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Yilmazer A, Zevla DM, Malmkvist R, Rodríguez CAB, Undurraga P, Kirgin E, Boernert M, Voehringer D, Kershaw O, Schlenner S, Kretschmer K. Selective ablation of thymic and peripheral Foxp3 + regulatory T cell development. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1298938. [PMID: 38164128 PMCID: PMC10757929 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1298938] [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: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells of thymic (tTreg) and peripheral (pTreg) developmental origin are thought to synergistically act to ensure immune homeostasis, with self-reactive tTreg cells primarily constraining autoimmune responses. Here we exploited a Foxp3-dependent reporter with thymus-specific GFP/Cre activity to selectively ablate either tTreg (ΔtTreg) or pTreg (ΔpTreg) cell development, while sparing the respective sister populations. We found that, in contrast to the tTreg cell behavior in ΔpTreg mice, pTreg cells acquired a highly activated suppressor phenotype and replenished the Treg cell pool of ΔtTreg mice on a non-autoimmune C57BL/6 background. Despite the absence of tTreg cells, pTreg cells prevented early mortality and fatal autoimmunity commonly observed in Foxp3-deficient models of complete Treg cell deficiency, and largely maintained immune tolerance even as the ΔtTreg mice aged. However, only two generations of backcrossing to the autoimmune-prone non-obese diabetic (NOD) background were sufficient to cause severe disease lethality associated with different, partially overlapping patterns of organ-specific autoimmunity. This included a particularly severe form of autoimmune diabetes characterized by an early onset and abrogation of the sex bias usually observed in the NOD mouse model of human type 1 diabetes. Genetic association studies further allowed us to define a small set of autoimmune risk loci sufficient to promote β cell autoimmunity, including genes known to impinge on Treg cell biology. Overall, these studies show an unexpectedly high functional adaptability of pTreg cells, emphasizing their important role as mediators of bystander effects to ensure self-tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acelya Yilmazer
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dimitra Maria Zevla
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rikke Malmkvist
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Carlos Alejandro Bello Rodríguez
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Pablo Undurraga
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Emre Kirgin
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marie Boernert
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - David Voehringer
- Department of Infection Biology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Olivia Kershaw
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susan Schlenner
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karsten Kretschmer
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the Helmholtz Center Munich, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Neuherberg, Germany
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2
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Huang QQ, Hang Y, Doyle R, Mao Q, Fang D, Pope RM. Mechanisms regulating the loss of Tregs in HUPO mice that develop spontaneous inflammatory arthritis. iScience 2023; 26:106734. [PMID: 37216119 PMCID: PMC10193230 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
T regulatory cells (Tregs) are a potential therapeutic target in many autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of Tregs in chronic inflammatory conditions such as RA are poorly understood. We employed our mouse model of RA in which, the following deletion of Flice-like inhibitory protein in CD11c+ cells, CD11c-FLIP-KO (HUPO) mice develop spontaneous, progressive, erosive arthritis, with reduced Tregs, and the adoptive transfer of Tregs ameliorates the arthritis. HUPO thymic Treg development was normal, but peripheral of Treg Foxp3 was diminished mediated by reduction of dendritic cells and interleukin-2 (IL-2). During chronic inflammatory arthritis Tregs fail to maintain Foxp3, leading to non-apoptotic cell death and conversion to CD4+CD25+Foxp3- cells. Treatment with IL-2 increased Tregs and ameliorated the arthritis. In summary, reduced dendritic cells and IL-2 in the milieu of chronic inflammation, contribute to Treg instability, promoting HUPO arthritis progression, and suggesting a therapeutic approach in RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Quan Huang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60091, USA
| | - Yiwei Hang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60091, USA
| | - Renee Doyle
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60091, USA
| | - Qinwen Mao
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Deyu Fang
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60091, USA
| | - Richard M. Pope
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60091, USA
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3
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Simonetti M, Yilmazer A, Kretschmer K. Genetic Tools for Analyzing Foxp3 + Treg Cells: Fluorochrome-Based Transcriptional Reporters and Genetic Fate-Mapping. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2559:95-114. [PMID: 36180629 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2647-4_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The lack of unambiguous Foxp3+ Treg cell-specific surface markers has prompted the development of various transgenic mouse lines with Foxp3-dependent reporter activity, which involved different fluorochromes and transgenic strategies, including coexpression of multiple transgenes, such as Cre recombinase. Since then, Foxp3 transcriptional reporter has proven to be an indispensable tool to identify and isolate viable Foxp3+ Treg cell populations. However, the physiologic Treg cell pool is functionally heterogeneous and consists of intrathymically (tTreg) and peripherally (pTreg) induced Treg cells, which may confound interpretation of data relying on indiscriminatory Foxp3-fluorochrome reporter expressed in all Treg cells. In this chapter, we describe how the dual Foxp3RFP/GFP reporter can be exploited to discriminate both developmental sublineages based on tTreg cell lineage-specific GFP/Cre recombinase activity, in conjunction with Foxp3-driven RFP expression in all Foxp3+ Treg cells, and provide guidelines for experimental design and implementation. We also elaborate on the possibility to exploit GFP/Cre expression of Foxp3RFP/GFP reporter mice for the manipulation of gene expression (activation and inactivation), such as lineage tracing and in vivo ablation of tTreg cells, while sparing pTreg cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Simonetti
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Acelya Yilmazer
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Karsten Kretschmer
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Neuherberg, Germany.
