1
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Yayon N, Kedlian VR, Boehme L, Suo C, Wachter B, Beuschel RT, Amsalem O, Polanski K, Koplev S, Tuck E, Dann E, Van Hulle J, Perera S, Putteman T, Predeus AV, Dabrowska M, Richardson L, Tudor C, Kreins AY, Engelbert J, Stephenson E, Kleshchevnikov V, De Rita F, Crossland D, Bosticardo M, Pala F, Prigmore E, Chipampe NJ, Prete M, Fei L, To K, Barker RA, He X, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Bayraktar O, Patel M, Davies GE, Haniffa MA, Uhlmann V, Notarangelo LD, Germain RN, Radtke AJ, Marioni JC, Taghon T, Teichmann SA. A spatial human thymus cell atlas mapped to a continuous tissue axis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.25.562925. [PMID: 37986877 PMCID: PMC10659407 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.25.562925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
T cells develop from circulating precursors, which enter the thymus and migrate throughout specialised sub-compartments to support maturation and selection. This process starts already in early fetal development and is highly active until the involution of the thymus in adolescence. To map the micro-anatomical underpinnings of this process in pre- vs. post-natal states, we undertook a spatially resolved analysis and established a new quantitative morphological framework for the thymus, the Cortico-Medullary Axis. Using this axis in conjunction with the curation of a multimodal single-cell, spatial transcriptomics and high-resolution multiplex imaging atlas, we show that canonical thymocyte trajectories and thymic epithelial cells are highly organised and fully established by post-conception week 12, pinpoint TEC progenitor states, find that TEC subsets and peripheral tissue genes are associated with Hassall's Corpuscles and uncover divergence in the pace and drivers of medullary entry between CD4 vs. CD8 T cell lineages. These findings are complemented with a holistic toolkit for spatial analysis and annotation, providing a basis for a detailed understanding of T lymphocyte development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadav Yayon
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Lena Boehme
- Ghent University, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chenqu Suo
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Brianna Wachter
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Rebecca T Beuschel
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Lymphocyte Biology Section and Center for Advanced Tissue Imaging, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Oren Amsalem
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Simon Koplev
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Tuck
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Dann
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jolien Van Hulle
- Ghent University, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Shani Perera
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Putteman
- Ghent University, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Monika Dabrowska
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Richardson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine Tudor
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Y Kreins
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Immunology and Gene Therapy, London, United Kingdom
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research & Teaching Department, London, United Kingdom
| | - Justin Engelbert
- Newcastle University, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Stephenson
- Newcastle University, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - Fabrizio De Rita
- Freeman Hospital, Department of Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Paediatric Cardiology/Cardiothoracic Surgery, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - David Crossland
- Freeman Hospital, Department of Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Paediatric Cardiology/Cardiothoracic Surgery, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Marita Bosticardo
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Francesca Pala
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Elena Prigmore
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Martin Prete
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lijiang Fei
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ken To
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Roger A Barker
- University of Cambridge, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaoling He
- University of Cambridge, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Filip Van Nieuwerburgh
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Omer Bayraktar
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Minal Patel
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Graham E Davies
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Immunology and Gene Therapy, London, United Kingdom
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research & Teaching Department, London, United Kingdom
| | - Muzlifah A Haniffa
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Newcastle University, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Virginie Uhlmann
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Luigi D Notarangelo
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Division of Intramural Research, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ronald N Germain
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Lymphocyte Biology Section and Center for Advanced Tissue Imaging, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Andrea J Radtke
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Lymphocyte Biology Section and Center for Advanced Tissue Imaging, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - John C Marioni
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Taghon
- Ghent University, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sarah A Teichmann
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cellular Genetics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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2
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Heimli M, Flåm ST, Hjorthaug HS, Trinh D, Frisk M, Dumont KA, Ribarska T, Tekpli X, Saare M, Lie BA. Multimodal human thymic profiling reveals trajectories and cellular milieu for T agonist selection. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1092028. [PMID: 36741401 PMCID: PMC9895842 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1092028] [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: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
To prevent autoimmunity, thymocytes expressing self-reactive T cell receptors (TCRs) are negatively selected, however, divergence into tolerogenic, agonist selected lineages represent an alternative fate. As thymocyte development, selection, and lineage choices are dependent on spatial context and cell-to-cell interactions, we have performed Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by sequencing (CITE-seq) and spatial transcriptomics on paediatric human thymus. Thymocytes expressing markers of strong TCR signalling diverged from the conventional developmental trajectory prior to CD4+ or CD8+ lineage commitment, while markers of different agonist selected T cell populations (CD8αα(I), CD8αα(II), T(agonist), Treg(diff), and Treg) exhibited variable timing of induction. Expression profiles of chemokines and co-stimulatory molecules, together with spatial localisation, supported that dendritic cells, B cells, and stromal cells contribute to agonist selection, with different subsets influencing thymocytes at specific developmental stages within distinct spatial niches. Understanding factors influencing agonist T cells is needed to benefit from their immunoregulatory effects in clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marte Heimli
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Tennebø Flåm
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Don Trinh
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael Frisk
- Institute for Experimental Medical Research, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway,KG Jebsen Centre for Cardiac Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karl-Andreas Dumont
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Teodora Ribarska
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Xavier Tekpli
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mario Saare
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Benedicte Alexandra Lie
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway,*Correspondence: Benedicte Alexandra Lie,
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3
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Bulygin AS, Khantakova JN, Shkaruba NS, Shiku H, Sennikov SS. The role of metabolism on regulatory T cell development and its impact in tumor and transplantation immunity. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1016670. [PMID: 36569866 PMCID: PMC9767971 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1016670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory CD4+ T (Treg) cells play a key role in the induction of immune tolerance and in the prevention of autoimmune diseases. Treg cells are defined by the expression of transcription factor FOXP3, which ensures proliferation and induction of the suppressor activity of this cell population. In a tumor microenvironment, after transplantation or during autoimmune diseases, Treg cells can respond to various signals from their environment and this property ensures their suppressor function. Recent studies showed that a metabolic signaling pathway of Treg cells are essential in the control of Treg cell proliferation processes. This review presents the latest research highlights on how the influence of extracellular factors (e.g. nutrients, vitamins and metabolites) as well as intracellular metabolic signaling pathways regulate tissue specificity of Treg cells and heterogeneity of this cell population. Understanding the metabolic regulation of Treg cells should provide new insights into immune homeostasis and disorders along with important therapeutic implications for autoimmune diseases, cancer and other immune-system-mediated disorders.
