Publications by authors named "Keith D Robertson"

Background: SETD2 is the sole epigenetic factor responsible for catalyzing histone 3, lysine 36, tri-methylation (H3K36me3) in mammals. Its role in regulating cellular processes such as RNA splicing, DNA repair, and spurious transcription initiation underlies its broader tumor suppressor function. SETD2 mutation promotes the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and is clinically associated with adverse outcomes highlighting a therapeutic need to develop targeted therapies against this dangerous mutation.

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RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) plays diverse roles in RNA metabolism and its deregulation contributes to tumor initiation and progression. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is characterized by near ubiquitous loss of followed by mutations in epigenetic regulators , , and . Mutations in , a histone H3 lysine 36 trimethylase (H3K36me3), are associated with reduced survival, greater metastatic propensity, and metabolic reprogramming.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Despite advancements in current HCC treatment, it remains a malignancy with poor prognosis. Therefore, developing novel treatment options for patients with HCC is urgently needed.

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DNMT3A and TET2 are epigenetic regulator genes commonly mutated in age-related clonal hematopoiesis (CH). Despite having opposed epigenetic functions, these mutations are associated with increased all-cause mortality and a low risk for progression to hematologic neoplasms. Although individual impacts on the epigenome have been described using different model systems, the phenotypic complexity in humans remains to be elucidated.

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Germline variants in the NSD1 gene are responsible for Sotos syndrome, while somatic variants promote neoplastic cell transformation. Our previous studies revealed three alternative RNA isoforms of present in fibroblast cell lines (FBs): the canonical full transcript and 2 alternative transcripts, termed AT2 (NSD1 Δ5Δ7) and AT3 ( Δ19-23 at the 5' end). The precise molecular pathways affected by each specific isoform of are uncharacterized to date.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer, with high incidence and mortality worldwide. Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advancements, HCC remains poorly responsive to treatment, with a poor prognosis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving HCC is crucial for developing effective therapies.

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Background And Aims: Disruption of the epigenome is a hallmark of human disease, including liver cirrhosis and HCC. While genetic heterogeneity is an established effector of pathologic phenotypes, epigenetic heterogeneity is less well understood. Environmental exposures alter the liver-specific DNA methylation landscape and influence the onset of liver cancer.

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  • This study investigates transcriptional dysregulation in myectomy tissue from patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), revealing that hypertrophy pathways are downregulated despite their activation.
  • Researchers hypothesized that miRNA and histone post-translational modifications play significant roles in this dysregulation, using techniques like miRNA-sequencing and ChIP-seq to analyze tissue samples.
  • Results showed 19 differentially expressed miRNAs and thousands of histone modifications, indicating that these factors contribute to the downregulation of hypertrophy signaling, with knockout experiments suggesting their combined effect is crucial for maintaining normal transcriptional activity.
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Background: Alcohol use disorders are prevalent mental disorders with significant health implications. Epigenetic alterations may play a role in their pathogenesis, as DNA methylation at several genes has been associated with these disorders. We have previously shown that methylation in the DLGAP2 gene, coding for a synaptic density protein, is associated with alcohol dependence.

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Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase SETD2 (SETD2), the sole histone methyltransferase that catalyzes trimethylation of lysine 36 on histone H3 (H3K36me3), is often mutated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). SETD2 mutation and/or loss of H3K36me3 is linked to metastasis and poor outcome in ccRCC patients. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a major pathway that drives invasion and metastasis in various cancer types.

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  • - High levels of intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) in clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC) complicate treatment, with notable epigenetic mutations like SETD2, contrasting with the low occurrence of traditional driver mutations.
  • - A study utilized multi-region sampling and DNA methylation analysis to find significant differences in DNA methylation patterns between ccRCC tissues and normal kidney, indicating increased epigenetic diversity linked to cancer aggression.
  • - The results suggest that mutations in SETD2 influence the cancer's epigenomic landscape and identify potential biomarkers for assessing metastatic risk in ccRCC patients.
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  • Epigenetic changes significantly impact human diseases, especially liver disease and its progression to liver cancer, driven largely by environmental factors like viral infections, alcohol use, and obesity.
  • The epigenome regulates gene expression and can be altered by these environmental exposures, leading to long-term health risks even after the initial exposures are removed.
  • Understanding how beneficial epigenetic changes can become maladaptive is crucial; the review examines how these mechanisms work in liver disease and explores the potential for epigenetic therapies to address and modify harmful changes.
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Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is an antibody-based approach that is frequently utilized in chromatin biology and epigenetics. The challenge in experimental variability by unpredictable nature of usable input amounts from samples and undefined antibody titer in ChIP reaction still remains to be addressed. Here, we introduce a simple and quick method to quantify chromatin inputs and demonstrate its utility for normalizing antibody amounts to the optimal titer in individual ChIP reactions.

