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Baldwin I, Robey EA. Adjusting to self in the thymus: CD4 versus CD8 lineage commitment and regulatory T cell development. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20230896. [PMID: 38980291 PMCID: PMC11232887 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20230896] [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: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
During thymic development, thymocytes adjust their TCR response based on the strength of their reactivity to self-peptide MHC complexes. This tuning process allows thymocytes with a range of self-reactivities to survive positive selection and contribute to a diverse T cell pool. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in our understanding of how thymocytes tune their responsiveness during positive selection, and we present a "sequential selection" model to explain how MHC specificity influences lineage choice. We also discuss recent evidence for cell type diversity in the medulla and discuss how this heterogeneity may contribute to medullary niches for negative selection and regulatory T cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Baldwin
- Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ellen A. Robey
- Division of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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2
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Huang X, Rudensky AY. Regulatory T cells in the context: deciphering the dynamic interplay with the tissue environment. Curr Opin Immunol 2024; 89:102453. [PMID: 39173413 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2024.102453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
The delicate balance between protective immunity against pathogens and the prevention of autoimmunity requires finely tuned generation and function of regulatory CD4+ T (Treg) cells. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of a complex set of cues, which converge on Treg cells in lymphoid and nonlymphoid organs and in tumors and how these cues modulate Treg functions. We highlight the versatility of Treg cells underlying their ability to dynamically adapt to local microenvironments and perform a wide range of functions that extend beyond the archetypal role of Treg cells in moderating adverse effects of immune response-associated inflammation and in suppressing autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Huang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program at Sloan Kettering Institute, and Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Alexander Y Rudensky
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program at Sloan Kettering Institute, and Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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3
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Park CS, Guan J, Rhee P, Gonzalez F, Lee HS, Park JH, Coscoy L, Robey EA, Shastri N, Sadegh-Nasseri S. Fam49b dampens TCR signal strength to regulate survival of positively selected thymocytes and peripheral T cells. eLife 2024; 13:e76940. [PMID: 39158947 PMCID: PMC11333044 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76940] [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: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The fate of developing T cells is determined by the strength of T cell receptor (TCR) signal they receive in the thymus. This process is finely regulated through the tuning of positive and negative regulators in thymocytes. The Family with sequence similarity 49 member B (Fam49b) protein is a newly discovered negative regulator of TCR signaling that has been shown to suppress Rac-1 activity in vitro in cultured T cell lines. However, the contribution of Fam49b to the thymic development of T cells is unknown. To investigate this important issue, we generated a novel mouse line deficient in Fam49b (Fam49b-KO). We observed that Fam49b-KO double positive (DP) thymocytes underwent excessive negative selection, whereas the positive selection stage was unaffected. Fam49b deficiency impaired the survival of single positive thymocytes and peripheral T cells. This altered development process resulted in significant reductions in CD4 and CD8 single-positive thymocytes as well as peripheral T cells. Interestingly, a large proportion of the TCRγδ+ and CD8αα+TCRαβ+ gut intraepithelial T lymphocytes were absent in Fam49b-KO mice. Our results demonstrate that Fam49b dampens thymocytes TCR signaling in order to escape negative selection during development, uncovering the function of Fam49b as a critical regulator of the selection process to ensure normal thymocyte development and peripheral T cells survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan-Su Park
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National UniversityCheongjuRepublic of Korea
| | - Jian Guan
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Peter Rhee
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Federico Gonzalez
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California,BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Hee-sung Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National UniversityCheongjuRepublic of Korea
| | - Ji-hyun Park
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National UniversityCheongjuRepublic of Korea
| | - Laurent Coscoy
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Ellen A Robey
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Nilabh Shastri
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
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4
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Kelly JJ, Bloodworth N, Shao Q, Shabanowitz J, Hunt D, Meiler J, Pires MM. A Chemical Approach to Assess the Impact of Post-translational Modification on MHC Peptide Binding and Effector Cell Engagement. ACS Chem Biol 2024. [PMID: 39150956 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2024]
Abstract
The human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays a pivotal role in the presentation of peptidic fragments from proteins, which can originate from self-proteins or from nonhuman antigens, such as those produced by viruses or bacteria. To prevent cytotoxicity against healthy cells, thymocytes expressing T cell receptors (TCRs) that recognize self-peptides are removed from circulation (negative selection), thus leaving T cells that recognize nonself-peptides. Current understanding suggests that post-translationally modified (PTM) proteins and the resulting peptide fragments they generate following proteolysis are largely excluded from negative selection; this feature means that PTMs can generate nonself-peptides that potentially contribute to the development of autoreactive T cells and subsequent autoimmune diseases. Although it is well-established that PTMs are prevalent in peptides present on MHCs, the precise mechanisms by which PTMs influence the antigen presentation machinery remain poorly understood. In the present work, we introduce chemical modifications mimicking PTMs on synthetic peptides. This is the first systematic study isolating the impact of PTMs on MHC binding and also their impact on TCR recognition. Our findings reveal various ways PTMs alter antigen presentation, which could have implications for tumor neoantigen presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joey J Kelly
- Department of Chemistry University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Nathaniel Bloodworth
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of MedicineVanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37240, United States
| | - Qianqian Shao
- Department of Chemistry University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Jeffrey Shabanowitz
- Department of Chemistry University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Donald Hunt
- Department of Chemistry University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
| | - Jens Meiler
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of MedicineVanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37240, United States
- Institute of Drug Discovery, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Leipzig, Leipzig, SAC 04103, Germany
- Center for Structural Biology Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Department of Chemistry Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Marcos M Pires
- Department of Chemistry University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States
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5
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Pardini E, Barachini S, Alì G, Infirri GS, Burzi IS, Montali M, Petrini I. Single-cell sequencing has revealed a more complex array of thymic epithelial cells. Immunol Lett 2024; 269:106904. [PMID: 39117004 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2024.106904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells participate in the maturation and selection of T lymphocytes. This review explores recent insights from single-cell sequencing regarding classifying thymic epithelial cells in both normal and neoplastic thymus. Cortical thymic epithelial cells facilitate thymocyte differentiation and contribute to positive selection. Medullary epithelial cells are distinguished by their expression of AIRE. Cells progress from a pre-AIRE state, containing precursors with cortical and medullary characteristics, termed junctional cells. Mature medullary epithelial cells exhibit promiscuous gene expression and after that downregulate AIRE mRNA. Post-AIRE cells can adopt a Hassall corpuscle-like phenotype or exhibit distinctive differentiation characteristics including tuft cells, ionocytes, neuroendocrine cells, and myoid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Pardini
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Serena Barachini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Greta Alì
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gisella Sardo Infirri
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Irene Sofia Burzi
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marina Montali
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Iacopo Petrini
- Department of Translational Research and New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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6
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Wang Y, Chong MMW. Evaluating in vivo approaches for studying the roles of thymic DCs in T cell development in mice. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1451974. [PMID: 39165362 PMCID: PMC11333248 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1451974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024] Open
Abstract
T cells express an enormous repertoire of T cell receptors, enabling them to recognize any potential antigen. This large repertoire undergoes stringent selections in the thymus, where receptors that react to self- or non-danger-associated- antigens are purged. We know that thymic tolerance depends on signals and antigens presented by the thymic antigen presenting cells, but we still do not understand precisely how many of these cells actually contribute to tolerance. This is especially true for thymic dendritic cells (DC), which are composed of diverse subpopulations that are derived from different progenitors. Although the importance of thymic DCs has long been known, the functions of specific DC subsets have been difficult to untangle. There remains insufficient systematic characterization of the ontogeny and phenotype of thymic APCs in general. As a result, validated experimental models for studying thymic DCs are limited. Recent technological advancement, such as multi-omics analyses, has enabled new insights into thymic DC biology. These recent findings indicate a need to re-evaluate the current tools used to study the function of these cells within the thymus. This review will discuss how thymic DC subpopulations can be defined, the models that have been used to assess functions in the thymus, and models developed for other settings that can be potentially used for studying thymic DCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- RNA and T cell Biology, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Mark M. W. Chong
- RNA and T cell Biology, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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7
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Yin Y, Feng W, Chen J, Chen X, Wang G, Wang S, Xu X, Nie Y, Fan D, Wu K, Xia L. Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in the progression, metastasis, and therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: from bench to bedside. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:72. [PMID: 39085965 PMCID: PMC11292955 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00539-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy with high incidence, recurrence, and metastasis rates. The emergence of immunotherapy has improved the treatment of advanced HCC, but problems such as drug resistance and immune-related adverse events still exist in clinical practice. The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) of HCC restricts the efficacy of immunotherapy and is essential for HCC progression and metastasis. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms behind immunosuppressive TME to develop and apply immunotherapy. This review systematically summarizes the pathogenesis of HCC, the formation of the highly heterogeneous TME, and the mechanisms by which the immunosuppressive TME accelerates HCC progression and metastasis. We also review the status of HCC immunotherapy and further discuss the existing challenges and potential therapeutic strategies targeting immunosuppressive TME. We hope to inspire optimizing and innovating immunotherapeutic strategies by comprehensively understanding the structure and function of immunosuppressive TME in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Weibo Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xilang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Guodong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Yongzhan Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Daiming Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Kaichun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Limin Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China.
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8
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You Y, Dunst J, Ye K, Sandoz PA, Reinhardt A, Sandrock I, Comet NR, Sarkar RD, Yang E, Duprez E, Agudo J, Brown BD, Utz PJ, Kastenmüller W, Gerlach C, Prinz I, Önfelt B, Kreslavsky T. Direct presentation of inflammation-associated self-antigens by thymic innate-like T cells induces elimination of autoreactive CD8 + thymocytes. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:1367-1382. [PMID: 38992254 PMCID: PMC11291280 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01899-6] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Upregulation of diverse self-antigens that constitute components of the inflammatory response overlaps spatially and temporally with the emergence of pathogen-derived foreign antigens. Therefore, discrimination between these inflammation-associated self-antigens and pathogen-derived molecules represents a unique challenge for the adaptive immune system. Here, we demonstrate that CD8+ T cell tolerance to T cell-derived inflammation-associated self-antigens is efficiently induced in the thymus and supported by redundancy in cell types expressing these molecules. In addition to thymic epithelial cells, this included thymic eosinophils and innate-like T cells, a population that expressed molecules characteristic for all major activated T cell subsets. We show that direct T cell-to-T cell antigen presentation by minute numbers of innate-like T cells was sufficient to eliminate autoreactive CD8+ thymocytes. Tolerance to such effector molecules was of critical importance, as its breach caused by decreased thymic abundance of a single model inflammation-associated self-antigen resulted in autoimmune elimination of an entire class of effector T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan You
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Josefine Dunst
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kewei Ye
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrick A Sandoz
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annika Reinhardt
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Inga Sandrock
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Natalia R Comet
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rupak Dey Sarkar
- Max Planck Research Group, Würzburg Institute of Systems Immunology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Emily Yang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Estelle Duprez
- Epigenetic Factors in Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis Lab, CRCM, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Judith Agudo
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Ludwig Center at Harvard, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian D Brown
- The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul J Utz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Wolfgang Kastenmüller
- Max Planck Research Group, Würzburg Institute of Systems Immunology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Carmen Gerlach
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Immo Prinz
- Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Hamburg Center for Translational Immunology (HCTI), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Systems Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Björn Önfelt
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Taras Kreslavsky
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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9
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Mishto M, Takala I, Bonfanti P, Liepe J. Proteasome isoforms in human thymi and mouse models. Immunol Lett 2024; 269:106899. [PMID: 39019403 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2024.106899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
The thymus is the organ where functional and self-tolerant T cells are selected through processes of positive and negative selection before migrating to the periphery. The antigenic peptides presented on MHC class I molecules of thymic epithelial cells (TECs) in the cortex and medulla of the thymus are key players in these processes. It has been theorized that these cells express different proteasome isoforms, which generate MHC class I immunopeptidomes with features that differentiate cortex and medulla, and hence positive and negative CD8+ T cell selection. This theory is largely based on mouse models and does not consider the large variety of noncanonical antigenic peptides that could be produced by proteasomes and presented on MHC class I molecules. Here, we review the multi-omics, biochemical and cellular studies carried out on mouse models and human thymi to investigate their content of proteasome isoforms, briefly summarize the implication that noncanonical antigenic peptide presentation in the thymus could have on CD8+ T cell repertoire and put these aspects in the larger framework of anatomical and immunological differences between these two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Mishto
- Molecular Immunology laboratory, the Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom; Centre for Inflammation Biology and Cancer Immunology & Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, SE1 1UL London, United Kingdom.
