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Ropa J, Van't Hof W. The fulfilled promise and unmet potential of umbilical cord blood. Curr Opin Hematol 2024; 31:168-174. [PMID: 38602152 DOI: 10.1097/moh.0000000000000817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Here, we review classic and emerging uses of umbilical cord blood and highlight strategies to improve its utility, focusing on selection of the appropriate units and cell types for the intended applications. RECENT LITERATURE Recent studies have shown advancements in cord blood cell utility in a variety of cellular therapies and have made strides in elucidating manners to select the best units for therapy and target new ways to improve the various cell subpopulations for their respective applications. SUMMARY Umbilical cord blood is a proven source of cells for hematopoietic cell transplantation and research and is an important potential source for additional cellular therapies. However, cord blood utility is limited by low "doses" of potent cells that can be obtained from individual units, a limitation that is specific to cord blood as a donor source. In addition to traditional CD34 + progenitor cells, cord blood lymphocytes are being pursued as therapeutic entities with their own unique properties and characteristics. Thus, selection of ideal units depends on the intended therapeutic entity and target, and identification of differential potency parameters is critical to drive effective banking strategies accommodating successful clinical use of cord blood in broader cell therapy settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Ropa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
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2
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Zhong Y, Stauss HJ. Targeted Therapy of Multiple Sclerosis: A Case for Antigen-Specific Tregs. Cells 2024; 13:797. [PMID: 38786021 PMCID: PMC11119434 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis is an autoinflammatory condition that results in damage to myelinated neurons in affected patients. While disease-modifying treatments have been successful in slowing the progression of relapsing-remitting disease, most patients still progress to secondary progressive disease that is largely unresponsive to disease-modifying treatments. Similarly, there is currently no effective treatment for patients with primary progressive MS. Innate and adaptive immune cells in the CNS play a critical role in initiating an autoimmune attack and in maintaining the chronic inflammation that drives disease progression. In this review, we will focus on recent insights into the role of T cells with regulatory function in suppressing the progression of MS, and, more importantly, in promoting the remyelination and repair of MS lesions in the CNS. We will discuss the exciting potential to genetically reprogram regulatory T cells to achieve immune suppression and enhance repair locally at sites of tissue damage, while retaining a fully competent immune system outside the CNS. In the future, reprogramed regulatory T cells with defined specificity and function may provide life medicines that can persist in patients and achieve lasting disease suppression after one cycle of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hans J. Stauss
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PP, UK;
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Bi Y, Kong R, Peng Y, Cai D, Zhang Y, Yang F, Li X, Deng W, Liu F, He B, Cao C, Deng C, Tang X, Fan L, Yu H, Zhou Z. Multiply restimulated human cord blood-derived Tregs maintain stabilized phenotype and suppressive function and predict their therapeutic effects on autoimmune diabetes. Diabetol Metab Syndr 2024; 16:71. [PMID: 38515175 PMCID: PMC10956208 DOI: 10.1186/s13098-024-01277-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and immune regulation. Clinical trials on the adoptive transfer of Tregs have been ongoing for > 10 years. However, many unresolved issues remain in the production of readymade Treg products and selection of patients. Hence, this study aimed to develop a method to expand off-the-shelf Tregs derived from umbilical cord blood (UCB-Tregs) in vitro without changing their phenotype and inhibitory function. In addition, the study intended to design an approach to precisely select patients who are more likely to benefit from the adoptive Treg transfer therapy. METHODS UCB-Tregs were isolated and cultured in a medium containing human recombinant IL-2 and rapamycin and then multiply restimulated with human T-activator CD3/CD28 dynabeads. The phenotype and suppressive capacity of Tregs were assessed on days 18 and 42. The relationship between the suppressive function of UCB-Tregs in vitro and clinical indicators was analyzed, and the ability of the in vitro suppressive capacity to predict the in vivo therapeutic effects was evaluated. RESULTS UCB-Tregs expanded 123-fold and 5,981-fold at 18 and 42 days, respectively. The suppressive function of UCB-Tregs on the proliferation of immune cells at 42 days was not significantly different compared with that of UCB-Tregs obtained at 18 days. The suppression rate of UCB-Tregs to PBMCs was negatively correlated with the course of diabetes. Moreover, the high-suppression group exhibited a better treatment response than the low-suppression group during the 12-month follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS Multiply restimulated UCB-Tregs expanded at a large scale without any alterations in their classical phenotypic features and inhibitory functions. The suppressive function of Tregs in vitro was negatively correlated with the disease duration. The present study revealed the possibility of predicting the in vivo therapeutic effects via the in vitro inhibition assay. Thus, these findings provided a method to obtain off-the-shelf Treg products and facilitated the selection of patients who are likely to respond to the treatment, thereby moving toward the goal of precision treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjie Bi
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ran Kong
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yani Peng
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Donghua Cai
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fan Yang
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xia Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wen Deng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fang Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Binbin He
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chuqing Cao
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chao Deng
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaohan Tang
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Li Fan
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Haibo Yu
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhiguang Zhou
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
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Nagamura-Inoue T, Nagamura F. Umbilical cord blood and cord tissue banking as somatic stem cell resources to support medical cell modalities. Inflamm Regen 2023; 43:59. [PMID: 38053217 PMCID: PMC10696687 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-023-00311-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human umbilical cord blood (CB) and umbilical cord tissue (UC) are attractive sources of somatic stem cells for gene and cell therapies. CB and UC can be obtained noninvasively from donors. CB, a known source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation, has attracted attention as a new source of immune cells, including universal chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy (CAR-T) and, more recently, universal CAR-natural killer cells. UC-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs) have a higher proliferation potency than those derived from adult tissues and can be used anon-HLA restrictively. UC-MSCs meet the MSC criteria outlined by the International Society of Gene and Cellular Therapy. UC-MSCs are negative for HLA-DR, CD80, and CD86 and have an immunosuppressive ability that mitigates the proliferation of activated lymphocytes through secreting indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 and prostaglandin E2, and the expression of PD-L2 and PD-L1. We established the off-the-shelf cord blood/cord bank IMSUT CORD to support novel cell therapy modalities, including the CB-derived immune cells, MSCs, MSCs-derived extracellular vesicles, biological carriers loaded with chemotherapy drugs, prodrug, oncolytic viruses, nanoparticles, human artificial chromosome, combinational products with a scaffold, bio3D printing, and so on.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tokiko Nagamura-Inoue
- Department of Cell Processing and Transfusion, Research Hospital, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan.
- IMSUT CORD, Research Hospital, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Fumitaka Nagamura
- IMSUT CORD, Research Hospital, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Advanced Medicine Promotion, The Advanced Clinical Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Bi Y, Kong R, Peng Y, Yu H, Zhou Z. Umbilical cord blood and peripheral blood-derived regulatory T cells therapy: Progress in type 1 diabetes. Clin Immunol 2023; 255:109716. [PMID: 37544491 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2023.109716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are key regulators for the inflammatory response and play a role in maintaining the immune tolerance. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a relatively common autoimmune disease that results from the loss of immune tolerance to β-cell-associated antigens. Preclinical models have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of Tregs given in transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases such as T1D. Adoptive transfer of Tregs has been utilized in clinical trials for over a decade. However, the achievement of the adoptive transfer of Tregs therapy in clinical application remains challenging. In this review, we highlight the characterization of Tregs and compare the differences between umbilical cord blood and adult peripheral blood-derived Tregs. Additionally, we summarize conditional modifications in the expansion of Tregs in clinical trials, especially for the treatment of T1D. Finally, we discuss the existing technical challenges for Tregs in clinical trials for the treatment of T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjie Bi
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ran Kong
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yani Peng
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Haibo Yu
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Zhiguang Zhou
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Cell Therapy for Diabetes, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
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Shapiro MR, Peters LD, Brown ME, Cabello-Kindelan C, Posgai AL, Bayer AL, Brusko TM. Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Synergizes with IL-2 to Induce Homeostatic Proliferation of Regulatory T Cells. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:1108-1122. [PMID: 37594278 PMCID: PMC10511790 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
IL-2 has been proposed to restore tolerance via regulatory T cell (Treg) expansion in autoimmunity, yet off-target effects necessitate identification of a combinatorial approach allowing for lower IL-2 dosing. We recently reported reduced levels of immunoregulatory insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) during type 1 diabetes progression. Thus, we hypothesized that IGF1 would synergize with IL-2 to expand Tregs. We observed IGF1 receptor was elevated on murine memory and human naive Treg subsets. IL-2 and IGF1 promoted PI3K/Akt signaling in Tregs, inducing thymically-derived Treg expansion beyond either agent alone in NOD mice. Increased populations of murine Tregs of naive or memory, as well as CD5lo polyclonal or CD5hi likely self-reactive, status were also observed. Expansion was attributed to increased IL-2Rγ subunit expression on murine Tregs exposed to IL-2 and IGF1 as compared with IL-2 or IGF1 alone. Assessing translational capacity, incubation of naive human CD4+ T cells with IL-2 and IGF1 enhanced thymically-derived Treg proliferation in vitro, without the need for TCR ligation. We then demonstrated that IGF1 and IL-2 or IL-7, which is also IL-2Rγ-chain dependent, can be used to induce proliferation of genetically engineered naive human Tregs or T conventional cells, respectively. These data support the potential use of IGF1 in combination with common γ-chain cytokines to drive homeostatic T cell expansion, both in vitro and in vivo, for cellular therapeutics and ex vivo gene editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie R. Shapiro
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Leeana D. Peters
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Matthew E. Brown
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | | | - Amanda L. Posgai
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Allison L. Bayer
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
| | - Todd M. Brusko
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
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Wang J, Metheny L. Umbilical cord blood derived cellular therapy: advances in clinical development. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1167266. [PMID: 37274288 PMCID: PMC10232824 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1167266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
While cord blood (CB) is primarily utilized in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), the development of novel cell therapy products from CB is a growing and developing field. Compared to adult blood, CB is characterized by a higher percentage of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and progenitor cells, less mature immune cells that retain a high capacity of proliferation, and stronger immune tolerance that requires less stringent HLA-matching when used in the allogenic setting. Given that CB is an FDA regulated product and along with its unique cellular composition, CB lends itself as a readily available and safe starting material for the development of off-the-shelf cell therapies. Moreover, non-hematologic cells such as mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) residing in CB or CB tissue also have potential in regenerative medicine and inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. In this review, we will focus on recent clinical development on CB-derived cellular therapies in the field of oncology, including T-cell therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells, regulatory T-cells, and virus-specific T-cells; NK-cell therapies, such as NK cell engagers and CAR NK-cells; CB-HCT and various modifications; as well as applications of MSCs in HCT.
