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Cui J, Xu H, Yu J, Ran S, Zhang X, Li Y, Chen Z, Niu Y, Wang S, Ye W, Chen W, Wu J, Xia J. Targeted depletion of PD-1-expressing cells induces immune tolerance through peripheral clonal deletion. Sci Immunol 2024; 9:eadh0085. [PMID: 38669317 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adh0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Thymic negative selection of the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is essential for establishing self-tolerance and acquired allograft tolerance following organ transplantation. However, it is unclear whether and how peripheral clonal deletion of alloreactive T cells induces transplantation tolerance. Here, we establish that programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) is a hallmark of alloreactive T cells and is associated with clonal expansion after alloantigen encounter. Moreover, we found that diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR)-mediated ablation of PD-1+ cells reshaped the TCR repertoire through peripheral clonal deletion of alloreactive T cells and promoted tolerance in mouse transplantation models. In addition, by using PD-1-specific depleting antibodies, we found that antibody-mediated depletion of PD-1+ cells prevented heart transplant rejection and the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in humanized PD-1 mice. Thus, these data suggest that PD-1 is an attractive target for peripheral clonal deletion and induction of immune tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jikai Cui
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Heng Xu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jizhang Yu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuan Ran
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhang Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuqing Niu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Weicong Ye
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenhao Chen
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center, Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiahong Xia
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Xia Y, Jin S, Wu Y. Small-molecule BCL6 inhibitor protects chronic cardiac transplant rejection and inhibits T follicular helper cell expansion and humoral response. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1140703. [PMID: 37007047 PMCID: PMC10063191 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1140703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) is an important transcription factor of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, which regulate the humoral response by supporting the maturation of germinal center B cells and plasma cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the expansion of T follicular helper cells and the effect of the BCL6 inhibitor FX1 in acute and chronic cardiac transplant rejection models.Methods: A mouse model of acute and chronic cardiac transplant rejection was established. Splenocytes were collected at different time points after transplantation for CXCR5+PD-1+ and CXCR5+BCL6+ Tfh cells detection by flow cytometry (FCM). Next, we treated the cardiac transplant with BCL6 inhibitor FX1 and the survival of grafts was recorded. The hematoxylin and eosin, Elastica van Gieson, and Masson staining of cardiac grafts was performed for the pathological analysis. Furthermore, the proportion and number of CD4+ T cells, effector CD4+ T cells (CD44+CD62L−), proliferating CD4+ T cells (Ki67+), and Tfh cells in the spleen were detected by FCM. The cells related to humoral response (plasma cells, germinal center B cells, IgG1+ B cells) and donor-specific antibody were also detected.Results: We found that the Tfh cells were significantly increased in the recipient mice on day 14 post transplantation. During the acute cardiac transplant rejection, even the BCL6 inhibitor FX1 did not prolong the survival or attenuate the immune response of cardiac graft, the expansion of Tfh cell expansion inhibit. During the chronic cardiac transplant rejection, FX1 prolonged survival of cardiac graft, and prevented occlusion and fibrosis of vascular in cardiac grafts. FX1 also decreased the proportion and number of splenic CD4+ T cells, effector CD4+ T cells, proliferating CD4+ T cells, and Tfh cells in mice with chronic rejection. Moreover, FX1 also inhibited the proportion and number of splenic plasma cells, germinal center B cells, IgG1+ B cells, and the donor-specific antibody in recipient mice.Conclusion: We found BCL6 inhibitor FX1 protects chronic cardiac transplant rejection and inhibits the expansion of Tfh cells and the humoral response, which suggest that BCL6 is a potential therapeutic target of the treatment for chronic cardiac transplant rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Xia
- Department of Physiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Sheng Jin
- Department of Physiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Yuming Wu
- Department of Physiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
- Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
- *Correspondence: Yuming Wu,
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Li S, Zou D, Chen W, Britz GW, Liu Z, Weng YL. METTL3 inhibition reduces N 6 -methyladenosine levels and prevents allogeneic CD4 + T-cell responses. Immunol Cell Biol 2022; 100:718-730. [PMID: 36005900 PMCID: PMC9990421 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Alloreactive CD4+ T cells play a central role in allograft rejection. However, the post-transcriptional regulation of the effector program in alloreactive CD4+ T cells remains unclear. N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) RNA modification is involved in various physiological and pathological processes. Herein, we investigated whether m6 A methylation plays a role in the allogeneic T-cell effector program. m6 A levels of CD4+ T cells from spleens, draining lymph nodes and skin allografts were determined in a skin transplantation model. The effects of a METTL3 inhibitor (STM2457) on CD4+ T-cell characteristics including proliferation, cell cycle, cell apoptosis and effector differentiation were determined after stimulation of polyclonal and alloantigen-specific (TEa; CD4+ T cells specific for I-Eα52-68 ) CD4+ T cells with α-CD3/α-CD28 monoclonal antibodies and cognate CB6F1 alloantigen, respectively. We found that graft-infiltrating CD4+ T cells expressed high m6 A levels. Administration of STM2457 reduced m6 A levels, inhibited T-cell proliferation and suppressed effector differentiation of polyclonal CD4+ T cells. Alloreactive TEa cells challenged with 40 μm STM2457 exhibited deficits in T-cell proliferation and T helper type 1 cell differentiation, a cell cycle arrest in the G0 phase and elevated cell apoptosis. Moreover, these impaired T-cell responses were associated with the diminished expression levels of transcription factors Ki-67, c-Myc and T-bet. Therefore, METTL3 inhibition reduces the expression of several key transcriptional factors for the T-cell effector program and suppresses alloreactive CD4+ T-cell effector function and differentiation. Targeting m6 A-related enzymes and molecular machinery in CD4+ T cells represents an attractive therapeutic approach to prevent allograft rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Dawei Zou
- Department of Surgery, Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Wenhao Chen
- Department of Surgery, Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Gavin W Britz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Zhaoqian Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yi-Lan Weng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
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