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4
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Sato T, Ogawa Y, Yokoi K, Nagasaka Y, Ishikawa A, Shiokawa I, Kinoshita M, Watanabe R, Shimada S, Tanaka A, Momosawa A, Kawamura T. Characterization of human epithelial resident memory regulatory T cells. Front Immunol 2022; 13:962167. [PMID: 36059538 PMCID: PMC9437974 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.962167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human resident memory regulatory T cells (Tregs) exist in the normal, noninflamed skin. Except one, all previous studies analyzed skin Tregs using full-thickness human skin. Considering that thick dermis contains more Tregs than thin epidermis, the current understanding of skin Tregs might be biased toward dermal Tregs. Therefore, we sought to determine the phenotype and function of human epidermal and epithelial Tregs. Human epidermis and epithelium were allowed to float on a medium without adding any exogenous cytokines and stimulations for two days and then emigrants from the explants were analyzed. Foxp3 was selectively expressed in CD4+CD103− T cells in the various human epithelia, as it is highly demethylated. CD4+CD103−Foxp3+ cells suppressed proliferation of other resident memory T cells. The generation and maintenance of epithelial Tregs were independent of hair density and Langerhans cells. Collectively, immune-suppressive CD4+CD103−Foxp3+ Tregs are present in the normal, noninflamed human epidermis and mucosal epithelia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Sato
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Youichi Ogawa
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
- *Correspondence: Youichi Ogawa,
| | - Kazunori Yokoi
- Department of Dermatology, Course of Integrated Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuka Nagasaka
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Aoha Ishikawa
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Ichiro Shiokawa
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Manao Kinoshita
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Rei Watanabe
- Department of Dermatology, Course of Integrated Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shinji Shimada
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Atsushi Tanaka
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akira Momosawa
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Tatsuyoshi Kawamura
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
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5
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Bernaldo-de-Quirós E, Cózar B, López-Esteban R, Clemente M, Gil-Jaurena JM, Pardo C, Pita A, Pérez-Caballero R, Camino M, Gil N, Fernández-Santos ME, Suarez S, Pion M, Martínez-Bonet M, Correa-Rocha R. A Novel GMP Protocol to Produce High-Quality Treg Cells From the Pediatric Thymic Tissue to Be Employed as Cellular Therapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:893576. [PMID: 35651624 PMCID: PMC9148974 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.893576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to their suppressive capacity, the adoptive transfer of regulatory T cells (Treg) has acquired a growing interest in controlling exacerbated inflammatory responses. Limited Treg recovery and reduced quality remain the main obstacles in most current protocols where differentiated Treg are obtained from adult peripheral blood. An alternate Treg source is umbilical cord blood, a promising source of Treg cells due to the higher frequency of naïve Treg and lower frequency of memory T cells present in the fetus’ blood. However, the Treg number isolated from cord blood remains limiting. Human thymuses routinely discarded during pediatric cardiac surgeries to access the retrosternal operative field has been recently proposed as a novel source of Treg for cellular therapy. This strategy overcomes the main limitations of current Treg sources, allowing the obtention of very high numbers of undifferentiated Treg. We have developed a novel good manufacturing practice (GMP) protocol to obtain large Treg amounts, with very high purity and suppressive capacity, from the pediatric thymus (named hereafter thyTreg). The total amount of thyTreg obtained at the end of the procedure, after a short-term culture of 7 days, reach an average of 1,757 x106 (range 50 x 106 – 13,649 x 106) cells from a single thymus. The thyTreg product obtained with our protocol shows very high viability (mean 93.25%; range 83.35% – 97.97%), very high purity (mean 92.89%; range 70.10% – 98.41% of CD25+FOXP3+ cells), stability under proinflammatory conditions and a very high suppressive capacity (inhibiting in more than 75% the proliferation of activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in vitro at a thyTreg:responder cells ratio of 1:1). Our thyTreg product has been approved by the Spanish Drug Agency (AEMPS) to be administered as cell therapy. We are recruiting patients in the first-in-human phase I/II clinical trial worldwide that evaluates the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of autologous thyTreg administration in children undergoing heart transplantation (NCT04924491). The high quality and amount of thyTreg and the differential features of the final product obtained with our protocol allow preparing hundreds of doses from a single thymus with improved therapeutic properties, which can be cryopreserved and could open the possibility of an “off-the-shelf” allogeneic use in another individual.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beatriz Cózar
- Laboratory of Immune-Regulation, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocío López-Esteban
- Laboratory of Immune-Regulation, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Maribel Clemente
- Cell Culture Unit, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Carlos Pardo
- Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit, Hospital Materno Infantil Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Pita
- Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit, Hospital Materno Infantil Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramón Pérez-Caballero
- Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit, Hospital Materno Infantil Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuela Camino
- Pediatric Heart Transplant Unit, Hospital Materno Infantil Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Gil
- Pediatric Heart Transplant Unit, Hospital Materno Infantil Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Susana Suarez
- Cell Production Unit, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marjorie Pion
- Laboratory of Immune-Regulation, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Martínez-Bonet
- Laboratory of Immune-Regulation, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Rafael Correa-Rocha, ; Marta Martínez-Bonet,
| | - Rafael Correa-Rocha
- Laboratory of Immune-Regulation, Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Rafael Correa-Rocha, ; Marta Martínez-Bonet,
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6
