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Andreoli L, Berca C, Katz S, Korshevniuk M, Head RM, Van Steen K. Bridging the gap in precision medicine: TranSYS training programme for next-generation scientists. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1348148. [PMID: 38854671 PMCID: PMC11160483 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1348148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction In the evolving healthcare landscape, precision medicine's rise necessitates adaptable doctoral training. The European Union has recognized this and promotes the development of international, training-focused programmes called Innovative Training Networks (ITNs). In this article, we introduce TranSYS, an ITN focused on educating the next generation of precision medicine researchers. In an ambition to go beyond describing the consortium goals, our article explores two key aspects of ITNs: the training and collaboration. Methods Using self-report questionnaires, we evaluate the scientific, professional, and personal growth of ESRs over the duration of the ITN and investigate whether this can be linked to network activities. Results Our quantitative analysis approach reveals substantial improvements in scientific, professional, and social skills among young researchers facilitated by the engagement in this interdisciplinary network. We provide case studies underlining the advantages of collaborative environments, featuring innovative scientific exchange within TranSYS. Discussion While challenging, ITNs foster positive growth in young researchers, yet exhibit weaknesses such as balancing stakeholder interests and partner commitment. We believe this study may benefit a variety of stakeholders, from prospective ITN creators to industry partners, to design better sustainable training networks going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Andreoli
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Catalina Berca
- Epithelial Carcinogenesis Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonja Katz
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- LifeGlimmer GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Maryna Korshevniuk
- Genetics Department, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Kristel Van Steen
- Laboratory for Systems Genetics, GIGA-R Medical Genomics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Laboratory for Systems Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Hu J, Weber JN, Fuess LE, Steinel NC, Bolnick DI, Wang M. A spectral framework to map QTLs affecting joint differential networks of gene co-expression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.29.587398. [PMID: 38585912 PMCID: PMC10996691 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.29.587398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Studying the mechanisms underlying the genotype-phenotype association is crucial in genetics. Gene expression studies have deepened our understanding of the genotype → expression → phenotype mechanisms. However, traditional expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) methods often overlook the critical role of gene co-expression networks in translating genotype into phenotype. This gap highlights the need for more powerful statistical methods to analyze genotype → network → phenotype mechanism. Here, we develop a network-based method, called snQTL, to map quantitative trait loci affecting gene co-expression networks. Our approach tests the association between genotypes and joint differential networks of gene co-expression via a tensor-based spectral statistics, thereby overcoming the ubiquitous multiple testing challenges in existing methods. We demonstrate the effectiveness of snQTL in the analysis of three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) data. Compared to conventional methods, our method snQTL uncovers chromosomal regions affecting gene co-expression networks, including one strong candidate gene that would have been missed by traditional eQTL analyses. Our framework suggests the limitation of current approaches and offers a powerful network-based tool for functional loci discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Hu
- Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Jesse N. Weber
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | | | | | - Daniel I. Bolnick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut
| | - Miaoyan Wang
- Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Taneera J, Khalique A, Abdrabh S, Mohammed AK, Bouzid A, El-Huneidi W, Bustanji Y, Sulaiman N, Albasha S, Saber-Ayad M, Hamad M. Fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene is essential for insulin secretion and β-cell function: In vitro studies using INS-1 cells and human pancreatic islets. Life Sci 2024; 339:122421. [PMID: 38232799 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
AIMS In this study, we investigated the role of the FTO gene in pancreatic β-cell biology and its association with type 2 diabetes (T2D). To address this issue, human pancreatic islets and rat INS-1 (832/13) cells were used to perform gene silencing, overexpression, and functional analysis of FTO expression; levels of FTO were also measured in serum samples obtained from diabetic and obese individuals. RESULTS The findings revealed that FTO expression was reduced in islets from hyperglycemic/diabetic donors compared to normal donors. This reduction correlated with decreased INS and GLUT1 expression and increased PDX1, GCK, and SNAP25 expression. Silencing of Fto in INS-1 cells impaired insulin release and mitochondrial ATP production and increased apoptosis in pro-apoptotic cytokine-treated cells. However, glucose uptake and reactive oxygen species production rates remained unaffected. Downregulation of key β-cell genes was observed following Fto-silencing, while Glut2 and Gck were unaffected. RNA-seq analysis identified several dysregulated genes involved in metal ion binding, calcium ion binding, and protein serine/threonine kinase activity. Furthermore, our findings showed that Pdx1 or Mafa-silencing did not influence FTO protein expression. Overexpression of FTO in human islets promoted insulin secretion and upregulated INS, PDX1, MAFA, and GLUT1 expression. Serum FTO levels did not significantly differ between individuals with diabetes or obesity and their healthy counterparts. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that FTO plays a crucial role in β-cell survival, metabolism, and function and point to a potential therapeutic utility of FTO in T2D patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalal Taneera
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; Center of Excellence of Precision Medicine, Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Anila Khalique
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sham Abdrabh
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abdul Khader Mohammed
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amal Bouzid
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Waseem El-Huneidi
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Yasser Bustanji
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | - Nabil Sulaiman
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sarah Albasha
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Maha Saber-Ayad
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mawieh Hamad
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
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Lagattuta KA, Park HL, Rumker L, Ishigaki K, Nathan A, Raychaudhuri S. The genetic basis of autoimmunity seen through the lens of T cell functional traits. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1204. [PMID: 38331990 PMCID: PMC10853555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45170-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune disease heritability is enriched in T cell-specific regulatory regions of the genome. Modern-day T cell datasets now enable association studies between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and a myriad of molecular phenotypes, including chromatin accessibility, gene expression, transcriptional programs, T cell antigen receptor (TCR) amino acid usage, and cell state abundances. Such studies have identified hundreds of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in T cells that colocalize with genetic risk for autoimmune disease. The key challenge facing immunologists today lies in synthesizing these results toward a unified understanding of the autoimmune T cell: which genes, cell states, and antigens drive tissue destruction?
