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Akkaya M, Al Souz J, Williams D, Kamdar R, Kamenyeva O, Kabat J, Shevach E, Akkaya B. Illuminating T cell-dendritic cell interactions in vivo by FlAsHing antigens. eLife 2024; 12:RP91809. [PMID: 38236633 PMCID: PMC10945603 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Delineating the complex network of interactions between antigen-specific T cells and antigen presenting cells (APCs) is crucial for effective precision therapies against cancer, chronic infections, and autoimmunity. However, the existing arsenal for examining antigen-specific T cell interactions is restricted to a select few antigen-T cell receptor pairs, with limited in situ utility. This lack of versatility is largely due to the disruptive effects of reagents on the immune synapse, which hinder real-time monitoring of antigen-specific interactions. To address this limitation, we have developed a novel and versatile immune monitoring strategy by adding a short cysteine-rich tag to antigenic peptides that emits fluorescence upon binding to thiol-reactive biarsenical hairpin compounds. Our findings demonstrate the specificity and durability of the novel antigen-targeting probes during dynamic immune monitoring in vitro and in vivo. This strategy opens new avenues for biological validation of T-cell receptors with newly identified epitopes by revealing the behavior of previously unrecognized antigen-receptor pairs, expanding our understanding of T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munir Akkaya
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, The College of Medicine, The Ohio State UniversityColumbusUnited States
- Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical CenterColumbusUnited States
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State UniversityColumbusUnited States
| | - Jafar Al Souz
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Daniel Williams
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Rahul Kamdar
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Olena Kamenyeva
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Juraj Kabat
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Ethan Shevach
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesBethesdaUnited States
| | - Billur Akkaya
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State UniversityColumbusUnited States
- Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical CenterColumbusUnited States
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Akkaya M, Al Souz J, Williams D, Kamdar R, Kamenyeva O, Kabat J, Shevach EM, Akkaya B. Illuminating T cell-dendritic cell interactions in vivo by FlAsHing antigens. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3193191. [PMID: 37546912 PMCID: PMC10402196 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3193191/v3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Delineating the complex network of interactions between antigen-specific T cells and antigen presenting cells (APCs) is crucial for effective precision therapies against cancer, chronic infections, and autoimmunity. However, the existing arsenal for examining antigen-specific T cell interactions is restricted to a select few antigen-T cell receptor pairs, with limited in situ utility. This lack of versatility is largely due to the disruptive effects of reagents on the immune synapse, which hinder real-time monitoring of antigen-specific interactions. To address this limitation, we have developed a novel and versatile immune monitoring strategy by adding a short cysteine-rich tag to antigenic peptides that emits fluorescence upon binding to thiol-reactive biarsenical hairpin compounds. Our findings demonstrate the specificity and durability of the novel antigen-targeting probes during dynamic immune monitoring in vitro and in vivo. This strategy opens new avenues for biological validation of T-cell receptors with newly identified epitopes by revealing the behavior of previously unrecognized antigen-receptor pairs, expanding our understanding of T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munir Akkaya
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, The College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jafar Al Souz
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Williams
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rahul Kamdar
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Olena Kamenyeva
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juraj Kabat
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ethan M. Shevach
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Billur Akkaya
- Department of Neurology, The College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Akkaya M, Al Souz J, Williams D, Kamdar R, Kamenyeva O, Kabat J, Shevach EM, Akkaya B. Illuminating T cell-dendritic cell interactions in vivo by FlAsHing antigens. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3193191. [PMID: 37546912 PMCID: PMC10402196 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3193191/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Delineating the complex network of interactions between antigen-specific T cells and antigen presenting cells (APCs) is crucial for effective precision therapies against cancer, chronic infections, and autoimmunity. However, the existing arsenal for examining antigen-specific T cell interactions is restricted to a select few antigen-T cell receptor pairs, with limited in situ utility. This lack of versatility is largely due to the disruptive effects of reagents on the immune synapse, which hinder real-time monitoring of antigen-specific interactions. To address this limitation, we have developed a novel and versatile immune monitoring strategy by adding a short cysteine-rich tag to antigenic peptides that emits fluorescence upon binding to thiol-reactive biarsenical hairpin compounds. Our findings demonstrate the specificity and durability of the novel antigen-targeting probes during dynamic immune monitoring in vitro and in vivo. This strategy opens new avenues for biological validation of T-cell receptors with newly identified epitopes by revealing the behavior of previously unrecognized antigen-receptor pairs, expanding our understanding of T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munir Akkaya
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, The College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jafar Al Souz
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Williams
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rahul Kamdar
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Olena Kamenyeva
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juraj Kabat
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ethan M. Shevach
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Billur Akkaya