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Morgana F, Opstelten R, Slot MC, Scott AM, van Lier RAW, Blom B, Mahfouz A, Amsen D. Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Discrete Steps in Regulatory T Cell Development in the Human Thymus. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2022; 208:384-395. [PMID: 34937744 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells control immunological tolerance. Treg cells are generated in the thymus (tTreg) or in the periphery. Their superior lineage fidelity makes tTregs the preferred cell type for adoptive cell therapy (ACT). How human tTreg cells develop is incompletely understood. By combining single-cell transcriptomics and flow cytometry, we in this study delineated three major Treg developmental stages in the human thymus. At the first stage, which we propose to name pre-Treg I, cells still express lineage-inappropriate genes and exhibit signs of TCR signaling, presumably reflecting recognition of self-antigen. The subsequent pre-Treg II stage is marked by the sharp appearance of transcription factor FOXO1 and features induction of KLF2 and CCR7, in apparent preparation for thymic exit. The pre-Treg II stage can further be refined based on the sequential acquisition of surface markers CD31 and GPA33. The expression of CD45RA, finally, completes the phenotype also found on mature recent thymic emigrant Treg cells. Remarkably, the thymus contains a substantial fraction of recirculating mature effector Treg cells, distinguishable by expression of inflammatory chemokine receptors and absence of CCR7. The developmental origin of these cells is unclear and warrants caution when using thymic tissue as a source of stable cells for ACT. We show that cells in the major developmental stages can be distinguished using the surface markers CD1a, CD27, CCR7, and CD39, allowing for their viable isolation. These insights help identify fully mature tTreg cells for ACT and can serve as a basis for further mechanistic studies into tTreg development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Morgana
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rianne Opstelten
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Manon C Slot
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Andrew M Scott
- Tumor Targeting Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - René A W van Lier
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bianca Blom
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ahmed Mahfouz
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands; and
| | - Derk Amsen
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; .,Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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7
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Piaggeschi G, Rolla S, Rossi N, Brusa D, Naccarati A, Couvreur S, Spector TD, Roederer M, Mangino M, Cordero F, Falchi M, Visconti A. Immune Trait Shifts in Association With Tobacco Smoking: A Study in Healthy Women. Front Immunol 2021; 12:637974. [PMID: 33767708 PMCID: PMC7985448 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.637974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tobacco smoking is known to impact circulating levels of major immune cells populations, but its effect on specific immune cell subsets remains poorly understood. Here, using high-resolution data from 223 healthy women (25 current and 198 never smokers), we investigated the association between smoking status and 35,651 immune traits capturing immune cell subset frequencies. Our results confirmed that active tobacco smoking is associated with increased frequencies of circulating CD8+ T cells expressing the CD25 activation marker. Moreover, we identified novel associations between smoking status and relative abundances of CD8+ CD25+ memory T cells, CD8+ memory T cells expressing the CCR4 chemokine receptor, and CD4+CD8+ (double-positive) CD25+ T cells. We also observed, in current smokers, a decrease in the relative frequencies of CD4+ T cells expressing the CD38 activation marker and an increase in class-switched memory B cell isotypes IgA, IgG, and IgE. Finally, using data from 135 former female smokers, we showed that the relative frequencies of immune traits associated with active smoking are usually completely restored after smoking cessation, with the exception of subsets of CD8+ and CD8+ memory T cells, which persist partially altered. Our results are consistent with previous findings and provide further evidence on how tobacco smoking shapes leukocyte cell subsets proportion toward chronic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Piaggeschi
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, c/o IRCCS Candiolo, Turin, Italy.,Department of Computer Science, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Simona Rolla
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Niccolò Rossi
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Davide Brusa
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alessio Naccarati
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, c/o IRCCS Candiolo, Turin, Italy.,Candiolo Cancer Institute, Fondazione del Piemonte per l'Oncologia-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (FPO-IRCCS), Turin, Italy
| | - Simon Couvreur
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tim D Spector
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mario Roederer
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Massimo Mangino
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mario Falchi
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alessia Visconti
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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8
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Vanhanen R, Leskinen K, Mattila IP, Saavalainen P, Arstila TP. Epigenetic and transcriptional analysis supports human regulatory T cell commitment at the CD4+CD8+ thymocyte stage. Cell Immunol 2019; 347:104026. [PMID: 31843201 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2019.104026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The natural CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T cell (Treg) population is generated as a distinct lineage in the thymus, but the details of Treg development in humans remain unclear, and the timing of Treg commitment is also contested. Here we have analyzed the emergence of CD25+ cells at the CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) stage in the human thymus. We show that these cells share T cell receptor repertoire with CD25+ CD4 single-positive thymocytes, believed to be committed Tregs. They already have a fully demethylated FOXP3 enhancer region and thus display stable expression of FOXP3 and the associated Treg phenotype. Transcriptome analysis also grouped the DP CD25+ and CD4 CD25+ thymocytes apart from the CD25- subsets. Together with earlier studies, our data are consistent with human Treg commitment already at the DP thymocyte stage. We suggest that the most important antigens and signals necessary for human Treg differentiation may be found in the thymic cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reetta Vanhanen
- Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Katarzyna Leskinen
- Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilkka P Mattila
- Department of Pediatric Cardiac and Transplantation Surgery, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Central Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Päivi Saavalainen
- Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Petteri Arstila
- Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Medicum, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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9
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Vanhanen R, Tuulasvaara A, Mattila J, Pätilä T, Arstila TP. Common gamma chain cytokines promote regulatory T cell development and survival at the CD4 + CD8 + stage in the human thymus. Scand J Immunol 2018; 88:e12681. [PMID: 29904934 DOI: 10.1111/sji.12681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Thymic commitment of human FOXP3+ regulatory T cells begins at the double-positive (DP) CD4+ CD8+ stage. In the current study, we show that interleukin-2 promotes the development of FOXP3+ thymocytes and enhances their survival at the DP phase. IL-2 increases the frequency of FOXP3+ cells and promotes the Treg phenotype after TCR-mediated positive selection at the most mature DP stage. However, it has no effect on FOXP3+ cells at the earlier maturation steps before positive selection. DP FOXP3+ thymocytes are highly susceptible to cell death but IL-2 promotes their survival. The anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2 (B Cell Lymphoma 2) is also upregulated by IL-2 at the most mature DP stage. In addition to IL-2, we identify IL-15 to have a significant role in the upregulating FOXP3 and survival of Tregs at the DP phase. IL-7 also increases the expression of BCL-2 in the DP FOXP3+ thymocytes. Our results indicate that common gamma chain cytokines IL-2, IL-7 and IL-15 promote the development of regulatory T cells at the most mature DP stage after TCR-mediated positive selection through suppressing cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reetta Vanhanen
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology and Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni Tuulasvaara
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology and Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Joonatan Mattila
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology and Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tommi Pätilä
- Department of Surgery, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Petteri Arstila
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology and Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Kumar P, Marinelarena A, Raghunathan D, Ragothaman VK, Saini S, Bhattacharya P, Fan J, Epstein AL, Maker AV, Prabhakar BS. Critical role of OX40 signaling in the TCR-independent phase of human and murine thymic Treg generation. Cell Mol Immunol 2018; 16:138-153. [PMID: 29578532 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2018.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a pivotal role in immune-tolerance, and loss of Treg function can lead to the development of autoimmunity. Natural Tregs generated in the thymus substantially contribute to the Treg pool in the periphery, where they suppress self-reactive effector T cells (Teff) responses. Recently, we showed that OX40L (TNFSF4) is able to drive selective proliferation of peripheral Tregs independent of canonical antigen presentation (CAP-independent) in the presence of low-dose IL-2. Therefore, we hypothesized that OX40 signaling might be integral to the TCR-independent phase of murine and human thymic Treg (tTreg) development. Development of tTregs is a two-step process: Strong T-cell receptor (TCR) signals in combination with co-signals from the TNFRSF members facilitate tTreg precursor selection, followed by a TCR-independent phase of tTreg development in which their maturation is driven by IL-2. Therefore, we investigated whether OX40 signaling could also play a critical role in the TCR-independent phase of tTreg development. OX40-/- mice had significantly reduced numbers of CD25-Foxp3low tTreg precursors and CD25+Foxp3+ mature tTregs, while OX40L treatment of WT mice induced significant proliferation of these cell subsets. Relative to tTeff cells, OX40 was expressed at higher levels in both murine and human tTreg precursors and mature tTregs. In ex vivo cultures, OX40L increased tTreg maturation and induced CAP-independent proliferation of both murine and human tTregs, which was mediated through the activation of AKT-mTOR signaling. These novel findings show an evolutionarily conserved role for OX40 signaling in tTreg development and proliferation, and might enable the development of novel strategies to increase Tregs and suppress autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabhakaran Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alejandra Marinelarena
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Divya Raghunathan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vandhana K Ragothaman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Shikha Saini
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Palash Bhattacharya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Alan L Epstein
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ajay V Maker
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bellur S Prabhakar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois-College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Human naïve regulatory T-cells feature high steady-state turnover and are maintained by IL-7. Oncotarget 2017; 7:12163-75. [PMID: 26910841 PMCID: PMC4914276 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Naïve FoxP3-expressing regulatory T-cells (Tregs) are essential to control immune responses via continuous replenishment of the activated-Treg pool with thymus-committed suppressor cells. The mechanisms underlying naïve-Treg maintenance throughout life in face of the age-associated thymic involution remain unclear. We found that in adults thymectomized early in infancy the naïve-Treg pool is remarkably well preserved, in contrast to conventional naïve CD4 T-cells. Naïve-Tregs featured high levels of cycling and pro-survival markers, even in healthy individuals, and contrasted with other circulating naïve/memory CD4 T-cell subsets in terms of their strong γc-cytokine-dependent signaling, particularly in response to IL-7. Accordingly, ex-vivo stimulation of naïve-Tregs with IL-7 induced robust cytokine-dependent signaling, Bcl-2 expression, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent proliferation, whilst preserving naïve phenotype and suppressive capacity. Altogether, our data strongly implicate IL-7 in the thymus-independent long-term survival of functional naïve-Tregs, and highlight the potential of targeting the IL-7 pathway to modulate Tregs in different clinical settings.