| | - Iina Takala
- Research group of Quantitative System Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Paola Bonfanti
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom; Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, Division of Infection & Immunity, UCL, Pears Building, London NW3 2PP, United Kingdom
| | - Juliane Liepe
- Research group of Quantitative System Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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10
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Zang J, Mei Y, Zhu S, Yin S, Feng N, Ci T, Lyu Y. Natural Killer-Based Therapy: A Prospective Thought for Cancer Treatment Related to Diversified Drug Delivery Pathways. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:939. [PMID: 39065636 PMCID: PMC11279587 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16070939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has been a research hotspot due to its low side effects, long-lasting efficacy, and wide anti-tumor spectrum. Recently, NK cell-based immunotherapy has gained broad attention for its unique immunological character of tumor identification and eradication and low risk of graft-versus-host disease and cytokine storm. With the cooperation of a drug delivery system (DDS), NK cells activate tumoricidal activity by adjusting the balance of the activating and inhibitory signals on their surface after drug-loaded DDS administration. Moreover, NK cells or NK-derived exosomes can also be applied as drug carriers for distinct modification to promote NK activation and exert anti-tumor effects. In this review, we first introduce the source and classification of NK cells and describe the common activating and inhibitory receptors on their surface. Then, we summarize the strategies for activating NK cells in vivo through various DDSs. Finally, the application prospects of NK cells in tumor immunotherapy are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; (J.Z.); (N.F.)
| | - Yijun Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China;
| | - Shiguo Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China;
| | - Shaoping Yin
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine External Medication Development and Application, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China;
| | - Nianping Feng
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; (J.Z.); (N.F.)
| | - Tianyuan Ci
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; (J.Z.); (N.F.)
| | - Yaqi Lyu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; (J.Z.); (N.F.)
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11
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Yasmeen F, Pirzada RH, Ahmad B, Choi B, Choi S. Understanding Autoimmunity: Mechanisms, Predisposing Factors, and Cytokine Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7666. [PMID: 39062908 PMCID: PMC11277571 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147666] [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: 06/27/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Autoimmunity refers to an organism's immune response against its own healthy cells, tissues, or components, potentially leading to irreversible damage to vital organs. Central and peripheral tolerance mechanisms play crucial roles in preventing autoimmunity by eliminating self-reactive T and B cells. The disruption of immunological tolerance, characterized by the failure of these mechanisms, results in the aberrant activation of autoreactive lymphocytes that target self-tissues, culminating in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders. Genetic predispositions, environmental exposures, and immunoregulatory disturbances synergistically contribute to the susceptibility and initiation of autoimmune pathologies. Within the realm of immune therapies for autoimmune diseases, cytokine therapies have emerged as a specialized strategy, targeting cytokine-mediated regulatory pathways to rectify immunological imbalances. Proinflammatory cytokines are key players in inducing and propagating autoimmune inflammation, highlighting the potential of cytokine therapies in managing autoimmune conditions. This review discusses the etiology of autoimmune diseases, current therapeutic approaches, and prospects for future drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzana Yasmeen
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea; (F.Y.); (B.C.)
- S&K Therapeutics, Ajou University Campus Plaza 418, Worldcup-ro 199, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16502, Republic of Korea
| | - Rameez Hassan Pirzada
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea; (F.Y.); (B.C.)
- S&K Therapeutics, Ajou University Campus Plaza 418, Worldcup-ro 199, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16502, Republic of Korea
| | - Bilal Ahmad
- S&K Therapeutics, Ajou University Campus Plaza 418, Worldcup-ro 199, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16502, Republic of Korea
| | - Bogeum Choi
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea; (F.Y.); (B.C.)
| | - Sangdun Choi
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea; (F.Y.); (B.C.)
- S&K Therapeutics, Ajou University Campus Plaza 418, Worldcup-ro 199, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16502, Republic of Korea
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12
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Smith CT, Wang Z, Lewis JS. Engineering antigen-presenting cells for immunotherapy of autoimmunity. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 210:115329. [PMID: 38729265 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115329] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases are burdensome conditions that affect a significant fraction of the global population. The hallmark of autoimmune disease is a host's immune system being licensed to attack its tissues based on specific antigens. There are no cures for autoimmune diseases. The current clinical standard for treating autoimmune diseases is the administration of immunosuppressants, which weaken the immune system and reduce auto-inflammatory responses. However, people living with autoimmune diseases are subject to toxicity, fail to mount a sufficient immune response to protect against pathogens, and are more likely to develop infections. Therefore, there is a concerted effort to develop more effective means of targeting immunomodulatory therapies to antigen-presenting cells, which are involved in modulating the immune responses to specific antigens. In this review, we highlight approaches that are currently in development to target antigen-presenting cells and improve therapeutic outcomes in autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton T Smith
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zhenyu Wang
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jamal S Lewis
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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13
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Sheng N, Li R, Li Y, Wang Z, Wang L, Li Y, Zhang J, Jiang J. Selectively T cell phosphorylation activation of azvudine in the thymus tissue with immune protection effect. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:3140-3154. [PMID: 39027259 PMCID: PMC11252455 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2024.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Thymus is the important immune organ, responsible for T cell development and differentiation. The lower circulating T counts have been observed in patients who died from COVID-19 compared with survivors. Azvudine, also known as FNC, is a thymus-homing anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug in treating COVID-19 patients. In this study, single-cell transcriptome, proteomics, and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) were applied to insight into the activation process of FNC in rat and SARS-CoV-2 rhesus monkey thymus. The results indicated that thymic immune cells possess a robust metabolic capacity for cytidine-analogue drugs such as FNC. Key enzymes involved in the FNC phosphorylation process, such as Dck, Cmpk1, and Nme2, were highly expressed in CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and DP (CD4+ CD8+) cells. Additionally, FNC could upregulate multiple phosphorylated kinases in various cell types while downregulating the phosphatases, phosphoribosyl transferases, and deaminases, respectively. The robust phosphorylation capacity of the thymus for cytidine analogue drug FNC, and the activation effect of FNC on the NAs metabolism system potentially contribute to its enrichment in the thymus and immune protection effect. This suggests that it is crucial to consider the expression level of phosphorylation kinases when evaluating NA drug properties, as an important factor during antiviral drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Rui Li
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Lulu Wang
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yuhuan Li
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jinlan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jiandong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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14
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Zhou X, Xu R, Wu Y, Zhou L, Xiang T. The role of proteasomes in tumorigenesis. Genes Dis 2024; 11:101070. [PMID: 38523673 PMCID: PMC10958230 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein homeostasis is the basis of normal life activities, and the proteasome family plays an extremely important function in this process. The proteasome 20S is a concentric circle structure with two α rings and two β rings overlapped. The proteasome 20S can perform both ATP-dependent and non-ATP-dependent ubiquitination proteasome degradation by binding to various subunits (such as 19S, 11S, and 200 PA), which is performed by its active subunit β1, β2, and β5. The proteasome can degrade misfolded, excess proteins to maintain homeostasis. At the same time, it can be utilized by tumors to degrade over-proliferate and unwanted proteins to support their growth. Proteasomes can affect the development of tumors from several aspects including tumor signaling pathways such as NF-κB and p53, cell cycle, immune regulation, and drug resistance. Proteasome-encoding genes have been found to be overexpressed in a variety of tumors, providing a potential novel target for cancer therapy. In addition, proteasome inhibitors such as bortezomib, carfilzomib, and ixazomib have been put into clinical application as the first-line treatment of multiple myeloma. More and more studies have shown that it also has different therapeutic effects in other tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, glioblastoma, and neuroblastoma. However, proteasome inhibitors are not much effective due to their tolerance and singleness in other tumors. Therefore, further studies on their mechanisms of action and drug interactions are needed to investigate their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Zhou
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Ruqing Xu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yue Wu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Tingxiu Xiang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing 400030, China
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15
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Ferré EMN, Nichols-Vinueza DX, Rosen LB, Burbelo PD, Fennelly KP, Pechacek J, Goldstein DM, Agharahimi A, Saksena A, Kleiner DE, Demirdag YY, Rajan A, Schrump DS, Holland SM, Freeman AF, Lionakis MS. Lymphocyte-Directed Immunomodulation Remits Thymoma-Associated Autoimmune Pneumonitis. J Clin Immunol 2024; 44:156. [PMID: 38954150 PMCID: PMC11219442 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-024-01760-3] [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: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thymoma presents with several autoimmune manifestations and is associated with secondary autoimmune regulator (AIRE) deficiency. Pneumonitis has recently been described as an autoimmune manifestation associated with thymoma presenting with similar clinical, radiographic, histological, and autoantibody features as seen in patients with inherited AIRE deficiency who suffer from Autoimmune PolyEndocrinopathy-Candidiasis-Ectodermal Dystrophy (APECED) syndrome. OBJECTIVES To treat two patients with biopsy-proven thymoma-associated pneumonitis with lymphocyte-directed immunomodulation. METHODS Two patients with thymoma were enrolled on IRB-approved protocols at the NIH Clinical Center. We performed history and physical examination; laboratory, radiographic, histologic and pulmonary function evaluations; and measurement of the lung-directed autoantibodies KCNRG and BPIFB1 prior to and at 1- and 6-months following initiation of lymphocyte-directed immunomodulation with azathioprine with or without rituximab. RESULTS Combination T- and B-lymphocyte-directed immunomodulation resulted in improvement of clinical, functional, and radiographic parameters at 6-month follow-up evaluations in both patients with sustained remission up to 12-36 months following treatment initiation. CONCLUSION Lymphocyte-directed immunomodulation remitted autoimmune pneumonitis in two patients with thymoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise M N Ferré
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Diana X Nichols-Vinueza
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lindsey B Rosen
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Peter D Burbelo
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kevin P Fennelly
- Pulmonary Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joseph Pechacek
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Anahita Agharahimi
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Annapurna Saksena
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David E Kleiner
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yesim Yilmaz Demirdag
- Department of Medicine, Division of Basic and Clinical Immunology, University of California of Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Arun Rajan
- Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Steven M Holland
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alexandra F Freeman
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michail S Lionakis
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA.
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16
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Ramírez-Valle F, Maranville JC, Roy S, Plenge RM. Sequential immunotherapy: towards cures for autoimmunity. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2024; 23:501-524. [PMID: 38839912 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-024-00959-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Despite major progress in the treatment of autoimmune diseases in the past two decades, most therapies do not cure disease and can be associated with increased risk of infection through broad suppression of the immune system. However, advances in understanding the causes of autoimmune disease and clinical data from novel therapeutic modalities such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies provide evidence that it may be possible to re-establish immune homeostasis and, potentially, prolong remission or even cure autoimmune diseases. Here, we propose a 'sequential immunotherapy' framework for immune system modulation to help achieve this ambitious goal. This framework encompasses three steps: controlling inflammation; resetting the immune system through elimination of pathogenic immune memory cells; and promoting and maintaining immune homeostasis via immune regulatory agents and tissue repair. We discuss existing drugs and those in development for each of the three steps. We also highlight the importance of causal human biology in identifying and prioritizing novel immunotherapeutic strategies as well as informing their application in specific patient subsets, enabling precision medicine approaches that have the potential to transform clinical care.
