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Larson JH, Jin S, Loschi M, Bolivar Wagers S, Thangavelu G, Zaiken MC, McDonald-Hyman C, Saha A, Aguilar EG, Koehn B, Osborn MJ, Panoskaltsis-Mortari A, Macdonald KPA, Hill GR, Murphy WJ, Serody JS, Maillard I, Kean LS, Kim SV, Littman DR, Blazar BR. Enforced gut homing of murine regulatory T cells reduces early graft-versus-host disease severity. Am J Transplant 2023; 23:1102-1115. [PMID: 36878433 PMCID: PMC10475494 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2023.01.030] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Damage to the gastrointestinal tract following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a significant contributor to the severity and perpetuation of graft-versus-host disease. In preclinical models and clinical trials, we showed that infusing high numbers of regulatory T cells reduces graft-versus-host disease incidence. Despite no change in in vitro suppressive function, transfer of ex vivo expanded regulatory T cells transduced to overexpress G protein-coupled receptor 15 or C-C motif chemokine receptor 9, specific homing receptors for colon or small intestine, respectively, lessened graft-versus-host disease severity in mice. Increased regulatory T cell frequency and retention within the gastrointestinal tissues of mice that received gut homing T cells correlated with lower inflammation and gut damage early post-transplant, decreased graft-versus-host disease severity, and prolonged survival compared with those receiving control transduced regulatory T cells. These data provide evidence that enforced targeting of ex vivo expanded regulatory T cells to the gastrointestinal tract diminishes gut injury and is associated with decreased graft-versus-host disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma H Larson
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sujeong Jin
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michael Loschi
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sara Bolivar Wagers
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Govindarajan Thangavelu
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michael C Zaiken
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Cameron McDonald-Hyman
- Division of Hematology/Oncology/Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Asim Saha
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ethan G Aguilar
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Brent Koehn
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Mark J Osborn
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kelli P A Macdonald
- Infection and Inflammation Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Immunology Department, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Geoffrey R Hill
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Jonathan S Serody
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Computational Medicine Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ivan Maillard
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Leslie S Kean
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sangwon V Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dan R Littman
- Molecular Pathogenesis Program, The Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine of the Skirball Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Bruce R Blazar
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
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Nicholls JH, Loschi M, Jin S, Wagers SB, Thangavelu G, Zaiken MC, McDonald-Hyman C, Saha A, Aguliar EG, Koehn B, Osborn MJ, MacDonald KP, Kim SV, Littman DR, Blazar BR. Targeted gastrointestinal tract homing of regulatory T-cells reduces acute graft-versus-host disease severity by simulating an increase in Treg dose in vivo. The Journal of Immunology 2021. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.206.supp.11.05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract following hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) has been shown to drive the development of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). We have demonstrated clinically that infusing regulatory T-cells (Treg) during HSCT reduces aGVHD risk while supporting immune recovery; however, high Treg doses were necessary. Here we demonstrate that by promoting Treg homing to the GI tract early post-HSCT, aGVHD severity was reduced. Ex vivo expanded murine Treg were retrovirally transduced to overexpress the orphan chemoattractant receptor GPR15 for colon specific T-cell homing. Despite no change in Treg phenotype or in vitro suppressive function when administered to HSCT recipient mice at the time of transplantation, mice that received GPR15+ Treg exhibited significantly reduced aGVHD severity and prolonged survival