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Marshall G, Cserny J, Wang CW, Looney B, Posgai AL, Bacher R, Keselowsky B, Brusko TM. Biomaterials-based nanoparticles conjugated to regulatory T cells provide a modular system for localized delivery of pharmacotherapeutic agents. J Biomed Mater Res A 2023; 111:185-197. [PMID: 36082558 PMCID: PMC9742177 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) presents with two therapeutic challenges: the need to correct underlying autoimmunity and restore β-cell mass. We harnessed the unique capacity of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and the T cell receptor (TCR) to direct tolerance induction along with tissue-localized delivery of therapeutic agents to restore endogenous β-cell function. Specifically, we designed a combinatorial therapy involving biomaterials-based poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles co-loaded with the Treg growth factor, IL-2, and the β-cell regenerative agent, harmine (a tyrosine-regulated kinase 1A [DYRK1A] inhibitor), conjugated to the surface of Tregs. We observed continuous elution of IL-2 and harmine from nanoparticles for at least 7 days in vitro. When conjugated to primary human Tregs, IL-2 nanoparticles provided sufficient IL-2 receptor signaling to support STAT5 phosphorylation for sustained phenotypic stability and viability in culture. Inclusion of poly-L-lysine (PLL) during nanoparticle-cell coupling dramatically increased conjugation efficiency, providing sufficient IL-2 to support in vitro proliferation of IL-2-dependent CTLL-2 cells and primary murine Tregs. In 12-week-old female non-obese diabetic mice, adoptive transfer of IL-2/harmine nanoparticle-conjugated NOD.BDC2.5 Tregs, which express an islet antigen-specific TCR, significantly prevented diabetes demonstrating preserved in vivo viability. These data provide the preclinical basis to develop a biomaterials-optimized cellular therapy to restore immune tolerance and promote β-cell proliferation in T1D through receptor-targeted drug delivery within pancreatic islets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Judit Cserny
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA
| | | | | | - Amanda L. Posgai
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA
| | - Rhonda Bacher
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Benjamin Keselowsky
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA
| | - Todd M. Brusko
- Inspira Therapeutics, Inc., Alachua, FL 32615, USA,Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA,Correspondence to: Todd M. Brusko, PhD, Department of Pathology, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Box 100275, 1600 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32610; (352) 273-9255; Fax (352) 273-9339;
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Ghobadinezhad F, Ebrahimi N, Mozaffari F, Moradi N, Beiranvand S, Pournazari M, Rezaei-Tazangi F, Khorram R, Afshinpour M, Robino RA, Aref AR, Ferreira LMR. The emerging role of regulatory cell-based therapy in autoimmune disease. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1075813. [PMID: 36591309 PMCID: PMC9795194 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1075813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune disease, caused by unwanted immune responses to self-antigens, affects millions of people each year and poses a great social and economic burden to individuals and communities. In the course of autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and multiple sclerosis, disturbances in the balance between the immune response against harmful agents and tolerance towards self-antigens lead to an immune response against self-tissues. In recent years, various regulatory immune cells have been identified. Disruptions in the quality, quantity, and function of these cells have been implicated in autoimmune disease development. Therefore, targeting or engineering these cells is a promising therapeutic for different autoimmune diseases. Regulatory T cells, regulatory B cells, regulatory dendritic cells, myeloid suppressor cells, and some subsets of innate lymphoid cells are arising as important players among this class of cells. Here, we review the roles of each suppressive cell type in the immune system during homeostasis and in the development of autoimmunity. Moreover, we discuss the current and future therapeutic potential of each one of these cell types for autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farbod Ghobadinezhad
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran,Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN) Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nasim Ebrahimi
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mozaffari
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
| | - Neda Moradi
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Nourdanesh Institute of Higher Education, University of Meymeh, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sheida Beiranvand
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mehran Pournazari
- Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Rezaei-Tazangi
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Roya Khorram
- Bone and Joint Diseases Research Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Maral Afshinpour
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, United States
| | - Rob A. Robino
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States,Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States,Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Amir Reza Aref
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States,Xsphera Biosciences, Boston, MA, United States,*Correspondence: Leonardo M. R. Ferreira, ; Amir Reza Aref,
| | - Leonardo M. R. Ferreira
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States,Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States,Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States,*Correspondence: Leonardo M. R. Ferreira, ; Amir Reza Aref,
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Sanders JM, Jeyamogan S, Mathew JM, Leventhal JR. Foxp3+ regulatory T cell therapy for tolerance in autoimmunity and solid organ transplantation. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1055466. [PMID: 36466912 PMCID: PMC9714335 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1055466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical for tolerance in humans. The exact mechanisms by which the loss of peripheral tolerance leads to the development of autoimmunity and the specific role Tregs play in allograft tolerance are not fully understood; however, this population of T cells presents a unique opportunity in the development of targeted therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the potential roles of Foxp3+ Tregs in the development of tolerance in transplantation and autoimmunity, and the available data regarding their use as a treatment modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jes M. Sanders
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Transplant Center Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Shareni Jeyamogan
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Transplant Center Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - James M. Mathew
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Transplant Center Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Joseph R. Leventhal
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Transplant Center Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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11
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Regulatory T cells in rheumatoid arthritis: functions, development, regulation, and therapeutic potential. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:533. [PMID: 36173485 PMCID: PMC9522664 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04563-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that mainly affects the joints but also leads to systemic inflammation. Auto-reactivity and dysregulation of self-tolerance are thought to play a vital role in disease onset. In the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, disturbed immunosuppressive properties of regulatory T cells contribute to the dysregulation of immune homeostasis. In RA patients, the functions of Treg cells and their frequency are reduced. Therefore, focusing on the re-establishment of self-tolerance by increasing Treg cell frequencies and preventing a loss of function is a promising strategy for the treatment of RA. This approach could be especially beneficial for those patients who do not respond well to current therapies. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current knowledge about the function, differentiation and regulation of Treg cells in RA patients and in animal models of autoimmune arthritis. In addition, we highlight the therapeutic potential as well as the challenges of Treg cell targeting treatment strategies.