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4
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Whyte CE, Singh K, Burton OT, Aloulou M, Kouser L, Veiga RV, Dashwood A, Okkenhaug H, Benadda S, Moudra A, Bricard O, Lienart S, Bielefeld P, Roca CP, Naranjo-Galindo FJ, Lombard-Vadnais F, Junius S, Bending D, Ono M, Hochepied T, Halim TY, Schlenner S, Lesage S, Dooley J, Liston A. Context-dependent effects of IL-2 rewire immunity into distinct cellular circuits. J Exp Med 2022; 219:e20212391. [PMID: 35699942 PMCID: PMC9202720 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20212391] [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: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is a key homeostatic cytokine, with therapeutic applications in both immunogenic and tolerogenic immune modulation. Clinical use has been hampered by pleiotropic functionality and widespread receptor expression, with unexpected adverse events. Here, we developed a novel mouse strain to divert IL-2 production, allowing identification of contextual outcomes. Network analysis identified priority access for Tregs and a competitive fitness cost of IL-2 production among both Tregs and conventional CD4 T cells. CD8 T and NK cells, by contrast, exhibited a preference for autocrine IL-2 production. IL-2 sourced from dendritic cells amplified Tregs, whereas IL-2 produced by B cells induced two context-dependent circuits: dramatic expansion of CD8+ Tregs and ILC2 cells, the latter driving a downstream, IL-5-mediated, eosinophilic circuit. The source-specific effects demonstrate the contextual influence of IL-2 function and potentially explain adverse effects observed during clinical trials. Targeted IL-2 production therefore has the potential to amplify or quench particular circuits in the IL-2 network, based on clinical desirability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly E. Whyte
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kailash Singh
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Oliver T. Burton
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Meryem Aloulou
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (Infinity), Centre national de la recherche scientifique U5051, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U1291, University of Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - Lubna Kouser
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Amy Dashwood
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Samira Benadda
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Centre de Recherche Sur L’inflammation, Centre national de la recherche scientifique ERL8252, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U1149, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Alena Moudra
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Orian Bricard
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Carlos P. Roca
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Félix Lombard-Vadnais
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Immunology-Oncology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Steffie Junius
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - David Bending
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Masahiro Ono
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tino Hochepied
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Susan Schlenner
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sylvie Lesage
- Centre de Recherche Sur L’inflammation, Centre national de la recherche scientifique ERL8252, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U1149, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - James Dooley
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Adrian Liston
- Immunology Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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5
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Jiang Z, Zhu H, Wang P, Que W, Zhong L, Li X, Du F. Different subpopulations of regulatory T cells in human autoimmune disease, transplantation, and tumor immunity. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e137. [PMID: 35474948 PMCID: PMC9023873 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), a subpopulation of naturally CD4+ T cells that characteristically express transcription factor Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), play a pivotal role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and the prevention of autoimmunity. With the development of biological technology, the understanding of plasticity and stability of Tregs has been further developed. Recent studies have suggested that human Tregs are functionally and phenotypically diverse. The functions and mechanisms of different phenotypes of Tregs in different disease settings, such as tumor microenvironment, autoimmune diseases, and transplantation, have gradually become hot spots of immunology research that arouse extensive attention. Among the complex functions, CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Tregs possess a potent immunosuppressive capacity and can produce various cytokines, such as IL‐2, IL‐10, and TGF‐β, to regulate immune homeostasis. They can alleviate the progression of diseases by resisting inflammatory immune responses, whereas promoting the poor prognosis of diseases by helping cells evade immune surveillance or suppressing effector T cells activity. Therefore, methods for targeting Tregs to regulate their functions in the immune microenvironment, such as depleting them to strengthen tumor immunity or expanding them to treat immunological diseases, need to be developed. Here, we discuss that different subpopulations of Tregs are essential for the development of immunotherapeutic strategies involving Tregs in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyi Jiang
- Department of General Surgery Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai P. R. China
| | - Haitao Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University Guizhou P. R. China
| | - Pusen Wang
- Department of General Surgery Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai P. R. China
| | - Weitao Que
- Department of General Surgery Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai P. R. China
| | - Lin Zhong
- Department of General Surgery Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai P. R. China
| | - Xiao‐Kang Li
- Department of General Surgery Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai P. R. China
