Investigating MCV T Antigens in Merkel Cells as the Cell of Origin for MCC

Authors:

Anisa Cole, Joana Rodrigues, James DeCaprio

Date Created:

2025-01-01

Course Title:

Professor:

Not specified

About Paper:

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive skin cancer dorsal skin was collected and processed for tdTomato-labeled linked to Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV), a ubiquitous but Merkel cell quantification. The average Merkel cell count per typically asymptomatic skin infection. Although MCV infects touch dome was compared between groups using a lognormal t- most adults early in life, MCC primarily affects older or test. Although the mean number of Merkel cells per touch dome immunosuppressed individuals. Once integrated into the host was lower in T antigen-expressing mice (~8.6 vs. ~10.3), the genome, MCV becomes replication-defective but continues to difference was not significant (P = 0.4174). These findings do express tumorigenic small and truncated large T antigens. While not support the model that mature Merkel cells are the cell of MCC tumors closely resemble the post-mitotic Merkel cell, origin for MCC, as their number did not increase with MCV T the tumor’s true cell of origin remains unknown. This study antigenexpression. FutureresearchwillassessATOH1expression investigates whether MCV T antigens can reprogram Merkel cells in MCV-transformed Merkel cell lines before and after T antigen tore-enterthecellcycle. ATOH1expressionisrequiredfornormal induction, immunostain for ST and LT to see if they overlap with Merkel cell development and touch dome formation. We used ATOH1-driven fluorescence, and address limitations such as small Tamoxifen-inducible ATOH1-driven Cre recombinase to express sample size and the limited number of trials. Identifying the cell MCV LT and ST antigens in the treatment group, and localized of origin will help guide the identification of therapeutic targets by Merkel cells with tdTomato under the ATOH1 promoter in both studying how MCV transformation affects the signaling pathways treatment and control groups. Ten days after Tamoxifen induction, of that specific cell.

Abstract:

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive skin cancer dorsal skin was collected and processed for tdTomato-labeled linked to Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV), a ubiquitous but Merkel cell quantification. The average Merkel cell count per typically asymptomatic skin infection. Although MCV infects touch dome was compared between groups using a lognormal t- most adults early in life, MCC primarily affects older or test. Although the mean number of Merkel cells per touch dome immunosuppressed individuals. Once integrated into the host was lower in T antigen-expressing mice (~8.6 vs. ~10.3), the genome, MCV becomes replication-defective but continues to difference was not significant (P = 0.4174). These findings do express tumorigenic small and truncated large T antigens. While not support the model that mature Merkel cells are the cell of MCC tumors closely resemble the post-mitotic Merkel cell, origin for MCC, as their number did not increase with MCV T the tumor’s true cell of origin remains unknown. This study antigenexpression. FutureresearchwillassessATOH1expression investigates whether MCV T antigens can reprogram Merkel cells in MCV-transformed Merkel cell lines before and after T antigen tore-enterthecellcycle. ATOH1expressionisrequiredfornormal induction, immunostain for ST and LT to see if they overlap with Merkel cell development and touch dome formation. We used ATOH1-driven fluorescence, and address limitations such as small Tamoxifen-inducible ATOH1-driven Cre recombinase to express sample size and the limited number of trials. Identifying the cell MCV LT and ST antigens in the treatment group, and localized of origin will help guide the identification of therapeutic targets by Merkel cells with tdTomato under the ATOH1 promoter in both studying how MCV transformation affects the signaling pathways treatment and control groups. Ten days after Tamoxifen induction, of that specific cell.

Source:

Harvard / 4 Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program / 2025

Topics:

cell, merkel, mcv, antigen, mcc, origin, skin, touch, dome, group, number, atoh1

Co-authors:

@anisacole104 , @joanarodrigues105 , @jamesdecaprio106