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17
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Sankaran DG, Zhu H, Maymi VI, Forlastro IM, Jiang Y, Laniewski N, Scheible KM, Rudd BD, Grimson AW. Gene Regulatory Programs that Specify Age-Related Differences during Thymocyte Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.14.599011. [PMID: 38948840 PMCID: PMC11212896 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.14.599011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
T cell development is fundamental to immune system establishment, yet how this development changes with age remains poorly understood. Here, we construct a transcriptional and epigenetic atlas of T cell developmental programs in neonatal and adult mice, revealing the ontogeny of divergent gene regulatory programs and their link to age-related differences in phenotype and function. Specifically, we identify a gene module that diverges with age from the earliest stages of genesis and includes programs that govern effector response and cell cycle regulation. Moreover, we reveal that neonates possess more accessible chromatin during early thymocyte development, likely establishing poised gene expression programs that manifest later in thymocyte development. Finally, we leverage this atlas, employing a CRISPR-based perturbation approach coupled with single-cell RNA sequencing as a readout to uncover a conserved transcriptional regulator, Zbtb20, that contributes to age-dependent differences in T cell development. Altogether, our study defines transcriptional and epigenetic programs that regulate age-specific differences in T cell development.
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18
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Bérczi B, Nusser N, Péter I, Németh B, Kulisch Á, Kiss Z, Gyöngyi Z. Genetic Polymorphisms in Exon 5 and Intron 5 and 7 of AIRE Are Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk in a Hungarian Population. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:439. [PMID: 38927319 PMCID: PMC11200628 DOI: 10.3390/biology13060439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is chronically persistent synovitis and systemic inflammation. Although multiple contributors are detected, only one is pivotal in the neonatal period: the negative selection of autoimmune naïve T-cells by the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) transcriptional factor. METHODS Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the DNA-binding site of AIRE may determine its function and expression. We intended to analyse site-specific allelic polymorphisms in two exon (rs878081 and rs1055311) and three intron (rs1003853, rs2075876, and rs1003854) loci with an RA risk. Our analytical case-control study analysed 270 RA patients and 322 control subjects in five different genetic models using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) with TaqMan® assays. RESULTS Statistically significant differences were found between the odds of allelic polymorphisms in the loci of rs878081, rs1003854, and rs1003853 among the controls and RA patients, and the disease activity seemed to be significantly associated with the genotypic subgroups of rs878081 and rs1055311. Our in silico analysis supported this, suggesting that allele-specific alterations in the binding affinity of transcriptional factor families might determine RA activity. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the involvement of neonatal self-tolerance in RA pathogenesis, providing novel insights into disease development and paving the way for an analysis of further site-specific genetic polymorphisms in AIRE to expand the intervention time for RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bálint Bérczi
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (B.B.); (B.N.)
| | - Nóra Nusser
- Harkány Thermal Rehabilitation Centre, Zsigmondy Sétány 1, 7815 Harkány, Hungary; (N.N.); (I.P.)
| | - Iván Péter
- Harkány Thermal Rehabilitation Centre, Zsigmondy Sétány 1, 7815 Harkány, Hungary; (N.N.); (I.P.)
| | - Balázs Németh
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (B.B.); (B.N.)
- Harkány Thermal Rehabilitation Centre, Zsigmondy Sétány 1, 7815 Harkány, Hungary; (N.N.); (I.P.)
| | - Ágota Kulisch
- St. Andrew Hospital for Rheumatology and Medicinal Spa of Hévíz, Dr. Schulhof Vilmos Sétány. 1, 8380 Hévíz, Hungary; (Á.K.); (Z.K.)
| | - Zsuzsanna Kiss
- St. Andrew Hospital for Rheumatology and Medicinal Spa of Hévíz, Dr. Schulhof Vilmos Sétány. 1, 8380 Hévíz, Hungary; (Á.K.); (Z.K.)
| | - Zoltán Gyöngyi
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (B.B.); (B.N.)
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19
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Ruocco MR, Gisonna A, Acampora V, D’Agostino A, Carrese B, Santoro J, Venuta A, Nasso R, Rocco N, Russo D, Cavaliere A, Altobelli GG, Masone S, Avagliano A, Arcucci A, Fiume G. Guardians and Mediators of Metastasis: Exploring T Lymphocytes, Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells, and Tumor-Associated Macrophages in the Breast Cancer Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6224. [PMID: 38892411 PMCID: PMC11172575 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116224] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancers (BCs) are solid tumors composed of heterogeneous tissues consisting of cancer cells and an ever-changing tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME includes, among other non-cancer cell types, immune cells influencing the immune context of cancer tissues. In particular, the cross talk of immune cells and their interactions with cancer cells dramatically influence BC dissemination, immunoediting, and the outcomes of cancer therapies. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) represent prominent immune cell populations of breast TMEs, and they have important roles in cancer immunoescape and dissemination. Therefore, in this article we review the features of TILs, TAMs, and MDSCs in BCs. Moreover, we highlight the mechanisms by which these immune cells remodel the immune TME and lead to breast cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rosaria Ruocco
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.R.R.); (A.G.)
| | - Armando Gisonna
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.R.R.); (A.G.)
| | - Vittoria Acampora
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (V.A.); (A.V.); (A.A.)
| | - Anna D’Agostino
- IRCCS SYNLAB SDN, Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143 Naples, Italy; (A.D.); (B.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Barbara Carrese
- IRCCS SYNLAB SDN, Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143 Naples, Italy; (A.D.); (B.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Jessie Santoro
- IRCCS SYNLAB SDN, Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143 Naples, Italy; (A.D.); (B.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Alessandro Venuta
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (V.A.); (A.V.); (A.A.)
| | - Rosarita Nasso
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples “Parthenope”, 80133 Naples, Italy;
| | - Nicola Rocco
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Science, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (N.R.); (D.R.); (G.G.A.)
| | - Daniela Russo
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Science, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (N.R.); (D.R.); (G.G.A.)
| | | | - Giovanna Giuseppina Altobelli
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Science, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (N.R.); (D.R.); (G.G.A.)
| | - Stefania Masone
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Angelica Avagliano
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (V.A.); (A.V.); (A.A.)
| | - Alessandro Arcucci
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (V.A.); (A.V.); (A.A.)
| | - Giuseppe Fiume
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
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20
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Koncz B, Balogh GM, Manczinger M. A journey to your self: The vague definition of immune self and its practical implications. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309674121. [PMID: 38722806 PMCID: PMC11161755 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309674121] [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] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The identification of immunogenic peptides has become essential in an increasing number of fields in immunology, ranging from tumor immunotherapy to vaccine development. The nature of the adaptive immune response is shaped by the similarity between foreign and self-protein sequences, a concept extensively applied in numerous studies. Can we precisely define the degree of similarity to self? Furthermore, do we accurately define immune self? In the current work, we aim to unravel the conceptual and mechanistic vagueness hindering the assessment of self-similarity. Accordingly, we demonstrate the remarkably low consistency among commonly employed measures and highlight potential avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balázs Koncz
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN) Biological Research Centre, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine - Biological Research Centre (HCEMM-BRC) Systems Immunology Research Group, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged, Szeged6720, Hungary
| | - Gergő Mihály Balogh
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN) Biological Research Centre, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine - Biological Research Centre (HCEMM-BRC) Systems Immunology Research Group, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged, Szeged6720, Hungary
| | - Máté Manczinger
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN) Biological Research Centre, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine - Biological Research Centre (HCEMM-BRC) Systems Immunology Research Group, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged, Szeged6720, Hungary
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21
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Belean A, Xue E, Cisneros B, Roberson EDO, Paley MA, Bigley TM. Transcriptomic profiling of thymic dysregulation and viral tropism after neonatal roseolovirus infection. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1375508. [PMID: 38895117 PMCID: PMC11183875 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1375508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Herpesviruses, including the roseoloviruses, have been linked to autoimmune disease. The ubiquitous and chronic nature of these infections have made it difficult to establish a causal relationship between acute infection and subsequent development of autoimmunity. We have shown that murine roseolovirus (MRV), which is highly related to human roseoloviruses, induces thymic atrophy and disruption of central tolerance after neonatal infection. Moreover, neonatal MRV infection results in development of autoimmunity in adult mice, long after resolution of acute infection. This suggests that MRV induces durable immune dysregulation. Methods In the current studies, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) to study the tropism of MRV in the thymus and determine cellular processes in the thymus that were disrupted by neonatal MRV infection. We then utilized tropism data to establish a cell culture system. Results Herein, we describe how MRV alters the thymic transcriptome during acute neonatal infection. We found that MRV infection resulted in major shifts in inflammatory, differentiation and cell cycle pathways in the infected thymus. We also observed shifts in the relative number of specific cell populations. Moreover, utilizing expression of late viral transcripts as a proxy of viral replication, we identified the cellular tropism of MRV in the thymus. This approach demonstrated that double negative, double positive, and CD4 single positive thymocytes, as well as medullary thymic epithelial cells were infected by MRV in vivo. Finally, by applying pseudotime analysis to viral transcripts, which we refer to as "pseudokinetics," we identified viral gene transcription patterns associated with specific cell types and infection status. We utilized this information to establish the first cell culture systems susceptible to MRV infection in vitro. Conclusion Our research provides the first complete picture of roseolovirus tropism in the thymus after neonatal infection. Additionally, we identified major transcriptomic alterations in cell populations in the thymus during acute neonatal MRV infection. These studies offer important insight into the early events that occur after neonatal MRV infection that disrupt central tolerance and promote autoimmune disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Belean
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Eden Xue
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Benjamin Cisneros
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Elisha D. O. Roberson
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Michael A. Paley
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Tarin M. Bigley
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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22
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Liu T, Xia S. The Proteostasis of Thymic Stromal Cells in Health and Diseases. Protein J 2024; 43:447-463. [PMID: 38622349 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-024-10197-x] [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] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The thymus is the key immune organ for the development of T cells. Different populations of thymic stromal cells interact with T cells, thereby controlling the dynamic development of T cells through their differentiation and function. Proteostasis represents a balance between protein expression, folding, and modification and protein clearance, and its fluctuation usually depends at least partially on related protein regulatory systems for further survival and effects. However, in terms of the substantial requirement for self-antigens and their processing burden, increasing evidence highlights that protein regulation contributes to the physiological effects of thymic stromal cells. Impaired proteostasis may expedite the progression of thymic involution and dysfunction, accompanied by the development of autoimmune diseases or thymoma. Hence, in this review, we summarize the regulation of proteostasis within different types of thymic stromal cells under physiological and pathological conditions to identify potential targets for thymic regeneration and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, 301, Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212013, China
| | - Sheng Xia
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, 301, Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212013, China.
