Publications by authors named "Zlatko Trajanoski"

Resistance to cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/CDK6) inhibitors leads to treatment failure and disease progression in women with hormone receptorHER2 (HRHER2) breast cancer (BC). We delineated a hypoxia-sensitive, CCL2-dependent pathway recruiting interleukin-17A (IL-17A)-secreting γδ T cells to mouse HRHER2 BCs following CDK4/CDK6 inhibition, resulting in repolarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) toward an immunosuppressive CX3CR1 phenotype associated with resistance. Increased IL-17A signaling and intratumoral γδ T cell abundance positively correlated with advanced grade and/or reduced survival in two cohorts of individuals with HRHER2 BC.

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Purpose: Combination therapies of chemotherapeutic agents and immunotherapy have shown promising results in the treatment of cold tumors. Various chemotherapies trigger immunogenic cell death (ICD) and release of hallmarks immunogenic damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that have been related with immunostimulatory activities, leading to better patient prognosis. We aim to optimize in vitro assays to detect DAMPs release in response to chemotherapeutic agents using a colorectal cancer (CRC) organoids model.

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The IL-36 signaling pathway has recently been identified as a key regulator of intestinal homeostasis and inflammation. However, the role of mutations in the IL-36R signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease remains unclear. We here identified four Crohn's disease patients with heterozygous missense mutations in the IL-36 receptor antagonist (IL36RN, IL-36RA).

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Multi-omic and multimodal datasets with detailed clinical annotations offer significant potential to advance our understanding of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), refine diagnostics, and enable personalized therapeutic strategies. In this multi-cohort study, we performed an extensive multi-omic and multimodal analysis of 1,002 clinically annotated patients with IBD and non-IBD controls, incorporating whole-exome and RNA sequencing of normal and inflamed gut tissues, serum proteomics, and histopathological assessments from images of H&E-stained tissue sections. Transcriptomic profiles of normal and inflamed tissues revealed distinct site-specific inflammatory signatures in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

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Inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) shows clinical benefit in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, but KRAS-mutations are known to confer resistance. However, recent reports highlight EGFR as a crucial target to be co-inhibited with RAS inhibitors for effective treatment of KRAS mutant CRC. Here, we investigated the tumor cell-intrinsic contribution of EGFR in KRAS tumors by establishing murine CRC organoids with key CRC mutations (KRAS, APC, TP53) and inducible EGFR deletion.

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Background: IBD is a chronic inflammatory condition driven by complex genetic and immune interactions, yet preclinical models often fail to fully recapitulate all aspects of the human disease. A systematic comparison of commonly used IBD models is essential to identify conserved molecular mechanisms and improve translational relevance.

Objective: We performed a multimodel transcriptomic analysis of 13 widely used IBD mouse models to uncover coregulatory gene networks conserved between preclinical colitis/ileitis and human IBD and to define model-specific and conserved cellular, subcellular and molecular signatures.

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Multi-omic and multimodal datasets with detailed clinical annotations offer significant potential to advance our understanding of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), refine diagnostics, and enable personalized therapeutic strategies. In this multi-cohort study, we performed an extensive multi-omic and multimodal analysis of 1,002 clinically annotated patients with IBD and non-IBD controls, incorporating whole-exome and RNA sequencing of normal and inflamed gut tissues, serum proteomics, and histopathological assessments from images of H&E-stained tissue sections. Transcriptomic profiles of normal and inflamed tissues revealed distinct site-specific inflammatory signatures in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

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Aims: Cardiac shockwave therapy (SWT) improves left ventricular (LV) function in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy. Shockwave therapy activates Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), a receptor-inducing chromatin remodelling and nuclear reprogramming of cardiac cells. We hypothesized that mechanical activation of TLR3 facilitates reprogramming of fibroblasts towards endothelial cells restoring myocardial perfusion and function.

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The dynamic interactions between tumor endothelial cells (TECs) and the immune microenvironment play a critical role in the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In general, endothelial cells exhibit diverse immunomodulatory properties, influencing immune cell recruitment, antigen presentation, and regulation of immune checkpoint expression. Understanding the multifaceted roles of TECs as well as assigning specific functional hallmarks to various TEC phenotypes offer new avenues for targeted development of therapeutic interventions, particularly in the context of advanced immunotherapy and anti-angiogenic treatments.

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Dysregulation at the intestinal epithelial barrier is a driver of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the molecular mechanisms of barrier failure are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate dysregulated mitochondrial fusion in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) of patients with IBD and show that impaired fusion is sufficient to drive chronic intestinal inflammation.

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Introduction: Airway epithelial cells play a central role in the innate immune response to invading bacteria, yet adequate human infection models are lacking.