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Zhang J, Ma X, Cao L, He X, Li S, Yang M, Yang C, Rong P, Yi S, Ghimire K, Kong X, Wang W. Enhancing and stabilization of cord blood regulatory T-cell suppressive function by human mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes. Clin Exp Immunol 2022; 208:255-267. [PMID: 35439818 PMCID: PMC9226152 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxac035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are central to maintaining peripheral tolerance and immune homeostasis. They have the potential to be developed as a cellular therapy to treat various clinical ailments such as autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases and to improve transplantation outcomes. However, a major question remains whether Tregs can persist and exert their function effectively in a disease state, where a broad spectrum of inflammatory mediators could inactivate Tregs. In this study, we investigated the potential of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes to promote and sustain Tregs function. MSC-conditioned media (MSC-CM) cultured Tregs were more suppressive in both polyclonal and allogeneic responses and were resistant to inflammatory stimulation in vitro compared with the controls. A similar enhancement of Treg function was also observed by culturing Tregs with MSC-derived exosomes alone. The enhanced suppressive activity and stability of Treg cultured in MSC-CM was reduced when exosomes were depleted from MSC-CM. We identified that MSC-derived exosomes could upregulate the expression of LC3(II/I), phosphorylate Jak3 and Stat5 to promote Treg survival, and regulate FOXP3 expression in Tregs. Overall, our study demonstrates that MSC-derived exosomes are capable of enhancing Hucb-Tregs function and stability by activating autophagy and Stat5 signalling pathways. Our findings provide a strong rationale for utilizing MSC-derived exosomes as an effective strategy to enhance Treg function, and improve the overall Tregs-based cell therapy landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Zhang
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqian Ma
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu Cao
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xing He
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sang Li
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Min Yang
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cejun Yang
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Pengfei Rong
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shounan Yi
- Centre for Transplant and Renal Research (CTRR), Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kedar Ghimire
- Centre for Transplant and Renal Research (CTRR), Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Xiangfeng Kong
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
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Brown ME, Peters LD, Hanbali SR, Arnoletti JM, Sachs LK, Nguyen KQ, Carpenter EB, Seay HR, Fuhrman CA, Posgai AL, Shapiro MR, Brusko TM. Human CD4 +CD25 +CD226 - Tregs Demonstrate Increased Purity, Lineage Stability, and Suppressive Capacity Versus CD4 +CD25 +CD127 lo/- Tregs for Adoptive Cell Therapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:873560. [PMID: 35693814 PMCID: PMC9178079 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.873560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cell (Treg) adoptive cell therapy (ACT) represents an emerging strategy for restoring immune tolerance in autoimmune diseases. Tregs are commonly purified using a CD4+CD25+CD127lo/- gating strategy, which yields a mixed population: 1) cells expressing the transcription factors, FOXP3 and Helios, that canonically define lineage stable thymic Tregs and 2) unstable FOXP3+Helios- Tregs. Our prior work identified the autoimmune disease risk-associated locus and costimulatory molecule, CD226, as being highly expressed not only on effector T cells but also, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) producing peripheral Tregs (pTreg). Thus, we sought to determine whether isolating Tregs with a CD4+CD25+CD226- strategy yields a population with increased purity and suppressive capacity relative to CD4+CD25+CD127lo/- cells. After 14d of culture, expanded CD4+CD25+CD226- cells displayed a decreased proportion of pTregs relative to CD4+CD25+CD127lo/- cells, as measured by FOXP3+Helios- expression and the epigenetic signature at the FOXP3 Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR). Furthermore, CD226- Tregs exhibited decreased production of the effector cytokines, IFN-γ, TNF, and IL-17A, along with increased expression of the immunoregulatory cytokine, TGF-β1. Lastly, CD226- Tregs demonstrated increased in vitro suppressive capacity as compared to their CD127lo/- counterparts. These data suggest that the exclusion of CD226-expressing cells during Treg sorting yields a population with increased purity, lineage stability, and suppressive capabilities, which may benefit Treg ACT for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E. Brown
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Leeana D. Peters
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Seif R. Hanbali
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Juan M. Arnoletti
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Lindsey K. Sachs
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Kayla Q. Nguyen
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Emma B. Carpenter
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Howard R. Seay
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States,ROSALIND, Inc., San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Christopher A. Fuhrman
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States,NanoString Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Amanda L. Posgai
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Melanie R. Shapiro
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Todd M. Brusko
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States,*Correspondence: Todd M. Brusko, ; orcid.org/0000-0003-2878-9296
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Qu G, Chen J, Li Y, Yuan Y, Liang R, Li B. Current status and perspectives of regulatory T cell-based therapy. J Genet Genomics 2022; 49:599-611. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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15
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Gaudreau MC, Gudi RR, Li G, Johnson BM, Vasu C. Gastrin producing syngeneic mesenchymal stem cells protect non-obese diabetic mice from type 1 diabetes. Autoimmunity 2022; 55:95-108. [PMID: 34882054 PMCID: PMC9875811 DOI: 10.1080/08916934.2021.2012165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Progressive destruction of pancreatic islet β-cells by immune cells is a primary feature of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and therapies that can restore the functional β-cell mass are needed to alleviate disease progression. Here, we report the use of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) for the production and delivery of Gastrin, a peptide hormone that is produced by intestinal cells and foetal islets and can increase β-Cell mass, to promote protection from T1D. A single injection of syngeneic MSCs that were engineered to express Gastrin (Gastrin-MSCs) caused a significant delay in hyperglycaemia in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice compared to engineered control-MSCs. Similar treatment of early-hyperglycaemic mice caused the restoration of euglycemia for a considerable duration, and these therapeutic effects were associated with the protection of, and/or higher frequencies of, insulin-producing islets and less severe insulitis. While the overall immune cell phenotype was not affected profoundly upon treatment using Gastrin-MSCs or upon in vitro culture, pancreatic lymph node cells from Gastrin-MSC treated mice, upon ex vivo challenge with self-antigen, showed a Th2 and Th17 bias, and diminished the diabetogenic property in NOD-Rag1 deficient mice suggesting a disease protective immune modulation under Gastrin-MSC treatment associated protection from hyperglycaemia. Overall, this study shows the potential of production and delivery of Gastrin in vivo, by MSCs, in protecting insulin-producing β-cells and ameliorating the disease progression in T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Claude Gaudreau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC-29425
| | - Radhika R. Gudi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC-29425
| | - Gongbo Li
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL-60612
| | - Benjamin M. Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC-29425
| | - Chenthamarakshan Vasu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC-29425,Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL-60612,Address Correspondence: Chenthamarakshan Vasu, Medical University of South Carolina, Microbiology and Immunology, 173 Ashley Avenue, MSC 509, BSB214B, Charleston, SC-29425, Phone: 843-792-1032, Fax: 843-792-9588,
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16
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Shimozawa K, Contreras-Ruiz L, Sousa S, Zhang R, Bhatia U, Crisalli KC, Brennan LL, Turka LA, Markmann JF, Guinan EC. Ex vivo generation of regulatory T cells from liver transplant recipients using costimulation blockade. Am J Transplant 2022; 22:504-518. [PMID: 34528383 PMCID: PMC9078620 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.16842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The potential of adoptive cell therapy with regulatory T cells (Tregs) to promote transplant tolerance is under active exploration. However, the impact of specific transplant settings and protocols on Treg manufacturing is not well-delineated. Here, we compared the use of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients before or after liver transplantation to the use of healthy control PBMCs to determine their suitability for Treg manufacture using ex vivo costimulatory blockade with belatacept. Despite liver failure or immunosuppressive therapy, the capacity for Treg expansion during the manufacturing process was preserved. These experiments did not identify performance or quality issues that disqualified the use of posttransplant PBMCs-the currently favored protocol design. However, as Treg input correlated with output, significant CD4-lymphopenia in both pre- and posttransplant patients limited Treg yield. We therefore turned to leukapheresis posttransplant to improve absolute yield. To make deceased donor use feasible, we also developed protocols to substitute splenocytes for PBMCs as allostimulators. In addition to demonstrating that this Treg expansion strategy works in a liver transplant context, this preclinical study illustrates how characterizing cellular input populations and their performance can both inform and respond to clinical trial design and Treg manufacturing requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuyoshi Shimozawa
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA,Nihon University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Sofia Sousa
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Ruan Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Urvashi Bhatia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Kerry C Crisalli
- Department of Surgery and Center for Transplantation Sciences, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA
| | - Lisa L. Brennan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Laurence A. Turka
- Department of Surgery and Center for Transplantation Sciences, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA
| | - James F. Markmann
- Department of Surgery and Center for Transplantation Sciences, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA,Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Eva C. Guinan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA,Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
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17
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Lavazza C, Budelli S, Montelatici E, Viganò M, Ulbar F, Catani L, Cannone MG, Savelli S, Groppelli E, Lazzari L, Lemoli RM, Cescon M, La Manna G, Giordano R, Montemurro T. Process development and validation of expanded regulatory T cells for prospective applications: an example of manufacturing a personalized advanced therapy medicinal product. J Transl Med 2022; 20:14. [PMID: 34986854 PMCID: PMC8729072 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-021-03200-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing number of clinical trials have shown that regulatory T (Treg) cell transfer may have a favorable effect on the maintenance of self-tolerance and immune homeostasis in different conditions such as graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), solid organ transplantation, type 1 diabetes, and others. In this context, the availability of a robust manufacturing protocol that is able to produce a sufficient number of functional Treg cells represents a fundamental prerequisite for the success of a cell therapy clinical protocol. However, extended workflow guidelines for nonprofit manufacturers are currently lacking. Despite the fact that different successful manufacturing procedures and cell products with excellent safety profiles have been reported from early clinical trials, the selection and expansion protocols for Treg cells vary a lot. The objective of this study was to validate a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant protocol for the production of Treg cells that approaches the whole process with a risk-management methodology, from process design to completion of final product development. High emphasis was given to the description of the quality control (QC) methodologies used for the in-process and release tests (sterility, endotoxin test, mycoplasma, and immunophenotype). RESULTS The GMP-compliant protocol defined in this work allows at least 4.11 × 109 Treg cells to be obtained with an average purity of 95.75 ± 4.38% and can be used in different clinical settings to exploit Treg cell immunomodulatory function. CONCLUSIONS These results could be of great use for facilities implementing GMP-compliant cell therapy protocols of these cells for different conditions aimed at restoring the Treg cell number and function, which may slow the progression of certain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiana Lavazza