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23
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Wang A, Lin X, Chau KN, Onuchic JN, Levine H, George JT. RACER-m leverages structural features for sparse T cell specificity prediction. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl0161. [PMID: 38748791 PMCID: PMC11095454 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl0161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Reliable prediction of T cell specificity against antigenic signatures is a formidable task, complicated by the immense diversity of T cell receptor and antigen sequence space and the resulting limited availability of training sets for inferential models. Recent modeling efforts have demonstrated the advantage of incorporating structural information to overcome the need for extensive training sequence data, yet disentangling the heterogeneous TCR-antigen interface to accurately predict MHC-allele-restricted TCR-peptide interactions has remained challenging. Here, we present RACER-m, a coarse-grained structural model leveraging key biophysical information from the diversity of publicly available TCR-antigen crystal structures. Explicit inclusion of structural content substantially reduces the required number of training examples and maintains reliable predictions of TCR-recognition specificity and sensitivity across diverse biological contexts. Our model capably identifies biophysically meaningful point-mutant peptides that affect binding affinity, distinguishing its ability in predicting TCR specificity of point-mutants from alternative sequence-based methods. Its application is broadly applicable to studies involving both closely related and structurally diverse TCR-peptide pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailun Wang
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xingcheng Lin
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Kevin Ng Chau
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - José N. Onuchic
- Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, and Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jason T. George
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
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24
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Theofilatos D, Ho T, Waitt G, Äijö T, Schiapparelli LM, Soderblom EJ, Tsagaratou A. Deciphering the TET3 interactome in primary thymic developing T cells. iScience 2024; 27:109782. [PMID: 38711449 PMCID: PMC11070343 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins are DNA dioxygenases that mediate active DNA demethylation. TET3 is the most highly expressed TET protein in thymic developing T cells. TET3, either independently or in cooperation with TET1 or TET2, has been implicated in T cell lineage specification by regulating DNA demethylation. However, TET-deficient mice exhibit complex phenotypes, suggesting that TET3 exerts multifaceted roles, potentially by interacting with other proteins. We performed liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry in primary developing T cells to identify TET3 interacting partners in endogenous, in vivo conditions. We discover TET3 interacting partners. Our data establish that TET3 participates in a plethora of fundamental biological processes, such as transcriptional regulation, RNA polymerase elongation, splicing, DNA repair, and DNA replication. This resource brings in the spotlight emerging functions of TET3 and sets the stage for systematic studies to dissect the precise mechanistic contributions of TET3 in shaping T cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Theofilatos
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tricia Ho
- Duke Proteomics and Metabolomics Core Facility, Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Greg Waitt
- Duke Proteomics and Metabolomics Core Facility, Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tarmo Äijö
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Erik J. Soderblom
- Duke Proteomics and Metabolomics Core Facility, Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ageliki Tsagaratou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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25
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Ono M, Satou Y. Spectrum of Treg and self-reactive T cells: single cell perspectives from old friend HTLV-1. DISCOVERY IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 3:kyae006. [PMID: 38863793 PMCID: PMC11165433 DOI: 10.1093/discim/kyae006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Despite extensive regulatory T cell (Treg) research, fundamental questions on in vivo dynamics remain to be answered. The current study aims to dissect several interwoven concepts in Treg biology, highlighting the 'self-reactivity' of Treg and their counterparts, namely naturally-arising memory-phenotype T-cells, as a key mechanism to be exploited by a human retroviral infection. We propose the novel key concept, Periodic T cell receptor (TCR)-signalled T-cells, capturing self-reactivity in a quantifiable manner using the Nr4a3-Timer-of-cell-kinetics-and-activity (Tocky) technology. Periodic and brief TCR signals in self-reactive T-cells contrast with acute TCR signals during inflammation. Thus, we propose a new two-axis model for T-cell activation by the two types of TCR signals or antigen recognition, elucidating how Foxp3 expression and acute TCR signals actively regulate Periodic TCR-signalled T-cells. Next, we highlight an underappreciated branch of immunological research on Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) that precedes Treg studies, illuminating the missing link between the viral infection, CD25, and Foxp3. Based on evidence by single-cell analysis, we show how the viral infection exploits the regulatory mechanisms for T-cell activation and suggests a potential role of periodic TCR signalling in infection and malignant transformation. In conclusion, the new perspectives and models in this study provide a working framework for investigating Treg within the self-reactive T-cell spectrum, expected to advance understanding of HTLV-1 infection, cancer, and immunotherapy strategies for these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Ono
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yorifumi Satou
- Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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26
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Stankiewicz LN, Rossi FMV, Zandstra PW. Rebuilding and rebooting immunity with stem cells. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:597-616. [PMID: 38593798 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.03.012] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Advances in modern medicine have enabled a rapid increase in lifespan and, consequently, have highlighted the immune system as a key driver of age-related disease. Immune regeneration therapies present exciting strategies to address age-related diseases by rebooting the host's primary lymphoid tissues or rebuilding the immune system directly via biomaterials or artificial tissue. Here, we identify important, unanswered questions regarding the safety and feasibility of these therapies. Further, we identify key design parameters that should be primary considerations guiding technology design, including timing of application, interaction with the host immune system, and functional characterization of the target patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Stankiewicz
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Fabio M V Rossi
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Peter W Zandstra
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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27
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Li Y, Zheng Y, Liu T, Liao C, Shen G, He Z. The potential and promise for clinical application of adoptive T cell therapy in cancer. J Transl Med 2024; 22:413. [PMID: 38693513 PMCID: PMC11064426 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05206-7] [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: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, especially for hematologic malignancies. T cells are the most extensively utilized cells in adoptive cell therapy. Currently, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, T cell receptor-transgenic T cells and chimeric antigen receptor T cells are the three main adoptive T cell therapies. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes kill tumors by reinfusing enlarged lymphocytes that naturally target tumor-specific antigens into the patient. T cell receptor-transgenic T cells have the ability to specifically destroy tumor cells via the precise recognition of exogenous T cell receptors with major histocompatibility complex. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells transfer genes with specific antigen recognition structural domains and T cell activation signals into T cells, allowing T cells to attack tumors without the assistance of major histocompatibility complex. Many barriers have been demonstrated to affect the clinical efficacy of adoptive T cell therapy, such as tumor heterogeneity and antigen loss, hard trafficking and infiltration, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and T cell exhaustion. Several strategies to improve the efficacy of adoptive T cell therapy have been explored, including multispecific chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy, combination with immune checkpoint blockade, targeting the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, etc. In this review, we will summarize the current status and clinical application, followed by major bottlenecks in adoptive T cell therapy. In addition, we will discuss the promising strategies to improve adoptive T cell therapy. Adoptive T cell therapy will result in even more incredible advancements in solid tumors if the aforementioned problems can be handled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinqi Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yeteng Zheng
- Department of Pharmacy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Taiqing Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Chuanyun Liao
- Department of Pharmacy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Guobo Shen
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Zhiyao He
- Department of Pharmacy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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28
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Chi H, Pepper M, Thomas PG. Principles and therapeutic applications of adaptive immunity. Cell 2024; 187:2052-2078. [PMID: 38670065 PMCID: PMC11177542 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.037] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Adaptive immunity provides protection against infectious and malignant diseases. These effects are mediated by lymphocytes that sense and respond with targeted precision to perturbations induced by pathogens and tissue damage. Here, we review key principles underlying adaptive immunity orchestrated by distinct T cell and B cell populations and their extensions to disease therapies. We discuss the intracellular and intercellular processes shaping antigen specificity and recognition in immune activation and lymphocyte functions in mediating effector and memory responses. We also describe how lymphocytes balance protective immunity against autoimmunity and immunopathology, including during immune tolerance, response to chronic antigen stimulation, and adaptation to non-lymphoid tissues in coordinating tissue immunity and homeostasis. Finally, we discuss extracellular signals and cell-intrinsic programs underpinning adaptive immunity and conclude by summarizing key advances in vaccination and engineering adaptive immune responses for therapeutic interventions. A deeper understanding of these principles holds promise for uncovering new means to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Chi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Marion Pepper
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Paul G Thomas
- Department of Host-Microbe Interactions and Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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29
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Yaglova NV, Obernikhin SS, Timokhina EP, Tsomartova DA, Yaglov VV, Nazimova SV, Tsomartova ES, Ivanova MY, Chereshneva EV, Lomanovskaya TA. Effects of Deuterium Depletion on Age-Declining Thymopoiesis In Vivo. Biomedicines 2024; 12:956. [PMID: 38790918 PMCID: PMC11117614 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12050956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The thymus provides maturation and migration of T cells to peripheral organs of immunity, where they recognize diverse antigens and maintain immunological memory and self-tolerance. The thymus is known to be involved with age and in response to stress factors. Therefore, the search for approaches to the restoration of thymopoiesis is of great interest. The present investigation was aimed at evaluating how prolonged deuterium depletion affects morphogenetic processes and the physiological transition of the thymus to age-related involution. The study was performed on 60 male Wistar rats subjected to consumption of deuterium-depleted water with a 10 ppm deuterium content for 28 days. The control rats consumed distilled water with a normal deuterium content of 150 ppm. The examination found no significant differences in body weight gain or the amount of water consumed. The exposed rats exhibited similar to control dynamics of the thymus weight but significant changes in thymic cell maturation according to cytofluorimetric analysis of thymic subpopulations. Changes in T cell production were not monotonic and differentially engaged morphogenetic processes of cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. The reactive response to deuterium depletion was a sharp increase in the number of progenitor CD4-CD8- cells and their differentiation into T cells. The compensatory reaction was inhibition of thymopoiesis with more pronounced suppression of differentiation of T-cytotoxic lymphocytes, followed by intensification of emigration of mature T cells to the bloodstream. This period lasts from 3 to 14 days, then differentiation of thymic lymphocytes is restored, later cell proliferation is activated, and finally the thymopoiesis rate exceeds the control values. The increase in the number of thymic progenitor cells after 3-4 weeks suggests consideration of deuterium elimination as a novel approach to prevent thymus involution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya V. Yaglova
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, A.P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (S.S.O.); (E.P.T.); (D.A.T.); (V.V.Y.); (S.V.N.); (E.S.T.)
| | - Sergey S. Obernikhin
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, A.P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (S.S.O.); (E.P.T.); (D.A.T.); (V.V.Y.); (S.V.N.); (E.S.T.)
| | - Ekaterina P. Timokhina
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, A.P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (S.S.O.); (E.P.T.); (D.A.T.); (V.V.Y.); (S.V.N.); (E.S.T.)
| | - Dibakhan A. Tsomartova
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, A.P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (S.S.O.); (E.P.T.); (D.A.T.); (V.V.Y.); (S.V.N.); (E.S.T.)
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, Federal State Funded Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (M.Y.I.); (E.V.C.); (T.A.L.)
| | - Valentin V. Yaglov
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, A.P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (S.S.O.); (E.P.T.); (D.A.T.); (V.V.Y.); (S.V.N.); (E.S.T.)
| | - Svetlana V. Nazimova
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, A.P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (S.S.O.); (E.P.T.); (D.A.T.); (V.V.Y.); (S.V.N.); (E.S.T.)
| | - Elina S. Tsomartova
- Laboratory of Endocrine System Development, A.P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery”, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (S.S.O.); (E.P.T.); (D.A.T.); (V.V.Y.); (S.V.N.); (E.S.T.)
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, Federal State Funded Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (M.Y.I.); (E.V.C.); (T.A.L.)
| | - Marina Y. Ivanova
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, Federal State Funded Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (M.Y.I.); (E.V.C.); (T.A.L.)
| | - Elizaveta V. Chereshneva
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, Federal State Funded Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (M.Y.I.); (E.V.C.); (T.A.L.)
| | - Tatiana A. Lomanovskaya
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, Federal State Funded Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (M.Y.I.); (E.V.C.); (T.A.L.)
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30
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Lim S, J F van Son G, Wisma Eka Yanti NL, Andersson-Rolf A, Willemsen S, Korving J, Lee HG, Begthel H, Clevers H. Derivation of functional thymic epithelial organoid lines from adult murine thymus. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114019. [PMID: 38551965 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114019] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) orchestrate T cell development by imposing positive and negative selection on thymocytes. Current studies on TEC biology are hampered by the absence of long-term ex vivo culture platforms, while the cells driving TEC self-renewal remain to be identified. Here, we generate long-term (>2 years) expandable 3D TEC organoids from the adult mouse thymus. For further analysis, we generated single and double FoxN1-P2A-Clover, Aire-P2A-tdTomato, and Cldn4-P2A-tdTomato reporter lines by CRISPR knockin. Single-cell analyses of expanding clonal organoids reveal cells with bipotent stem/progenitor phenotypes. These clonal organoids can be induced to express Foxn1 and to generate functional cortical- and Aire-expressing medullary-like TECs upon RANK ligand + retinoic acid treatment. TEC organoids support T cell development from immature thymocytes in vitro as well as in vivo upon transplantation into athymic nude mice. This organoid-based platform allows in vitro study of TEC biology and offers a potential strategy for ex vivo T cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangho Lim
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CT, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gijs J F van Son
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands; The Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht 3584 CS, the Netherlands
| | - Ni Luh Wisma Eka Yanti
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CT, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Amanda Andersson-Rolf
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CT, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sam Willemsen
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CT, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Korving
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CT, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hong-Gyun Lee
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Harry Begthel
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CT, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hans Clevers
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CT, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands; The Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht 3584 CS, the Netherlands.