compared to control Treg mice (p = 0.0035). To confirm that this resulted from an increased Treg accumulation in the GI tissues, we then assessed the frequency and retention of GPR15+ Treg in mice post-HSCT by in vivo and ex vivo bioluminescent imaging as well as flow analysis. From these data, we observed not only superior localization of GPR15+ Treg within GI tissues, but also significantly reduced inflammation and tissue damage in GPR15+ Treg recipient mice early post-HSCT. Our data provides evidence that deliberate targeting of ex vivo expanded Treg to the GI tract during HSCT significantly reduces injury to the GI tract and reduces aGVHD severity by simulating an increase in Treg dose in vivo. These data provide a rational for the future development of clinical Treg products for increased control of GI aGVHD following HSCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma H Nicholls
- 1Pediatrics, Univ. of Minnesota
- 2Pediatrics, Univ. of Minnesota, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Dan R Littman
- 6Howard Hughes Medical Inst., New York Univ. Sch. of Med
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Thangavelu G, Andrejeva G, Loschi M, Aguilar EG, Lee YC, Furlan SN, McDonald-Hyman C, Zaiken MC, Feser CJ, Panoskaltsis-Mortari A, Kean LS, Rathmell JC, Chi H, Noelle RJ, Blazar BR. Divergent roles of retinoic acid signaling in T regulatory cell function. The Journal of Immunology 2020. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.204.supp.228.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) modulate immune responses to maintain immune homeostasis. Retinoic acid (RA) signaling promotes Treg generation and stability. Paradoxically, we observed that dominant negative RA receptor α expressed only in donor T cells (DNRARαfl/flCD4Cre) dampened inflammation and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), while increasing Tregs. We found that diminishing RA signaling significantly enhanced their in vitro suppressive capacity. In vivo the adoptive transfer of DNRARαfl/flCD4Cre Tregs at the time of transplant was significantly (p<0.01) more effective than wild type (WT) controls in ameliorating GVHD. Mechanistically, enhanced suppression was associated with elevated expression of suppressive (CTLA-4, GITR, CD39) and fitness (CD25, pSTAT5) markers. To evaluate the intrinsic requirement of RA signaling in Tregs, we generated transgenic mice with conditional DNRARα expression in Tregs (DNRARαfl/fl x Foxp3YFPCre). Surprisingly, the extent of ablation of RA signaling resulted in divergent phenotypes. Heterozygous ablation (DNRARαfl/wt) was permissive of enhanced Treg suppression. In striking contrast and unexpectedly, homozygous ablation (DNRARαfl/fl) impaired Treg suppressive function and caused multi-organ (lung, liver) autoimmunity in >90% of females and males by 3 months of age. Poor suppression is not cell intrinsic as DNRARαfl/fl Tregs isolated from mixed bone marrow chimeras of congenic WT and DNRARαfl/fl x Foxp3YFP Cre had enhanced function. Our studies indicate that RA signaling in Tregs can be targeted to prevent autoimmunity by enhancing Treg suppression or alternatively, promote antitumor responses by reducing Treg function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriela Andrejeva
- 2Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | | | | | - Yu-Chi Lee
- 3Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA
| | - Scott N Furlan
- 4Department of Immunology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
| | | | | | | | | | - Leslie S Kean
- 5Boston Children’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Rathmell
- 2Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Hongbo Chi
- 6Department of Immunology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis
| | - Randolph J Noelle
- 3Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA
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McDonald-Hyman C, Muller JT, Loschi M, Thangavelu G, Saha A, Kumari S, Reichenbach DK, Smith MJ, Zhang G, Koehn BH, Lin J, Mitchell JS, Fife BT, Panoskaltsis-Mortari A, Feser CJ, Kirchmeier AK, Osborn MJ, Hippen KL, Kelekar A, Serody JS, Turka LA, Munn DH, Chi H, Neubert TA, Dustin ML, Blazar BR. The vimentin intermediate filament network restrains regulatory T cell suppression of graft-versus-host disease. J Clin Invest 2018; 128:4604-4621. [PMID: 30106752 DOI: 10.1172/jci95713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical for maintaining immune homeostasis. However, current Treg immunotherapies do not optimally treat inflammatory diseases in patients. Understanding the cellular processes that control Treg function may allow for the augmentation of therapeutic efficacy. In contrast to activated conventional T cells, in which protein kinase C-θ (PKC-θ) localizes to