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  • Disrupted liver regeneration after surgery is a major clinical challenge, linked to poor patient outcomes, and involves the role of Yes-associated protein (YAP) in the process.
  • The study investigates the effects of a selective SHP1/SHP2 inhibitor, NSC-87877, on liver regeneration in mice, showing it promotes faster liver cell growth and reduces injury post-surgery, relying on YAP activity.
  • Results also indicate that NSC-87877 improves survival in models of fatty liver disease and modifies gene activity related to fibrosis and cell survival, highlighting its potential in enhancing liver regeneration.
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Myeloid neoplasms are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders driven by the sequential acquisition of recurrent genetic lesions. Truncating mutations in the chromatin remodeler ASXL1 (ASXL1) are associated with a high-risk disease phenotype with increased proliferation, epigenetic therapeutic resistance, and poor survival outcomes. We performed a multi-omics interrogation to define gene expression and chromatin remodeling associated with ASXL1 in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML).

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  • Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to severe liver complications like cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with 10-20% of the 71 million infected individuals potentially suffering serious consequences during their lifetime.
  • The study investigates the impact of HCV on the epigenome, focusing on changes in DNA methylation and histone modifications in both HCV-infected cells and those cured with treatments such as interferon-α and direct-acting antivirals.
  • Findings reveal that HCV significantly alters the epigenome, leaving lasting "scars" that contribute to a weakened immune response and a heightened long-term risk of developing HCC, even after the infection is cleared.
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  • DNA methylation, specifically at the 5-carbon positions of cytosine before guanines (CpG), is a key regulatory process in genomic DNA that can be reversed via active or passive mechanisms.
  • Active removal of DNA methylation is primarily mediated by Ten-eleven translocation enzymes (TETs), which convert 5mC into different hydroxymethylated forms through a series of steps.
  • The chapter discusses innovative methods combining TET-assisted bisulfite (TAB) and oxidative bisulfite (OxBS) conversion with Illumina MethylationEPIC BeadChIP technology to differentiate between active and passive demethylation, alongside bioinformatics tools for data analysis.
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Proliferative chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (pCMML), an aggressive CMML subtype, is associated with dismal outcomes. RAS pathway mutations, mainly NRAS, define the pCMML phenotype as demonstrated by our exome sequencing, progenitor colony assays and a Vav-Cre-Nras mouse model. Further, these mutations promote CMML transformation to acute myeloid leukemia.

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  • - Monocyte adhesion to liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) plays a critical role in the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with VCAM-1 being a key adhesion molecule involved in this process.
  • - Research indicates that VCAM-1 is significantly upregulated in NASH mouse livers, and this increase is also observed in human NASH, with factors like palmitate treatment promoting its expression through the MLK3 signaling pathway.
  • - Inhibiting VCAM-1, either through neutralizing antibodies or genetic knockout, reduces inflammation and improves NASH outcomes in mice, suggesting VCAM-1 could be a promising target for treating NASH in humans.
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Background: Despite using prognostic algorithms and standard surveillance guidelines, 17% of patients initially diagnosed with low risk clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) ultimately relapse and die of recurrent disease, indicating additional molecular parameters are needed for improved prognosis.

Results: To address the gap in ccRCC prognostication in the lower risk population, we performed a genome-wide analysis for methylation signatures capable of distinguishing recurrent and non-recurrent ccRCCs within the subgroup classified as 'low risk' by the Mayo Clinic Stage, Size, Grade, and Necrosis score (SSIGN 0-3). This approach revealed that recurrent patients have globally hypermethylated tumors and differ in methylation significantly at 5929 CpGs.

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  • A large study involving 1,084 patients examined the role of TET2 mutations in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), finding that these mutations often occur early and provide a fitness advantage to blood cell precursors.
  • Out of the patients, 56% had TET2 mutations, with a significant portion being truncating, which affects the gene's catalytic function.
  • Patient survival rates were notably better in those with TET2 mutations, especially if they had multiple mutations, and the presence of TET2 could improve outcomes for patients also carrying ASXL1 mutations.
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Motivation: DNA methylation can be measured at the single CpG level using sodium bisulfite conversion of genomic DNA followed by sequencing or array hybridization. Many analytic tools have been developed, yet there is still a high demand for a comprehensive and multifaceted tool suite to analyze, annotate, QC and visualize the DNA methylation data.

Results: We developed the CpGtools package to analyze DNA methylation data generated from bisulfite sequencing or Illumina methylation arrays.

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  • Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasingly common, especially in patients with liver cirrhosis, and better early detection methods are needed since treatment options are limited for advanced cases.
  • Researchers discovered specific DNA methylation changes in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) that can distinguish between cirrhosis and early-stage HCC, using genome-wide analysis and prior tissue data.
  • A panel of five specific DNA markers was identified, showing strong accuracy (AUROC values over 0.95) in distinguishing HCC from cirrhosis, suggesting that these markers could be useful for non-invasive early diagnosis.
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