pluripotency to differentiate into mature blood cells when needed, which is key to maintain hematopoietic homeostasis. Importantly, HSCs are characterized by their long lifespan ( e. g., up to 60 months for mice), display characteristics of aging, and are vulnerable to various endogenous and exogenous genotoxic stresses. Generally, DNA damage in HSCs is endogenous, which is typically induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), aldehydes, and replication stress. Mammalian cells have evolved a complex and efficient DNA repair system to cope with various DNA lesions to maintain genomic stability. The repair machinery for DNA damage in HSCs has its own characteristics. For instance, the Fanconi anemia (FA)/BRCA pathway is particularly important for the hematopoietic system, as it can limit the damage caused by DNA inter-strand crosslinks, oxidative stress, and replication stress to HSCs to prevent FA occurrence. In addition, HSCs prefer to utilize the classical non-homologous end-joining pathway, which is essential for the V(D)J rearrangement in developing lymphocytes and is involved in double-strand break repair to maintain genomic stability in the long-term quiescent state. In contrast, the base excision repair pathway is less involved in the hematopoietic system. In this review, we summarize the impact of various types of DNA damage on HSC function and review our knowledge of the corresponding repair mechanisms and related human genetic diseases.
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Lee CL, Brock KD, Hasapis S, Zhang D, Sibley AB, Qin X, Gresham JS, Caraballo I, Luo L, Daniel AR, Hilton MJ, Owzar K, Kirsch DG. Whole-Exome Sequencing of Radiation-Induced Thymic Lymphoma in Mouse Models Identifies Notch1 Activation as a Driver of p53 Wild-Type Lymphoma. Cancer Res 2021; 81:3777-3790. [PMID: 34035082 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-2823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Mouse models of radiation-induced thymic lymphoma are widely used to study the development of radiation-induced blood cancers and to gain insights into the biology of human T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. Here we aimed to identify key oncogenic drivers for the development of radiation-induced thymic lymphoma by performing whole-exome sequencing using tumors and paired normal tissues from mice with and without irradiation. Thymic lymphomas from irradiated wild-type (WT), p53+/-, and KrasLA1 mice were not observed to harbor significantly higher numbers of nonsynonymous somatic mutations compared with thymic lymphomas from unirradiated p53-/- mice. However, distinct patterns of recurrent mutations arose in genes that control the Notch1 signaling pathway based on the mutational status of p53. Preferential activation of Notch1 signaling in p53 WT lymphomas was also observed at the RNA and protein level. Reporter mice for activation of Notch1 signaling revealed that total-body irradiation (TBI) enriched Notch1hi CD44+ thymocytes that could propagate in vivo after thymocyte transplantation. Mechanistically, genetic inhibition of Notch1 signaling in immature thymocytes prevented formation of radiation-induced thymic lymphoma in p53 WT mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate a critical role of activated Notch1 signaling in driving multistep carcinogenesis of thymic lymphoma following TBI in p53 WT mice. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings reveal the mutational landscape and key drivers in murine radiation-induced thymic lymphoma, a classic animal model that has been used to study radiation carcinogenesis for over 70 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Lung Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kennedy D Brock
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Stephanie Hasapis
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Dadong Zhang
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Alexander B Sibley
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Xiaodi Qin
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jeremy S Gresham
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Isibel Caraballo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Lixia Luo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Andrea R Daniel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Matthew J Hilton
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kouros Owzar
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - David G Kirsch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
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7
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Mehner C, Krishnan S, Chou J, Freeman ML, Freeman WD, Patel T, Turnbull MT. Real versus simulated galactic cosmic radiation for investigating cancer risk in the hematopoietic system - are we comparing apples to apples? LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2021; 29:8-14. [PMID: 33888292 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Deep space exploration missions need strategies to mitigate the potentially harmful exposure to galactic cosmic radiation. This form of radiation can cause significant damage to biological systems and organisms, which include radiation-induced carcinogenesis in the hematopoietic system. Ongoing studies investigate these effects using cell- and animal-based studies in low earth orbit. The logistic challenges and costs involved with sending biological specimens to space have prompted the development of surrogate ground-based radiation experiments to study the mechanisms of biological injury and cancer risk. However, simulating galactic cosmic radiation has proven difficult and current studies are only partially succeeding at replicating the complexity of this radiation and its downstream injury pathways. Accurate simulation of chronic, low dose galactic radiation will improve our ability to test mitigation strategies such as drug development and improved shielding materials that could be crucial and essential for successful space exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Mehner
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, FL, United States
| | - Sunil Krishnan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, FL, United States
| | - Joshua Chou
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - William D Freeman
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, FL, United States; Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, FL, United States; Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, FL, United States
| | - Tushar Patel
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, FL, United States; Department of Transplantation, Mayo Clinic, FL, United States.
