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Bick F, Blanchetot C, Lambrecht BN, Schuijs MJ. Targeting γc family cytokines with biologics: current status and future prospects. MAbs 2025; 17:2468312. [PMID: 39967341 PMCID: PMC11845063 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2025.2468312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2025] [Accepted: 02/12/2025] [Indexed: 02/20/2025] Open
Abstract
Over the recent decades the market potential of biologics has substantially expanded, and many of the top-selling drugs worldwide are now monoclonal antibodies or antibody-like molecules. The common gamma chain (γc) cytokines, Interleukin (IL-)2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15, and IL-21, play pivotal roles in regulating immune responses, from innate to adaptive immunity. Dysregulation of cell signaling by these cytokines is strongly associated with a range of immunological disorders, which includes cancer as well as autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Given the essential role of γc cytokines in maintaining immune homeostasis, the development of therapeutic interventions targeting these molecules poses unique challenges. Here, we provide an overview of current biologics targeting either single or multiple γc cytokines or their respective receptor subunits across a spectrum of diseases, primarily focusing on antibodies, antibody-like constructs, and antibody-cytokine fusions. We summarize therapeutic biologics currently in clinical trials, highlighting how they may offer advantages over existing therapies and standard of care, and discuss recent advances in this field. Finally, we explore future directions and the potential of novel therapeutic intervention strategies targeting this cytokine family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Bick
- Argenx BV, Zwijnaarde, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Bart N. Lambrecht
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Martijn J. Schuijs
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
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Sáenz-Narciso B, Bell SE, Matheson LS, Venigalla RKC, Turner M. ZFP36-family RNA-binding proteins in regulatory T cells reinforce immune homeostasis. Nat Commun 2025; 16:4192. [PMID: 40328742 PMCID: PMC12056042 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58993-y] [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] [Received: 09/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2025] [Indexed: 05/08/2025] Open
Abstract
RNA binding proteins (RBP) of the ZFP36 family limit the differentiation and effector functions of CD4 and CD8 T cells, but little is known of their expression or function in regulatory T (Treg) cells. By using Treg cell-restricted deletion of Zfp36 family members we identify the role of Zfp36l1 and Zfp36l2 in Treg cells to maintain immune homeostasis. Mice with Treg cells deficient in these RBP display an inflammatory phenotype with an expansion in the numbers of type-2 conventional dendritic cells, T effector cells, T follicular helper and germinal center B cells and elevated serum cytokines and immunoglobulins. In the absence of Zfp36l1 and Zfp36l2, the pool of cycling CTLA-4 in naïve Treg cells is reduced, Treg cells are less sensitive to IL-2 and IL-7 but are more sensitive to IFNγ. In mice lacking both RBP in Treg cells, the deletion of a single allele of Ifng is sufficient to ameliorate the pathology. Our results indicate that ZFP36L1 and ZFP36L2 regulate the availability of IFNγ and are required for the maintenance of Treg cell stability. Thus, ZFP36L1 and ZFP36L2 regulate multiple pathways that enable Treg cells to enforce immune homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Sáenz-Narciso
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sarah E Bell
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Louise S Matheson
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ram K C Venigalla
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Martin Turner
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK.