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12
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Martín-Orozco E, Norte-Muñoz M, Martínez-García J. Regulatory T Cells in Allergy and Asthma. Front Pediatr 2017; 5:117. [PMID: 28589115 PMCID: PMC5440567 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2017.00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system's correct functioning requires a sophisticated balance between responses to continuous microbial challenges and tolerance to harmless antigens, such as self-antigens, food antigens, commensal microbes, allergens, etc. When this equilibrium is altered, it can lead to inflammatory pathologies, tumor growth, autoimmune disorders, and allergy/asthma. The objective of this review is to show the existing data on the importance of regulatory T cells (Tregs) on this balance and to underline how intrauterine and postnatal environmental exposures influence the maturation of the immune system in humans. Genetic and environmental factors during embryo development and/or early life will result in a proper or, conversely, inadequate immune maturation with either beneficial or deleterious effects on health. We have focused herein on Tregs as a reflection of the maturity of the immune system. We explain the types, origins, and the mechanisms of action of these cells, discussing their role in allergy and asthma predisposition. Understanding the importance of Tregs in counteracting dysregulated immunity would provide approaches to diminish asthma and other related diseases in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Martín-Orozco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology B and Immunology, School of Medicine, Murcia Biohealth Research Institute-University of Murcia (IMIB-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Murcia, Spain
| | - María Norte-Muñoz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology B and Immunology, School of Medicine, Murcia Biohealth Research Institute-University of Murcia (IMIB-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Murcia, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez-García
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology B and Immunology, School of Medicine, Murcia Biohealth Research Institute-University of Murcia (IMIB-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Murcia, Spain
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13
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Tuulasvaara A, Vanhanen R, Baldauf HM, Puntila J, Arstila TP. Interleukin-7 promotes human regulatory T cell development at the CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocyte stage. J Leukoc Biol 2016; 100:491-8. [PMID: 26965634 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.1a0415-164r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although mature human FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells are CD127 (IL-7Rα) negative, CD4(+)CD8(+) FOXP3(+) thymocytes express relatively high levels of CD127 and are responsive to IL-7. However, the role of IL-7 in human regulatory T cell development is poorly known. We show that at the CD4(+)CD8(+) stage, FOXP3(+) thymocytes are highly susceptible to apoptosis, and IL-7 selectively rescues them from death, leading to an increased frequency of FOXP3(+) cells. IL-7 also promotes the development of regulatory T cell phenotype by inducing up-regulation of FOXP3(+) and CTLA-4 expression. In contrast, IL-7 does not enhance proliferation of FOXP3(+)thymocytes or induce demethylation of FOXP3(+) regulatory T cell-specific demethylated region. After the CD4(+)CD8(+) stage, the FOXP3(+) thymocytes down-regulate CD127 expression but despite very low levels of CD127, remain responsive to IL-7. These results suggest that IL-7 affects human regulatory T cell development in the thymus by at least 2 distinct mechanisms: suppression of apoptosis and up-regulation of FOXP3(+) expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni Tuulasvaara
- Haartman Institute, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, and Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; and
| | - Reetta Vanhanen
- Haartman Institute, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, and Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; and
| | - Hanna-Mari Baldauf
- Haartman Institute, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, and Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; and
| | - Juha Puntila
- Department of Surgery, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Petteri Arstila
- Haartman Institute, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, and Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; and
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14
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Rothenberg EV, Ungerbäck J, Champhekar A. Forging T-Lymphocyte Identity: Intersecting Networks of Transcriptional Control. Adv Immunol 2015; 129:109-74. [PMID: 26791859 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ai.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
T-lymphocyte development branches off from other lymphoid developmental programs through its requirement for sustained environmental signals through the Notch pathway. In the thymus, Notch signaling induces a succession of T-lineage regulatory factors that collectively create the T-cell identity through distinct steps. This process involves both the staged activation of T-cell identity genes and the staged repression of progenitor-cell-inherited regulatory genes once their roles in self-renewal and population expansion are no longer needed. With the recent characterization of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that share transcriptional regulation programs extensively with T-cell subsets, T-cell identity can increasingly be seen as defined in modular terms, as the processes selecting and actuating effector function are potentially detachable from the processes generating and selecting clonally unique T-cell receptor structures. The developmental pathways of different classes of T cells and ILCs are distinguished by the numbers of prerequisites of gene rearrangement, selection, and antigen contact before the cells gain access to nearly common regulatory mechanisms for choosing effector function. Here, the major classes of transcription factors that interact with Notch signals during T-lineage specification are discussed in terms of their roles in these programs, the evidence for their spectra of target genes at different stages, and their cross-regulatory and cooperative actions with each other. Specific topics include Notch modulation of PU.1 and GATA-3, PU.1-Notch competition, the relationship between PU.1 and GATA-3, and the roles of E proteins, Bcl11b, and GATA-3 in guiding acquisition of T-cell identity while avoiding redirection to an ILC fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen V Rothenberg
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA.
| | - Jonas Ungerbäck
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Experimental Hematopoiesis Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ameya Champhekar
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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15
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Caramalho Í, Nunes-Cabaço H, Foxall RB, Sousa AE. Regulatory T-Cell Development in the Human Thymus. Front Immunol 2015; 6:395. [PMID: 26284077 PMCID: PMC4522873 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus generates a lineage-committed subset of regulatory T-cells (Tregs), best identified by the expression of the transcription factor FOXP3. The development of thymus-derived Tregs is known to require high-avidity interaction with MHC-self peptides leading to the generation of self-reactive Tregs fundamental for the maintenance of self-tolerance. Notwithstanding their crucial role in the control of immune responses, human thymic Treg differentiation remains poorly understood. In this mini-review, we will focus on the developmental stages at which Treg lineage commitment occurs, and their spatial localization in the human thymus, reviewing the molecular requirements, including T-cell receptor and cytokine signaling, as well as the cellular interactions involved. An overview of the impact of described thymic defects on the Treg compartment will be provided, illustrating the importance of these in vivo models to investigate human Treg development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Íris Caramalho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa , Lisbon , Portugal
| | - Helena Nunes-Cabaço
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa , Lisbon , Portugal
| | - Russell B Foxall
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa , Lisbon , Portugal
| | - Ana E Sousa
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa , Lisbon , Portugal
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Sialyl Lewis x (CD15s) identifies highly differentiated and most suppressive FOXP3high regulatory T cells in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:7225-30. [PMID: 26015572 PMCID: PMC4466753 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1508224112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing CD25 and the transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) play indispensable roles for immunological self-tolerance and homeostasis. Because human FOXP3+CD25+CD4+ T cells are heterogeneous in function and differentiation status, their analysis and manipulation for treating immunological diseases remains a challenge. Here we show that CD15s (sialyl Lewis x) is specifically expressed by activated, terminally differentiated, and most suppressive FOXP3high Treg cells, allowing their separation from nonsuppressive FOXP3+CD4+ T cells secreting inflammatory cytokines. Removal of CD15s+CD4+ T cells from human blood is indeed sufficient to enhance in vitro antitumor and antiviral antigen responses. CD15s is therefore useful for phenotypic as well as functional analysis of human Treg subpopulations and for targeting them to control immune responses. CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing CD25 and the transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) are indispensable for immunological self-tolerance and homeostasis. FOXP3+CD25+CD4+ T cells in humans, however, are heterogeneous in function and differentiation status, including suppressive or nonsuppressive cells as well as resting or activated Treg cells. We have searched for cell surface markers specific for suppression-competent Treg cells by using a panel of currently available monoclonal antibodies reactive with human T cells. We found that CD15s (sialyl Lewis x) was highly specific for activated, terminally differentiated, and most suppressive FOXP3high effector Treg (eTreg) cells and able to differentiate them in various clinical settings from nonsuppressive FOXP3+ T cells secreting inflammatory cytokines. For example, CD15s+FOXP3+ eTreg cells were increased in sarcoidosis, whereas it was nonsuppressive CD15s−FOXP3+ T cells that were expanded in lupus flares. FOXP3+ cells induced from conventional CD4+ T cells by T-cell receptor stimulation hardly expressed CD15s. CD15s+CD4+ T-cell depletion was sufficient to evoke and enhance in vitro immune responses against tumor or viral antigens. Collectively, we have identified CD15s as a biomarker instrumental in both phenotypic and functional analysis of FOXP3+CD4+ T-cell subpopulations in health and disease. It allows specific targeting of eTreg cells, rather than whole FOXP3+CD4+ T cells, in controlling immune responses.
