gExcite: a start-to-end framework for single-cell gene expression, hashing, and antibody analysis.

SUMMARY: Recently, CITE-seq emerged as a multimodal single-cell technology capturing gene expression and surface protein information from the same single cells, which allows unprecedented insights into disease mechanisms and heterogeneity, as well as immune cell profiling. Multiple single-cell profiling methods exist, but they are typically focused on either gene expression or antibody analysis, not their combination. Moreover, existing software suites are not easily scalable to a multitude of samples. To this end, we designed gExcite, a start-to-end workflow that provides both gene and antibody expression analysis, as well as hashing deconvolution. Embedded in the Snakemake workflow manager, gExcite facilitates reproducible and scalable analyses. We showcase the output of gExcite on a study of different dissociation protocols on PBMC samples. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: gExcite is open source available on github at https://github.com/ETH-NEXUS/gExcite_pipeline. The software is distributed under the GNU General Public License 3 (GPL3).

COL10A1 expression distinguishes a subset of cancer-associated fibroblasts present in the stroma of high-risk basal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequently diagnosed skin cancer and the most common malignancy in humans. Different morphological subtypes of BCC are associated with low- or high-risk of recurrence and aggressiveness, but the underlying biology of how the individual subtypes arise remains largely unknown. Because the majority of BCCs appear to arise from mutations in the same pathway, we hypothesized that BCC development, growth and invasive potential is also influenced by the tumor microenvironment and in particular by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their secreted factors. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to characterize the stroma of the different BCC subtypes with a focus on CAF populations. METHODS: To investigate the stromal features of the different BCC subtypes, we applied laser-capture microdissection (LCM) followed by RNA sequencing. A cohort of 15 BCC samples from 5 different "pure" subtypes (superficial, nodular, micronodular, sclerosing and basosquamous; n=3 each) were selected and included in the analysis. Healthy skin was used as a control (n=6). We confirmed the results by immunohistochemistry. We validated our findings in two independent, public single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) datasets and by RNAscope. RESULTS: The stroma of the different BCC subtypes have distinct gene expression signatures. Nodular and micronodular seem to have the most similar signatures, while superficial and sclerosing the most different. By comparing low- and high-risk BCC subtypes, we observed that Collagen 10A1 (COL10A1) is overexpressed in the stroma of sclerosing/infiltrative and basosquamous but not micronodular high-risk subtypes. Those findings were confirmed by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 89 different BCC and 13 healthy skin samples. Moreover, scRNAseq analysis of BCCs of two independent datasets showed that the COL10A1-expressing population of cells is associated with the stroma adjacent to invasive BCC and shows extracellular matrix remodeling features. CONCLUSION: We identified COL10A1 as a marker of high-risk BCC, in particular of the sclerosing/infiltrative and basosquamous subtypes. We demonstrated at the single cell level that COL10A1 is expressed by a specific CAF population associated with the stroma of invasive BCC. This opens up new tailored treatment options as well as a new prognostic biomarker for BCC progression.

Dynamic thresholding and tissue dissociation optimization for CITE-seq identifies differential surface protein abundance in metastatic melanoma.

Multi-omics profiling by CITE-seq bridges the RNA-protein gap in single-cell analysis but has been largely applied to liquid biopsies. Applying CITE-seq to clinically relevant solid biopsies to characterize healthy tissue and the tumor microenvironment is an essential next step in single-cell translational studies. In this study, gating of cell populations based on their transcriptome signatures for use in cell type-specific ridge plots allowed identification of positive antibody signals and setting of manual thresholds. Next, we compare five skin dissociation protocols by taking into account dissociation efficiency, captured cell type heterogeneity and recovered surface proteome. To assess the effect of enzymatic digestion on transcriptome and epitope expression in immune cell populations, we analyze peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with and without dissociation. To further assess the RNA-protein gap, RNA-protein we perform codetection and correlation analyses on thresholded protein values. Finally, in a proof-of-concept study, using protein abundance analysis on selected surface markers in a cohort of healthy skin, primary, and metastatic melanoma we identify CD56 surface marker expression on metastatic melanoma cells, which was further confirmed by multiplex immunohistochemistry. This work provides practical guidelines for processing and analysis of clinically relevant solid tissue biopsies for biomarker discovery.