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31
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Larouche JD, Laumont CM, Trofimov A, Vincent K, Hesnard L, Brochu S, Côté C, Humeau JF, Bonneil É, Lanoix J, Durette C, Gendron P, Laverdure JP, Richie ER, Lemieux S, Thibault P, Perreault C. Transposable elements regulate thymus development and function. eLife 2024; 12:RP91037. [PMID: 38635416 PMCID: PMC11026094 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91037] [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] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive sequences representing ~45% of the human and mouse genomes and are highly expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). In this study, we investigated the role of TEs on T-cell development in the thymus. We performed multiomic analyses of TEs in human and mouse thymic cells to elucidate their role in T-cell development. We report that TE expression in the human thymus is high and shows extensive age- and cell lineage-related variations. TE expression correlates with multiple transcription factors in all cell types of the human thymus. Two cell types express particularly broad TE repertoires: mTECs and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). In mTECs, transcriptomic data suggest that TEs interact with transcription factors essential for mTEC development and function (e.g., PAX1 and REL), and immunopeptidomic data showed that TEs generate MHC-I-associated peptides implicated in thymocyte education. Notably, AIRE, FEZF2, and CHD4 regulate small yet non-redundant sets of TEs in murine mTECs. Human thymic pDCs homogenously express large numbers of TEs that likely form dsRNA, which can activate innate immune receptors, potentially explaining why thymic pDCs constitutively secrete IFN ɑ/β. This study highlights the diversity of interactions between TEs and the adaptive immune system. TEs are genetic parasites, and the two thymic cell types most affected by TEs (mTEcs and pDCs) are essential to establishing central T-cell tolerance. Therefore, we propose that orchestrating TE expression in thymic cells is critical to prevent autoimmunity in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-David Larouche
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
| | - Céline M Laumont
- Deeley Research Centre, BC CancerVictoriaCanada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Assya Trofimov
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Computer Science and Operations Research, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleUnited States
- Department of Physics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Krystel Vincent
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Leslie Hesnard
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Sylvie Brochu
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Caroline Côté
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Juliette F Humeau
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Éric Bonneil
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Joel Lanoix
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Chantal Durette
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Patrick Gendron
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | | | - Ellen R Richie
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonUnited States
| | - Sébastien Lemieux
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Pierre Thibault
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Chemistry, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
| | - Claude Perreault
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
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Nakonechnaya TO, Moltedo B, Putintseva EV, Leyn S, Bolotin DA, Britanova OV, Shugay M, Chudakov DM. Convergence, plasticity, and tissue residence of regulatory T cell response via TCR repertoire prism. eLife 2024; 12:RP89382. [PMID: 38591522 PMCID: PMC11003740 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89382] [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] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Suppressive function of regulatory T cells (Treg) is dependent on signaling of their antigen receptors triggered by cognate self, dietary, or microbial peptides presented on MHC II. However, it remains largely unknown whether distinct or shared repertoires of Treg TCRs are mobilized in response to different challenges in the same tissue or the same challenge in different tissues. Here we use a fixed TCRβ chain FoxP3-GFP mouse model to analyze conventional (eCD4) and regulatory (eTreg) effector TCRα repertoires in response to six distinct antigenic challenges to the lung and skin. This model shows highly 'digital' repertoire behavior with easy-to-track challenge-specific TCRα CDR3 clusters. For both eCD4 and eTreg subsets, we observe challenge-specific clonal expansions yielding homologous TCRα clusters within and across animals and exposure sites, which are also reflected in the draining lymph nodes but not systemically. Some CDR3 clusters are shared across cancer challenges, suggesting a response to common tumor-associated antigens. For most challenges, eCD4 and eTreg clonal response does not overlap. Such overlap is exclusively observed at the sites of certain tumor challenges, and not systematically, suggesting transient and local tumor-induced eCD4=>eTreg plasticity. This transition includes a dominant tumor-responding eCD4 CDR3 motif, as well as characteristic iNKT TCRα CDR3. In addition, we examine the homeostatic tissue residency of clonal eTreg populations by excluding the site of challenge from our analysis. We demonstrate that distinct CDR3 motifs are characteristic of eTreg cells residing in particular lymphatic tissues, regardless of the challenge. This observation reveals the tissue-resident, antigen-specific clonal Treg populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana O Nakonechnaya
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical UniversityMoscowRussian Federation
- Genomics of Adaptive Immunity Department, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic ChemistryMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Bruno Moltedo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute and Ludwig Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Ekaterina V Putintseva
- Genomics of Adaptive Immunity Department, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic ChemistryMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Sofya Leyn
- Genomics of Adaptive Immunity Department, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic ChemistryMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Dmitry A Bolotin
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical UniversityMoscowRussian Federation
- Genomics of Adaptive Immunity Department, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic ChemistryMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Olga V Britanova
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical UniversityMoscowRussian Federation
- Genomics of Adaptive Immunity Department, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic ChemistryMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Mikhail Shugay
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical UniversityMoscowRussian Federation
- Genomics of Adaptive Immunity Department, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic ChemistryMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Dmitriy M Chudakov
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical UniversityMoscowRussian Federation
- Genomics of Adaptive Immunity Department, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic ChemistryMoscowRussian Federation
- Central European Institute of TechnologyBrnoCzech Republic
- Abu Dhabi Stem Cells CenterAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
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33
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Perrino M, Voulaz E, Balin S, Cazzato G, Fontana E, Franzese S, Defendi M, De Vincenzo F, Cordua N, Tamma R, Borea F, Aliprandi M, Airoldi M, Cecchi LG, Fazio R, Alloisio M, Marulli G, Santoro A, Di Tommaso L, Ingravallo G, Russo L, Da Rin G, Villa A, Della Bella S, Zucali PA, Mavilio D. Autoimmunity in thymic epithelial tumors: a not yet clarified pathologic paradigm associated with several unmet clinical needs. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1288045. [PMID: 38629065 PMCID: PMC11018877 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1288045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare mediastinal cancers originating from the thymus, classified in two main histotypes: thymoma and thymic carcinoma (TC). TETs affect a primary lymphoid organ playing a critical role in keeping T-cell homeostasis and ensuring an adequate immunological tolerance against "self". In particular, thymomas and not TC are frequently associated with autoimmune diseases (ADs), with Myasthenia Gravis being the most common AD present in 30% of patients with thymoma. This comorbidity, in addition to negatively affecting the quality and duration of patients' life, reduces the spectrum of the available therapeutic options. Indeed, the presence of autoimmunity represents an exclusion criteria for the administration of the newest immunotherapeutic treatments with checkpoint inhibitors. The pathophysiological correlation between TETs and autoimmunity remains a mystery. Several studies have demonstrated the presence of a residual and active thymopoiesis in adult patients affected by thymomas, especially in mixed and lymphocytic-rich thymomas, currently known as type AB and B thymomas. The aim of this review is to provide the state of art in regard to the histological features of the different TET histotype, to the role of the different immune cells infiltrating tumor microenvironments and their impact in the break of central immunologic thymic tolerance in thymomas. We discuss here both cellular and molecular immunologic mechanisms inducing the onset of autoimmunity in TETs, limiting the portfolio of therapeutic strategies against TETs and greatly impacting the prognosis of associated autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Perrino
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Voulaz
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Balin
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Gerardo Cazzato
- Section of Pathology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
| | - Elena Fontana
- Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica (IRGB), National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
- Human Genome and Biomedical Technologies Unit, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Franzese
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Unit of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Defendi
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Unit of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio De Vincenzo
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Cordua
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Tamma
- Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neurosciences (DiBraiN), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
| | - Federica Borea
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Aliprandi
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Airoldi
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Giovanni Cecchi
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Fazio
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Alloisio
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Marulli
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Armando Santoro
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Di Tommaso
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ingravallo
- Section of Pathology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
| | - Laura Russo
- Clinical Laboratory, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Da Rin
- Clinical Laboratory, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Villa
- Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica (IRGB), National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Della Bella
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Unit of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Andrea Zucali
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Domenico Mavilio
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Unit of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
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Chang PC, Yuan X, Zampieri A, Towns C, Yoo SP, Engstrom C, Tsai S, Robles CR, Zhu Y, Lopez S, Montel-Hagen A, Seet CS, Crooks GM. Generation of antigen-specific mature T cells from RAG1 -/-RAG2 -/-B2M -/- stem cells by engineering their microenvironment. Nat Biomed Eng 2024; 8:461-478. [PMID: 38062131 PMCID: PMC11087257 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01146-7] [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: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are a promising source of allogeneic T cells for off-the-shelf immunotherapies. However, the process of differentiating genetically engineered PSCs to generate mature T cells requires that the same molecular elements that are crucial for the selection of these cells be removed to prevent alloreactivity. Here we show that antigen-restricted mature T cells can be generated in vitro from PSCs edited via CRISPR to lack endogenous T cell receptors (TCRs) and class I major histocompatibility complexes. Specifically, we used T cell precursors from RAG1-/-RAG2-/-B2M-/- human PSCs expressing a single TCR, and a murine stromal cell line providing the cognate human major histocompatibility complex molecule and other critical signals for T cell maturation. Possibly owing to the absence of TCR mispairing, the generated T cells showed substantially better tumour control in mice than T cells with an intact endogenous TCR. Introducing the T cell selection components into the stromal microenvironment of the PSCs overcomes inherent biological challenges associated with the development of T cell immunotherapies from allogeneic PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick C Chang
- Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xuegang Yuan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alexandre Zampieri
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chloe Towns
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sang Pil Yoo
- Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Claire Engstrom
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven Tsai
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Yuhua Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shawn Lopez
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amelie Montel-Hagen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher S Seet
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Broad Stem Cell Research Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gay M Crooks
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Broad Stem Cell Research Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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35
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Shirafkan F, Hensel L, Rattay K. Immune tolerance and the prevention of autoimmune diseases essentially depend on thymic tissue homeostasis. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1339714. [PMID: 38571951 PMCID: PMC10987875 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1339714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The intricate balance of immune reactions towards invading pathogens and immune tolerance towards self is pivotal in preventing autoimmune diseases, with the thymus playing a central role in establishing and maintaining this equilibrium. The induction of central immune tolerance in the thymus involves the elimination of self-reactive T cells, a mechanism essential for averting autoimmunity. Disruption of the thymic T cell selection mechanisms can lead to the development of autoimmune diseases. In the dynamic microenvironment of the thymus, T cell migration and interactions with thymic stromal cells are critical for the selection processes that ensure self-tolerance. Thymic epithelial cells are particularly significant in this context, presenting self-antigens and inducing the negative selection of autoreactive T cells. Further, the synergistic roles of thymic fibroblasts, B cells, and dendritic cells in antigen presentation, selection and the development of regulatory T cells are pivotal in maintaining immune responses tightly regulated. This review article collates these insights, offering a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted role of thymic tissue homeostasis in the establishment of immune tolerance and its implications in the prevention of autoimmune diseases. Additionally, the developmental pathways of the thymus are explored, highlighting how genetic aberrations can disrupt thymic architecture and function, leading to autoimmune conditions. The impact of infections on immune tolerance is another critical area, with pathogens potentially triggering autoimmunity by altering thymic homeostasis. Overall, this review underscores the integral role of thymic tissue homeostasis in the prevention of autoimmune diseases, discussing insights into potential therapeutic strategies and examining putative avenues for future research on developing thymic-based therapies in treating and preventing autoimmune conditions.
