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Horvat JC, Kim RY, Weaver N, Augood C, Brown AC, Donovan C, Dupre P, Gunawardhana L, Mayall JR, Hansbro NG, Robertson AAB, O'Neill LAJ, Cooper MA, Holliday EG, Hansbro PM, Gibson PG. Characterization and inhibition of inflammasome responses in severe and non-severe asthma. Respir Res 2023; 24:303. [PMID: 38044426 PMCID: PMC10694870 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-023-02603-2] [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: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased airway NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated IL-1β responses may underpin severe neutrophilic asthma. However, whether increased inflammasome activation is unique to severe asthma, is a common feature of immune cells in all inflammatory types of severe asthma, and whether inflammasome activation can be therapeutically targeted in patients, remains unknown. OBJECTIVE To investigate the activation and inhibition of inflammasome-mediated IL-1β responses in immune cells from patients with asthma. METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from patients with non-severe (n = 59) and severe (n = 36 stable, n = 17 exacerbating) asthma and healthy subjects (n = 39). PBMCs were stimulated with nigericin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone, or in combination (LPS + nigericin), with or without the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950, and the effects on IL-1β release were assessed. RESULTS PBMCs from patients with non-severe or severe asthma produced more IL-1β in response to nigericin than those from healthy subjects. PBMCs from patients with severe asthma released more IL-1β in response to LPS + nigericin than those from non-severe asthma. Inflammasome-induced IL-1β release from PBMCs from patients with severe asthma was not increased during exacerbation compared to when stable. Inflammasome-induced IL-1β release was not different between male and female, or obese and non-obese patients and correlated with eosinophil and neutrophil numbers in the airways. MCC950 effectively suppressed LPS-, nigericin-, and LPS + nigericin-induced IL-1β release from PBMCs from all groups. CONCLUSION An increased ability for inflammasome priming and/or activation is a common feature of systemic immune cells in both severe and non-severe asthma, highlighting inflammasome inhibition as a universal therapy for different subtypes of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay C Horvat
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia.
| | - Richard Y Kim
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
- University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, Australia
| | - Natasha Weaver
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Christopher Augood
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
- Centenary Institute, Centre for Inflammation, and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alexandra C Brown
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Chantal Donovan
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
- University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, Australia
| | - Pierrick Dupre
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
- University of Montpellier, Montpellier Cancer Research Institute (IRCM), Montpellier, France
| | | | - Jemma R Mayall
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Nicole G Hansbro
- Centenary Institute, Centre for Inflammation, and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, Australia
| | - Avril A B Robertson
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Luke A J O'Neill
- Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Elizabeth G Holliday
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Philip M Hansbro
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
- Centenary Institute, Centre for Inflammation, and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, Australia
| | - Peter G Gibson
- University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia
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Hansbro PM, Kim RY, Starkey MR, Donovan C, Dua K, Mayall JR, Liu G, Hansbro NG, Simpson JL, Wood LG, Hirota JA, Knight DA, Foster PS, Horvat JC. Mechanisms and treatments for severe, steroid-resistant allergic airway disease and asthma. Immunol Rev 2018; 278:41-62. [PMID: 28658552 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Severe, steroid-resistant asthma is clinically and economically important since affected individuals do not respond to mainstay corticosteroid treatments for asthma. Patients with this disease experience more frequent exacerbations of asthma, are more likely to be hospitalized, and have a poorer quality of life. Effective therapies are urgently required, however, their development has been hampered by a lack of understanding of the pathological processes that underpin disease. A major obstacle to understanding the processes that drive severe, steroid-resistant asthma is that the several endotypes of the disease have been described that are characterized by different inflammatory and immunological phenotypes. This heterogeneity makes pinpointing processes that drive disease difficult in humans. Clinical studies strongly associate specific respiratory infections with severe, steroid-resistant asthma. In this review, we discuss key findings from our studies where we describe the development of representative experimental models to improve our understanding of the links between infection and severe, steroid-resistant forms of this disease. We also discuss their use in elucidating the mechanisms, and their potential for developing effective therapeutic strategies, for severe, steroid-resistant asthma. Finally, we highlight how the immune mechanisms and therapeutic targets we have identified may be applicable to obesity-or pollution-associated asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip M Hansbro
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard Y Kim
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Malcolm R Starkey
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Chantal Donovan
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Kamal Dua
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Jemma R Mayall
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Gang Liu
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicole G Hansbro
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Jodie L Simpson
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Lisa G Wood
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Jeremy A Hirota
- James Hogg Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Darryl A Knight
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul S Foster
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Jay C Horvat
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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Abstract
Modulation of inflammasomes has tremendous therapeutic potential and is hotly pursued by industry and academia alike. Indeed a growing number of patents are emerging to protect the intellectual property in valuable compound classes. This chapter focusses specifically on the suite of small-molecule NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors published, as specific modulation of other inflammasomes is not yet well established. Synthetic molecules, known drugs and natural product NLRP3 modulators will be detailed. Some of the molecular classes discussed have been extensively characterised through cell-based screening, pharmacokinetic profiling and therapeutic proof of concept animal models. However, many inhibitors lack rigorous studies and/or have multiple activities of which NLRP3 modulation is only one. While this is not intended as an exhaustive list, it should give an impression of the range of structures and strategies that are being used, alongside challenges encountered, in an effort to exploit the significant therapeutic benefits of targeting inflammasomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avril A B Robertson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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Abstract
The NLRP3 inflammasome is an intracellular complex that regulates the release of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β in response to exogenous pathogens and endogenous danger signals. Evidence from studies involving human genetics, human ex vivo mononuclear cell responses, and in vivo and in vitro murine models confirms the importance of the inflammasome and interleukin-1β in the pathogenesis of several inherited and complex diseases. The availability of several effective interleukin-1β targeted therapies has allowed for successful proof-of-concept studies in several of these disorders. However, many other diseases are likely to be mediated by the inflammasome and interleukin-1β, providing additional targets in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hal M Hoffman
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of California at San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital of San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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