Guadecitabine increases response to combined anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 treatment in mouse melanoma in vivo by controlling T-cells, myeloid derived suppressor and NK cells.

BACKGROUND: The combination of Programmed Cell Death 1 (PD-1) and Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA-4) blockade has dramatically improved the overall survival rate for malignant melanoma. Immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) limit the tumor's immune escape yet only for approximately a third of all tumors and, in most cases, for a limited amount of time. Several approaches to overcome resistance to ICBs are being investigated among which the addition of epigenetic drugs that are expected to act on both immune and tumor cells. Guadecitabine, a dinucleotide prodrug of a decitabine linked via phosphodiester bond to a guanosine, showed promising results in the phase-1 clinical trial, NIBIT-M4 (NCT02608437). METHODS: We used the syngeneic B16F10 murine melanoma model to study the effects of immune checkpoint blocking antibodies against CTLA-4 and PD-1 in combination, with and without the addition of Guadecitabine. We comprehensively characterized the tumor's and the host's responses under different treatments by flow cytometry, multiplex immunofluorescence and methylation analysis. RESULTS: In combination with ICBs, Guadecitabine significantly reduced subcutaneous tumor growth as well as metastases formation compared to ICBs and Guadecitabine treatment. In particular, Guadecitabine greatly enhanced the efficacy of combined ICBs by increasing effector memory CD8+ T cells, inducing effector NK cells in the spleen and reducing tumor infiltrating regulatory T cells and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Guadecitabine in association with ICBs increased serum levels of IFN-γ and IFN-γ-induced chemokines with anti-angiogenic activity. Guadecitabine led to a general DNA-demethylation, in particular of sites of intermediate methylation levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate Guadecitabine as a promising epigenetic drug to be added to ICBs therapy.

ROS Induction Targets Persister Cancer Cells with Low Metabolic Activity in NRAS-Mutated Melanoma.

Clinical management of melanomas with NRAS mutations is challenging. Targeting MAPK signaling is only beneficial to a small subset of patients due to resistance that arises through genetic, transcriptional, and metabolic adaptation. Identification of targetable vulnerabilities in NRAS-mutated melanoma could help improve patient treatment. Here, we used multiomics analyses to reveal that NRAS-mutated melanoma cells adopt a mesenchymal phenotype with a quiescent metabolic program to resist cellular stress induced by MEK inhibition. The metabolic alterations elevated baseline reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, leading these cells to become highly sensitive to ROS induction. In vivo xenograft experiments and single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrated that intratumor heterogeneity necessitates the combination of a ROS inducer and a MEK inhibitor to inhibit both tumor growth and metastasis. Ex vivo pharmacoscopy of 62 human metastatic melanomas confirmed that MEK inhibitor-resistant tumors significantly benefited from the combination therapy. Finally, oxidative stress response and translational suppression corresponded with ROS-inducer sensitivity in 486 cancer cell lines, independent of cancer type. These findings link transcriptional plasticity to a metabolic phenotype that can be inhibited by ROS inducers in melanoma and other cancers. SIGNIFICANCE: Metabolic reprogramming in drug-resistant NRAS-mutated melanoma cells confers sensitivity to ROS induction, which suppresses tumor growth and metastasis in combination with MAPK pathway inhibitors.

An Optimized Tissue Dissociation Protocol for Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Analysis of Fresh and Cultured Human Skin Biopsies.

We present an optimized dissociation protocol for preparing high-quality skin cell suspensions for in-depth single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of fresh and cultured human skin. Our protocol enabled the isolation of a consistently high number of highly viable skin cells from small freshly dissociated punch skin biopsies, which we use for scRNA-seq studies. We recapitulated not only the main cell populations of existing single-cell skin atlases, but also identified rare cell populations, such as mast cells. Furthermore, we effectively isolated highly viable single cells from ex vivo cultured skin biopsy fragments and generated a global single-cell map of the explanted human skin. The quality metrics of the generated scRNA-seq datasets were comparable between freshly dissociated and cultured skin. Overall, by enabling efficient cell isolation and comprehensive cell mapping, our skin dissociation-scRNA-seq workflow can greatly facilitate scRNA-seq discoveries across diverse human skin pathologies and ex vivo skin explant experimentations.