- Department of Neurology, The College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Lewis SA, Sutherland A, Soldevila F, Westernberg L, Aoki M, Frazier A, Maiche S, Erlewyn-Lajeunesse M, Arshad H, Leonard S, Laubach S, Dantzer JA, Wood RA, Sette A, Seumois G, Vijayanand P, Peters B. Identification of cow milk epitopes to characterize and quantify disease-specific T cells in allergic children. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 152:1196-1209. [PMID: 37604312 PMCID: PMC10846667 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cow milk (CM) allergy is the most prevalent food allergy in young children in the United States and Great Britain. Current diagnostic tests are either unreliable (IgE test and skin prick test) or resource-intensive with risks (food challenges). OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether allergen-specific T cells in CM-allergic (CMA) patients have a distinct quality and/or quantity that could potentially be used as a diagnostic marker. METHODS Using PBMCs from 147 food-allergic pediatric subjects, we mapped T-cell responses to a set of reactive epitopes in CM that we compiled in a peptide pool. This pool induced cytokine responses in in vitro cultured cells distinguishing subjects with CMA from subjects without CMA. We further used the pool to isolate and characterize antigen-specific CD4 memory T cells using flow cytometry and single-cell RNA/TCR sequencing assays. RESULTS We detected significant changes in the transcriptional program and clonality of CM antigen-specific (CM+) T cells elicited by the pool in subjects with CMA versus subjects without CMA ex vivo. CM+ T cells from subjects with CMA had increased percentages of FOXP3+ cells over FOXP3- cells. FOXP3+ cells are often equated with regulatory T cells that have suppressive activity, but CM+ FOXP3+ cells from subjects with CMA showed significant expression of interferon-responsive genes and dysregulated chemokine receptor expression compared with subjects without CMA, suggesting that these are not conventional regulatory T cells. The CM+ FOXP3+ cells were also more clonally expanded than the FOXP3- population. We were further able to use surface markers (CD25, CD127, and CCR7) in combination with our peptide pool stimulation to quantify these CM+ FOXP3+ cells by a simple flow-cytometry assay. We show increased percentages of CM+ CD127-CD25+ cells from subjects with CMA in an independent cohort, which could be used for diagnostic purposes. Looking specifically for TH2 cells normally associated with allergic diseases, we found a small population of clonally expanded CM+ cells that were significantly increased in subjects with CMA and that had high expression of TH2 cytokines and pathogenic TH2/T follicular helper markers. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these findings suggest that there are several differences in the phenotypes of CM+ T cells with CM allergy and that the increase in CM+ FOXP3+ cells is a potential diagnostic marker of an allergic state. Such markers have promising applications in monitoring natural disease outgrowth and/or the efficacy of immunotherapy that will need to be validated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Minori Aoki
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, Calif
| | | | | | - Mich Erlewyn-Lajeunesse
- University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Hasan Arshad
- University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Leonard
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, Calif
| | - Susan Laubach
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, Calif
| | - Jennifer A Dantzer
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md
| | - Robert A Wood
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md
| | - Alessandro Sette
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, Calif; Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, Calif
| | | | - Pandurangan Vijayanand
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, Calif; Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, Calif
| | - Bjoern Peters
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, Calif; Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, Calif.
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Brasal-Prieto M, Fernández-Prades L, Dakhaoui H, Sobrino F, López-Enríquez S, Palomares F. Update on In Vitro Diagnostic Tools and Treatments for Food Allergies. Nutrients 2023; 15:3744. [PMID: 37686776 PMCID: PMC10489659 DOI: 10.3390/nu15173744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Food allergy (FA) is an adverse immunological reaction to a specific food that can trigger a wide range of symptoms from mild to life-threatening. This adverse reaction is caused by different immunological mechanisms, such as IgE-mediated, non-IgE-mediated and mixed IgE-mediated reactions. Its epidemiology has had a significant increase in the last decade, more so in developed countries. It is estimated that approximately 2 to 10% of the world's population has FA and this number appears to be increasing and also affecting more children. The diagnosis can be complex and requires the combination of different tests to establish an accurate diagnosis. However, the treatment of FA is based on avoiding the intake of the specific allergenic food, thus being very difficult at times and also controlling the symptoms in case of accidental exposure. Currently, there are other immunomodulatory treatments such as specific allergen immunotherapy or more innovative treatments that can induce a tolerance response. It is important to mention that research in this field is ongoing and clinical trials are underway to assess the safety and efficacy of these different immunotherapy approaches, new treatment pathways are being used to target and promote the tolerance response. In this review, we describe the new in vitro diagnostic tools and therapeutic treatments to show the latest advances in FA management. We conclude that although significant advances have been made to improve therapies and diagnostic tools for FA, there is an urgent need to standardize both so that, in their totality, they help to improve the management of FA.
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Tippalagama R, Chihab LY, Kearns K, Lewis S, Panda S, Willemsen L, Burel JG, Lindestam Arlehamn CS. Antigen-specificity measurements are the key to understanding T cell responses. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1127470. [PMID: 37122719 PMCID: PMC10140422 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1127470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Antigen-specific T cells play a central role in the adaptive immune response and come in a wide range of phenotypes. T cell receptors (TCRs) mediate the antigen-specificities found in T cells. Importantly, high-throughput TCR sequencing provides a fingerprint which allows tracking of specific T cells and their clonal expansion in response to particular antigens. As a result, many studies have leveraged TCR sequencing in an attempt to elucidate the role of antigen-specific T cells in various contexts. Here, we discuss the published approaches to studying antigen-specific T cells and their specific TCR repertoire. Further, we discuss how these methods have been applied to study the TCR repertoire in various diseases in order to characterize the antigen-specific T cells involved in the immune control of disease.
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