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17
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Caramalho I, Nunes-Silva V, Pires AR, Mota C, Pinto AI, Nunes-Cabaço H, Foxall RB, Sousa AE. Human regulatory T-cell development is dictated by Interleukin-2 and -15 expressed in a non-overlapping pattern in the thymus. J Autoimmun 2014; 56:98-110. [PMID: 25481744 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Thymus-derived FOXP3-expressing regulatory T-cells (tTregs) are master orchestrators of physiological and pathological immune responses, thus constituting ideal targets for the treatment of autoimmunity. Despite their clinical importance, the developmental program governing their differentiation in the human thymus remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of common gamma-chain cytokines in human tTreg differentiation, by performing gain- and loss-of-function experiments in 3D and 2D postnatal thymic cultures. We identified IL-2 and IL-15 as key molecular determinants in this process and excluded a major function for IL-4, IL-7 and IL-21. Mechanistically, IL-2 and IL-15 were equally able to drive tTreg precursor differentiation into FOXP3(+) cells, and promote tTreg proliferation and survival. Both cytokines also increased the expression levels of molecules associated with effector function within FOXP3(+) subsets, supporting their involvement in tTreg functional maturation. Furthermore, we revealed that IL-2 and IL-15 are expressed in a non-overlapping pattern in the human thymus, with the former produced mainly by mature αβ and γδ thymocytes and the latter by monocyte/macrophages and B lymphocytes. Our results identify core mechanisms dictating human tTreg development, with IL-2 and IL-15 defining specific niches required for tTreg lineage stabilization and differentiation, with implications for their therapeutic targeting in autoimmune conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Caramalho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Vânia Nunes-Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana R Pires
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Catarina Mota
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana I Pinto
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Helena Nunes-Cabaço
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Russell B Foxall
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana E Sousa
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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Thymic HIV-2 infection uncovers posttranscriptional control of viral replication in human thymocytes. J Virol 2014; 89:2201-8. [PMID: 25473058 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.03047-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED A unique HIV-host equilibrium exists in untreated HIV-2-infected individuals. This equilibrium is characterized by low to undetectable levels of viremia throughout the disease course, despite the establishment of disseminated HIV-2 reservoirs at levels comparable to those observed in untreated HIV-1 infection. Although the clinical spectrum is similar in the two infections, HIV-2 infection is associated with a much lower rate of CD4 T-cell decline and has a limited impact on the mortality of infected adults. Here we investigated HIV-2 infection of the human thymus, the primary organ for T-cell production. Human thymic tissue and suspensions of total or purified CD4 single-positive thymocytes were infected with HIV-2 or HIV-1 primary isolates using either CCR5 or CXCR4 coreceptors. We found that HIV-2 infected both thymic organ cultures and thymocyte suspensions, as attested to by the total HIV DNA and cell-associated viral mRNA levels. Nevertheless, thymocytes featured reduced levels of intracellular Gag viral protein, irrespective of HIV-2 coreceptor tropism and cell differentiation stage, in agreement with the low viral load in culture supernatants. Our data show that HIV-2 is able to infect the human thymus, but the HIV-2 replication cycle in thymocytes is impaired, providing a new model to identify therapeutic targets for viral replication control. IMPORTANCE HIV-1 infects the thymus, leading to a decrease in CD4 T-cell production that contributes to the characteristic CD4 T-cell loss. HIV-2 infection is associated with a very low rate of progression to AIDS and is therefore considered a unique naturally occurring model of attenuated HIV disease. HIV-2-infected individuals feature low to undetectable plasma viral loads, in spite of the numbers of circulating infected T cells being similar to those found in patients infected with HIV-1. We assessed, for the first time, the direct impact of HIV-2 infection on the human thymus. We show that HIV-2 is able to infect the thymus but that the HIV-2 replication cycle in thymocytes is impaired. We propose that this system will be important to devise immunotherapies that target viral production, aiding the design of future therapeutic strategies for HIV control.