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36
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Chang M, Wang M, Liu B, Zhong W, Jana D, Wang Y, Dong S, Antony A, Li C, Liu Y, Zhao Z, Lin J, Jiang W, Zhao Y. A Cancer Nanovaccine Based on an FeAl-Layered Double Hydroxide Framework for Reactive Oxygen Species-Augmented Metalloimmunotherapy. ACS NANO 2024; 18:8143-8156. [PMID: 38436248 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c11960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
The complexity and heterogeneity of individual tumors have hindered the efficacy of existing therapeutic cancer vaccines, sparking intensive interest in the development of more effective in situ vaccines. Herein, we introduce a cancer nanovaccine for reactive oxygen species-augmented metalloimmunotherapy in which FeAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) is used as a delivery vehicle with dihydroartemisinin (DHA) as cargo. The LDH framework is acid-labile and can be degraded in the tumor microenvironment, releasing iron ions, aluminum ions, and DHA. The iron ions contribute to aggravated intratumoral oxidative stress injury by the synergistic Fenton reaction and DHA activation, causing apoptosis, ferroptosis, and immunogenic cell death in cancer cells. The subsequently released tumor-associated antigens with the aluminum adjuvant form a cancer nanovaccine to generate robust and long-term immune responses against cancer recurrence and metastasis. Moreover, Fe ion-enabled T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging can facilitate real-time tumor therapy monitoring. This cancer-nanovaccine-mediated metalloimmunotherapy strategy has the potential for revolutionizing the precision immunotherapy landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyu Chang
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371, Singapore
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Man Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China
- Institute of Molecular Sciences and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Bin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China
| | - Wenbin Zhong
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371, Singapore
| | - Deblin Jana
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371, Singapore
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Shiyan Dong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Abin Antony
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Chunxia Li
- Institute of Molecular Sciences and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Yuhui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, P. R. China
| | - Zhongqi Zhao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Jun Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Yanli Zhao
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, 637371, Singapore
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Yu H, Yang W, Cao M, Lei Q, Yuan R, Xu H, Cui Y, Chen X, Su X, Zhuo H, Lin L. Mechanism study of ubiquitination in T cell development and autoimmune disease. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1359933. [PMID: 38562929 PMCID: PMC10982411 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1359933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
T cells play critical role in multiple immune processes including antigen response, tumor immunity, inflammation, self-tolerance maintenance and autoimmune diseases et. Fetal liver or bone marrow-derived thymus-seeding progenitors (TSPs) settle in thymus and undergo T cell-lineage commitment, proliferation, T cell receptor (TCR) rearrangement, and thymic selections driven by microenvironment composed of thymic epithelial cells (TEC), dendritic cells (DC), macrophage and B cells, thus generating T cells with diverse TCR repertoire immunocompetent but not self-reactive. Additionally, some self-reactive thymocytes give rise to Treg with the help of TEC and DC, serving for immune tolerance. The sequential proliferation, cell fate decision, and selection during T cell development and self-tolerance establishment are tightly regulated to ensure the proper immune response without autoimmune reaction. There are remarkable progresses in understanding of the regulatory mechanisms regarding ubiquitination in T cell development and the establishment of self-tolerance in the past few years, which holds great potential for further therapeutic interventions in immune-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yu
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenyong Yang
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
| | - Min Cao
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qingqiang Lei
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
| | - Renbin Yuan
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
| | - He Xu
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuqian Cui
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuerui Chen
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xu Su
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hui Zhuo
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
| | - Liangbin Lin
- Department of Urology, Medical Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, China
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38
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Khan A, Roy P, Ley K. Breaking tolerance: the autoimmune aspect of atherosclerosis. Nat Rev Immunol 2024:10.1038/s41577-024-01010-y. [PMID: 38472321 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-024-01010-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial walls and is characterized by the accumulation of lipoproteins that are insufficiently cleared by phagocytes. Following the initiation of atherosclerosis, the pathological progression is accelerated by engagement of the adaptive immune system. Atherosclerosis triggers the breakdown of tolerance to self-components. This loss of tolerance is reflected in defective expression of immune checkpoint molecules, dysfunctional antigen presentation, and aberrations in T cell populations - most notably in regulatory T (Treg) cells - and in the production of autoantibodies. The breakdown of tolerance to self-proteins that is observed in ASCVD may be linked to the conversion of Treg cells to 'exTreg' cells because many Treg cells in ASCVD express T cell receptors that are specific for self-epitopes. Alternatively, or in addition, breakdown of tolerance may trigger the activation of naive T cells, resulting in the clonal expansion of T cell populations with pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic effector phenotypes. In this Perspective, we review the evidence that atherosclerosis is associated with a breakdown of tolerance to self-antigens, discuss possible immunological mechanisms and identify knowledge gaps to map out future research. Rational approaches aimed at re-establishing immune tolerance may become game changers in treating ASCVD and in preventing its downstream sequelae, which include heart attacks and strokes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Khan
- Immunology Center of Georgia, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Payel Roy
- Immunology Center of Georgia, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Klaus Ley
- Immunology Center of Georgia, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
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39
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Yin R, Melton S, Huseby ES, Kardar M, Chakraborty AK. How persistent infection overcomes peripheral tolerance mechanisms to cause T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318599121. [PMID: 38446856 PMCID: PMC10945823 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318599121] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
T cells help orchestrate immune responses to pathogens, and their aberrant regulation can trigger autoimmunity. Recent studies highlight that a threshold number of T cells (a quorum) must be activated in a tissue to mount a functional immune response. These collective effects allow the T cell repertoire to respond to pathogens while suppressing autoimmunity due to circulating autoreactive T cells. Our computational studies show that increasing numbers of pathogenic peptides targeted by T cells during persistent or severe viral infections increase the probability of activating T cells that are weakly reactive to self-antigens (molecular mimicry). These T cells are easily re-activated by the self-antigens and contribute to exceeding the quorum threshold required to mount autoimmune responses. Rare peptides that activate many T cells are sampled more readily during severe/persistent infections than in acute infections, which amplifies these effects. Experiments in mice to test predictions from these mechanistic insights are suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Yin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Samuel Melton
- Physics of Living Systems, Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Eric S. Huseby
- Basic Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Mehran Kardar
- Physics of Living Systems, Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Arup K. Chakraborty
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Physics of Living Systems, Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02139
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
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40
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Porcheddu V, Lhomme G, Giraudet R, Correia E, Maillère B. The self-reactive FVIII T cell repertoire in healthy individuals relies on a short set of epitopes and public clonotypes. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1345195. [PMID: 38510258 PMCID: PMC10951066 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1345195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-mutated FVIII-specific CD4 T cell epitopes have been recently found to contribute to the development of inhibitors in patients with hemophilia A (HA), while auto-reactive CD4 T cells specific to FVIII circulate in the blood of healthy individuals at a frequency close to the foreign protein ovalbumin. Thus, although FVIII is a self-protein, the central tolerance raised against FVIII appears to be low. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the FVIII CD4 T cell repertoire in 29 healthy donors. Sequencing of the CDR3β TCR region from isolated FVIII-specific CD4 T cells revealed a limited usage and pairing of TRBV and TRBJ genes as well as a mostly hydrophobic composition of the CDR3β region according to their auto-reactivity. The FVIII repertoire is dominated by a few clonotypes, with only 13 clonotypes accounting for half of the FVIII response. Through a large-scale epitope mapping of the full-length FVIII sequence, we identified 18 immunodominant epitopes located in the A1, A3, C1, and C2 domains and covering half of the T cell response. These epitopes exhibited a broad specificity for HLA-DR or DP molecules or both. T cell priming with this reduced set of peptides revealed that highly expanded clonotypes specific to these epitopes were responsible individually for up to 32% of the total FVIII repertoire. These FVIII T cell epitopes and clonotypes were shared among HLA-unrelated donors tested and previously reported HA patients. Our study highlights the role of the auto-reactive T cell response against FVIII in HA and its similarity to the response observed in healthy individuals. Thus, it provides valuable insights for the development of new tolerance induction and deimmunization strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Porcheddu
- Université de Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (INRAE), Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, Service d’Ingénierie Moléculaire pour la Santé (SIMoS), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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41
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Afzali AM, Nirschl L, Sie C, Pfaller M, Ulianov O, Hassler T, Federle C, Petrozziello E, Kalluri SR, Chen HH, Tyystjärvi S, Muschaweckh A, Lammens K, Delbridge C, Büttner A, Steiger K, Seyhan G, Ottersen OP, Öllinger R, Rad R, Jarosch S, Straub A, Mühlbauer A, Grassmann S, Hemmer B, Böttcher JP, Wagner I, Kreutzfeldt M, Merkler D, Pardàs IB, Schmidt Supprian M, Buchholz VR, Heink S, Busch DH, Klein L, Korn T. B cells orchestrate tolerance to the neuromyelitis optica autoantigen AQP4. Nature 2024; 627:407-415. [PMID: 38383779 PMCID: PMC10937377 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07079-8] [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: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Neuromyelitis optica is a paradigmatic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, in which the water-channel protein AQP4 is the target antigen1. The immunopathology in neuromyelitis optica is largely driven by autoantibodies to AQP42. However, the T cell response that is required for the generation of these anti-AQP4 antibodies is not well understood. Here we show that B cells endogenously express AQP4 in response to activation with anti-CD40 and IL-21 and are able to present their endogenous AQP4 to T cells with an AQP4-specific T cell receptor (TCR). A population of thymic B cells emulates a CD40-stimulated B cell transcriptome, including AQP4 (in mice and humans), and efficiently purges the thymic TCR repertoire of AQP4-reactive clones. Genetic ablation of Aqp4 in B cells rescues AQP4-specific TCRs despite sufficient expression of AQP4 in medullary thymic epithelial cells, and B-cell-conditional AQP4-deficient mice are fully competent to raise AQP4-specific antibodies in productive germinal-centre responses. Thus, the negative selection of AQP4-specific thymocytes is dependent on the expression and presentation of AQP4 by thymic B cells. As AQP4 is expressed in B cells in a CD40-dependent (but not AIRE-dependent) manner, we propose that thymic B cells might tolerize against a group of germinal-centre-associated antigens, including disease-relevant autoantigens such as AQP4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Maisam Afzali
- Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Lucy Nirschl
- Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Christopher Sie
- Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Monika Pfaller
- Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Oleksii Ulianov
- Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Hassler
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Institute for Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Christine Federle
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Institute for Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Elisabetta Petrozziello
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Institute for Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sudhakar Reddy Kalluri
- Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Hsin Hsiang Chen
- Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Sofia Tyystjärvi
- Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Muschaweckh
- Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Katja Lammens
- Department of Biochemistry at the Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Claire Delbridge
- Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Büttner
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Katja Steiger
- Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Gönül Seyhan
- Institute for Experimental Hematology, TranslaTUM Cancer Center, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Ole Petter Ottersen
- Division of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rupert Öllinger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, TranslaTUM Cancer Center, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Roland Rad
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, TranslaTUM Cancer Center, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Jarosch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Adrian Straub
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Anton Mühlbauer
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Grassmann
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bernhard Hemmer
- Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan P Böttcher
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Ingrid Wagner
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Centre Médical Universitaire, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mario Kreutzfeldt
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Centre Médical Universitaire, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Doron Merkler
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Centre Médical Universitaire, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Marc Schmidt Supprian
- Institute for Experimental Hematology, TranslaTUM Cancer Center, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Veit R Buchholz
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Sylvia Heink
- Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk H Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ludger Klein
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Institute for Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Thomas Korn
- Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany.
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Munich, Germany.