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Budelli
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Montelatici
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Mariele Viganò
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Ulbar
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Pescara, Italy
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica E Sperimentale, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lucia Catani
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica E Sperimentale, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marta Giulia Cannone
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Savelli
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Groppelli
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenza Lazzari
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto M Lemoli
- Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), Clinic of Hematology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico S. Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Matteo Cescon
- Department of General Surgery and Transplantation, IRCCS, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of General Surgery and Transplantation, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gaetano La Manna
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES)-Nephrology, Dialysis and Renal Transplant Unit, St. Orsola Hospital IRCCS, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Rosaria Giordano
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Tiziana Montemurro
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
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18
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He X, Li S, Zhang J, Cao L, Yang C, Rong P, Yi S, Ghimire K, Ma X, Wang W. Benefit of Belatacept in Cord Blood-Derived Regulatory T Cell-Mediated Suppression of Alloimmune Response. Cell Transplant 2021; 30:9636897211046556. [PMID: 34570631 PMCID: PMC8718163 DOI: 10.1177/09636897211046556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in tolerance induction post-transplantation is well-established, but Tregs adoptive transfer alone without combined immunosuppressants have failed so far in achieving clinical outcomes. Here we applied a set of well-designed criteria to test the influence of commonly used immunosuppressants (belatacept, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate) on cord blood-derived Tregs (CB-Tregs). Our study shows that while none of these immunosuppressants modulated the stability and expression of homing molecules by CB-Tregs, belatacept met all other selective criteria, shown by its ability to enhance CB-Tregs-mediated in vitro suppression of the allogeneic response without affecting their viability, proliferation, mitochondrial metabolism and expression of functional markers. In contrast, treatment with tacrolimus or mycophenolate led to reduced expression of functional molecule GITR in CB-Tregs, impaired their viability, proliferation and mitochondrial metabolism. These findings indicate that belatacept could be considered as a candidate in Tregs-based clinical immunomodulation regimens to induce transplant tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing He
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, the 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Sang Li
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, the 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, the 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Cao
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, the 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Cejun Yang
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, the 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Pengfei Rong
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, the 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Shounan Yi
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, the 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Centre for Transplant and Renal Research (CTRR), Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kedar Ghimire
- Centre for Transplant and Renal Research (CTRR), Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Xiaoqian Ma
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, the 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Institute for Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy, the 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
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Hippen KL, Furlan SN, Roychoudhuri R, Wang E, Zhang Y, Osborn MJ, Merkel SC, Hani S, MacMillan ML, Cichocki F, Miller JS, Wagner JE, Restifo NP, Kean LS, Blazar BR. Multiply restimulated human thymic regulatory T cells express distinct signature regulatory T-cell transcription factors without evidence of exhaustion. Cytotherapy 2021; 23:704-714. [PMID: 33893050 PMCID: PMC9275118 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2021.02.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Adoptive transfer of suppressive CD4+CD25+ thymic regulatory T cells (tTregs) can control auto- and alloimmune responses but typically requires in vitro expansion to reach the target cell number for efficacy. Although the adoptive transfer of expanded tTregs purified from umbilical cord blood ameliorates graft-versus-host disease in patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for lymphohematopoietic malignancy, individual Treg products of 100 × 106 cells/kg are manufactured over an extended 19-day time period using a process that yields variable products and is both laborious and costly. These limitations could be overcome with the availability of 'off the shelf' Treg. RESULTS Previously, the authors reported a repetitive restimulation expansion protocol that maintains Treg phenotype (CD4+25++127-Foxp3+), potentially providing hundreds to thousands of patient infusions. However, repetitive stimulation of effector T cells induces a well-defined program of exhaustion that leads to reduced T-cell survival and function. Unexpectedly, the authors found that multiply stimulated human tTregs do not develop an exhaustion signature and instead maintain their Treg gene expression pattern. The authors also found that tTregs expanded with one or two rounds of stimulation and tTregs expanded with three or five rounds of stimulation preferentially express distinct subsets of a group of five transcription factors that lock in Treg Foxp3expression, Treg stability and suppressor function. Multiply restimulated Tregs also had increased transcripts characteristic of T follicular regulatory cells, a Treg subset. DISCUSSION These data demonstrate that repetitively expanded human tTregs have a Treg-locking transcription factor with stable FoxP3 and without the classical T-cell exhaustion gene expression profile-desirable properties that support the possibility of off-the-shelf Treg therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keli L Hippen
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
| | - Scott N Furlan
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Rahul Roychoudhuri
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Signaling and Development, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ena Wang
- Translational Oncology, Allogene Therapeutics, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Yigang Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Mark J Osborn
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sarah C Merkel
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sophia Hani
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Margaret L MacMillan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Frank Cichocki
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Miller
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - John E Wagner
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Nicholas P Restifo
- Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Leslie S Kean
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bruce R Blazar
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
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Made to Measure: Patient-Tailored Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis Using Cell-Based Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147536. [PMID: 34299154 PMCID: PMC8304207 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is still no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), which is an autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. Treatment options predominantly consist of drugs that affect adaptive immunity and lead to a reduction of the inflammatory disease activity. A broad range of possible cell-based therapeutic options are being explored in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including MS. This review aims to provide an overview of recent and future advances in the development of cell-based treatment options for the induction of tolerance in MS. Here, we will focus on haematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stromal cells, regulatory T cells and dendritic cells. We will also focus on less familiar cell types that are used in cell therapy, including B cells, natural killer cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We will address key issues regarding the depicted therapies and highlight the major challenges that lie ahead to successfully reverse autoimmune diseases, such as MS, while minimising the side effects. Although cell-based therapies are well known and used in the treatment of several cancers, cell-based treatment options hold promise for the future treatment of autoimmune diseases in general, and MS in particular.
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21
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Opstelten R, Amsen D. Separating the wheat from the chaff: Making sense of Treg heterogeneity for better adoptive cellular therapy. Immunol Lett 2021; 239:96-112. [PMID: 33676975 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2021.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells are essential for immunological tolerance and can be used to suppress unwanted or excessive immune responses through adoptive cellular therapy. It is increasingly clear that many subsets of Treg cells exist, which have different functions and reside in different locations. Treg cell therapies may benefit from tailoring the selected subset to the tissue that must be protected as well as to characteristics of the immune response that must be suppressed, but little attention is given to this topic in current therapies. Here, we will discuss how three major axes of heterogeneity can be discerned among the Treg cell population, which determine function and lineage fidelity. A first axis relates to the developmental route, as Treg cells can be generated from immature T cells in the thymus or from already mature Tconv cells in the immunological periphery. Heterogeneity furthermore stems from activation history (naïve or effector) and location (lymphoid or peripheral tissues). Each of these axes bestows specific properties on Treg cells, which are further refined by additional processes leading to yet further variation. A critical aspect impacting on Treg cell heterogeneity is TCR specificity, which determines when and where Treg cells are generated as well as where they exhibit their effector functions. We will discuss the implications of this heterogeneity and the role of the TCR for the design of next generation adoptive cellular therapy with Treg cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne Opstelten
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Derk Amsen
- Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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22
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Regulatory T Cells for the Induction of Transplantation Tolerance. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 33523454 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-6407-9_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Organ transplantation is the optimal treatment for terminal and irreversible organ failure. Achieving transplantation tolerance has long been the ultimate goal in the field of transplantation. Regulatory T cell (Treg)-based therapy is a promising novel approach for inducing donor organ-specific tolerance. Tregs play critical roles in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and self-tolerance, by promoting transplantation tolerance through a variety of mechanisms on different target cells, including anti-inflammatory cytokine production, induction of apoptosis, disruption of metabolic pathways, and mutual interaction with dendritic cells. The continued success of Treg-based therapy in the clinical setting is critically dependent on preclinical studies that support its translational potential. However, although some initial clinical trials of adoptive Treg therapy have successively demonstrated safety and efficacy for immunosuppressant minimization and transplantation tolerance induction, most Treg-based hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ clinical trials are still in their infancy. These clinical trials have not only focused on safety and efficacy but also included optimization and standardization protocols of good manufacturing practice regarding cell isolation, expansion, dosing, timing, specificity, quality control, concomitant immunosuppressants, and post-administration monitoring. We herein report a brief introduction of Tregs, including their phenotypic and functional characterization, and focus on the clinical translation of Treg-based therapeutic applications in the setting of transplantation.