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3
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Lee JJ, Yang L, Kotzin JJ, Ahimovic D, Bale MJ, Nigrovic PA, Josefowicz SZ, Mathis D, Benoist C. Early transcriptional effects of inflammatory cytokines reveal highly redundant cytokine networks. J Exp Med 2025; 222:e20241207. [PMID: 39873673 PMCID: PMC11865922 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20241207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2024] [Revised: 09/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2025] [Indexed: 01/30/2025] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory cytokines are fundamental mediators of the organismal response to injury, infection, or other harmful stimuli. To elucidate the early and mostly direct transcriptional signatures of inflammatory cytokines, we profiled all immunologic cell types by RNAseq after systemic exposure to IL1β, IL6, and TNFα. Our results revealed a significant overlap in the responses, with broad divergence between myeloid and lymphoid cells, but with very few cell-type-specific responses. Pathway and motif analysis identified several main controllers (NF-κB, IRF8, and PU.1), but the largest portion of the response appears to be mediated by MYC, which was also implicated in the response to γc cytokines. Indeed, inflammatory and γc cytokines elicited surprisingly similar responses (∼50% overlap in NK cells). Significant overlap with interferon-induced responses was observed, paradoxically in lymphoid but not myeloid cell types. These results point to a highly redundant cytokine network, with intertwined effects between disparate cytokines and cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana J. Lee
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liang Yang
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan J. Kotzin
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dughan Ahimovic
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael J. Bale
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter A. Nigrovic
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven Z. Josefowicz
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Diane Mathis
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christophe Benoist
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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4
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Midavaine É, Moraes BC, Benitez J, Rodriguez SR, Braz JM, Kochhar NP, Eckalbar WL, Tian L, Domingos AI, Pintar JE, Basbaum AI, Kashem SW. Meningeal regulatory T cells inhibit nociception in female mice. Science 2025; 388:96-104. [PMID: 40179196 DOI: 10.1126/science.adq6531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 11/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2025] [Indexed: 04/05/2025]
Abstract
T cells have emerged as orchestrators of pain amplification, but the mechanism by which T cells control pain processing is unresolved. We found that regulatory T cells (Treg cells) could inhibit nociception through a mechanism that was not dependent on their ability to regulate immune activation and tissue repair. Site-specific depletion or expansion of meningeal Treg cells (mTreg cells) in mice led to female-specific and sex hormone-dependent modulation of mechanical sensitivity. Specifically, mTreg cells produced the endogenous opioid enkephalin that exerted an antinociceptive action through the delta opioid receptor expressed by MrgprD+ sensory neurons. Although enkephalin restrains nociceptive processing, it was dispensable for Treg cell-mediated immunosuppression. Thus, our findings uncovered a sexually dimorphic immunological circuit that restrains nociception, establishing Treg cells as sentinels of pain homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Élora Midavaine
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Beatriz C Moraes
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jorge Benitez
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sian R Rodriguez
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joao M Braz
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nathan P Kochhar
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Walter L Eckalbar
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Ana I Domingos
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - John E Pintar
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Allan I Basbaum
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sakeen W Kashem
- Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Dermatology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
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5
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Huang D, Liu X, Gao X, Choi CK, Giglio G, Farah L, Leung T, Wong KC, Kan LL, Chong JW, Meng Q, Liao J, Cheung PF, Wong C. Meteorin-like protein/METRNL/Interleukin-41 ameliorates atopic dermatitis-like inflammation. Allergy 2025; 80:474-488. [PMID: 38727640 PMCID: PMC11804313 DOI: 10.1111/all.16150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Meteorin-like protein (METRNL)/Interleukin-41 (IL-41) is a novel immune-secreted cytokine/myokine involved in several inflammatory diseases. However, how METRNL exerts its regulatory properties on skin inflammation remains elusive. This study aims to elucidate the functionality and regulatory mechanism of METRNL in atopic dermatitis (AD). METHODS METRNL levels were determined in skin and serum samples from patients with AD and subsequently verified in the vitamin D3 analogue MC903-induced AD-like mice model. The cellular target of METRNL activity was identified by multiplex immunostaining, single-cell RNA-seq and RNA-seq. RESULTS METRNL was significantly upregulated in lesions and serum of patients with dermatitis compared to healthy controls (p <.05). Following repeated MC903 exposure, AD model mice displayed elevated levels of METRNL in both ears and serum. Administration of recombinant murine METRNL protein (rmMETRNL) ameliorated allergic skin inflammation and hallmarks of AD in mice, whereas blocking of METRNL signaling led to the opposite. METRNL enhanced β-Catenin activation, limited the expression of Th2-related molecules that attract the accumulation of Arginase-1 (Arg1)hi macrophages, dendritic cells, and activated mast cells. CONCLUSIONS METRNL can bind to KIT receptor and subsequently alleviate the allergic inflammation of AD by inhibiting the expansion of immune cells, and downregulating inflammatory gene expression by regulating the level of active WNT pathway molecule β-Catenin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqi Huang
