Extraction d'ADN

L'extraction de l'ADN est une technique permettant d'isoler l'acide désoxyribonucléique (ADN) des cellules ou des tissus. L'ADN ainsi extrait peut ensuite être utilisé pour des recherches de biologie moléculaire, telles que le séquençage, la PCR ou le clonage. Il existe différents protocoles pour extraire l'ADN, qui suivent approximativement le même schéma de principe : Lyse des cellules Elimination des protéines Elimination des autres acides nucléiques (acide ribonucléique (ARN), etc.) Concentration de l'ADN par précipitation à l'éthanol Différentes variantes sont employées, suivant que l'on cherche à extraire de l'ADN génomique (issu du ou des chromosomes des cellules analysées) ou de l'ADN plasmidique (provenant de plasmides portés le plus souvent par des cellules bactériennes comme Escherichia coli). Il existe aujourd'hui des kits commerciaux permettant de réaliser rapidement ces extractions à l'aide de réactifs prêts à l'emploi. On commence en général par une lyse des cellules ou des tissus, consistant éventuellement en un broyage, suivi d'une extraction par des détergents, qui vont disperser les bicouches lipidiques des membranes et dénaturer les protéines, et en particulier celles qui sont associées à l'ADN dans la chromatine. La solution obtenue est en général très visqueuse, car l'ADN ainsi libéré forme de très longs filaments qui s'opposent aux écoulements hydrodynamiques. L'étape suivante est la déprotéinisation de la solution qui se fait par une extraction au moyen de solvants organiques, en général du phénol additionné de plus ou moins de chloroforme. Les protéines dénaturées forment un précipité à l'interface phénol-eau, tandis que l'ADN reste en solution dans la phase aqueuse qui est récupérée par décantation ou par centrifugation. L'ADN est ensuite précipité par addition d'éthanol ou d'isopropanol dans la phase aqueuse, collecté par centrifugation et dissout dans du tampon. Pour éliminer les traces de phénol et d'autres contaminants, on peut enfin pratiquer une dialyse ou une étape de purification par chromatographie préparative.

The role of recruited bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells in the establishment of the tumor stroma and a growth-supportive environment

Jean-Paul Abbühl

The Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) is a self-renewing multipotent progenitor originally found in the bone marrow. It has drawn strong interest from translational research because of the multipotency of MSCs, their immunosuppression, their intrinsic homing and their promotion of wound healing in human patients. Currently available methods rely on in vitro culture for the isolation and expansion of MSCs and most studies used these cells for their investigation. Fibroblasts constitute the connective tissue and support epithelial or hematopoietic cells. Although they have already been extensively investigated, it is not clear whether stem cells exist in vivo which specifically regenerate fibroblasts. MSCs are a potential candidate, because of their fibroblastic shape in vitro, their differentiation towards several mesodermal lineages and their supportive function. We aim to characterize the in vivo differentiation potential of MSCs toward fibroblasts in normal and tumor tissues. A new transplantation approach was developed in order to transfer labeled MSCs in the bone marrow and assess their recruitment and lineage contribution in vivo. Long-term engraftment was accomplished by isolating and transplanting these cells within one day. To this end, strategies for their purification, preconditioning of the host and transplantation methodologies were established during this thesis. We were able to enrich MSCs over 1000 fold by combining a new extraction protocol, a negative selection by MACS and a positive selection by FACS. Cloning of sorted MSCs was performed to confirm their multipotency at single cell level. GFP-expressing MSCs were able to engraft in host mice tolerant for GFP and their expansion in vivo was stimulated by block of GSK3 activity. Altogether, the chimeric MSC model was used to track the recruitment of bone-marrow derived MSCs into spontaneous breast tumors. The tumor microenvironment encompasses several non-tumorigenic cells interacting with cancer cells. Among them, cancer-associated fibroblasts are known to participate in carcinogenesis. Whilst this heterogeneous stromal population has been extensively investigated, their source(s) remain elusive. I now propose tumoral MSCs as one source of cancer-associated fibroblast, based on their ability to self-renew and reconstitute stromal heterogeneity upon serial transplantation. Finally, I introduced the new concept that the multipotency of MSCs is subjugated by cancer cells to meet their requirements for enhanced tumor progression and prepare for metastasis. I found MSCs present in the tumor microenvironment to differentiate into cancer-associated osteoblasts and produce hydroxyapatite-mineralization in vivo. Microcalcification is an accepted poor prognostic feature in breast cancer patients but its function and origin is not documented. I showed that hydroxyapatite was able to promote proliferation of tumor cells and increased intracellular calcium concentration. Lastly, cancer-associated osteoblast and hydroxyapatite were able to promote tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. To conclude, bone marrow derived MSCs are circulating stem cells that participate in the establishment of the pathogenic stroma in breast cancer. Owing to their multipotency, MSCs give rise to cancer-associated osteoblasts that induce pro-malignant mineralization in situ. Subsequently, cancer cells harbor increased intracellular calcium concentration, enhanced proliferation and metastasis. We foresee the development of new stroma-targeted therapies that prevent the mineralization of tumor tissue and reduce metastasis in breast cancer patients.

EPFL2014

The role of recruited bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells in the establishment of the tumor stroma and a growth-supportive environment

Jean-Paul Abbühl

EPFL2014

The efficiency of DNA extraction kit and the efficiency of recovery techniques to release DNA using flow cytometry

The role of recruited bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells in the establishment of the tumor stroma and a growth-supportive environment

The efficiency of DNA extraction kit and the efficiency of recovery techniques to release DNA using flow cytometry

The role of recruited bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells in the establishment of the tumor stroma and a growth-supportive environment