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Devall MA, Casey G. Controlling for cellular heterogeneity using single-cell deconvolution of gene expression reveals novel markers of colorectal tumors exhibiting microsatellite instability. Oncotarget 2021; 12:767-782. [PMID: 33889300 PMCID: PMC8057268 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 15% of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases present with high levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H). Bulk RNA-sequencing approaches have been employed to elucidate transcriptional differences between MSI-H and microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC tumors. These approaches are frequently confounded by the complex cellular heterogeneity of tumors. We performed single-cell deconvolution of bulk RNA-sequencing on The Cancer Genome Atlas colon adenocarcinoma (TCGA-COAD) dataset. Cell composition within each dataset was estimated using CIBERSORTx. Cell composition differences were analyzed using linear regression. Significant differences in abundance were observed for 13 of 19 cell types between MSI-H and MSS/MSI-L tumors in TCGA-COAD. This included a novel finding of increased enteroendocrine (q = 3.71E-06) and reduced colonocyte populations (q = 2.21E-03) in MSI-H versus MSS/MSI-L tumors. We were able to validate some of these differences in an independent biopsy dataset. By incorporating cell composition into our regression model, we identified 3,193 differentially expressed genes (q = 0.05), of which 556 were deemed novel. We subsequently validated many of these genes in an independent dataset of colon cancer cell lines. In summary, we show that some of the challenges associated with cellular heterogeneity can be overcome using single-cell deconvolution, and through our analysis we highlight several novel gene targets for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A.M. Devall
- Center for Public Health Genomics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Graham Casey
- Center for Public Health Genomics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Nwanaji-Enwerem JC, Nwanaji-Enwerem U, Van Der Laan L, Galazka JM, Redeker NS, Cardenas A. A Longitudinal Epigenetic Aging and Leukocyte Analysis of Simulated Space Travel: The Mars-500 Mission. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108406. [PMID: 33242403 PMCID: PMC7786521 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Astronauts undertaking long-duration space missions may be vulnerable to unique stressors that can impact human aging. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the relationship of mission duration with DNA-methylation-based biomarkers of aging in astronauts. Using data from the six participants of the Mars-500 mission, a high-fidelity 520-day ground simulation experiment, we tested relationships of mission duration with five longitudinally measured blood DNA-methylation-based metrics: DNAmGrimAge, DNAmPhenoAge, DNA-methylation-based estimator of telomere length (DNAmTL), mitotic divisions (epigenetic mitotic clock [epiTOC2]), and pace of aging (PoA). We provide evidence that, relative to baseline, mission duration was associated with significant decreases in epigenetic aging. However, only decreases in DNAmPhenoAge remained significant 7 days post-mission. We also observed significant changes in estimated proportions of plasmablasts, CD4T, CD8 naive, and natural killer (NK) cells. Only decreases in NK cells remained significant post-mission. If confirmed more broadly, these findings contribute insights to improve the understanding of the biological aging implications for individuals experiencing long-duration space travel. Long-duration space travel is marked by a unique combination of stressors known to impact human aging. Using data from six participants of the Mars-500 mission, a high-fidelity 520-day ground simulation experiment, Nwanaji-Enwerem et al. report significant associations of mission duration with decreased biological aging measured via blood DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamaji C Nwanaji-Enwerem
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and MD/PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | | | - Lars Van Der Laan
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | | | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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10
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Patel R, Zhang L, Desai A, Hoenerhoff MJ, Kennedy LH, Radivoyevitch T, La Tessa C, Gerson SL, Welford SM. Protons and High-Linear Energy Transfer Radiation Induce Genetically Similar Lymphomas With High Penetrance in a Mouse Model of the Aging Human Hematopoietic System. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020; 108:1091-1102. [PMID: 32629081 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2020.06.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Humans are exposed to charged particles in different scenarios. The use of protons and high-linear energy transfer (LET) in cancer treatment is steadily growing. In outer space, astronauts will be exposed to a mixed radiation field composed of both protons and heavy ions, in particularly the long-term space missions outside of earth's magnetosphere. Thus, understanding the radiobiology and transforming potential of these types of ionizing radiation are of paramount importance. METHODS AND MATERIALS We examined the effect of 10 or 100 cGy of whole-body doses of protons or 28Si ions on the hematopoietic system of a genetic model of aging based on recent studies that showed selective loss of the MLH1 protein in human hematopoietic stems with age. RESULTS We found that Mlh1 deficient animals are highly prone to develop lymphomas when exposed to either low doses of protons or 28Si ions. The lymphomas that develop are genetically indistinguishable, in spite of different types of damage elicited by low- and high-LET radiation. RNA sequencing analyses reveal similar gene expression patterns, similar numbers of altered genes, similar numbers of single nucleotide variants and insertions and deletions, and similar activation of known leukemogenic loci. CONCLUSIONS Although the incidence of malignancy is related to radiation quality, and increased due to loss of Mlh1, the phenotype of the tumors is independent of LET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rutulkumar Patel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Luchang Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Amar Desai
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Mark J Hoenerhoff
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lucy H Kennedy
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Tomas Radivoyevitch
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Chiara La Tessa
- University of Trento, Trento, Italy; Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications TIFPA-INFN, Trento, Italy
| | - Stanton L Gerson
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Scott M Welford
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
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11
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Lian X, Dong Y, Zhao M, Liang Y, Jiang W, Li W, Zhang L. RNA-Seq analysis of differentially expressed genes relevant to mismatch repair in aging hematopoietic stem-progenitor cells. J Cell Biochem 2019; 120:11401-11408. [PMID: 30805972 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.28417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
We used RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology and an old hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) model in vitro to analyze differential expressions of mismatch repair (MMR)-related genes in aged HSPCs, so as to explore the mechanism of DNA MMR injury in hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) aging. In this study, by combining RNA-seq data and National Center for Biotechnology Information database, we focus on six widely reported MMR genes MSH2, MSH3, MSH6, MLH1, PMS1, PMS2, and five MMR genes with closer ties to HSC aging Pcna, Exo1, Rpa1, Rpa2, and Rpa3 according to the genes functional classification and the related signaling pathway. It is concluded that MMR is closely related to HSC aging. This study provides experimental evidence for future researching MMR in HSC aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolan Lian
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory on Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yongpin Dong
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyi Zhao
- Department of Pediatrics, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Yajie Liang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory on Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Weiwei Jiang
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenfang Li
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lina Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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