the contact point between T cells and antigen-presenting cells, in human and mouse Tregs, PKC-θ localizes to the opposite end of the cell in the distal pole complex (DPC). Here, using a phosphoproteomic screen, we identified the intermediate filament vimentin as a PKC-θ phospho target and show that vimentin forms a DPC superstructure on which PKC-θ accumulates. Treatment of mouse Tregs with either a clinically relevant PKC-θ inhibitor or vimentin siRNA disrupted vimentin and enhanced Treg metabolic and suppressive activity. Moreover, vimentin-disrupted mouse Tregs were significantly better than controls at suppressing alloreactive T cell priming in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and GVHD lethality, using a complete MHC-mismatch mouse model of acute GVHD (C57BL/6 donor into BALB/c host). Interestingly, vimentin disruption augmented the suppressor function of PKC-θ-deficient mouse Tregs. This suggests that enhanced Treg activity after PKC-θ inhibition is secondary to effects on vimentin, not just PKC-θ kinase activity inhibition. Our data demonstrate that vimentin is a key metabolic and functional controller of Treg activity and provide proof of principle that disruption of vimentin is a feasible, translationally relevant method to enhance Treg potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron McDonald-Hyman
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,The Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - James T Muller
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, and Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michael Loschi
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,The Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Govindarajan Thangavelu
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,The Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Asim Saha
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,The Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sudha Kumari
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, and Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Dawn K Reichenbach
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,The Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michelle J Smith
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,The Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Guoan Zhang
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, and Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Brent H Koehn
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,The Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jiqiang Lin
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, and Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jason S Mitchell
- The Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Brian T Fife
- The Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Colby J Feser
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrew Kemal Kirchmeier
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Mark J Osborn
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Keli L Hippen
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ameeta Kelekar
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jonathan S Serody
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Laurence A Turka
- Center for Transplantation Sciences, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David H Munn
- Department of Pediatrics, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Hongbo Chi
- Department of Immunology, Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Thomas A Neubert
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, and Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michael L Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Bruce R Blazar
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,The Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Le Texier L, Lineburg KE, Cao B, McDonald-Hyman C, Leveque-El Mouttie L, Nicholls J, Melino M, Nalkurthi BC, Alexander KA, Teal B, Blake SJ, Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes F, Engwerda CR, Kuns RD, Lane SW, Teng M, Teh C, Gray D, Clouston AD, Nilsson SK, Blazar BR, Hill GR, MacDonald KP. Autophagy-dependent regulatory T cells are critical for the control of graft-versus-host disease. JCI Insight 2016; 1:e86850. [PMID: 27699243 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.86850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance. Quantitative and/or qualitative defects in Tregs result in diseases such as autoimmunity, allergy, malignancy, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). We recently reported increased expression of autophagy-related genes (Atg) in association with enhanced survival of Tregs after SCT. Autophagy is a self-degradative process for cytosolic components that