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42
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Materna M, Delmonte OM, Bosticardo M, Momenilandi M, Conrey PE, Muylder BCD, Bravetti C, Bellworthy R, Cederholm A, Staels F, Ganoza CA, Darko S, Sayed S, Le Floc’h C, Ogishi M, Rinchai D, Guenoun A, Bolze A, Khan T, Gervais A, Krüger R, Völler M, Palterer B, Sadeghi-Shabestari M, de Septenville AL, Schramm CA, Shah S, Tello-Cajiao JJ, Pala F, Amini K, Campos JS, Lima NS, Eriksson D, Lévy R, Seeleuthner Y, Jyonouchi S, Ata M, Al Ali F, Deswarte C, Pereira A, Mégre t J, Le Voyer T, Bastard P, Berteloot L, Dussiot M, Vladikine N, Cardenas PP, Jouanguy E, Alqahtani M, Hasan A, Thanaraj TA, Rosain J, Al Qureshah F, Sabato V, Alyanakian MA, Leruez-Ville M, Rozenberg F, Haddad E, Regueiro JR, Toribio ML, Kelsen JR, Salehi M, Nasiri S, Torabizadeh M, Rokni-Zadeh H, Changi-Ashtiani M, Vatandoost N, Moravej H, Akrami SM, Mazloomrezaei M, Cobat A, Meyts I, Etsushi T, Nishimura M, Moriya K, Mizukami T, Imai K, Abel L, Malissen B, Al-Mulla F, Alkuraya FS, Parvaneh N, von Bernuth H, Beetz C, Davi F, Douek DC, Cheynier R, Langlais D, Landegren N, Marr N, Morio T, Shahrooei M, Schrijvers R, Henrickson SE, Luche H, Notarangelo LD, Casanova JL, Béziat V. The immunopathological landscape of human pre-TCRα deficiency: From rare to common variants. Science 2024; 383:eadh4059. [PMID: 38422122 PMCID: PMC10958617 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh4059] [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: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
We describe humans with rare biallelic loss-of-function PTCRA variants impairing pre-α T cell receptor (pre-TCRα) expression. Low circulating naive αβ T cell counts at birth persisted over time, with normal memory αβ and high γδ T cell counts. Their TCRα repertoire was biased, which suggests that noncanonical thymic differentiation pathways can rescue αβ T cell development. Only a minority of these individuals were sick, with infection, lymphoproliferation, and/or autoimmunity. We also report that 1 in 4000 individuals from the Middle East and South Asia are homozygous for a common hypomorphic PTCRA variant. They had normal circulating naive αβ T cell counts but high γδ T cell counts. Although residual pre-TCRα expression drove the differentiation of more αβ T cells, autoimmune conditions were more frequent in these patients compared with the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Materna
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Ottavia M. Delmonte
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Marita Bosticardo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Mana Momenilandi
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Peyton E. Conrey
- Division of Allergy-Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Philadelphia, USA
| | | | - Clotilde Bravetti
- Department of Biological Hematology, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) and Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Sorbonne University, Paris Cancer Institute CURAMUS, INSERM U1138, Paris, France
| | - Rebecca Bellworthy
- Deptartment of Human Genetics, Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Axel Cederholm
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Frederik Staels
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Samuel Darko
- Human Immunology Section, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Samir Sayed
- Division of Allergy-Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Philadelphia, USA
| | - Corentin Le Floc’h
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Masato Ogishi
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Darawan Rinchai
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Taushif Khan
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- The Jackson Laboratory, Farmington, USA
| | - Adrian Gervais
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Renate Krüger
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Mirjam Völler
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Boaz Palterer
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Mahnaz Sadeghi-Shabestari
- Immunology Research Center, TB and Lung Disease Research Center, Mardaniazar children hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Anne Langlois de Septenville
- Department of Biological Hematology, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) and Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Chaim A. Schramm
- Human Immunology Section, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanjana Shah
- Human Immunology Section, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John J. Tello-Cajiao
- Division of Allergy-Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Philadelphia, USA
- Department of Pathology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Francesca Pala
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Kayla Amini
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Jose S. Campos
- Division of Allergy-Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Philadelphia, USA
| | - Noemia Santana Lima
- Human Immunology Section, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Eriksson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University and University Hospital, Section of Clinical Genetics, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Romain Lévy
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- Pediatric Immunology, Hematology and Rheumatology Unit, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Yoann Seeleuthner
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Soma Jyonouchi
- Division of Allergy-Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Philadelphia, USA
| | - Manar Ata
- Human Immunology Section, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Caroline Deswarte
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Anaïs Pereira
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Mégre t
- Cytometry Core Facility, SFR Necker, INSERM US24-CNRS UAR3633, Paris, France
| | - Tom Le Voyer
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Paul Bastard
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
- Pediatric Immunology, Hematology and Rheumatology Unit, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Laureline Berteloot
- Department of Pediatric Radiology, University Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Michaël Dussiot
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Hematological Disorders and Therapeutic Implications, INSERM UMR 1163, Paris, France
| | - Natasha Vladikine
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Paula P. Cardenas
- Department of Immunology, Complutense University School of Medicine and 12 de Octubre Health Research Institute (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Emmanuelle Jouanguy
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Mashael Alqahtani
- Department of Translational Genomics, Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal Hasan
- Department of Translational Research, Research Division, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Thangavel Alphonse Thanaraj
- Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics, Research Division, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Jérémie Rosain
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Fahd Al Qureshah
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Vito Sabato
- Department of Immunology, Allergology and Rheumatology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital, Belgium
| | - Marie Alexandra Alyanakian
- Immunology Laboratory, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | | | - Flore Rozenberg
- University of Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Paris, France
- Virology, Cochin Hospital, AP-HP, APHP-CUP, Paris, France
| | - Elie Haddad
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Montreal, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jose R. Regueiro
- Department of Immunology, Complutense University School of Medicine and 12 de Octubre Health Research Institute (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria L. Toribio
- Immune System Development and Function Unit, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith R. Kelsen
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
| | - Mansoor Salehi
- Cellular, Molecular and Genetics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology,Medical School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Shahram Nasiri
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Children's Medical Center of Abuzar, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mehdi Torabizadeh
- Golestan Hospital Clinical Research Development Unit, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Hassan Rokni-Zadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences (ZUMS), Zanjan, Iran
| | - Majid Changi-Ashtiani
- School of Mathematics, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Nasimeh Vatandoost
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology,Medical School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hossein Moravej
- Neonatal Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Akrami
- Medical Genetics Poursina St., Genetic Deptartment, Medical Faculty, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Dr. Shahrooei Laboratory, 22 Bahman St., Ashrafi Esfahani Blvd, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Aurélie Cobat
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Isabelle Meyts
- Laboratory for Inborn Errors of Immunity, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Toyofuku Etsushi
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Madoka Nishimura
- Department of Pediatrics, NHO Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Moriya
- Department of Pediatrics, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Mizukami
- Department of Pediatrics, NHO Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kohsuke Imai
- Department of Pediatrics, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Laurent Abel
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Bernard Malissen
- Immunology Center of Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille University, Inserm, CNRS, Marseille, France
- Immunophenomics Center (CIPHE), Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Fahd Al-Mulla
- Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics, Research Division, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Fowzan Sami Alkuraya
- Department of Translational Genomics, Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nima Parvaneh
- Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Horst von Bernuth
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Labor Berlin GmbH, Department of Immunology, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Frédéric Davi
- Department of Biological Hematology, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) and Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Sorbonne University, Paris Cancer Institute CURAMUS, INSERM U1138, Paris, France
| | - Daniel C. Douek
- Human Immunology Section, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rémi Cheynier
- University of Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Paris, France
| | - David Langlais
- Deptartment of Human Genetics, Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nils Landegren
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine (Solna), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nico Marr
- Department of Human Immunology, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Tomohiro Morio
- Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mohammad Shahrooei
- Dr. Shahrooei Laboratory, 22 Bahman St., Ashrafi Esfahani Blvd, Tehran, Iran
- Clinical and Diagnostic Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Schrijvers
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sarah E. Henrickson
- Division of Allergy-Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Philadelphia, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, USA
| | - Hervé Luche
- Immunophenomics Center (CIPHE), Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Luigi D. Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Jean-Laurent Casanova
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- Human Immunology Section, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, AP-HP, France
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Vivien Béziat
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
- Imagine Institute, University of Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
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43
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Dinges SS, Amini K, Notarangelo LD, Delmonte OM. Primary and secondary defects of the thymus. Immunol Rev 2024; 322:178-211. [PMID: 38228406 PMCID: PMC10950553 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13306] [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] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The thymus is the primary site of T-cell development, enabling generation, and selection of a diverse repertoire of T cells that recognize non-self, whilst remaining tolerant to self- antigens. Severe congenital disorders of thymic development (athymia) can be fatal if left untreated due to infections, and thymic tissue implantation is the only cure. While newborn screening for severe combined immune deficiency has allowed improved detection at birth of congenital athymia, thymic disorders acquired later in life are still underrecognized and assessing the quality of thymic function in such conditions remains a challenge. The thymus is sensitive to injury elicited from a variety of endogenous and exogenous factors, and its self-renewal capacity decreases with age. Secondary and age-related forms of thymic dysfunction may lead to an increased risk of infections, malignancy, and autoimmunity. Promising results have been obtained in preclinical models and clinical trials upon administration of soluble factors promoting thymic regeneration, but to date no therapy is approved for clinical use. In this review we provide a background on thymus development, function, and age-related involution. We discuss disease mechanisms, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches for primary and secondary thymic defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S. Dinges
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kayla Amini
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Luigi D. Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ottavia M. Delmonte
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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James KD, Cosway EJ, Parnell SM, White AJ, Jenkinson WE, Anderson G. Assembling the thymus medulla: Development and function of epithelial cell heterogeneity. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300165. [PMID: 38161233 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300165] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The thymus is a unique primary lymphoid organ that supports the production of self-tolerant T-cells essential for adaptive immunity. Intrathymic microenvironments are microanatomically compartmentalised, forming defined cortical, and medullary regions each differentially supporting critical aspects of thymus-dependent T-cell maturation. Importantly, the specific functional properties of thymic cortical and medullary compartments are defined by highly specialised thymic epithelial cells (TEC). For example, in the medulla heterogenous medullary TEC (mTEC) contribute to the enforcement of central tolerance by supporting deletion of autoreactive T-cell clones, thereby counterbalancing the potential for random T-cell receptor generation to contribute to autoimmune disease. Recent advances have further shed light on the pathways and mechanisms that control heterogeneous mTEC development and how differential mTEC functionality contributes to control self-tolerant T-cell development. Here we discuss recent findings in relation to mTEC development and highlight examples of how mTEC diversity contribute to thymus medulla function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran D James
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Emilie J Cosway
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sonia M Parnell
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Andrea J White
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - William E Jenkinson
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Graham Anderson
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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45
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Oftedal BE, Sjøgren T, Wolff ASB. Interferon autoantibodies as signals of a sick thymus. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1327784. [PMID: 38455040 PMCID: PMC10917889 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1327784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Type I interferons (IFN-I) are key immune messenger molecules that play an important role in viral defense. They act as a bridge between microbe sensing, immune function magnitude, and adaptive immunity to fight infections, and they must therefore be tightly regulated. It has become increasingly evident that thymic irregularities and mutations in immune genes affecting thymic tolerance can lead to the production of IFN-I autoantibodies (autoAbs). Whether these biomarkers affect the immune system or tissue integrity of the host is still controversial, but new data show that IFN-I autoAbs may increase susceptibility to severe disease caused by certain viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, herpes zoster, and varicella pneumonia. In this article, we will elaborate on disorders that have been identified with IFN-I autoAbs, discuss models of how tolerance to IFN-Is is lost, and explain the consequences for the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bergithe E. Oftedal