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A Lagattuta
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hannah L Park
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laurie Rumker
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kazuyoshi Ishigaki
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Laboratory for Human Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Aparna Nathan
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Soumya Raychaudhuri
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Song R, Xie L, Ding J, Chen Y, Zou H, Pang H, Peng Y, Xia Y, Xie Z, Li X, Xiao Y, Zhou Z, Hu J. Association of RPS26 gene polymorphism with different types of diabetes in Chinese individuals. J Diabetes Investig 2024; 15:34-43. [PMID: 38041572 PMCID: PMC10759724 DOI: 10.1111/jdi.14117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS/INTRODUCTION Different types of diabetes show distinct genetic characteristics, but the specific genetic susceptibility factors remain unclear. Our study aimed to explore the associations between the ribosomal protein S26 (RPS26) gene rs1131017 polymorphisms and susceptibility to type 1 diabetes mellitus, latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Chinese Han population, and their correlations with clinical features. MATERIALS AND METHODS Genotyping of the rs1131017 variant was carried out for 1,006 type 1 diabetes mellitus patients, 210 LADA patients, 642 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 2,099 control individuals. RESULTS We found that the rs1131017 C allele was a risk locus for both type 1 diabetes mellitus and LADA (odds ratio [OR] 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33-1.69, P < 0.001; OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.04-1.64, P = 0.021, respectively). Nevertheless, this association was not found for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Carrying the C allele genotype was associated with a lower postprandial C-peptide for type 1 diabetes mellitus (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.11-1.80, P = 0.006) and lower fasting C-peptide for LADA (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.01-2.38, P = 0.047). Interestingly, a lower GC frequency was noted for LADA than for type 1 diabetes mellitus, regardless of classification based on age at diagnosis, C-peptide or glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody positivity. CONCLUSIONS The RPS26 polymorphism was associated with susceptibility and clinical characteristics of type 1 diabetes mellitus and LADA in the Chinese population, but was not related to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thus, it might serve as a novel biomarker for particular types of diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Song
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Lingxiang Xie
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Jin Ding
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Yan Chen
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Hailan Zou
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Haipeng Pang
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Yiman Peng
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Ying Xia
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Zhiguo Xie
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Xia Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Yang Xiao
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Zhiguang Zhou
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Jingyi Hu
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and EndocrinologyThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
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Nicholas CA, Smith MJ. Application of single-cell RNA sequencing methods to develop B cell targeted treatments for autoimmunity. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1103690. [PMID: 37520578 PMCID: PMC10382068 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1103690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic coincided with several transformative advances in single-cell analysis. These new methods along with decades of research and trials with antibody therapeutics and RNA based technologies allowed for highly effective vaccines and treatments to be produced at astonishing speeds. While these tools were initially focused on models of infection, they also show promise in an autoimmune setting. Self-reactive B cells play important roles as antigen-presenting cells and cytokine and autoantibody producers for many autoimmune diseases. Yet, current therapies to target autoreactive B cells deplete all B cells irrespective of their pathogenicity. Development of self-reactive B cell targeting therapies that would spare non-pathogenic B cells are needed to treat disease while allowing effective immune responses to other ailments. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) approaches will aid in identification of the pathogenic self-reactive B cells operative in autoimmunity and help with development of more favorable precision targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A. Nicholas
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Mia J. Smith
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
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