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Hadley GA, Higgins JMG. Integrin αEβ7: molecular features and functional significance in the immune system. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 819:97-110. [PMID: 25023170 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-9153-3_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Alpha E beta 7 (αEβ7) is an α-I domain-containing integrin that is highly expressed by a variety of leukocyte populations at mucosal sites including intraepithelial T cells, dendritic cells, mast cells, and T regulatory cells (Treg). Expression depends largely or solely on transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) isoforms. The best characterized ligand for αEβ7 is E-cadherin on epithelial cells, though there is evidence of a second ligand in the human system. An exposed acidic residue on the distal aspect of E-cadherin domain 1 interacts with the MIDAS site in the αE α-I domain. By binding to E-cadherin, αEβ7 contributes to mucosal specific retention of leukocytes within epithelia. Studies on αE knockout mice have identified an additional important function for this integrin in allograft rejection and have also indicated that it may have a role in immunoregulation. Recent studies point to a multifaceted role for αEβ7 in regulating both innate and acquired immune responses to foreign antigen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregg A Hadley
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA,
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Lopes-Carvalho T, Coutinho A. Old dogs and new tricks: defective peripheral regulatory T cell generation in aged mice. Eur J Immunol 2013; 43:2534-7. [PMID: 24122754 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201344029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Revised: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 09/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Tolerance is a developmentally acquired property of the vertebrate immune system, in part ensured by regulatory CD4⁺ lymphocytes (Treg cells) expressing the Foxp3 transcription factor. Recent work has shown that thymic emigrants are the preferential source of peripherally generated Treg cells. A new report in this issue of the European Journal of Immunology [Eur. J. Immunol. 2013. 43: 2598-2604] describes a cell autonomous defect in Foxp3 induction in aged CD4⁺ cells in mice. Immune homeostasis becomes progressively less robust as ontogeny gives way to aging, and a key feature of senescence is thymic involution and the impaired T-cell turnover that follows. In this Commentary, we discuss the implications of these recent findings for our understanding of the induction of tolerance to peripheral antigens in aging.
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Chen H, Zhang L, Zhang H, Xiao Y, Shao L, Li H, Yin H, Wang R, Liu G, Corley D, Yang Z, Zhao Y. Disruption of TSC1/2 signaling complex reveals a checkpoint governing thymic CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T-cell development in mice. FASEB J 2013; 27:3979-90. [PMID: 23882125 DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-235408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Thymic-derived CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) natural regulatory T (nTreg) cells are essential for the maintenance of peripheral immune tolerance. Signaling pathways that drive immature thymic progenitors to differentiate into CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) nTreg cells need to be elucidated. The precise role of the TSC1/2 complex, a critical negative regulator of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), in thymic CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) nTreg-cell development remains elusive. In the present study, we found that the percentage and cell number of thymic CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) nTreg cells were significantly increased in T-cell-specific TSC1-knockout (TSC1KO) mice. Nevertheless, the levels of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(-) nTreg precursors in TSC1KO thymus were indistinguishable from those in wild-type mice. TSC1KO CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) nTreg cells showed normal cell death but enhanced proliferative response to IL-2 in a STAT5-dependent manner. Rapamycin (Rapa) treatment failed to rescue but rather increased the frequency of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) nTreg cells in TSC1KO and RictorKO mice. The percentage and cell number of thymic CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) nTreg cells were significantly increased in T-cell-specific RictorKO mice but not in PtenKO mice. Collectively, our studies suggest that TSC1 plays an important role in regulating thymic CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) nTreg-cell development via a Rapa-resistant and mTORC2-dependent signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- 2Y.Z., Transplantation Biology Research Division, State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Rd. 1-5, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100101.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Maintenance of T-cell function and modulation of tolerance are critical issues in organ transplantation. The thymus is the primary organ for T-cell generation, and a preserved thymic function is essential for a self-tolerant diverse T-cell repertoire. Transplant procedures and related immunosuppressive drugs may hinder thymic integrity and function. We review here the recent advances in understanding the regulation of the unique thymic microenvironment with relevance for the field of transplantation. RECENT FINDINGS Recent studies have assigned a role for IL-22 in the regeneration of thymic epithelium, and for microRNAs in the modulation of its survival and function. The interplay of key molecules in the cross-talk between thymic epithelial cells and thymocytes was depicted, opening new perspectives for the in-vitro recapitulation of T-cell development and for thymic transplantation. Additionally, the thymus was shown to be able to sustain thymocyte progenitor renewal. SUMMARY These findings open new venues of research toward therapeutic interventions in the endogenous thymus to modulate or reconstitute the immune system; thymic transplantation; and the future development of artificial thymus, which would represent an important tool to achieve tolerance across the histocompatibility barriers.
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Guerri L, Peguillet I, Geraldo Y, Nabti S, Premel V, Lantz O. Analysis of APC types involved in CD4 tolerance and regulatory T cell generation using reaggregated thymic organ cultures. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 190:2102-10. [PMID: 23365074 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1202883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Tolerance to self-Ags is generated in the thymus. Both epithelial and hematopoietic thymic stromal cells play an active and essential role in this process. However, the role of each of the various stromal cell types remains unresolved. To our knowledge, we describe the first comparative analysis of several types of thymic hematopoietic stromal cells (THSCs) for their ability to induce CD4 tolerance to self, in parallel with the thymic epithelium. The THSCs--two types of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), plasmacytoid dendritic cells, macrophages (MΦs), B lymphocytes, and eosinophils--were first characterized and quantified in adult mouse thymus. They were then examined in reaggregated thymic organ cultures containing mixtures of monoclonal and polyclonal thymocytes. This thymocyte mixture allows for the analysis of Ag-specific events while avoiding the extreme skewing frequently seen in purely monoclonal systems. Our data indicate that thymic epithelium alone is capable of promoting self-tolerance by eliminating autoreactive CD4 single-positive thymocytes and by supporting regulatory T cell (Treg) development. We also show that both non-Treg CD4 single-positive thymocytes and Tregs are efficiently deleted by the two populations of cDCs present in the thymus, as well as to a lesser extent by MΦs. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells, B lymphocytes, and eosinophils were not able to do so. Finally, cDCs were also the most efficient THSCs at supporting Treg development in the thymus, suggesting that although they may share some characteristics required for negative selection with MΦs, they do not share those required for the support of Treg development, making cDCs a unique cell subset in the thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Guerri
- INSERM U932 and Centre d'Investigation Clinique, CIC-BT507, Institut Curie, Paris 75005, France.
