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Twomey R, Graham S, Spina JS, Wu X, Dubé PE, Ferrebee C, Housley W. Utilizing a human TLR selective ligand in a humanized immune system mouse model to investigate human TLR4 signaling. J Biol Methods 2023; 10:jbm-10-e99010008. [PMID: 38046987 PMCID: PMC10691501 DOI: 10.14440/jbm.2023.408] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mouse models with humanized immune systems are becoming increasingly prevalent in pharmaceutical research as a platform for preclinical testing with potential for greater translatability to clinical applications. However, the presence of both mouse and human cells that respond to TLR ligands poses a challenge for investigating therapeutic modalities targeting TLR signaling. AZ617 is a human TLR4 agonist, which has been shown in vitro to preferentially induce human cytokines via the TLR4 signaling pathway. We sought to examine the ability of AZ617 to preferentially induce human cytokines in CD34+ stem cell-engrafted NOG-EXL mice (huNOG-EXL), to determine its suitability as an in vivo human functional readout. AZ617 elicited a strong human TNFα and IL-6 response in vivo that demonstrated a 10- and 5-fold preference, respectively, over the mouse TNFα and IL-6. To assess efficacy of inhibiting a key protein in the TLR4 signaling pathway, PF-06650833, a small molecule inhibitor of IRAK4, was used as a tool molecule. PF-0660833 was found to effectively inhibit AZ617-induced human TNFα release in vitro. Likewise, PF-06650833 reduced AZ617-induced human TNFα in the huNOG-EXL mouse model, with a weaker effect on human IL-6. A longitudinal study tracking functionality of monocytes revealed that the ability of monocytes to respond to ex vivo stimuli was increased by 21 weeks after engraftment. Taken together, our data suggests that human selective TLR ligands could preferentially drive cytokine production from human cells in huNOG-EXL mice. This model will allow for investigation of pharmacological inhibition of human TLR signaling pathways in an in vivo model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Twomey
- AbbVie Bioresearch Center, 100 Research Drive, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Sean Graham
- AbbVie Bioresearch Center, 100 Research Drive, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Joseph S. Spina
- AbbVie Bioresearch Center, 100 Research Drive, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Xiaoming Wu
- AbbVie Bioresearch Center, 100 Research Drive, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Philip E. Dubé
- Taconic Biosciences, Inc., 5 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144
| | | | - William Housley
- AbbVie Bioresearch Center, 100 Research Drive, Worcester, MA 01605
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Welbourn S, Chakraborty S, Yang JE, Gleinich AS, Gangadhara S, Khan S, Ferrebee C, Yagnik B, Burton S, Charles T, Smith SA, Williams D, Mopuri R, Upadhyay AA, Thompson J, Price MA, Wang S, Qin Z, Shen X, Williams LD, Eisel N, Peters T, Zhang L, Kilembe W, Karita E, Tomaras GD, Bosinger SE, Amara RR, Azadi P, Wright ER, Gnanakaran S, Derdeyn CA. A neutralizing antibody target in early HIV-1 infection was recapitulated in rhesus macaques immunized with the transmitted/founder envelope sequence. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010488. [PMID: 35503780 PMCID: PMC9106183 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010488] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmitted/founder (T/F) HIV-1 envelope proteins (Envs) from infected individuals that developed neutralization breadth are likely to possess inherent features desirable for vaccine immunogen design. To explore this premise, we conducted an immunization study in rhesus macaques (RM) using T/F Env sequences from two human subjects, one of whom developed potent and broad neutralizing antibodies (Z1800M) while the other developed little to no neutralizing antibody responses (R66M) during HIV-1 infection. Using a DNA/MVA/protein immunization protocol, 10 RM were immunized with each T/F Env. Within each T/F Env group, the protein boosts were administered as either monomeric gp120 or stabilized trimeric gp140 protein. All vaccination regimens elicited high titers of antigen-specific IgG, and two animals that received monomeric Z1800M Env gp120 developed autologous neutralizing activity. Using early Env escape variants isolated from subject Z1800M as guides, the serum neutralizing activity of the two immunized RM was found to be dependent on the gp120 V5 region. Interestingly, the exact same residues of V5 were also targeted by a neutralizing monoclonal antibody (nmAb) isolated from the subject Z1800M early in infection. Glycan profiling and computational modeling of the Z1800M Env gp120 immunogen provided further evidence that the V5 loop is exposed in this T/F Env and was a dominant feature that drove neutralizing antibody targeting during infection and immunization. An expanded B cell clonotype was isolated from one of the neutralization-positive RM and nmAbs corresponding to this group demonstrated V5-dependent neutralization similar to both the RM serum and the human Z1800M nmAb. The results demonstrate that neutralizing antibody responses elicited by the Z1800M T/F Env in RM converged with those in the HIV-1 infected human subject, illustrating the potential of using immunogens based on this or other T/F Envs with well-defined immunogenicity as a starting point to drive breadth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Welbourn
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Srirupa Chakraborty
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Jie E. Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Anne S. Gleinich
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Sailaja Gangadhara
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Salar Khan
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Courtney Ferrebee
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Bhrugu Yagnik
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Samantha Burton
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Tysheena Charles
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - S. Abigail Smith
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Danielle Williams
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Rohini Mopuri
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Amit A. Upadhyay
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Justin Thompson
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Matt A. Price
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, New York city, New York, United States of America
| | - Shiyu Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Zhaohui Qin
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Xiaoying Shen
- Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - LaTonya D. Williams
- Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Nathan Eisel
- Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Tiffany Peters
- Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - William Kilembe
- Center for Family Health Research in Zambia (CFHRZ), Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | - Georgia D. Tomaras
- Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Steven E. Bosinger
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Rama R. Amara
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Parastoo Azadi
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth R. Wright
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Sandrasegaram Gnanakaran
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Cynthia A. Derdeyn
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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