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23
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Yu J, Liu Z, Li C, Wei Q, Zheng S, Saeb-Parsy K, Xu X. Regulatory T Cell Therapy Following Liver Transplantation. Liver Transpl 2021; 27:264-280. [PMID: 37160016 DOI: 10.1002/lt.25948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Liver transplantation (LT) is considered the gold standard of curative treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease or nonresectable hepatic malignant tumors. Rejection after LT is the main nontechnical factor affecting the prognosis of recipients. Medical and surgical advances, combined with improved immunosuppression with drugs such as calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), have contributed to an increase in 1-year graft survival to around 80%. However, medium- and long-term improvements in LT outcomes have lagged behind. Importantly, CNIs and other classical immunosuppressive drugs are associated with significant adverse effects, including malignancies, cardiovascular disease, and severe renal dysfunction. Immunomodulation using regulatory T cells (Tregs) is emerging as a promising alternative to classical immunosuppression. Since their discovery, the immunomodulatory effects of Tregs have been demonstrated in a range of diseases. This has rejuvenated the interest in using Tregs as a therapeutic strategy to induce immune tolerance after LT. In this review, we first summarize the discovery and development of Tregs. We then review the preclinical data supporting their production, mechanism of action, and therapeutic efficacy followed by a summary of relevant clinical trials. Finally, we discuss the outstanding challenges of Treg therapy and its future prospects for routine use in LT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiongjie Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhikun Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China
| | - Changbiao Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shusen Zheng
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kourosh Saeb-Parsy
- Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Cambridge National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Xiao Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, China
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24
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Norton DL, Ceppe A, Tune MK, McCravy M, Devlin T, Drummond MB, Carson SS, Vincent BG, Hagan RS, Dang H, Doerschuk CM, Mock JR. Bronchoalveolar Tregs are associated with duration of mechanical ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome. J Transl Med 2020; 18:427. [PMID: 33176790 PMCID: PMC7656499 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02595-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) play essential roles in immune homeostasis and repair of damaged lung tissue. We hypothesized that patients whose lung injury resolves quickly, as measured by time to liberation from mechanical ventilation, have a higher percentage of Tregs amongst CD4+ T cells in either airway, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or peripheral blood samples. Methods We prospectively enrolled patients with ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation and collected serial samples, the first within 72 h of ARDS diagnosis (day 0) and the second 48–96 h later (day 3). We analyzed immune cell populations and cytokines in BAL, tracheal aspirates and peripheral blood, as well as cytokines in plasma, obtained at the time of bronchoscopy. The study cohort was divided into fast resolvers (FR; n = 8) and slow resolvers (SR; n = 5), based on the median number of days until first extubation for all participants (n = 13). The primary measure was the percentage of CD4+ T cells that were Tregs. Results The BAL of FR contained more Tregs than SR. This finding did not extend to Tregs in tracheal aspirates or blood. BAL Tregs expressed more of the full-length FOXP3 than a splice variant missing exon 2 compared to Tregs in simultaneously obtained peripheral blood. Conclusion Tregs are present in the bronchoalveolar space during ARDS. A greater percentage of CD4+ cells were Tregs in the BAL of FR than SR. Tregs may play a role in the resolution of ARDS, and enhancing their numbers or functions may be a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin L Norton
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Immunologic Diseases, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Agathe Ceppe
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Miriya K Tune
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Matthew McCravy
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Thomas Devlin
- Department of Respiratory Care, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - M Bradley Drummond
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Shannon S Carson
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Benjamin G Vincent
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Robert S Hagan
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hong Dang
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Claire M Doerschuk
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jason R Mock
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Marsico Hall 7203, 125 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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25
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Duggleby RC, Tsang HP, Strange K, McWhinnie A, Lamikanra AA, Roberts DJ, Hernandez D, Madrigal JA, Danby RD. Enumerating regulatory T cells in cryopreserved umbilical cord blood samples using FOXP3 methylation specific quantitative PCR. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240190. [PMID: 33095809 PMCID: PMC7584164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a curative therapy for severe haematological disorders. However, it carries significant risk of morbidity and mortality. To improve patient outcomes, better graft selection strategies are needed, incorporating HLA matching with clinically important graft characteristics. Studies have shown that the cellular content of HCT grafts, specifically higher ratios of T regulatory (Tregs)/T cells, are important factors influencing outcomes when using adult peripheral blood mobilised grafts. So far, no equivalent study exists in umbilical cord blood (CB) transplantation due to the limitations of cryopreserved CB samples. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS To establish the most robust and efficient way to measure the Treg content of previously cryopreserved CB units, we compared the enumeration of Treg and CD3+ cells using flow cytometry and an epigenetic, DNA-based methodology. The two methods were assessed for their agreement, consistency and susceptibility to error when enumerating Treg and CD3+ cell numbers in both fresh and cryopreserved CB samples. RESULTS Epigenetic enumeration gave consistent and comparable results in both fresh and frozen CB samples. By contrast, assessment of Tregs and CD3+ cells by flow cytometry was only possible in fresh samples due to significant cell death following cryopreservation and thawing. CONCLUSION Epigenetic assessment offers significant advantages over flow cytometry for analysing cryopreserved CB; similar cell numbers were observed both in fresh and frozen samples. Furthermore, multiple epigenetic assessments can be performed from DNA extracted from small cryopreserved CB segments; often the only CB sample available for clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard C. Duggleby
- Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London, United Kingdom
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hoi Pat Tsang
- National Health Service Blood and Transplant, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn Strange
- Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London, United Kingdom
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Abigail A. Lamikanra
- National Health Service Blood and Transplant, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Roberts
- National Health Service Blood and Transplant, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Diana Hernandez
- Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London, United Kingdom
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - J. Alejandro Madrigal
- Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London, United Kingdom
- UCL Cancer Institute, Royal Free NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert D. Danby
- Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London, United Kingdom
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Haematology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
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26
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Hu W, Song X, Yu H, Sun J, Zhao Y. Therapeutic Potentials of Extracellular Vesicles for the Treatment of Diabetes and Diabetic Complications. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21145163. [PMID: 32708290 PMCID: PMC7404127 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21145163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, are nano-to-micrometer vesicles released from nearly all cellular types. EVs comprise a mixture of bioactive molecules (e.g., mRNAs, miRNAs, lipids, and proteins) that can be transported to the targeted cells/tissues via the blood or lymph circulation. Recently, EVs have received increased attention, owing to their emerging roles in cell-to-cell communication, or as biomarkers with the therapeutic potential to replace cell-based therapy. Diabetes comprises a group of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia that cause the development of life-threatening complications. The impacts of conventional clinical treatment are generally limited and are followed by many side effects, including hypoglycemia, obesity, and damage to the liver and kidney. Recently, several studies have shown that EVs released by stem cells and immune cells can regulate gene expression in the recipient cells, thus providing a strategy to treat diabetes and its complications. In this review, we summarize the results from currently available studies, demonstrating the therapeutic potentials of EVs in diabetes and diabetic complications. Additionally, we highlight recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Hu
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA; (W.H.); (X.S.); (H.Y.)
- Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Biology, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA;
| | - Xiang Song
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA; (W.H.); (X.S.); (H.Y.)
| | - Haibo Yu
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA; (W.H.); (X.S.); (H.Y.)
| | - Jingyu Sun
- Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Biology, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA;
| | - Yong Zhao
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA; (W.H.); (X.S.); (H.Y.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-201-880-3460
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27
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Motwani K, Peters LD, Vliegen WH, El-sayed AG, Seay HR, Lopez MC, Baker HV, Posgai AL, Brusko MA, Perry DJ, Bacher R, Larkin J, Haller MJ, Brusko TM. Human Regulatory T Cells From Umbilical Cord Blood Display Increased Repertoire Diversity and Lineage Stability Relative to Adult Peripheral Blood. Front Immunol 2020; 11:611. [PMID: 32351504 PMCID: PMC7174770 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human T lymphocyte compartment is highly dynamic over the course of a lifetime. Of the many changes, perhaps most notable is the transition from a predominantly naïve T cell state at birth to the acquisition of antigen-experienced memory and effector subsets following environmental exposures. These phenotypic changes, including the induction of T cell exhaustion and senescence, have the potential to negatively impact efficacy of adoptive T cell therapies (ACT). When considering ACT with CD4+CD25+CD127-/lo regulatory T cells (Tregs) for the induction of immune tolerance, we previously reported ex vivo expanded umbilical cord blood (CB) Tregs remained more naïve, suppressed responder T cells equivalently, and exhibited a more diverse T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire compared to expanded adult peripheral blood (APB) Tregs. Herein, we hypothesized that upon further characterization, we would observe increased lineage heterogeneity and phenotypic diversity in APB Tregs that might negatively impact lineage stability, engraftment capacity, and the potential for Tregs to home to sites of tissue inflammation following ACT. We compared the phenotypic profiles of human Tregs isolated from CB versus the more traditional source, APB. We conducted analysis of fresh and ex vivo expanded Treg subsets at both the single cell (scRNA-seq and flow cytometry) and bulk (microarray and cytokine profiling) levels. Single cell transcriptional profiles of pre-expansion APB Tregs highlighted a cluster of cells that showed increased expression of genes associated with effector and pro-inflammatory phenotypes (CCL5, GZMK, CXCR3, LYAR, and NKG7) with low expression of Treg markers (FOXP3 and IKZF2). CB Tregs were more diverse in TCR repertoire and homogenous in phenotype, and contained fewer effector-like cells in contrast with APB Tregs. Interestingly, expression of canonical Treg markers, such as FOXP3, TIGIT, and IKZF2, were increased in CB CD4+CD127+ conventional T cells (Tconv) compared to APB Tconv, post-expansion, implying perinatal T cells may adopt a default regulatory program. Collectively, these data identify surface markers (namely CXCR3) that could be depleted to improve purity and stability of APB Tregs, and support the use of expanded CB Tregs as a potentially optimal ACT modality for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keshav Motwani
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Leeana D. Peters
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Willem H. Vliegen
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Ahmed Gomaa El-sayed
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Howard R. Seay
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - M. Cecilia Lopez
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Henry V. Baker
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Amanda L. Posgai
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Maigan A. Brusko
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Daniel J. Perry
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Rhonda Bacher
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Joseph Larkin
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Michael J. Haller
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Todd M. Brusko
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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28
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Reversal of Hyperglycemia and Suppression of Type 1 Diabetes in the NOD Mouse with Apoptotic DNA Immunotherapy™ (ADi™), ADi-100. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8030053. [PMID: 32143316 PMCID: PMC7148463 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8030053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The antigen-specific apoptotic DNA immunotherapeutic, ADi-100, is designed to suppress type 1 diabetes and consists of two DNA plasmids encoding genetic sequences of the apoptosis-inducing molecule, BAX, and the secreted form of the autoantigen, glutamic acid decarboxylase 65, that is CpG hyper-methylated to avoid inflammatory signaling (msGAD55). Upon a four-day treatment with ADi-100 of young female non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, the frequency of various tolerogenic dendritic cell populations increased in draining lymph nodes; these cells lost the capacity to stimulate glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-specific CD4+ T lymphocytes and were associated with the previously demonstrated enhancement of GAD-specific regulatory T cells. The efficacy of two ADi-100 formulations containing different proportions of BAX and msGAD55, 1:4 (10/40 µg) and 1:2 (17/33 µg), was evaluated in mildly hyperglycemic pre-diabetic NOD female mice. Both formulations suppressed the incidence of diabetes by 80% in an antigen-specific manner, while all untreated mice developed diabetes. However, treatment of pre-diabetic mice with significantly higher hyperglycemia, denoting progressive disease, showed that ADi-100 1:2 strongly suppressed diabetes incidence by 80% whereas the ADi-100 1:4 was less effective (50%). As an antigen-specific monotherapy, ADi-100 is highly efficacious in reversing elevated hyperglycemia to prevent diabetes, in which increasing apoptosis-inducing BAX content is a promising immune tolerance feature.