- Division of Transplantation Immunology National Research Institute for Child Health and Development Tokyo Japan
| | - Futian Du
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery Weifang People's Hospital Shandong P. R. China
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6
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Saxena V, Piao W, Li L, Paluskievicz C, Xiong Y, Simon T, Lakhan R, Brinkman CC, Walden S, Hippen KL, WillsonShirkey M, Lee YS, Wagner C, Blazar BR, Bromberg JS. Treg tissue stability depends on lymphotoxin beta-receptor- and adenosine-receptor-driven lymphatic endothelial cell responses. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110727. [PMID: 35443187 PMCID: PMC9093052 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cell (Treg) lymphatic migration is required for resolving inflammation and prolonging allograft survival. Focusing on Treg interactions with lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), we dissect mechanisms and functional consequences of Treg transendothelial migration (TEM). Using three genetic mouse models of pancreatic islet transplantation, we show that Treg lymphotoxin (LT) αβ and LEC LTβ receptor (LTβR) signaling are required for efficient Treg migration and suppressive function to prolong allograft survival. Inhibition of LT signaling increases Treg conversion to Foxp3loCD25lo exTregs. In a transwell-based model of TEM across polarized LECs, non-migrated Tregs become exTregs. Such conversion is regulated by LTβR nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling in LECs, which increases interleukin-6 (IL-6) production and drives exTreg conversion. Migrating Tregs are ectonucleotidase CD39hi and resist exTreg conversion in an adenosine-receptor-2A-dependent fashion. Human Tregs migrating across human LECs behave similarly. These molecular interactions can be targeted for therapeutic manipulation of immunity and suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Saxena
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Wenji Piao
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Lushen Li
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Christina Paluskievicz
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Yanbao Xiong
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Thomas Simon
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Ram Lakhan
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - C Colin Brinkman
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Sarah Walden
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Keli L Hippen
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Marina WillsonShirkey
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Young S Lee
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Chelsea Wagner
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Bruce R Blazar
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Jonathan S Bromberg
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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7
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Dohnke S, Moehser S, Surnov A, Kurth T, Jessberger R, Kretschmer K, Garbe AI. Role of Dynamic Actin Cytoskeleton Remodeling in Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cell Development and Function: Implications for Osteoclastogenesis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:836646. [PMID: 35359955 PMCID: PMC8963504 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.836646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In T cells, processes such as migration and immunological synapse formation are accompanied by the dynamic reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, which has been suggested to be mediated by regulators of RhoGTPases and by F-actin bundlers. SWAP-70 controls F-actin dynamics in various immune cells, but its role in T cell development and function has remained incompletely understood. CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing the transcription factor Foxp3 employ diverse mechanisms to suppress innate and adaptive immunity, which is critical for maintaining immune homeostasis and self-tolerance. Here, we propose Swap-70 as a novel member of the Foxp3-dependent canonical Treg cell signature. We show that Swap-70-/- mice have increased numbers of Foxp3+ Treg cells with an effector/memory-like phenotype that exhibit impaired suppressor function in vitro, but maintain overall immune homeostasis in vivo. Upon formation of an immunological synapse with antigen presenting cells in vitro, cytosolic SWAP-70 protein is selectively recruited to the interface in Treg cells. In this context, Swap-70-/- Treg cells fail to downregulate CD80/CD86 on osteoclast precursor cells by trans-endocytosis and to efficiently suppress osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast function. These data provide first evidence for a crucial role of SWAP-70 in Treg cell biology and further highlight the important non-immune function of Foxp3+ Treg cells in bone homeostasis mediated through direct SWAP-70-dependent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Dohnke
- Osteoimmunology, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephanie Moehser
- Osteoimmunology, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexey Surnov
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Kurth
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technology Platform, Electron Microscopy and Histology Facility, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rolf Jessberger
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Karsten Kretschmer
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annette I. Garbe
- Osteoimmunology, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- *Correspondence: Annette I. Garbe,
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8