Live slow-frozen human tumor tissues viable for 2D, 3D, ex vivo cultures and single-cell RNAseq.

Biobanking of surplus human healthy and disease-derived tissues is essential for diagnostics and translational research. An enormous amount of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE), Tissue-Tek OCT embedded or snap-frozen tissues are preserved in many biobanks worldwide and have been the basis of translational studies. However, their usage is limited to assays that do not require viable cells. The access to intact and viable human material is a prerequisite for translational validation of basic research, for novel therapeutic target discovery, and functional testing. Here we show that surplus tissues from multiple solid human cancers directly slow-frozen after resection can subsequently be used for different types of methods including the establishment of 2D, 3D, and ex vivo cultures as well as single-cell RNA sequencing with similar results when compared to freshly analyzed material.

Collection and preprocessing of fine needle aspirate patient samples for single cell profiling and data analysis.

High cell viability and recovered cell concentration are typical quality control requirements for single-cell processing and quality data. This protocol describes procedures for sampling, live-cell biobanking, preprocessing for single-cell RNA sequencing, and analysis of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples of the skin. The minimally invasive nature of FNA collection is more accepted by patients and allows for frequent longitudinal sampling, resulting in high-quality single-cell sequencing data that capture cellular heterogeneity in clinical samples.

Prolonged Unfrozen Storage and Repeated Freeze-Thawing of SARS-CoV-2 Patient Samples Have Minor Effects on SARS-CoV-2 Detectability by RT-PCR.

Reliable transportation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patient samples from a swabbing station to a diagnostics facility is essential for accurate results. Therefore, cooling or freezing the samples is recommended in case of longer transportation times. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 detectability by RT-PCR was assessed after prolonged unfrozen storage or repetitive freeze-thawing of SARS-CoV-2 samples. SARS-CoV-2-positive patient swabs stored in viral transport medium were exposed to different temperatures (4°C, 25°C, and 35°C) and to repetitive freeze-thawing, to assess the effect of storage conditions on RT-PCR detection. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was still reliably detected by RT-PCR after 21 days of storage in viral transport medium, even when the samples had been stored at 35°C. The maximum observed change in cycle threshold value per day was 0.046 (±0.019) at 35°C, and the maximum observed change in cycle threshold value per freeze-thaw cycle per day was 0.197 (±0.06). Compared with storage at 4°C, viral RNA levels deviated little but significantly when stored at 25°C or 35°C, or after repeated freeze-thawing. The results of this study indicate that viral RNA levels are relatively stable at higher temperatures and repetitive freeze-thawing.

Oncolytic virotherapy-mediated anti-tumor response: a single-cell perspective.

Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is a genetically modified herpes simplex 1 virus (HSV-1) approved for cancer therapy. We investigate its effect on the clinical, histological, single-cell transcriptomic, and immune repertoire level using repeated fine-needle aspirates (FNAs) of injected and noninjected lesions in primary cutaneous B cell lymphoma (pCBCL). Thirteen patients received intralesional T-VEC, 11 of which demonstrate tumor response in the injected lesions. Using single-cell sequencing of the FNAs, we identify the malignant population and separate three pCBCL subtypes. Twenty-four hours after the injection, we detect HSV-1T-VEC transcripts in malignant and nonmalignant cells of the injected lesion but not of the noninjected lesion. Oncolytic virotherapy results in a rapid eradication of malignant cells. It also leads to interferon pathway activation and early influx of natural killer cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells. These events are followed by enrichment in cytotoxic T cells and a decrease of regulatory T cells in injected and noninjected lesions.