- Department of Chemical PathologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Xiuting Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Sun Yat‐Sen Memorial HospitalSun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Xun Gao
- Department of Chemical PathologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
- Center of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhongda HospitalSoutheast UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Chun Kit Choi
- Department of Chemical PathologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Giovanni Giglio
- Bridge Institute of Experimental Tumor Therapy, West German Cancer CenterUniversity Hospital EssenEssenGermany
- Division of Solid Tumor Translational OncologyGerman Cancer Consortium (DKTK, partner site Essen) and German Cancer Research Center, DKFZHeidelbergGermany
| | - Luay Farah
- Bridge Institute of Experimental Tumor Therapy, West German Cancer CenterUniversity Hospital EssenEssenGermany
- Division of Solid Tumor Translational OncologyGerman Cancer Consortium (DKTK, partner site Essen) and German Cancer Research Center, DKFZHeidelbergGermany
| | - Ting‐Fan Leung
- Department of PaediatricsThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Katie Ching‐Yau Wong
- Department of Chemical PathologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Lea Ling‐Yu Kan
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal PlantsThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | | | - Qing‐Jun Meng
- Welcome Centre for Cell Matrix Research, Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Jinyue Liao
- Department of Chemical PathologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Phyllis Fung‐Yi Cheung
- Bridge Institute of Experimental Tumor Therapy, West German Cancer CenterUniversity Hospital EssenEssenGermany
- Division of Solid Tumor Translational OncologyGerman Cancer Consortium (DKTK, partner site Essen) and German Cancer Research Center, DKFZHeidelbergGermany
- Spatiotemporal tumor heterogeneity, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)A Partnership Between German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and University HospitalEssenGermany
| | - Chun‐Kwok Wong
- Department of Chemical PathologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
- Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal PlantsThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
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Wang Y, Zhang Y, Kim K, Han J, Okin D, Jiang Z, Yang L, Subramaniam A, Means TK, Nestlé FO, Fitzgerald KA, Randolph GJ, Lesser CF, Kagan JC, Mathis D, Benoist C. A pan-family screen of nuclear receptors in immunocytes reveals ligand-dependent inflammasome control. Immunity 2024; 57:2737-2754.e12. [PMID: 39571575 PMCID: PMC11634661 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 10/23/2024] [Indexed: 12/13/2024]
Abstract
Ligand-dependent transcription factors of the nuclear receptor (NR) family regulate diverse aspects of metazoan biology, enabling communications between distant organs via small lipophilic molecules. Here, we examined the impact of each of 35 NRs on differentiation and homeostatic maintenance of all major immunological cell types in vivo through a "Rainbow-CRISPR" screen. Receptors for retinoic acid exerted the most frequent cell-specific roles. NR requirements varied for resident macrophages of different tissues. Deletion of either Rxra or Rarg reduced frequencies of GATA6+ large peritoneal macrophages (LPMs). Retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα) functioned conventionally by orchestrating LPM differentiation through chromatin and transcriptional regulation, whereas retinoic acid receptor gamma (RARγ) controlled LPM survival by regulating pyroptosis via association with the inflammasome adaptor ASC. RARγ antagonists activated caspases, and RARγ agonists inhibited cell death induced by several inflammasome activators. Our findings provide a broad view of NR function in the immune system and reveal a noncanonical role for a retinoid receptor in modulating inflammasome pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutao Wang
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yanbo Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kyungsub Kim
- Center for Bacterial Pathogenesis and Department of Microbiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jichang Han
- Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Daniel Okin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhaozhao Jiang
- Division of Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Liang Yang
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arum Subramaniam
- Immunology and Inflammatory Research Therapeutic Area, Sanofi, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Terry K Means
- Immunology and Inflammatory Research Therapeutic Area, Sanofi, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Frank O Nestlé
- Immunology and Inflammatory Research Therapeutic Area, Sanofi, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Katherine A Fitzgerald
- Division of Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Gwendalyn J Randolph
- Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Cammie F Lesser
- Center for Bacterial Pathogenesis and Department of Microbiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan C Kagan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diane Mathis
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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7
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Midavaine É, Moraes BC, Benitez J, Rodriguez SR, Braz JM, Kochhar NP, Eckalbar WL, Domingos AI, Pintar JE, Basbaum AI, Kashem SW. Regulatory T cell-derived enkephalin gates nociception. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.11.593442. [PMID: 38798460 PMCID: PMC11118376 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.11.593442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