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Junius S, Mavrogiannis AV, Lemaitre P, Gerbaux M, Staels F, Malviya V, Burton O, Gergelits V, Singh K, Tito Tadeo RY, Raes J, Humblet-Baron S, Liston A, Schlenner SM. Unstable regulatory T cells, enriched for naïve and Nrp1 neg cells, are purged after fate challenge. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:6/61/eabe4723. [PMID: 34301799 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abe4723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are indispensable for the control of immune homeostasis and have clinical potential as a cell therapy for treating autoimmunity. Tregs can lose expression of the lineage-defining Foxp3 transcription factor and acquire effector T cell (Teff) characteristics, a process referred to as Treg plasticity. The extent and reversibility of such plasticity during immune responses remain unknown. Here, using a murine genetic fate-mapping system, we show that Treg stability is maintained even during exposure to a complex microbial/antigenic environment. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the observed plasticity of Tregs after adoptive transfer into a lymphopenic environment is a property limited to only a subset of the Treg population, with the nonconverting majority of Tregs being resistant to plasticity upon secondary stability challenge. The unstable Treg fraction is a complex mixture of phenotypically distinct Tregs, enriched for naïve and neuropilin-1-negative Tregs, and includes peripherally induced Tregs and recent thymic emigrant Tregs These results suggest that a "purging" process can be used to purify stable Tregs that are capable of robust fate retention, with potential implications for improving cell transfer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffie Junius
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Adamantios V Mavrogiannis
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Pierre Lemaitre
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Margaux Gerbaux
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Pediatric Department, Academic Children Hospital Queen Fabiola, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frederik Staels
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Vanshika Malviya
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Oliver Burton
- Immunology Programme, Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Václav Gergelits
- Immunology Programme, Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Kailash Singh
- Immunology Programme, Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Raul Yhossef Tito Tadeo
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, VIB, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Raes
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, VIB, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Stephanie Humblet-Baron
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Adrian Liston
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium. .,VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Immunology Programme, Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Susan M Schlenner
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
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9
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Nussbaum L, Chen YL, Ogg GS. Role of regulatory T cells in psoriasis pathogenesis and treatment. Br J Dermatol 2021; 184:14-24. [PMID: 32628773 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.19380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease with a strong genetic component that can be triggered by environmental factors. Disease pathogenesis is mainly driven by type 1 and type 17 cytokine-producing cells which, in healthy individuals, are modulated by regulatory T cells (Tregs). Tregs play a fundamental role in immune homeostasis and contribute to the prevention of autoimmune disease by suppressing immune responses. In psoriasis, Tregs are impaired in their suppressive function leading to an altered T-helper 17/Treg balance. Although Treg dysfunction in patients with psoriasis is associated with disease exacerbation, it is unknown how they are functionally regulated. In this review, we discuss recent insights into Tregs in the setting of psoriasis with an emphasis on the effect of current treatments on Tregs and how already available therapeutics that modulate Treg frequency or functionality could be exploited for treatment of psoriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Nussbaum
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Y L Chen
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - G S Ogg
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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10
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Abstract
Foxp3-expressing CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells play key roles in the prevention of autoimmunity and the maintenance of immune homeostasis and represent a major barrier to the induction of robust antitumor immune responses. Thus, a clear understanding of the mechanisms coordinating Treg cell differentiation is crucial for understanding numerous facets of health and disease and for developing approaches to modulate Treg cells for clinical benefit. Here, we discuss current knowledge of the signals that coordinate Treg cell development, the antigen-presenting cell types that direct Treg cell selection, and the nature of endogenous Treg cell ligands, focusing on evidence from studies in mice. We also highlight recent advances in this area and identify key unanswered questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Savage
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA; , ,
| | - David E J Klawon
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA; , ,
| | - Christine H Miller
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA; , ,
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11
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Holohan DR, Van Gool F, Bluestone JA. Thymically-derived Foxp3+ regulatory T cells are the primary regulators of type 1 diabetes in the non-obese diabetic mouse model. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217728. [PMID: 31647813 PMCID: PMC6812862 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are an immunosuppressive population that are identified based on the stable expression of the fate-determining transcription factor forkhead box P3 (Foxp3). Tregs can be divided into distinct subsets based on whether they developed in the thymus (tTregs) or in the periphery (pTregs). Whether there are unique functional roles that distinguish pTregs and tTregs remains largely unclear. To elucidate these functions, efforts have been made to specifically identify and modify individual Treg subsets. Deletion of the conserved non-coding sequence (CNS)1 in the Foxp3 locus leads to selective impairment of pTreg generation without disrupting tTreg generation in the C57BL/6J background. Using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology, we removed the Foxp3 CNS1 region in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model of spontaneous type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) to determine if pTregs contribute to autoimmune regulation. Deletion of CNS1 impaired in vitro induction of Foxp3 in naïve NOD CD4+ T cells, but it did not alter Tregs in most lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues analyzed except for the large intestine lamina propria, where a small but significant decrease in RORγt+ Tregs and corresponding increase in Helios+ Tregs was observed in NOD CNS1-/- mice. CNS1 deletion also did not alter the development of T1D or glucose tolerance despite increased pancreatic insulitis in pre-diabetic female NOD CNS1-/- mice. Furthermore, the proportions of autoreactive Tregs and conventional T cells (Tconvs) within pancreatic islets were unchanged. These results suggest that pTregs dependent on the Foxp3 CNS1 region are not the dominant regulatory population controlling T1D in the NOD mouse model.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
- DNA-Binding Proteins/immunology
- DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/genetics
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/immunology
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Female
- Forkhead Transcription Factors/genetics
- Forkhead Transcription Factors/immunology
- Forkhead Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, Knockout
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3/genetics
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3/immunology
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolism
- Thymus Gland/cytology
- Thymus Gland/immunology
- Thymus Gland/metabolism
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Transcription Factors/immunology
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Holohan
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
- Sean N. Parker Autoimmune Research Laboratory, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Frédéric Van Gool
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
- Sean N. Parker Autoimmune Research Laboratory, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey A. Bluestone
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
- Sean N. Parker Autoimmune Research Laboratory, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
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12
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Thornton AM, Shevach EM. Helios: still behind the clouds. Immunology 2019; 158:161-170. [PMID: 31517385 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells are a subset of CD4+ T cells that are critical for the maintenance of self-tolerance. The forkhead box transcription factor Foxp3 is a master regulator for the Treg phenotype and function and its expression is essential in Treg cells, as the loss of Foxp3 results in lethal autoimmunity. Two major subsets of Treg cells have been described in vivo; thymus-derived Treg (tTreg) cells that develop in the thymus and peripherally induced Treg (pTreg) cells that are derived from conventional CD4+ Foxp3- T cells and are converted in peripheral tissues to cells that express Foxp3 and acquire suppressive ability. The transcription factor Helios, a member of the Ikaros transcription factor family, is expressed in 60-70% of Treg cells in both mouse and man, and is believed to be a marker of tTreg cells. In this review, we discuss the role and function of Helios in Treg cells, the controversy surrounding the use of Helios as a marker of tTreg cells, and how Helios controls specific aspects of the Treg cell program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M Thornton
- Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ethan M Shevach
- Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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13
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Schreiber M, Weigelt M, Karasinsky A, Anastassiadis K, Schallenberg S, Petzold C, Bonifacio E, Kretschmer K, Hommel A. Inducible IL-7 Hyperexpression Influences Lymphocyte Homeostasis and Function and Increases Allograft Rejection. Front Immunol 2019; 10:742. [PMID: 31024566 PMCID: PMC6467976 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The IL-7/IL-7R pathway is essential for lymphocyte development and disturbances in the pathway can lead to immune deficiency or T cell mediated destruction. Here, the effect of transient hyperexpression of IL-7 was investigated on immune regulation and allograft rejection under immunosuppression. An experimental in vivo immunosuppressive mouse model of IL-7 hyperexpression was developed using transgenic mice (C57BL/6 background) carrying a tetracycline inducible IL-7 expression cassette, which allowed the temporally controlled induction of IL-7 hyperexpression by Dexamethasone and Doxycycline treatment. Upon induction of IL-7, the B220+ c-kit+ Pro/Pre-B I compartment in the bone marrow increased as compared to control mice in a serum IL-7 concentration-correlated manner. IL-7 hyperexpression also preferentially increased the population size of memory CD8+ T cells in secondary lymphoid organs, and reduced the proportion of CD4+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells. Of relevance to disease, conventional CD4+ T cells from an IL-7-rich milieu escaped T regulatory cell-mediated suppression in vitro and in a model of autoimmune diabetes in vivo. These findings were validated using an IL-7/anti-IL7 complex treatment mouse model to create an IL-7 rich environment. To study the effect of IL-7 on islet graft survival in a mismatched allograft model, BALB/c mice were rendered diabetic by streptozotocin und transplanted with IL-7-inducible or control islets from C57BL/6 mice. As expected, Dexamethasone and Doxycycline treatment prolonged graft median survival as compared to the untreated control group in this transplantation mouse model. However, upon induction of local IL-7 hyperexpression in the transplanted islets, graft survival time was decreased and this was accompanied by an increased CD4+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration in the islets. Altogether, the findings show that transient elevations of IL-7 can impair immune regulation and lead to graft loss also under immune suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Schreiber