promotes cell homeostasis and survival. Here, we demonstrate that the disruption of autophagy within FoxP3+ Tregs (B6.Atg7fl/fl-FoxP3cre+ ) resulted in a profound loss of Tregs, particularly within the bone marrow (BM). This resulted in dysregulated effector T cell activation and expansion, and the development of enterocolitis and scleroderma in aged mice. We show that the BM compartment is highly enriched in TIGIT+ Tregs and that this subset is differentially depleted in the absence of autophagy. Moreover, following allogeneic SCT, recipients of grafts from B6.Atg7fl/fl-FoxP3cre+ donors exhibited reduced Treg reconstitution, exacerbated GVHD, and reduced survival compared with recipients of B6.WT-FoxP3cre+ grafts. Collectively, these data indicate that autophagy-dependent Tregs are critical for the maintenance of tolerance after SCT and that the promotion of autophagy represents an attractive immune-restorative therapeutic strategy after allogeneic SCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laëtitia Le Texier
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Katie E Lineburg
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Benjamin Cao
- Manufacturing, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cameron McDonald-Hyman
- Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Lucie Leveque-El Mouttie
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jemma Nicholls
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michelle Melino
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Blessy C Nalkurthi
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kylie A Alexander
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bianca Teal
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephen J Blake
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Christian R Engwerda
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rachel D Kuns
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Steven W Lane
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michele Teng
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Charis Teh
- Molecular Genetics of Cancer Division and Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel Gray
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Molecular Genetics of Cancer Division and Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Susan K Nilsson
- Manufacturing, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bruce R Blazar
- Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Geoffrey R Hill
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kelli Pa MacDonald
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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McDonald-Hyman C, Thangavelu G, Saha A, Muller J, Zhang G, Kumari S, Koehn BH, Mitchell JS, Fife BT, Serody JS, Osborn MJ, Hippen KL, Kelekar A, Munn DH, Altman A, Neubert T, Dustin ML, Blazar BR. Protein Kinase C-θ and vimentin modulate multiple facets of Regulatory T-cell function. The Journal of Immunology 2016. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.196.supp.140.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) prevent autoimmune and alloimmune reactions. Augmenting Treg function may enhance Treg therapies for these diseases. Treg-specific inhibition of protein kinase C-theta (PKC-θ) enhances Treg function. However, it is unclear whether PKC-θ inhibition can boost Treg function in systemic inflammatory conditions.
In a mouse model of acute GVHD, we found that Tregs treated with the PKC-θ inhibitor AEB071 reduced GVHD mortality and severity significantly better than DMSO treated Tregs. Compared to DMSO, AEB071 treated Tregs significantly reduced conventional T-cells (Tcon) proliferation on D4 after transplant. Multi-photon microscopy showed that AEB071 treated Tregs significantly increased Tcon velocity and displacement compared to DMSO.
Mechanistically, AEB071 augments expression of Neuropilin-1 (Nrp1) and Lymphocyte activation gene 3 (Lag3). Antibody blockade of Nrp1 and Lag3 in transwell suppression assays reduced the effect of AEB071 on Treg function. PKC-θ inhibition also reduces phosphorylation of mTORC2 targets FoxO3a and Akt phospho-site S473, but not mTORC1 targets S6, 4E-BP1 or Akt phospho-site T308. Compared to DMSO, AEB071 treatment significantly increased fatty acid uptake and oxygen consumption rate (OCR).
Phosphoproteomic analysis identified a significant alteration in the interaction between PKC-θ and the intermediate filament vimentin after AEB071 treatment, which was confirmed by confocal. Vimentin siRNA treatment also significantly reduces PKC-θ/vimentin interaction, increases Treg function, Nrp1 expression and OCR.
In summary, PKC-θ and vimentin modulate multiple aspects of Treg function, and altering these molecules may enhance the efficacy of Treg therapeutics.
