Genetic diversity in Svaneti and its implications for the human settlement of the Highland Caucasus.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we characterized genetic diversity in the Svans from northwestern Georgia to better understand the phylogeography of their genetic lineages, determine whether genetic diversity in the highland South Caucasus has been shaped by language or geography, and assess whether Svan genetic diversity was structured by regional residence patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed mtDNA and Y-chromosome variation in 184 individuals from 13 village districts and townlets located throughout the region. For all individuals, we analyzed mtDNA diversity through control region sequencing, and, for males, we analyzed Y-chromosome diversity through SNP and STR genotyping. The resulting data were compared with those for populations from the Caucasus and Middle East. RESULTS: We observed significant mtDNA heterogeneity in Svans, with haplogroups U1-U7, H, K, and W6 being common there. By contrast, ∼78% of Svan males belonged to haplogroup G2a, with the remainder falling into four other haplogroups (J2a1, I2, N, and R1a). While showing a distinct genetic profile, Svans also clustered with Caucasus populations speaking languages from different families, suggesting a deep common ancestry for all of them. The mtDNA data were not structured by geography or linguistic affiliation, whereas the NRY data were influenced only by geography. DISCUSSION: These patterns of genetic variation confirm a complex set of geographic sources and settlement phases for the Caucasus highlands. Such patterns may also reflect social and cultural practices in the region. The high frequency and antiquity of Y-chromosome haplogroup G2a in this region further points to its emergence there.

Dissecting the Tumor-Immune Landscape in Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapy: Key Challenges and Opportunities for a Systems Immunology Approach.

The adoptive transfer of genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has opened a new frontier in cancer therapy. Unlike the paradigm of targeted therapies, the efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy depends not only on the choice of target but also on a complex interplay of tumor, immune, and stromal cell communication. This presents both challenges and opportunities from a discovery standpoint. Whereas cancer consortia have traditionally focused on the genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic, and proteomic landscape of cancer cells, there is an increasing need to expand studies to analyze the interactions between tumor, immune, and stromal cell populations in their relevant anatomical and functional compartments. Here, we focus on the promising application of systems biology to address key challenges in CAR T-cell therapy, from understanding the mechanisms of therapeutic resistance in hematologic and solid tumors to addressing important clinical challenges in biomarker discovery and therapeutic toxicity. We propose a systems biology view of key clinical objectives in CAR T-cell therapy and suggest a path forward for a biomedical discovery process that leverages modern technological approaches in systems biology.

Myeloid Cell Hypoxia-Inducible Factors Promote Resolution of Inflammation in Experimental Colitis.

Colonic tissues in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients exhibit oxygen deprivation and activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and 2α (HIF-1α and HIF-2α), which mediate cellular adaptation to hypoxic stress. Notably, macrophages and neutrophils accumulate preferentially in hypoxic regions of the inflamed colon, suggesting that myeloid cell functions in colitis are HIF-dependent. By depleting ARNT (the obligate heterodimeric binding partner for both HIFα subunits) in a murine model, we demonstrate here that myeloid HIF signaling promotes the resolution of acute colitis. Specifically, myeloid pan-HIF deficiency exacerbates infiltration of pro-inflammatory neutrophils and Ly6C+ monocytic cells into diseased tissue. Myeloid HIF ablation also hinders macrophage functional conversion to a protective, pro-resolving phenotype, and elevates gut serum amyloid A levels during the resolution phase of colitis. Therefore, myeloid cell HIF signaling is required for efficient resolution of inflammatory damage in colitis, implicating serum amyloid A in this process.

Triglycerides Promote Lipid Homeostasis during Hypoxic Stress by Balancing Fatty Acid Saturation.

Lipid droplets, which store triglycerides and cholesterol esters, are a prominent feature of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Although their presence in ccRCC is critical for sustained tumorigenesis, their contribution to lipid homeostasis and tumor cell viability is incompletely understood. Here we show that disrupting triglyceride synthesis compromises the growth of both ccRCC tumors and ccRCC cells exposed to tumor-like conditions. Functionally, hypoxia leads to increased fatty acid saturation through inhibition of the oxygen-dependent stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) enzyme. Triglycerides counter a toxic buildup of saturated lipids, primarily by releasing the unsaturated fatty acid oleate (the principal product of SCD activity) from lipid droplets into phospholipid pools. Disrupting this process derails lipid homeostasis, causing overproduction of toxic saturated ceramides and acyl-carnitines as well as activation of the NF-κB transcription factor. Our work demonstrates that triglycerides promote homeostasis by "buffering" specific fatty acids.