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29
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Ferreira LMR, Muller YD, Bluestone JA, Tang Q. Next-generation regulatory T cell therapy. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2019; 18:749-769. [PMID: 31541224 PMCID: PMC7773144 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-019-0041-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 287] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) are a small subset of immune cells that are dedicated to curbing excessive immune activation and maintaining immune homeostasis. Accordingly, deficiencies in Treg cell development or function result in uncontrolled immune responses and tissue destruction and can lead to inflammatory disorders such as graft-versus-host disease, transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases. As Treg cells deploy more than a dozen molecular mechanisms to suppress immune responses, they have potential as multifaceted adaptable smart therapeutics for treating inflammatory disorders. Indeed, early-phase clinical trials of Treg cell therapy have shown feasibility, tolerability and potential efficacy in these disease settings. In the meantime, progress in the development of chimeric antigen receptors and in genome editing (including the application of CRISPR-Cas9) over the past two decades has facilitated the genetic optimization of primary T cell therapy for cancer. These technologies are now being used to enhance the specificity and functionality of Treg cells. In this Review, we describe the key advances and prospects in designing and implementing Treg cell-based therapy in autoimmunity and transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo M R Ferreira
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Sean N. Parker Autoimmune Research Laboratory, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yannick D Muller
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Bluestone
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Sean N. Parker Autoimmune Research Laboratory, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Qizhi Tang
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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30
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Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have shown remarkable ability to re-direct T cells to target CD19-expressing tumours, resulting in remission rates of up to 90% in individuals with paediatric acute lymphoblastic lymphoma. Lessons learned from these clinical trials of adoptive T cell therapy for cancer, as well as investments made in manufacturing T cells at commercial scale, have inspired researchers to develop CARs for additional applications. Here, we explore the challenges and opportunities of using this technology to target infectious diseases such as with HIV and undesired immune responses such as autoimmunity and transplant rejection. Despite substantial obstacles, the potential of CAR T cells to enable cures for a wide array of disease settings could be transformational for the medical field.
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Copsel S, Wolf D, Komanduri KV, Levy RB. The promise of CD4 +FoxP3 + regulatory T-cell manipulation in vivo: applications for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Haematologica 2019; 104:1309-1321. [PMID: 31221786 PMCID: PMC6601084 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2018.198838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
CD4+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a non-redundant population critical for the maintenance of self-tolerance. Over the past decade, the use of these cells for therapeutic purposes in transplantation and autoimmune disease has emerged based on their capacity to inhibit immune activation. Basic science discoveries have led to identifying key receptors on Tregs that can regulate their proliferation and function. Notably, the understanding that IL-2 signaling is crucial for Treg homeostasis promoted the hypothesis that in vivo IL-2 treatment could provide a strategy to control the compartment. The use of low-dose IL-2 in vivo was shown to selectively expand Tregs versus other immune cells. Interestingly, a number of other Treg cell surface proteins, including CD28, CD45, IL-33R and TNFRSF members, have been identified which can also induce activation and proliferation of this population. Pre-clinical studies have exploited these observations to prevent and treat mice developing autoimmune diseases and graft-versus-host disease post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. These findings support the development of translational strategies to expand Tregs in patients. Excitingly, the use of low-dose IL-2 for patients suffering from graft-versus-host disease and autoimmune disease has demonstrated increased Treg levels together with beneficial outcomes. To date, promising pre-clinical and clinical studies have directly targeted Tregs and clearly established the ability to increase their levels and augment their function in vivo. Here we review the evolving field of in vivo Treg manipulation and its application to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Krishna V Komanduri
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology.,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Division of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine
| | - Robert B Levy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology .,Division of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine.,Department of Ophthalmology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, FL, USA
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Abstract
With the advent of the concept of dominant tolerance and the subsequent discovery of CD4+ regulatory T cells expressing the transcription factor FOXP3 (Tregs), almost all productive as well as nonproductive immune responses can be compartmentalized to a binary of immune effector T cells and immune regulatory Treg populations. A beneficial immune response warrants the timely regulation by Tregs, whereas a nonproductive immune response indicates insufficient effector functions or an outright failure of tolerance. There are ample reports supporting role of Tregs in suppressing spontaneous auto-immune diseases as well as promoting immune evasion by cancers. To top up their importance, several non-immune functions like tissue homeostasis and regeneration are also being attributed to Tregs. Hence, after being in the center stage of basic and translational immunological research, Tregs are making the next jump towards clinical studies. Therefore, newer small molecules, biologics as well as adoptive cell therapy (ACT) approaches are being tested to augment or undermine Treg responses in the context of autoimmunity and cancer. In this brief review, we present the strategies to modulate Tregs towards a favorable clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Sharma
- Academy of Immunology and Microbiology, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Pohang , Republic of Korea.,Division of Integrative Biosciences & Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , Pohang , Republic of Korea
| | - Dipayan Rudra
- Academy of Immunology and Microbiology, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Pohang , Republic of Korea.,Division of Integrative Biosciences & Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , Pohang , Republic of Korea
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MacDonald KN, Piret JM, Levings MK. Methods to manufacture regulatory T cells for cell therapy. Clin Exp Immunol 2019; 197:52-63. [PMID: 30913302 DOI: 10.1111/cei.13297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cell (Treg ) therapy has shown promise in early clinical trials for treating graft-versus-host disease, transplant rejection and autoimmune disorders. A challenge has been to isolate sufficiently pure Tregs and expand them to a clinical dose. However, there has been considerable progress in the development and optimization of these methods, resulting in a variety of manufacturing protocols being tested in clinical trials. In this review, we summarize methods that have been used to manufacture Tregs for clinical trials, including the choice of cell source and protocols for cell isolation and expansion. We also discuss alternative culture or genome editing methods for modulating Treg specificity, function or stability that could be applied to future clinical manufacturing protocols to increase the efficacy of Treg therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- K N MacDonald
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - J M Piret
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - M K Levings
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Li X, Li D, Shi Q, Huang X, Ju X. Umbilical cord blood‑derived Helios‑positive regulatory T cells promote angiogenesis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in mice via CCL22 and the VEGFA‑VEGFR2 pathway. Mol Med Rep 2019; 19:4195-4204. [PMID: 30896872 PMCID: PMC6471064 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) maintain immune homeostasis and modulate tumor-induced neovascularization. However, the mechanisms underlying the role of Tregs in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remain to be elucidated. Helios, combined with forkhead box P3, is considered a suitable marker for discriminating functional Tregs. In the present study, a microenvironment was created with a high proportion of Helios+ Tregs in T cell-deficient nude mice to determine the mechanism underlying Tregs expressing Helios in ALL. It was revealed that umbilical cord blood-derived Helios+ Tregs had proliferation and immunosuppression abilities similar to those of normal pediatric Tregs. The accumulation of Helios+ Tregs accelerated leukemogenesis and the infiltration of leukemic cells into the bone marrow. Importantly, a high expression of Helios in Tregs promoted angiogenesis in the bone marrow via the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)A/VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) pathway. Furthermore, the expression of chemokine CC-chemokine ligand 22 (CCL22) in the bone marrow and serum of ALL mice infused with Helioshigh Treg cells was increased. The results demonstrated that Helios promotes the secretion of chemokine CCL22, which may recruit more Tregs into the bone marrow. Increased Helios+ Treg cells promoted angiogenesis in the bone marrow of ALL mice via the VEGFA/VEGFR2 pathway. Therefore, Helios may be a target to manipulate Treg activity in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Dong Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Qing Shi
- Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyang Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Xiuli Ju
- Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
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35
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The Future State of Newborn Stem Cell Banking. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8010117. [PMID: 30669334 PMCID: PMC6352006 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8010117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Newborn stem cell banking began with the establishment of cord blood banks more than 25 years ago. Over the course of nearly three decades, there has been considerable evolution in the clinical application of stem cells isolated from newborn tissues. The industry now finds itself at an inflection point as personalized medicine and regenerative medicine continue to advance. In this review, we summarize our perspective on newborn stem cell banking in the context of the future potential that stem cells from perinatal tissues are likely to play in nascent applications. Specifically, we describe the relevance of newborn stem cell banking and how the cells stored can be utilized as starting material for the next generation of advanced cellular therapies and personalized medicine.