Methods: We utilized mucociliary-differentiated human airway organoids with direct access to the apical side of epithelial cells to model the initial phase of respiratory tract infection.

Results: Immunofluorescence of infected organoids revealed that invades the epithelial barrier and subsequently proliferates within the epithelial space.

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Cancer immunotherapies with antibodies blocking immune checkpoint molecules are clinically active across multiple cancer entities and have markedly improved cancer treatment. Yet, response rates are still limited, and tumour progression commonly occurs. Soluble and cell-bound factors in the tumour microenvironment negatively affect cancer immunity.

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The successful recovery of immune cells, particularly those with low mRNA content, by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) remains a significant challenge. Tissue dissociation and selection of the appropriate scRNA-seq technology are crucial. Our protocol efficiently recovers low-mRNA content immune cells using the BD Rhapsody scRNA-seq platform.

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Background & Aims: Despite the success of biological therapies in treating inflammatory bowel disease, managing patients remains challenging due to the absence of reliable predictors of therapy response.

Methods: In this study, we prospectively sampled 2 cohorts of patients with inflammatory bowel disease receiving the anti-integrin α4β7 antibody vedolizumab. Samples were subjected to mass cytometry; single-cell RNA sequencing; single-cell B and T cell receptor sequencing (BCR/TCR-seq); serum proteomics; and multiparametric flow cytometry to comprehensively assess vedolizumab-induced immunologic changes in the peripheral blood and their potential associations with treatment response.

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Background And Aim: We recently identified protein kinase N1 (PKN1) as a master regulator of brain development. However, its function in the adult brain has not been clearly established. In this study, we assessed the cerebral energetic phenotype of wildtype (WT) and global Pkn1 knockout (Pkn1) animals under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.

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The cellular and molecular heterogeneity of tumors is a major obstacle to cancer immunotherapy. Here, we use a systems biology approach to derive a signature of the main sources of heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment (TME) from lung cancer transcriptomics. We demonstrate that this signature, which we called , is conserved in different cancers and associated with antitumor immunity.

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Background And Objective: While collagen density has been associated with poor outcomes in various cancers, its role in prostate cancer (PCa) remains elusive. Our aim was to analyze collagen-related transcriptomic, proteomic, and urinome alterations in the context of detection of clinically significant PCa (csPCa, International Society of Urological Pathology [ISUP] grade group ≥2).

Methods: Comprehensive analyses for PCa transcriptome (n = 1393), proteome (n = 104), and urinome (n = 923) data sets focused on 55 collagen-related genes.

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The development of single-cell omics tools has enabled scientists to study the tumor microenvironment (TME) in unprecedented detail. However, each of the different techniques may have its unique strengths and limitations. Here we directly compared two commercially available high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies - droplet-based 10X Chromium microwell-based BD Rhapsody - using paired samples from patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa) undergoing a radical prostatectomy.

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Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a neuropsychiatric disorder, caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The etiology behind the disorder remains elusive although it is hypothesized to be associated with the aberrant response to neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and glutamate. Therefore, investigating the link between dysregulated metabolites and distorted neurodevelopment holds promise to offer valuable insights into the underlying mechanism of this complex disorder.

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Background: Tumor-targeted therapy causes impressive tumor regression, but the emergence of resistance limits long-term survival benefits in patients. Little information is available on the role of the myeloid cell network, especially dendritic cells (DC) during tumor-targeted therapy.

Methods: Here, we investigated therapy-mediated immunological alterations in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and tumor-draining lymph nodes (LN) in the D4M.

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Functional precision oncology-a strategy based on perturbing primary tumor cells from cancer patients-could provide a road forward for personalized treatment. Here, we present a comprehensive protocol covering generation and culture of patient-derived colorectal organoids, isolation and expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and isolation and culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). With this protocol, samples fulfilling the demands for performing multi-omics analysis, e.

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Neutrophils represent the most abundant myeloid cell subtype in the non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor microenvironment (TME). By anti- or protumor polarization, they impact multiple aspects of tumor biology and affect sensitivity to conventional therapies and immunotherapies. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analyses have unraveled an extensive neutrophil heterogeneity, helping our understanding of their pleiotropic role.

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Article Synopsis
  • Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common eye cancer in adults, with most patients carrying specific gene mutations (GNAQ/GNA11 Q209L/Q209P).
  • Researchers believe these mutations can be recognized by the immune system, even in the immune-suppressed environment of the eye.
  • Analysis of tumor data shows that Q209L is more likely to trigger an immune response than Q209P, suggesting potential for new treatments, such as vaccines targeting this mutation.
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