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Hew KM, Walker AI, Kohli A, Garcia M, Syed A, McDonald-Hyman C, Noth EM, Mann JK, Pratt B, Balmes J, Hammond SK, Eisen EA, Nadeau KC. Childhood exposure to ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is linked to epigenetic modifications and impaired systemic immunity in T cells. Clin Exp Allergy 2015; 45:238-48. [PMID: 25048800 DOI: 10.1111/cea.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) increases atopy; it is unclear how PAH exposure is linked to increased severity of atopic diseases. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that ambient PAH exposure is linked to impairment of immunity in atopic children (defined as children with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis) from Fresno, California, an area with elevated ambient PAHs. METHODS We recruited 256 subjects from Fresno, CA. Ambient PAH concentrations (ng/m(3) ) were measured using a spatial-temporal regression model over multiple time periods. Asthma diagnosis was determined by current NHLBI criteria. Phenotyping and functional immune measurements were performed from isolated cells. For epigenetic measurements, DNA was isolated and pyrosequenced. RESULTS We show that higher average PAH exposure was significantly associated with impaired Treg function and increased methylation in the forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) locus (P < 0.05), conditional on atopic status. These epigenetic modifications were significantly linked to differential protein expression of FOXP3 (P < 0.001). Methylation was associated with cellular functional changes, specifically Treg dysfunction, and an increase in total plasma IgE levels. Protein expression of IL-10 decreased and IFN-γ increased as the extent of PAH exposure increased. The strength of the associations generally increased as the time window for average PAH exposure increased from 24 hr to 1 year, suggesting more of a chronic response. Significant associations with chronic PAH exposure and immune outcomes were also observed in subjects with allergic rhinitis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Collectively, these results demonstrate that increased ambient PAH exposure is associated with impaired systemic immunity and epigenetic modifications in a key locus involved in atopy: FOXP3, with a higher impact on atopic children. The results suggest that increased atopic clinical symptoms in children could be linked to increased PAH exposure in air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Hew
- Department of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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Abstract
Although major advances have been made in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the last 50 years, big challenges remain. This review outlines the current immunological limitations for hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplantation and discusses new immune-modulating therapies in preclinical development and in clinical trials that may allow these obstacles to be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron McDonald-Hyman
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Laurence A Turka
- Center for Transplantation Sciences, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.Immune Tolerance Network, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Center for Transplantation Sciences, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.Immune Tolerance Network, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Bruce R Blazar
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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9
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Hew KM, Walker AI, Kohli A, Syed A, McDonald-Hyman C, Li Z, Sjodin A, Nadeau KC. Urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Metabolites and Th2 Immunity In Children. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2013.12.825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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10
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Cachola L, Liu J, McDonald-Hyman C, Nadeau K. The Effect of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and DNA Methyltransferase I Transcription. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2010.12.508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Nadeau K, McDonald-Hyman C, Noth EM, Pratt B, Hammond SK, Balmes J, Tager I. Ambient air pollution impairs regulatory T-cell function in asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2010; 126:845-852.e10. [PMID: 20920773 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2010.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2010] [Revised: 08/05/2010] [Accepted: 08/06/2010] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asthma is the most frequent chronic disease in children, and children are at high risk for adverse health consequences associated with ambient air pollution (AAP) exposure. Regulatory T (Treg) cells are suppressors of immune responses involved in asthma pathogenesis. Treg-cell impairment is associated with increased DNA methylation of Forkhead box transcription factor 3 (Foxp3), a key transcription factor in Treg-cell activity. Because AAP exposure can induce epigenetic changes, we hypothesized that Treg-cell function would be impaired by AAP, allowing amplification of an inflammatory response. OBJECTIVES To assess whether exposure to AAP led to hypermethylation of the Foxp3 gene, causing impaired Treg-cell suppression and worsened asthma symptom scores. METHODS Children with and without asthma from Fresno, Calif (high pollution, Fresno Asthma Group [FA], n = 71, and Fresno Non Asthmatic Group, n = 30, respectively), and from Stanford, Calif (low pollution, Stanford Asthma Group, n = 40, and Stanford Non Asthmatic Group, n = 40), were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Peripheral blood Treg cells were used in functional and epigenetic studies. Asthma outcomes were assessed by Global Initiative in Asthma score. RESULTS Fresno Asthma Group Treg-cell suppression was impaired and FA Treg-cell chemotaxis were reduced compared with other groups (P ≤ .05). Treg-cell dysfunction was associated with more pronounced decreases in asthma Global Initiative in Asthma score in FA versus the Stanford Asthma Group. Foxp3 was decreased in FA compared with the Fresno Non Asthmatic Group (P ≤ .05). FA also contained significantly higher levels of methylation at the Foxp3 locus (P ≤ .05). CONCLUSION Increased exposure to AAP is associated with hypermethylation of the Foxp3 locus, impairing Treg-cell function and increasing asthma morbidity. AAP could play a role in mediating epigenetic changes in Treg cells, which may worsen asthma by an immune mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari Nadeau
- School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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