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36
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Regulatory T-cell therapy for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases: The next frontier. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2018; 142:1710-1718. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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37
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In vitro assessment of cord blood-derived proinsulin-specific regulatory T cells for cellular therapy in type 1 diabetes. Cytotherapy 2018; 20:1355-1370. [PMID: 30340983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs) have proven to be effective in reversing established autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Cord blood (CB) can serve as an efficient and safe source for Tregs for antigen-specific immunomodulation in T1D, a strategy that is yet to be explored. Therefore, we assessed the potential of CB in generation of proinsulin (PI)-specific Tregs by using HLA class II tetramers. METHODS We analyzed the frequency of PI-specific natural Tregs (nTregs) and induced Tregs (iTregs) derived from the CB as well as peripheral blood (PB) of patients with T1D and healthy control subjects. For this, CD4+CD25+CD127low and CD4+CD25-T cells were cultured in the presence of PI-derived peptides, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and rapamycin. PI-specific Tregs were then selected using allele-specific HLA II tetramers loaded with PI-derived peptides, followed by suppression assays. RESULTS Following stimulation, we observed that CB harbors a significantly higher frequency of PI-specific Tregs than PB of subjects with T1D (P = 0.0003). Further, the proportion of PI-specific Tregs was significantly higher in both the nTreg (P = 0.01) and iTreg (P = 0.0003) compartments of CB as compared with PB of subjects with T1D. In co-culture experiments, the PI-specific Tregs suppressed the proliferation of effector T cells significantly (P = 0.0006). The expanded nTregs were able to retain hypomethylation status at their Tregs-specific demethylated region (TSDR), whereas iTregs were unable to acquire the characteristic demethylation pattern. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that CB can serve as an excellent source for generation of functional antigen-specific Tregs for immunotherapeutic approaches in subjects with T1D.
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38
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Optimizing regulatory T cells for therapeutic application in human organ transplantation. Curr Opin Organ Transplant 2018; 23:516-523. [DOI: 10.1097/mot.0000000000000561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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39
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High Fidelity Cryopreservation and Recovery of Primary Rodent Cortical Neurons. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-MNT-0135-18. [PMID: 30263951 PMCID: PMC6158653 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0135-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell cryopreservation improves reproducibility and enables flexibility in experimental design. Although conventional freezing methodologies have been used to preserve primary neurons, poor cell viability and reduced survival severely limited their utility. We screened several high-performance freezing media and found that CryoStor10 (CS10) provided superior cryoprotection to primary mouse embryonic cortical neurons compared to other commercially-available or traditional reagents, permitting the recovery of 68.8% of cells relative to a fresh dissection. We characterized developmental, morphometric, and functional indicators of neuron maturation and found that, without exception, neurons recovered from cryostorage in CS10 media faithfully recapitulate in vitro neurodevelopment in-step with neurons obtained by fresh dissection. Our method establishes cryopreserved neurons as a reliable, efficient, and equivalent model to fresh neuron cultures.
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40
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Ex vivo generation of umbilical cord blood T regulatory cells expressing the homing markers CD62L and cutaneous lymphocyte antigen. Oncotarget 2018; 9:33694-33701. [PMID: 30263095 PMCID: PMC6154753 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are an important component of the immune system involved in regulation of immune cell proliferation and inflammatory responses and preventing autoimmune diseases. The use of Tregs in cellular therapy has recently been explored in clinical trials specifically evaluating the role of ex vivo expanded Tregs in the prevention of graft-versus-host disease during stem cell transplantation. The possibility of Treg use in the clinic requires clinical grade expansion of Tregs for development of cell therapy protocols and proper homing of Tregs to the intended target. Here we demonstrate a novel medium composition to expand CB Tregs, specifically upregulation the homing and activation markers CD62L and cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA). CLA expression was uniquely acquired during activation of Tregs with subsequent loss or lack of expression with media change. This finding highlights the importance of proper growth conditions unique to Tregs that can alter expression of proteins and establishes a baseline for expanding marker specific Tregs that home and target unique tissues.
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41
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Hemophilia is an X-linked blood coagulation genetic disorder, which can cause significant disability. Replacement therapy for coagulation factor VIII (hemophilia A) or factor IX (hemophilia B) may result in the development of high-affinity alloantibodies ('inhibitors') to the replacement therapy, thus making it ineffective. Therefore, there is interest in directing immunological responses towards tolerance to infused factors. RECENT FINDINGS In this review, we will discuss latest advancements in the development of potentially less immunogenic replacement clotting factors, optimization of current tolerance induction protocols (ITI), preclinical and clinical data of pharmacological immune modulation, hepatic gene therapy, and the rapidly advancing field of cell therapies. We will also evaluate publications reporting data from preclinical studies on oral tolerance induction using chloroplast-transgenic (transplastomic) plants. SUMMARY Until now, no clinical prophylactic immune modulatory protocol exists to prevent inhibitor formation to infused clotting factors. Recent innovative technologies provide hope for improved eradication and perhaps even prevention of inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Sherman
- Department Pediatrics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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42
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The immunosuppressive agent cyclosporine was first reported to lower daily insulin dose and improve glycemic control in patients with new-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 1984. While renal toxicity limited cyclosporine's extended use, this observation ignited collaborative efforts to identify immunotherapeutic agents capable of safely preserving β cells in patients with or at risk for T1D. RECENT FINDINGS Advances in T1D prediction and early diagnosis, together with expanded knowledge of the disease mechanisms, have facilitated trials targeting specific immune cell subsets, autoantigens, and pathways. In addition, clinical responder and non-responder subsets have been defined through the use of metabolic and immunological readouts. Herein, we review emerging T1D biomarkers within the context of recent and ongoing T1D immunotherapy trials. We also discuss responder/non-responder analyses in an effort to identify therapeutic mechanisms, define actionable pathways, and guide subject selection, drug dosing, and tailored combination drug therapy for future T1D trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Jacobsen
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Brittney N Newby
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, 1275 Center Drive, Biomedical Sciences Building J-589, Box 100275, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Daniel J Perry
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, 1275 Center Drive, Biomedical Sciences Building J-589, Box 100275, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Amanda L Posgai
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, 1275 Center Drive, Biomedical Sciences Building J-589, Box 100275, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Michael J Haller
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Todd M Brusko
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, 1275 Center Drive, Biomedical Sciences Building J-589, Box 100275, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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43
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Salas LA, Wiencke JK, Koestler DC, Zhang Z, Christensen BC, Kelsey KT. Tracing human stem cell lineage during development using DNA methylation. Genome Res 2018; 28:1285-1295. [PMID: 30072366 PMCID: PMC6120629 DOI: 10.1101/gr.233213.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Stem cell maturation is a fundamental, yet poorly understood aspect of human development. We devised a DNA methylation signature deeply reminiscent of embryonic stem cells (a fetal cell origin signature, FCO) to interrogate the evolving character of multiple human tissues. The cell fraction displaying this FCO signature was highly dependent upon developmental stage (fetal versus adult), and in leukocytes, it described a dynamic transition during the first 5 yr of life. Significant individual variation in the FCO signature of leukocytes was evident at birth, in childhood, and throughout adult life. The genes characterizing the signature included transcription factors and proteins intimately involved in embryonic development. We defined and applied a DNA methylation signature common among human fetal hematopoietic progenitor cells and have shown that this signature traces the lineage of cells and informs the study of stem cell heterogeneity in humans under homeostatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas A Salas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, USA
| | - John K Wiencke
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Devin C Koestler
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | - Ze Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
| | - Brock C Christensen
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, USA.,Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, USA.,Department of Community and Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, USA
| | - Karl T Kelsey
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
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44
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Immune Privilege and Eye-Derived T-Regulatory Cells. J Immunol Res 2018; 2018:1679197. [PMID: 29888291 PMCID: PMC5985108 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1679197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Certain cellular components of the eye, such as neural retina, are unable to regenerate and replicate after destructive inflammation. Ocular immune privilege provides the eye with immune protection against intraocular inflammation in order to minimize the risk to vision integrity. The eye and immune system use strategies to maintain the ocular immune privilege by regulating the innate and adaptive immune response, which includes immunological ignorance, peripheral tolerance to eye-derived antigens, and intraocular immunosuppressive microenvironment. In this review, we summarize current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanism responsible for the development and maintenance of ocular immune privilege via regulatory T cells (Tregs), which are generated by the anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID), and ocular resident cells including corneal endothelial (CE) cells, ocular pigment epithelial (PE) cells, and aqueous humor. Furthermore, we examined the therapeutic potential of Tregs generated by RPE cells that express transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-2 alpha (CTLA-2α), and retinoic acid for autoimmune uveoretinitis and evaluated a new strategy using human RPE-induced Tregs for clinical application in inflammatory ocular disease. We believe that a better understanding of the ocular immune privilege associated with Tregs might offer a new approach with regard to therapeutic interventions for ocular autoimmunity.