T cells have emerged as sex-dependent orchestrators of pain chronification but the sexually dimorphic mechanisms by which T cells control pain sensitivity is not resolved. Here, we demonstrate an influence of regulatory T cells (Tregs) on pain processing that is distinct from their canonical functions of immune regulation and tissue repair. Specifically, meningeal Tregs (mTregs) express the endogenous opioid, enkephalin, and mTreg-derived enkephalin exerts an antinociceptive action through a presynaptic opioid receptor signaling mechanism that is dispensable for immunosuppression. We demonstrate that mTregs are both necessary and sufficient to suppress mechanical pain sensitivity in female, but not male, mice, with this modulation reliant on sex hormones. These results uncover a fundamental sex-specific, and immunologically-derived endogenous opioid circuit for nociceptive regulation with critical implications for pain biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Élora Midavaine
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Beatriz C. Moraes
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jorge Benitez
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sian R. Rodriguez
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joao M. Braz
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Nathan P. Kochhar
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Walter L. Eckalbar
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ana I. Domingos
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - John E. Pintar
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Allan I. Basbaum
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sakeen W. Kashem
- Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Dermatology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
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Bick F, Brenis Gómez CM, Lammens I, Van Moorleghem J, De Wolf C, Dupont S, Dumoutier L, Smith NP, Villani AC, Browaeys R, Alladina J, Haring AM, Medoff BD, Cho JL, Bigirimana R, Vieira J, Hammad H, Blanchetot C, Schuijs MJ, Lambrecht BN. IL-2 family cytokines IL-9 and IL-21 differentially regulate innate and adaptive type 2 immunity in asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 154:1129-1145. [PMID: 39147327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.07.024] [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] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asthma is often accompanied by type 2 immunity rich in IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 cytokines produced by TH2 lymphocytes or type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s). IL-2 family cytokines play a key role in the differentiation, homeostasis, and effector function of innate and adaptive lymphocytes. OBJECTIVE IL-9 and IL-21 boost activation and proliferation of TH2 and ILC2s, but the relative importance and potential synergism between these γ common chain cytokines are currently unknown. METHODS Using newly generated antibodies, we inhibited IL-9 and IL-21 alone or in combination in various murine models of asthma. In a translational approach using segmental allergen challenge, we recently described elevated IL-9 levels in human subjects with allergic asthma compared with nonasthmatic controls. Here, we also measured IL-21 in both groups. RESULTS IL-9 played a central role in controlling innate IL-33-induced lung inflammation by promoting proliferation and activation of ILC2s in an IL-21-independent manner. Conversely, chronic house dust mite-induced airway inflammation, mainly driven by adaptive immunity, was solely dependent on IL-21, which controlled TH2 activation, eosinophilia, total serum IgE, and formation of tertiary lymphoid structures. In a model of innate on adaptive immunity driven by papain allergen, a clear synergy was found between both pathways, as combined anti-IL-9 or anti-IL-21 blockade was superior in reducing key asthma features. In human bronchoalveolar lavage samples we measured elevated IL-21 protein within the allergic asthmatic group compared with the allergic control group. We also found increased IL21R transcripts and predicted IL-21 ligand activity in various disease-associated cell subsets. CONCLUSIONS IL-9 and IL-21 play important and nonredundant roles in allergic asthma by boosting ILC2s and TH2 cells, revealing a dual IL-9 and IL-21 targeting strategy as a new and testable approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Bick
- argenx BV, Zwijnaarde, Belgium; Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Claudia M Brenis Gómez
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Inés Lammens
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Justine Van Moorleghem
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Caroline De Wolf
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sam Dupont
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laure Dumoutier
- de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Neal P Smith
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Mass; Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Mass
| | - Alexandra-Chloé Villani
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Mass; Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Mass
| | - Robin Browaeys
- Bioinformatics Expertise Unit, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jehan Alladina
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Alexis M Haring
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Benjamin D Medoff
- Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Josalyn L Cho
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Occupational Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
| | | | | | - Hamida Hammad
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Martijn J Schuijs
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Bart N Lambrecht
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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