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Meier J, Roberts C, Avent K, Hazlett A, Berrie J, Payne K, Hamm D, Desmarais C, Sanders C, Hogan KT, Archer KJ, Manjili MH, Toor AA. Fractal organization of the human T cell repertoire in health and after stem cell transplantation. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2013; 19:366-77. [PMID: 23313705 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2012.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2012] [Accepted: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
T cell repertoire diversity is generated in part by recombination of variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) segments in the T cell receptor β (TCR) locus. T cell clonal frequency distribution determined by high-throughput sequencing of TCR β in 10 stem cell transplantation (SCT) donors revealed a fractal, self-similar frequency distribution of unique TCR bearing clones with respect to V, D, and J segment usage in the T cell repertoire of these individuals. Further, ranking of T cell clones by frequency of gene segment usage in the observed sequences revealed an ordered distribution of dominant clones conforming to a power law, with a fractal dimension of 1.6 and 1.8 in TCR β DJ and VDJ containing clones in healthy stem cell donors. This self-similar distribution was perturbed in the recipients after SCT, with patients demonstrating a lower level of complexity in their TCR repertoire at day 100 followed by a modest improvement by 1 year post-SCT. A large shift was observed in the frequency distribution of the dominant T cell clones compared to the donor, with fewer than one third of the VDJ-containing clones shared in the top 4 ranks. In conclusion, the normal T cell repertoire is highly ordered with a TCR gene segment usage that results in a fractal self-similar motif of pattern repetition across levels of organization. Fractal analysis of high-throughput TCR β sequencing data provides a comprehensive measure of immune reconstitution after SCT.
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MESH Headings
- Antilymphocyte Serum/pharmacology
- Antilymphocyte Serum/therapeutic use
- Clone Cells
- Fractals
- Hematologic Neoplasms/immunology
- Hematologic Neoplasms/pathology
- Hematologic Neoplasms/therapy
- High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
- Humans
- Myeloablative Agonists/pharmacology
- Myeloablative Agonists/therapeutic use
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/immunology
- Stem Cell Transplantation
- T-Lymphocytes/classification
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/pathology
- Transplantation Chimera/immunology
- Transplantation Conditioning
- Transplantation, Homologous
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Meier
- Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
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25
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Albuquerque AS, Marques JG, Silva SL, Ligeiro D, Devlin BH, Dutrieux J, Cheynier R, Pignata C, Victorino RMM, Markert ML, Sousa AE. Human FOXN1-deficiency is associated with αβ double-negative and FoxP3+ T-cell expansions that are distinctly modulated upon thymic transplantation. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37042. [PMID: 22590644 PMCID: PMC3349657 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 04/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Forkhead box N1 (FOXN1) is a transcription factor crucial for thymic epithelium development and prevention of its involution. Investigation of a patient with a rare homozygous FOXN1 mutation (R255X), leading to alopecia universalis and thymus aplasia, unexpectedly revealed non-maternal circulating T-cells, and, strikingly, large numbers of aberrant double-negative αβ T-cells (CD4negCD8neg, DN) and regulatory-like T-cells. These data raise the possibility that a thymic rudiment persisted, allowing T-cell development, albeit with disturbances in positive/negative selection, as suggested by DN and FoxP3+ cell expansions. Although regulatory-like T-cell numbers normalized following HLA-mismatched thymic transplantation, the αβDN subset persisted 5 years post-transplantation. Involution of thymus allograft likely occurred 3 years post-transplantation based on sj/βTREC ratio, which estimates intrathymic precursor T-cell divisions and, consequently, thymic explant output. Nevertheless, functional immune-competence was sustained, providing new insights for the design of immunological reconstitution strategies based on thymic transplantation, with potential applications in other clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana S. Albuquerque
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - José G. Marques
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Susana L. Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Dario Ligeiro
- Immunogenetics Laboratory, Centro de Histocompatibilidade do Sul – CHSul, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Blythe H. Devlin
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jacques Dutrieux
- Institut Cochin, Département Immunologie-Hematologie, Paris, France
- Inserm, U567, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 8104, Paris, France
| | - Rémi Cheynier
- Institut Cochin, Département Immunologie-Hematologie, Paris, France
- Inserm, U567, Paris, France
- Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Médecine René Descartes, UMR-S 8104, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 8104, Paris, France
| | - Claudio Pignata
- Pediatric Immunology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, “Federico II” University, Naples, Italy
| | - Rui M. M. Victorino
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - M. Louise Markert
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ana E. Sousa
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- * E-mail:
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26
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Jin B, Sun T, Yu XH, Yang YX, Yeo AET. The effects of TLR activation on T-cell development and differentiation. Clin Dev Immunol 2012; 2012:836485. [PMID: 22737174 PMCID: PMC3376488 DOI: 10.1155/2012/836485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2011] [Accepted: 01/26/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Invading pathogens have unique molecular signatures that are recognized by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) resulting in either activation of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and/or costimulation of T cells inducing both innate and adaptive immunity. TLRs are also involved in T-cell development and can reprogram Treg cells to become helper cells. T cells consist of various subsets, that is, Th1, Th2, Th17, T follicular helper (Tfh), cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), regulatory T cells (Treg) and these originate from thymic progenitor thymocytes. T-cell receptor (TCR) activation in distinct T-cell subsets with different TLRs results in differing outcomes, for example, activation of TLR4 expressed in T cells promotes suppressive function of regulatory T cells (Treg), while activation of TLR6 expressed in T cells abrogates Treg function. The current state of knowledge of regarding TLR-mediated T-cell development and differentiation is reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Jin
- 1Department of Gastroenterology, The 309th Hospital of The People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100091, China
- 2Department of Infectious Diseases, Naval General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
- *Bo Jin: and
| | - Tao Sun
- 2Department of Infectious Diseases, Naval General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
- *Tao Sun:
| | - Xiao-Hong Yu
- 2Department of Infectious Diseases, Naval General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Ying-Xiang Yang
- 2Department of Infectious Diseases, Naval General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
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