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45
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Oyarce K, Campos-Mora M, Gajardo-Carrasco T, Pino-Lagos K. Vitamin C Fosters the In Vivo Differentiation of Peripheral CD4 + Foxp3 - T Cells into CD4 + Foxp3 + Regulatory T Cells but Impairs Their Ability to Prolong Skin Allograft Survival. Front Immunol 2018; 9:112. [PMID: 29479348 PMCID: PMC5811461 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical players of immunological tolerance due to their ability to suppress effector T cell function thereby preventing transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases. During allograft transplantation, increases of both Treg expansion and generation, as well as their stable function, are needed to ensure allograft acceptance; thus, efforts have been made to discover new molecules that enhance Treg-mediated tolerance and to uncover their mechanisms. Recently, vitamin C (VitC), known to regulate T cell maturation and dendritic cell-mediated T cell polarization, has gained attention as a relevant epigenetic remodeler able to enhance and stabilize the expression of the Treg master regulator gene Foxp3, positively affecting the generation of induced Tregs (iTregs). In this study, we measured VitC transporter (SVCT2) expression in different immune cell populations, finding Tregs as one of the cell subset with the highest levels of SVCT2 expression. Unexpectedly, we found that VitC treatment reduces the ability of natural Tregs to suppress effector T cell proliferation in vitro, while having an enhancer effect on TGFβ-induced Foxp3+ Tregs. On the other hand, VitC increases iTregs generation in vitro and in vivo, however, no allograft tolerance was achieved in animals orally treated with VitC. Lastly, Tregs isolated from the draining lymph nodes of VitC-treated and transplanted mice also showed impaired suppression capacity ex vivo. Our results indicate that VitC promotes the generation and expansion of Tregs, without exhibiting CD4+ T cell-mediated allograft tolerance. These observations highlight the relevance of the nutritional status of patients when immune regulation is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Oyarce
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mauricio Campos-Mora
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Tania Gajardo-Carrasco
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Karina Pino-Lagos
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
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46
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Nowak A, Lock D, Bacher P, Hohnstein T, Vogt K, Gottfreund J, Giehr P, Polansky JK, Sawitzki B, Kaiser A, Walter J, Scheffold A. CD137+CD154- Expression As a Regulatory T Cell (Treg)-Specific Activation Signature for Identification and Sorting of Stable Human Tregs from In Vitro Expansion Cultures. Front Immunol 2018; 9:199. [PMID: 29467769 PMCID: PMC5808295 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are an attractive therapeutic tool for several different immune pathologies. Therapeutic Treg application often requires prolonged in vitro culture to generate sufficient Treg numbers or to optimize their functionality, e.g., via genetic engineering of their antigen receptors. However, purity of clinical Treg expansion cultures is highly variable, and currently, it is impossible to identify and separate stable Tregs from contaminating effector T cells, either ex vivo or after prior expansion. This represents a major obstacle for quality assurance of expanded Tregs and raises significant safety concerns. Here, we describe a Treg activation signature that allows identification and sorting of epigenetically imprinted Tregs even after prolonged in vitro culture. We show that short-term reactivation resulted in expression of CD137 but not CD154 on stable FoxP3+ Tregs that displayed a demethylated Treg-specific demethylated region, high suppressive potential, and lack of inflammatory cytokine expression. We also applied this Treg activation signature for rapid testing of chimeric antigen receptor functionality in human Tregs and identified major differences in the signaling requirements regarding CD137 versus CD28 costimulation. Taken together, CD137+CD154- expression emerges as a universal Treg activation signature ex vivo and upon in vitro expansion allowing the identification and isolation of epigenetically stable antigen-activated Tregs and providing a means for their rapid functional testing in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Nowak
- German Rheumatism Research Centre (DRFZ) Berlin, Leibniz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dominik Lock
- Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Petra Bacher
- Department of Cellular Immunology, Clinic for Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thordis Hohnstein
- Department of Cellular Immunology, Clinic for Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrin Vogt
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Charité - University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Judith Gottfreund
- Department of Genetics/Epigenetics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Pascal Giehr
- Department of Genetics/Epigenetics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Julia K Polansky
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité - University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Sawitzki
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Charité - University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Jörn Walter
- Department of Genetics/Epigenetics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Alexander Scheffold
- German Rheumatism Research Centre (DRFZ) Berlin, Leibniz Association, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Cellular Immunology, Clinic for Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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47
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Marshall GP, Cserny J, Perry DJ, Yeh WI, Seay HR, Elsayed AG, Posgai AL, Brusko TM. Clinical Applications of Regulatory T cells in Adoptive Cell Therapies. CELL & GENE THERAPY INSIGHTS 2018; 4:405-429. [PMID: 34984106 PMCID: PMC8722436 DOI: 10.18609/cgti.2018.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Interest in adoptive T-cell therapies has been ignited by the recent clinical success of genetically-modified T cells in the cancer immunotherapy space. In addition to immune targeting for malignancies, this approach is now being explored for the establishment of immune tolerance with regulatory T cells (Tregs). Herein, we will summarize the basic science and clinical results emanating from trials directed at inducing durable immune regulation through administration of Tregs. We will discuss some of the current challenges facing the field in terms of maximizing cell purity, stability and expansion capacity, while also achieving feasibility and GMP production. Indeed, recent advances in methodologies for Treg isolation, expansion, and optimal source materials represent important strides toward these considerations. Finally, we will review the emerging genetic and biomaterial-based approaches on the horizon for directing Treg specificity to augment tissue-targeting and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Judit Cserny
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Daniel J Perry
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Wen-I Yeh
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Howard R Seay
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ahmed G Elsayed
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt
| | - Amanda L Posgai
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Todd M Brusko
- OneVax LLC, Sid Martin Biotechnology Institute, Alachua, Florida, USA.,Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida Diabetes Institute, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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48
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Sherman A, Biswas M, Herzog RW. Innovative Approaches for Immune Tolerance to Factor VIII in the Treatment of Hemophilia A. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1604. [PMID: 29225598 PMCID: PMC5705551 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (coagulation factor VIII deficiency) is a debilitating genetic disorder that is primarily treated with intravenous replacement therapy. Despite a variety of factor VIII protein formulations available, the risk of developing anti-dug antibodies (“inhibitors”) remains. Overall, 20–30% of patients with severe disease develop inhibitors. Current clinical immune tolerance induction protocols to eliminate inhibitors are not effective in all patients, and there are no prophylactic protocols to prevent the immune response. New experimental therapies, such as gene and cell therapies, show promising results in pre-clinical studies in animal models of hemophilia. Examples include hepatic gene transfer with viral vectors, genetically engineered regulatory T cells (Treg), in vivo Treg induction using immune modulatory drugs, and maternal antigen transfer. Furthermore, an oral tolerance protocol is being developed based on transgenic lettuce plants, which suppressed inhibitor formation in hemophilic mice and dogs. Hopefully, some of these innovative approaches will reduce the risk of and/or more effectively eliminate inhibitor formation in future treatment of hemophilia A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Sherman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Moanaro Biswas
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Roland W Herzog
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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49
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Yeh WI, Seay HR, Newby B, Posgai AL, Moniz FB, Michels A, Mathews CE, Bluestone JA, Brusko TM. Avidity and Bystander Suppressive Capacity of Human Regulatory T Cells Expressing De Novo Autoreactive T-Cell Receptors in Type 1 Diabetes. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1313. [PMID: 29123516 PMCID: PMC5662552 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to alter antigen specificity by T-cell receptor (TCR) or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) gene transfer has facilitated personalized cellular immune therapies in cancer. Inversely, this approach can be harnessed in autoimmune settings to attenuate inflammation by redirecting the specificity of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Herein, we demonstrate efficient protocols for lentiviral gene transfer of TCRs that recognize type 1 diabetes-related autoantigens with the goal of tissue-targeted induction of antigen-specific tolerance to halt β-cell destruction. We generated human Tregs expressing a high-affinity GAD555–567-reactive TCR (clone R164), as well as the lower affinity clone 4.13 specific for the same peptide. We demonstrated that de novo Treg avatars potently suppress antigen-specific and bystander responder T-cell (Tresp) proliferation in vitro in a process that requires Treg activation (P < 0.001 versus unactivated Tregs). When Tresp were also glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-reactive, the high-affinity R164 Tregs exhibited increased suppression (P < 0.01) with lower Tresp-division index (P < 0.01) than the lower affinity 4.13 Tregs. These data demonstrate the feasibility of rapid expansion of antigen-specific Tregs for applications in attenuating β-cell autoimmunity and emphasize further opportunities for engineering cellular specificities, affinities, and phenotypes to tailor Treg activity in adoptive cell therapies for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-I Yeh
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Howard R Seay
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Brittney Newby
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Amanda L Posgai
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Filipa Botelho Moniz
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Aaron Michels
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Clayton E Mathews
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Jeffrey A Bluestone
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Todd M Brusko
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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50
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Burrack AL, Martinov T, Fife BT. T Cell-Mediated Beta Cell Destruction: Autoimmunity and Alloimmunity in the Context of Type 1 Diabetes. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:343. [PMID: 29259578 PMCID: PMC5723426 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from destruction of pancreatic beta cells by T cells of the immune system. Despite improvements in insulin analogs and continuous blood glucose level monitoring, there is no cure for T1D, and some individuals develop life-threatening complications. Pancreas and islet transplantation have been attractive therapeutic approaches; however, transplants containing insulin-producing cells are vulnerable to both recurrent autoimmunity and conventional allograft rejection. Current immune suppression treatments subdue the immune system, but not without complications. Ideally a successful approach would target only the destructive immune cells and leave the remaining immune system intact to fight foreign pathogens. This review discusses the autoimmune diabetes disease process, diabetic complications that warrant a transplant, and alloimmunity. First, we describe the current understanding of autoimmune destruction of beta cells including the roles of CD4 and CD8 T cells and several possibilities for antigen-specific tolerance induction. Second, we outline diabetic complications necessitating beta cell replacement. Third, we discuss transplant recognition, potential sources for beta cell replacement, and tolerance-promoting therapies under development. We hypothesize that a better understanding of autoreactive T cell targets during disease pathogenesis and alloimmunity following transplant destruction could enhance attempts to re-establish tolerance to beta cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L. Burrack
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Tijana Martinov
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Brian T. Fife
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- *Correspondence: Brian T. Fife,
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