A Comparative Study of Real-Time RT-PCR-Based SARS-CoV-2 Detection Methods and Its Application to Human-Derived and Surface Swabbed Material.

Real-time RT-PCR remains a gold standard in the detection of various viral diseases. In the coronavirus 2019 pandemic, multiple RT-PCR-based tests were developed to screen for viral infection. As an emergency response to increasing testing demand, we established a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) PCR diagnostics platform for which we compared different commercial and in-house RT-PCR protocols. Four commercial, one customized, and one in-house RT-PCR protocols were evaluated with 92 SARS-CoV-2-positive and 92 SARS-CoV-2-negative samples. Furthermore, economical and practical characteristics of these protocols were compared. In addition, a highly sensitive digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) method was developed, and application of RT-PCR and ddPCR methods on SARS-CoV-2 environmental samples was examined. Very low limits of detection (1 or 2 viral copies/µL), high sensitivities (93.6% to 97.8%), and high specificities (98.7% to 100%) for the tested RT-PCR protocols were found. Furthermore, the feasibility of downscaling two of the commercial protocols, which could optimize testing capacity, was demonstrated. Tested commercial and customized RT-PCR detection kits show very good and comparable sensitivity and specificity, and the kits could be further optimized for use on SARS-CoV-2 viral samples derived from human and surface swabbed samples.

Synthetic biology-based cellular biomedical tattoo for detection of hypercalcemia associated with cancer.

Diagnosis marks the beginning of any successful therapy. Because many medical conditions progress asymptomatically over extended periods of time, their timely diagnosis remains difficult, and this adversely affects patient prognosis. Focusing on hypercalcemia associated with cancer, we aimed to develop a synthetic biology-inspired biomedical tattoo using engineered cells that would (i) monitor long-term blood calcium concentration, (ii) detect onset of mild hypercalcemia, and (iii) respond via subcutaneous accumulation of the black pigment melanin to form a visible tattoo. For this purpose, we designed cells containing an ectopically expressed calcium-sensing receptor rewired to a synthetic signaling cascade that activates expression of transgenic tyrosinase, which produces melanin in response to persistently increased blood Ca2+ We confirmed that the melanin-generated color change produced by this biomedical tattoo could be detected with the naked eye and optically quantified. The system was validated in wild-type mice bearing subcutaneously implanted encapsulated engineered cells. All animals inoculated with hypercalcemic breast and colon adenocarcinoma cells developed tattoos, whereas no tattoos were seen in animals inoculated with normocalcemic tumor cells. All tumor-bearing animals remained asymptomatic throughout the 38-day experimental period. Although hypercalcemia is also associated with other pathologies, our findings demonstrate that it is possible to detect hypercalcemia associated with cancer in murine models using this cell-based diagnostic strategy.

Overexpression of YY1 increases the protein production in mammalian cells.

The production of therapeutic antibodies using mammalian cells remains a high-priority in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry. Bioengineers have targeted different cellular processes, including transcription, translation, secretion and post-translational modifications, to overcome the metabolic bottlenecks limiting production capacity and create high-producing mammalian cell lines. The polycomb group (PcG) proteins belong to a family of chromatin regulators with important roles in multicellular development. By overexpressing and screening genes from the PcG family, we have identified an epigenetic key player for biopharmaceutical manufacturing enhancement: the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1). The overexpression of YY1 led to an increase in the production of several product genes (SEAP, VEGF165, IgG including Rituximab), provided that human YY1 (hYY1) was expressed in human cells (HeLa, HT-1080, HEK-293T, FreeStyle™ 293-F) and Chinese hamster ovary cell-derived YY1 (cYY1) was expressed in CHO cells (CHO-K1, CHO-easyC, FreeStyle™ CHO-S, CHO-B13-24, CHO-IgG1). Ectopic expression of cYY1 in the stable CHO-derived IgG producer cell lines CHO-B13-24 and CHO-IgG1 increased the antibody titer up to 6-fold, suggesting that epigenetic engineering of mammalian production cell lines could become a new strategy to improve the manufacturing of complex protein pharmaceuticals.