Adenocarcinoma in the human stomach evolves in the setting of Helicobacter pylori- induced oxyntic atrophy and chronic mucous cell metaplasia. Our recent lineage mapping studies have demonstrated that metaplasia in the gastric fundus in mice does not arise from the professional progenitor cells located in the upper neck region of the glands, but rather develops from transdifferentiation of mature chief cells into Spasmolytic Polypeptide Expressing Metaplasia, or SPEM. These studies have led to a significant paradigm shift in the concepts for the origin of gastric neoplasia, suggesting that pre-neoplastic lineages do not arise from professional resident mucosal progenitor cell populations, but rather develop from transdifferentiation of mature zymogenic cell lineages. Furthermore, multiple studies now indicate that SPEM, under the influence of inflammation, can develop both increased proliferation and increasing levels of intestinalizing gene expression, and in humans gives rise to goblet cell intestinal metaplasia. Our recent investigations have demonstrated that macrophages are responsible for the promotion of proliferative SPEM progression, but the precise mediators that are responsible for the progression of SPEM towards intestinalization and dysplasia remain unknown. We therefore hypothesize that discrete intrinsic mucosal and macrophage-derived factors regulate not only the evolution, but also the progression of SPEM to more proliferative, preneoplastic metaplasia. To address this hypothesis, we will pursue two specific aims: First, we will examine the role of macrophages in the evolution and progression of metaplasia. Second, we will evaluate the role of Ras activation in evolution of SPEM from transdifferentiating chief cells and the further intestinalization of SPEM lineages in a novel model of metaplasia driven by inducible expression of activated K-Ras in chief cells. While our previous investigations have focused on the establishment of a novel pathway for generation of metaplasia through transdifferentiation of chief cells, the present investigations now focus on the mechanisms that might drive metaplasias to preneoplasia.

Public Health Relevance

Metaplasias are the major precursor lesions for gastric cancer. This proposal seeks to understand the induction and progression of metaplasia towards cancer and how an understanding of pre-cancerous lesions can lead to improved approaches for early detection and treatment.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DK101332-04
Application #
9278155
Study Section
Clinical, Integrative and Molecular Gastroenterology Study Section (CIMG)
Program Officer
Greenwel, Patricia
Project Start
2014-05-01
Project End
2018-07-31
Budget Start
2017-05-01
Budget End
2018-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
079917897
City
Nashville
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
37232
Bockerstett, Kevin A; Osaki, Luciana H; Petersen, Christine P et al. (2018) Interleukin-17A Promotes Parietal Cell Atrophy by Inducing Apoptosis. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 5:678-690.e1
Meyer, Anne R; Goldenring, James R (2018) Injury, repair, inflammation and metaplasia in the stomach. J Physiol 596:3861-3867
Goldenring, James R (2018) Pyloric metaplasia, pseudopyloric metaplasia, ulcer-associated cell lineage and spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia: reparative lineages in the gastrointestinal mucosa. J Pathol 245:132-137
Petersen, Christine P; Meyer, Anne R; De Salvo, Carlo et al. (2018) A signalling cascade of IL-33 to IL-13 regulates metaplasia in the mouse stomach. Gut 67:805-817
Yang, Qing; Yasuda, Tomohiko; Choi, Eunyoung et al. (2018) MEK Inhibitor Reverses Metaplasia and Allows Re-Emergence of Normal Lineages in Helicobacter pylori-Infected Gerbils. Gastroenterology :
Goldenring, James R; Mills, Jason C (2017) Isthmus Time Is Here: Runx1 Identifies Mucosal Stem Cells in theĀ Gastric Corpus. Gastroenterology 152:16-19
Weis, Victoria G; Petersen, Christine P; Weis, Jared A et al. (2017) Maturity and age influence chief cell ability to transdifferentiate into metaplasia. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 312:G67-G76
O'Neil, Andrew; Petersen, Christine P; Choi, Eunyoung et al. (2017) Unique Cellular Lineage Composition of the First Gland of the Mouse Gastric Corpus. J Histochem Cytochem 65:47-58
Petersen, Christine P; Mills, Jason C; Goldenring, James R (2017) Murine Models of Gastric Corpus Preneoplasia. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 3:11-26
Burclaff, Joseph; Osaki, Luciana H; Liu, Dengqun et al. (2017) Targeted Apoptosis of Parietal Cells Is Insufficient to Induce Metaplasia in Stomach. Gastroenterology 152:762-766.e7

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