- Preclinical Approaches to Stem Cell Therapy/Diabetes, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden Cluster of Excellence, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden Cluster of Excellence, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marc Weigelt
- Preclinical Approaches to Stem Cell Therapy/Diabetes, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden Cluster of Excellence, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,TU Dresden Faculty of Medicine, Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Helmholtz Centre Munich, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anne Karasinsky
- Preclinical Approaches to Stem Cell Therapy/Diabetes, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden Cluster of Excellence, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Sonja Schallenberg
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden Cluster of Excellence, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cathleen Petzold
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden Cluster of Excellence, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ezio Bonifacio
- Preclinical Approaches to Stem Cell Therapy/Diabetes, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden Cluster of Excellence, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,TU Dresden Faculty of Medicine, Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Helmholtz Centre Munich, Dresden, Germany
| | - Karsten Kretschmer
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden Cluster of Excellence, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,TU Dresden Faculty of Medicine, Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Helmholtz Centre Munich, Dresden, Germany
| | - Angela Hommel
- Preclinical Approaches to Stem Cell Therapy/Diabetes, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden Cluster of Excellence, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,TU Dresden Faculty of Medicine, Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Helmholtz Centre Munich, Dresden, Germany
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14
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Freudenberg K, Lindner N, Dohnke S, Garbe AI, Schallenberg S, Kretschmer K. Critical Role of TGF-β and IL-2 Receptor Signaling in Foxp3 Induction by an Inhibitor of DNA Methylation. Front Immunol 2018; 9:125. [PMID: 29456534 PMCID: PMC5801288 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Under physiological conditions, CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing the transcription factor Foxp3 are generated in the thymus [thymus-derived Foxp3+ Treg (tTregs) cells] and extrathymically at peripheral sites [peripherally induced Foxp3+ Treg (pTreg) cell], and both developmental subsets play non-redundant roles in maintaining self-tolerance throughout life. In addition, a variety of experimental in vitro and in vivo modalities can extrathymically elicit a Foxp3+ Treg cell phenotype in peripheral CD4+Foxp3− T cells, which has attracted much interest as an approach toward cell-based therapy in clinical settings of undesired immune responses. A particularly notable example is the in vitro induction of Foxp3 expression and Treg cell activity (iTreg cells) in initially naive CD4+Foxp3− T cells through T cell receptor (TCR) and IL-2R ligation, in the presence of exogenous TGF-β. Clinical application of Foxp3+ iTreg cells has been hampered by the fact that TGF-β-driven Foxp3 induction is not sufficient to fully recapitulate the epigenetic and transcriptional signature of in vivo induced Foxp3+ tTreg and pTreg cells, which includes the failure to imprint iTreg cells with stable Foxp3 expression. This hurdle can be potentially overcome by pharmacological interference with DNA methyltransferase activity and CpG methylation [e.g., by the cytosine nucleoside analog 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC)] to stabilize TGF-β-induced Foxp3 expression and to promote a Foxp3+ iTreg cell phenotype even in the absence of added TGF-β. However, the molecular mechanisms of 5-aza-dC-mediated Foxp3+ iTreg cell generation have remained incompletely understood. Here, we show that in the absence of exogenously added TGF-β and IL-2, efficient 5-aza-dC-mediated Foxp3+ iTreg cell generation from TCR-stimulated CD4+Foxp3− T cells is critically dependent on TGF-βR and IL-2R signaling and that this process is driven by TGF-β and IL-2, which could either be FCS derived or produced by T cells on TCR stimulation. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the process of Foxp3 induction and may provide a rational basis for generating phenotypically and functionally stable iTreg cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Freudenberg
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nadja Lindner
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sebastian Dohnke
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Osteoimmunology, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annette I Garbe
- Osteoimmunology, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sonja Schallenberg
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Karsten Kretschmer
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Neuherberg, Germany
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15
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Yang JH, Eun SC. Therapeutic application of T regulatory cells in composite tissue allotransplantation. J Transl Med 2017; 15:218. [PMID: 29073905 PMCID: PMC5658973 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-017-1322-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