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Thea Sjøgren
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Anette S. B. Wolff
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
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46
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Jin Y, Yuan H, Mehta I, Ezenwa O, Morel PA. Alternatively Spliced Variants of Murine CD247 Influence T Cell Development and Activation, Revealing the Importance of the CD3ζ C-Terminal Region. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:541-550. [PMID: 38117282 PMCID: PMC10872740 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
CD247, also known as CD3ζ, is a crucial signaling molecule that transduces signals delivered by TCR through its three ITAMs. CD3ζ is required for successful thymocyte development. Three additional alternatively spliced variants of murine CD247 have been described, that is, CD3ι, CD3θ, and CD3η, that differ from CD3ζ in the C terminus such that the third ITAM is lost. Previous studies demonstrated defects in T cell development in mice expressing CD3η, but the TCR signaling pathways affected by CD3η and the impacts of the CD3ι and CD3θ on T cell development were not explored. In this study, we used a retrovirus-mediated gene transfer technique to express these three isoforms individually and examined the roles of them on T cell development and activation. Rag1-/- mice reconstituted with CD3θ-expressing bone marrow failed to develop mature T cells. CD3ι-expressing T cells exhibited similar development and activation as cells expressing CD3ζ. In contrast, thymic development was severely impaired in CD3η-reconstituted mice. Single-positive but not double-positive CD3η-expressing thymocytes had reduced TCR expression, and CD5 expression was decreased at the double-positive stage, suggesting a defect in positive selection. Peripheral CD3η-expressing T cells had expanded CD44hi populations and upregulation of exhaustion markers seen by flow cytometry and RNA sequencing analysis. Analysis of early signaling events demonstrated significantly reduced activation of both the PLCγ1 and Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. There was also a reduction in the frequency of activation of CD3η-expressing T cells. These studies reveal the importance of the CD3ζ C-terminal region in T cell development and activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Jin
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Huijuan Yuan
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh PA
| | - Isha Mehta
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Ogechukwu Ezenwa
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Penelope A Morel
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
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47
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Lammers S, Barrera V, Brennecke P, Miller C, Yoon J, Balolong J, Anderson MS, Ho Sui S, Steinmetz LM, von Andrian UH, Rattay K. Ehf and Fezf2 regulate late medullary thymic epithelial cell and thymic tuft cell development. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1277365. [PMID: 38420512 PMCID: PMC10901246 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1277365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells are indispensable for T cell maturation and selection and the induction of central immune tolerance. The self-peptide repertoire expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells is in part regulated by the transcriptional regulator Aire (Autoimmune regulator) and the transcription factor Fezf2. Due to the high complexity of mTEC maturation stages (i.e., post-Aire, Krt10+ mTECs, and Dclk1+ Tuft mTECs) and the heterogeneity in their gene expression profiles (i.e., mosaic expression patterns), it has been challenging to identify the additional factors complementing the transcriptional regulation. We aimed to identify the transcriptional regulators involved in the regulation of mTEC development and self-peptide expression in an unbiased and genome-wide manner. We used ATAC footprinting analysis as an indirect approach to identify transcription factors involved in the gene expression regulation in mTECs, which we validated by ChIP sequencing. This study identifies Fezf2 as a regulator of the recently described thymic Tuft cells (i.e., Tuft mTECs). Furthermore, we identify that transcriptional regulators of the ELF, ESE, ERF, and PEA3 subfamily of the ETS transcription factor family and members of the Krüppel-like family of transcription factors play a role in the transcriptional regulation of genes involved in late mTEC development and promiscuous gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sören Lammers
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Victor Barrera
- Bioinformatics Core, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Philip Brennecke
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Corey Miller
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Joon Yoon
- Bioinformatics Core, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jared Balolong
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Mark S. Anderson
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Shannan Ho Sui
- Bioinformatics Core, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lars M. Steinmetz
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich H. von Andrian
- Department of Immunology & HMS Center for Immune Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Kristin Rattay
- Department of Immunology & HMS Center for Immune Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Pharmacological Institute, Biochemical Pharmacological Center, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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48
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Trujillo Reyes JC, Martinez Tellez E, Belda Sanchis J, Planas Canovas G, Libreros Niño A, Guarino M, Hernández Ferrandez J, Moral Duarte A. Are the minimally invasive techniques the new gold standard in thymus surgery for myasthenia gravis? Experience of a reference single-site in VATS thymectomy. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1309173. [PMID: 38361645 PMCID: PMC10867208 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1309173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The thymus is the primary lymphoid organ responsible for the maturation and proliferation of T lymphocytes. During the first years of our lives, the activation and inactivation of T lymphocytes occur within the thymus, facilitating the correct maturation of central immunity. Alterations in the positive and negative selection of T lymphocytes have been studied as the possible origins of autoimmune diseases, with Myasthenia Gravis (MG) being the most representative example. Structural alterations in the thymus appear to be involved in the initial autoimmune response observed in MG, leading to the consideration of thymectomy as part of the treatment for the disease. However, the role of thymectomy in MG has been a subject of controversy for many years. Several publications raised doubts about the lack of evidence justifying thymectomy's role in MG until 2016 when a randomized study comparing thymectomy via sternotomy plus prednisone versus prednisone alone was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The results clearly favored the group of patients who underwent surgery, showing improvements in symptoms, reduced corticosteroid requirements, and fewer recurrences over 3 years of follow-up. In recent years, the emergence of less invasive surgical techniques has made video-assisted or robotic-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS/RATS) thymectomy more common, replacing the traditional sternotomy approach. Despite the increasing use of VATS, it has not been validated as a technique with lower morbidity compared to sternotomy in the treatment of MG. The results of the 2016 trial highlighted the benefits of thymectomy, but all the patients underwent surgery via sternotomy. Our hypothesis is that VATS thymectomy is a technique with lower morbidity, reduced postoperative pain, and shorter postoperative hospital stays than sternotomy. Additionally, VATS offers better clinical improvement in patients with MG. The primary objective of this study is to validate the VATS technique as the preferred approach for thymectomy. Furthermore, we aim to analyze the impact of VATS thymectomy on symptoms and corticosteroid dosage in patients with MG, identifying factors that may predict a better response to surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Trujillo Reyes
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Elisabeth Martinez Tellez
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Josep Belda Sanchis
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | | | | | - Mauro Guarino
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Moral Duarte
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Department of General Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
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49
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Mickael M, Łazarczyk M, Kubick N, Gurba A, Kocki T, Horbańczuk JO, Atanasov AG, Sacharczuk M, Religa P. FEZF2 and AIRE1: An Evolutionary Trade-off in the Elimination of Auto-reactive T Cells in the Thymus. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:72-86. [PMID: 38285197 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10157-0] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Autoimmune Regulator 1 (AIRE1) and Forebrain Embryonic Zinc Finger-Like Protein 2 (FEZF2) play pivotal roles in orchestrating the expression of tissue-restricted antigens (TRA) to facilitate the elimination of autoreactive T cells. AIRE1's presence in the gonads of various vertebrates has raised questions about its potential involvement in gene expression control for germline cell selection. Nevertheless, the evolutionary history of these genes has remained enigmatic, as has the rationale behind their apparent redundancy in vertebrates. Furthermore, the origin of the elimination process itself has remained elusive. To shed light on these mysteries, we conducted a comprehensive evolutionary analysis employing a range of tools, including multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic tree construction, ancestral sequence reconstruction, and positive selection assessment. Our investigations revealed intriguing insights. AIRE1 homologs emerged during the divergence of T cells in higher vertebrates, signifying its role in this context. Conversely, FEZF2 exhibited multiple homologs spanning invertebrates, lampreys, and higher vertebrates. Ancestral sequence reconstruction demonstrated distinct origins for AIRE1 and FEZF2, underscoring that their roles in regulating TRA have evolved through disparate pathways. Furthermore, it became evident that both FEZF2 and AIRE1 govern a diverse repertoire of genes, encompassing ancient and more recently diverged targets. Notably, FEZF2 demonstrates expression in both vertebrate and invertebrate embryos and germlines, accentuating its widespread role. Intriguingly, FEZF2 harbors motifs associated with autophagy, such as DKFPHP, SYSELWKSSL, and SYSEL, a process integral to cell selection in invertebrates. Our findings suggest that FEZF2 initially emerged to regulate self-elimination in the gonads of invertebrates. As organisms evolved toward greater complexity, AIRE1 likely emerged to complement FEZF2's role, participating in the regulation of cell selection for elimination in both gonads and the thymus. This dynamic interplay between AIRE1 and FEZF2 underscores their multifaceted contributions to TRA expression regulation across diverse evolutionary contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Mickael
- Department of Experimental Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzebiec, Poland.
- Department of Immunology, PM Forskningscentreum, Väpnaregatan 22, 58649, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Marzena Łazarczyk
- Department of Experimental Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Norwin Kubick
- Department of Biology, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Agata Gurba
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Warsaw Medical University, L Banacha 1, 02-697, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Kocki
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8B, 20090, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jarosław Olav Horbańczuk
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Atanas G Atanasov
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzebiec, Poland
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mariusz Sacharczuk
- Department of Experimental Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Postępu 36A, 05-552, Jastrzebiec, Poland
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Warsaw Medical University, L Banacha 1, 02-697, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Religa
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 171 77, Solna, Sweden.
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50
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Patel SK, Zhdanovskaya N, Sergio I, Cardinale A, Rosichini M, Varricchio C, Pace E, Capalbo C, Locatelli F, Macone A, Velardi E, Palermo R, Felli MP. Thymic-Epithelial-Cell-Dependent Microenvironment Influences Proliferation and Apoptosis of Leukemic Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1412. [PMID: 38338689 PMCID: PMC10855934 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031412] [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: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a hematological cancer characterized by the infiltration of immature T-cells in the bone marrow. Aberrant NOTCH signaling in T-ALL is mainly triggered by activating mutations of NOTCH1 and overexpression of NOTCH3, and rarely is it linked to NOTCH3-activating mutations. Besides the known critical role of NOTCH, the nature of intrathymic microenvironment-dependent mechanisms able to render immature thymocytes, presumably pre-leukemic cells, capable of escaping thymus retention and infiltrating the bone marrow is still unclear. An important challenge is understanding how leukemic cells shape their tumor microenvironment to increase their ability to infiltrate and survive within. Our previous data indicated that hyperactive NOTCH3 affects the CXCL12/CXCR4 system and may interfere with T-cell/stroma interactions within the thymus. This study aims to identify the biological effects of the reciprocal interactions between human leukemic cell lines and thymic epithelial cell (TEC)-derived soluble factors in modulating NOTCH signaling and survival programs of T-ALL cells and TECs. The overarching hypothesis is that this crosstalk can influence the progressive stages of T-cell development driving T-cell leukemia. Thus, we investigated the effect of extracellular space conditioned by T-ALL cell lines (Jurkat, TALL1, and Loucy) and TECs and studied their reciprocal regulation of cell cycle and survival. In support, we also detected metabolic changes as potential drivers of leukemic cell survival. Our studies could shed light on T-cell/stroma crosstalk to human leukemic cells and propose our culture system to test pharmacological treatment for T-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandesh Kumar Patel
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (S.K.P.); (N.Z.); (C.V.); (E.P.); (C.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Nadezda Zhdanovskaya
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (S.K.P.); (N.Z.); (C.V.); (E.P.); (C.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Ilaria Sergio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy;
| | - Antonella Cardinale
- Research Area of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.R.); (F.L.); (E.V.)
| | - Marco Rosichini
- Research Area of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.R.); (F.L.); (E.V.)
| | - Claudia Varricchio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (S.K.P.); (N.Z.); (C.V.); (E.P.); (C.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Eleonora Pace
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (S.K.P.); (N.Z.); (C.V.); (E.P.); (C.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Carlo Capalbo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (S.K.P.); (N.Z.); (C.V.); (E.P.); (C.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Research Area of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.R.); (F.L.); (E.V.)
- Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 12631 Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Macone
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy;
| | - Enrico Velardi
- Research Area of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.R.); (F.L.); (E.V.)
| | - Rocco Palermo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (S.K.P.); (N.Z.); (C.V.); (E.P.); (C.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Maria Pia Felli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy;
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