With growing number of cases in recent years, composite tissue allotransplantation (CTA) has been improving the quality of life of patient who seeks reconstruction and repair of damaged tissues. Composite tissue allografts are heterogeneous. They are composed of a variety of tissue types, including skin, muscle, vessel, bone, bone marrow, lymph nodes, nerve, and tendon. As a primary target of CTA, skin has high antigenicity with a rich repertoire of resident cells that play pivotal roles in immune surveillance. In this regard, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in immune rejection in the skin would be essential to achieve successful CTA. Although scientific evidence has proved the necessity of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection of allotransplanted tissues, there remains a lingering dilemma due to the lack of specificity of targeted immunosuppression and risks of side effects. A cumulative body of evidence has demonstrated T regulatory (Treg) cells have critical roles in induction of immune tolerance and immune homeostasis in preclinical and clinical studies. Presently, controlling immune susceptible characteristics of CTA with adoptive transfer of Treg cells is being considered promising and it has drawn great interests. This updated review will focus on a dominant form of Treg cells expressing CD4+CD25+ surface molecules and a forkhead box P3 transcription factor with immune tolerant and immune homeostasis activities. For future application of Treg cells as therapeutics in CTA, molecular and cellular characteristics of CTA and immune rejection, Treg cell development and phenotypes, Treg cell plasticity and stability, immune tolerant functions of Treg cells in CTA in preclinical studies, and protocols for therapeutic application of Treg cells in clinical settings are addressed in this review. Collectively, Treg cell therapy in CTA seems feasible with promising perspectives. However, the extreme high immunogenicity of CTA warrants caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong-Hee Yang
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Composite Tissue Allotransplantation Immunology Laboratory, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Seok-Chan Eun
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Composite Tissue Allotransplantation Immunology Laboratory, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea
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16
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Gabriel SS, Kallies A. Sugars and fat - A healthy way to generate functional regulatory T cells. Eur J Immunol 2017; 46:2705-2709. [PMID: 27918097 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201646663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cellular metabolism has emerged as an important regulator of adaptive immunity. While the metabolic requirements of conventional T cells are increasingly understood, the role of cellular metabolism in Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells is less clear. Although it is well accepted that repression of Akt/mTOR, HIF-1α and aerobic glycolysis are important for the efficient generation of Treg cells in vitro, clear evidence how these pathways impact on Treg-cell development in vivo is limited. Furthermore, newer studies have shown that the same pathways that appear to suppress Treg-cell development are active in and required for functionally mature Treg cells. Thus, it becomes increasingly evident that development and function of regulatory T cells require different wiring of metabolic pathways. Finally, it is likely that critical differences remain to be uncovered between the metabolism of resting or 'naïve' Treg cells and those fully differentiated and actively engaged in suppression. In this comment, we briefly discuss our current understanding of Treg-cell metabolism and the need to address this area with new approaches based on in vivo models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Sharon Gabriel
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Axel Kallies
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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17
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Jones A, Hawiger D. Peripherally Induced Regulatory T Cells: Recruited Protectors of the Central Nervous System against Autoimmune Neuroinflammation. Front Immunol 2017; 8:532. [PMID: 28536579 PMCID: PMC5422564 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Defects in regulatory T cells (Treg cells) aggravate multiple sclerosis (MS) after its onset and the absence of Treg cell functions can also exacerbate the course of disease in an animal model of MS. However, autoimmune neuroinflammation in many MS models can be acutely provoked in healthy animals leading to an activation of encephalitogenic T cells despite the induction of immune tolerance in the thymus including thymically produced (t)Treg cells. In contrast, neuroinflammation can be ameliorated or even completely prevented by the antigen-specific Treg cells formed extrathymically in the peripheral immune system (pTreg cells) during tolerogenic responses to relevant neuronal antigens. This review discusses the specific roles of Treg cells in blocking neuroinflammation, examines the impact of peripheral tolerance and dendritic cells on a relevant regulation of neuroinflammation, and explores some of the most recent advances in elucidation of specific mechanisms of the conversion and function of pTreg cells including the roles of CD5 and Hopx in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Jones
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Daniel Hawiger
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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18
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Abel S, Ueffing K, Tatura R, Hutzler M, Hose M, Matuschewski K, Kehrmann J, Westendorf AM, Buer J, Hansen W. Plasmodium yoelii infection of BALB/c mice results in expansion rather than induction of CD4(+) Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells. Immunology 2016; 148:197-205. [PMID: 26932746 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, we demonstrated elevated numbers of CD4(+) Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells in Plasmodium yoelii-infected mice contributing to the regulation of anti-malarial immune response. However, it remains unclear whether this increase in Treg cells is due to thymus-derived Treg cell expansion or induction of Treg cells in the periphery. Here, we show that the frequency of Foxp3(+) Treg cells expressing neuropilin-1 (Nrp-1) decreased at early time-points during P. yoelii infection, whereas percentages of Helios(+) Foxp3(+) Treg cells remained unchanged. Both Foxp3(+) Nrp-1(+) and Foxp3(+) Nrp-1(-) Treg cells from P. yoelii-infected mice exhibited a similar T-cell receptor Vβ chain usage and methylation pattern in the Treg-specific demethylation region within the foxp3 locus. Strikingly, we did not observe induction of Foxp3 expression in Foxp3(-) T cells adoptively transferred to P. yoelii-infected mice. Hence, our results suggest that P. yoelii infection triggered expansion of naturally occurring Treg cells rather than de novo induction of Foxp3(+) Treg cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Abel
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Kristina Ueffing
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Roman Tatura
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Marina Hutzler
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Matthias Hose
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Parasitology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan Kehrmann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Astrid M Westendorf
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jan Buer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Wiebke Hansen
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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19
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Sebastian M, Lopez-Ocasio M, Metidji A, Rieder SA, Shevach EM, Thornton AM. Helios Controls a Limited Subset of Regulatory T Cell Functions. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 196:144-55. [PMID: 26582951 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1501704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A subpopulation (60-70%) of Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) in both mouse and man expresses the transcription factor Helios, but its role in Treg function is still unknown. We generated Treg-specific Helios-deficient mice to examine the function of Helios in Tregs. We show that the selective deletion of Helios in Tregs leads to slow, progressive systemic immune activation, hypergammaglobulinemia, and enhanced germinal center formation in the absence of organ-specific autoimmunity. Helios-deficient Treg suppressor function was normal in vitro, as well as in an in vivo inflammatory bowel disease model. However, Helios-deficient Tregs failed to control the expansion of pathogenic T cells derived from scurfy mice, failed to mediate T follicular regulatory cell function, and failed to control both T follicular helper cell and Th1 effector cell responses. In competitive settings, Helios-deficient Tregs, particularly effector Tregs, were at a disadvantage, indicating that Helios regulates effector Treg fitness. Thus, we demonstrate that Helios controls certain aspects of Treg-suppressive function, differentiation, and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew Sebastian
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Maria Lopez-Ocasio
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Amina Metidji
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Sadiye Amcaoglu Rieder
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Ethan M Shevach
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Angela M Thornton
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
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Differences in Expression Level of Helios and Neuropilin-1 Do Not Distinguish Thymus-Derived from Extrathymically-Induced CD4+Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141161. [PMID: 26495986 PMCID: PMC4619666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Helios transcription factor and semaphorin receptor Nrp-1 were originally described as constitutively expressed at high levels on CD4+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells of intrathymic origin (tTregs). On the other hand, CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs generated in the periphery (pTregs) or induced ex vivo (iTregs) were reported to express low levels of Helios and Nrp-1. Soon afterwards the reliability of Nrp-1 and Helios as markers discriminating between tTregs and pTregs was questioned and until now no consensus has been reached. Here, we used several genetically modified mouse strains that favor pTregs or tTregs formation and analyzed the TCR repertoire of these cells. We found that Tregs with variable levels of Nrp-1 and Helios were abundant in mice with compromised ability to support natural differentiation of tTregs or pTregs. We also report that TCR repertoires of Treg clones expressing high or low levels of Nrp-1 or Helios are similar and more alike repertoire of CD4+Foxp3+ than repertoire of CD4+Foxp3- thymocytes. These results show that high vs. low expression of Nrp-1 or Helios does not unequivocally identify Treg clones of thymic or peripheral origin.
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Rueda CM, Moreno-Fernandez ME, Jackson CM, Kallapur SG, Jobe AH, Chougnet CA. Neonatal regulatory T cells have reduced capacity to suppress dendritic cell function. Eur J Immunol 2015; 45:2582-92. [PMID: 26046326 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201445371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) limit contact between dendritic cells (DCs) and conventional T cells (Tcons), decreasing the formation of aggregates as well as down-modulating the expression of co-stimulatory molecules by DCs, thus decreasing DC immunogenicity and abrogating T-cell activation. Despite the importance of this Treg-cell function, the capacity of Treg cells from term and preterm neonates to suppress DCs, and the suppressive mechanisms they use, are still undefined. We found that, relative to adult Treg cells, activated Treg cells from human neonates expressed lower FOXP3 and CTLA-4, but contained higher levels of cAMP. We developed an in vitro model in which Treg function was measured at a physiological ratio of 1 Treg for 10 Tcon and 1 monocyte-derived DC, as Treg target. Term and preterm Treg cells failed to suppress the formation of DC-Tcon aggregates, in contrast to naïve and memory Treg cells from adults. However, neonatal Treg cells diminished DC and Tcon activation as well as actin polymerization at the immunological synapses. In addition, CTLA-4 and cAMP were the main suppressive molecules used by neonatal Treg. Altogether, both preterm and term neonatal Treg cells appear less functional than adult Treg cells, and this defect is consistent with the general impairment of CD4 cell function in newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar M Rueda
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Maria E Moreno-Fernandez
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Courtney M Jackson
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Suhas G Kallapur
- Division of Neonatology/Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Alan H Jobe
- Division of Neonatology/Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Claire A Chougnet
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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