1
|
Kitz A, Singer E, Hafler D. Regulatory T Cells: From Discovery to Autoimmunity. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2018; 8:cshperspect.a029041. [PMID: 29311129 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a genetically mediated autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Allelic variants lead to lower thresholds of T-cell activation resulting in activation of autoreactive T cells. Environmental factors, including, among others, diet, vitamin D, and smoking, in combination with genetic predispositions, play a substantial role in disease development and activation of autoreactive T cells. FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) have emerged as central in the control of autoreactive T cells. A consistent finding in patients with MS is defects in Treg cell function with reduced suppression of effector T cells and production of proinflammatory cytokines. Emerging data suggests that functional Tregs become effector-like T cells with loss of function associated with T-bet expression and interferon γ (IFN-γ) secretion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Kitz
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Emily Singer
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - David Hafler
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
|
3
|
Class II MHC antigen processing in immune tolerance and inflammation. Immunogenetics 2018; 71:171-187. [PMID: 30421030 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-018-1095-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Presentation of peptide antigens by MHC-II proteins is prerequisite to effective CD4 T cell tolerance to self and to recognition of foreign antigens. Antigen uptake and processing pathways as well as expression of the peptide exchange factors HLA-DM and HLA-DO differ among the various professional and non-professional antigen-presenting cells and are modulated by cell developmental state and activation. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of these cell-specific factors in controlling the source and breadth of peptides presented by MHC-II under different conditions. During inflammation, increased presentation of selected self-peptides has implications for maintenance of peripheral tolerance and autoimmunity.
Collapse
|
4
|
Apert C, Romagnoli P, van Meerwijk JPM. IL-2 and IL-15 dependent thymic development of Foxp3-expressing regulatory T lymphocytes. Protein Cell 2018; 9:322-332. [PMID: 28540653 PMCID: PMC5876181 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-017-0425-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunosuppressive regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg) expressing the transcription factor Foxp3 play a vital role in the maintenance of tolerance of the immune-system to self and innocuous non-self. Most Treg that are critical for the maintenance of tolerance to self, develop as an independent T-cell lineage from common T cell precursors in the thymus. In this organ, their differentiation requires signals from the T cell receptor for antigen, from co-stimulatory molecules, as well as from cytokine-receptors. Here we focus on the cytokines implicated in thymic development of Treg, with a particular emphasis on the roles of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-15. The more recently appreciated involvement of TGF-β in thymic Treg development is also briefly discussed. Finally, we discuss how cytokine-dependence of Treg development allows for temporal, quantitative, and potentially qualitative modulation of this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Apert
- CPTP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Paola Romagnoli
- CPTP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France.
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Liang Z, Zhang L, Su H, Luan R, Na N, Sun L, Zhao Y, Zhang X, Zhang Q, Li J, Zhang L, Zhao Y. MTOR signaling is essential for the development of thymic epithelial cells and the induction of central immune tolerance. Autophagy 2018; 14:505-517. [PMID: 29099279 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2017.1376161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are critical for the establishment and maintenance of appropriate microenvironment for the positive and negative selection of thymocytes and the induction of central immune tolerance. Yet, little about the molecular regulatory network on TEC development and function is understood. Here, we demonstrate that MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin [serine/threonine kinase]) is essential for proper development and functional maturation of TECs. Pharmacological inhibition of MTOR activity by rapamycin (RPM) causes severe thymic atrophy and reduction of TECs. TEC-specific deletion of Mtor causes the severe reduction of mTECs, the blockage of thymocyte differentiation and output, the reduced generation of thymic regulatory T (Treg) cells and the impaired expression of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) including Fabp2, Ins1, Tff3 and Chrna1 molecules. Importantly, specific deletion of Mtor in TECs causes autoimmune diseases characterized by enhanced tissue immune cell infiltration and the presence of autoreactive antibodies. Mechanistically, Mtor deletion causes overdegradation of CTNNB1/Beta-Catenin due to excessive autophagy and the attenuation of WNT (wingless-type MMTV integration site family) signaling in TECs. Selective inhibition of autophagy significantly rescued the poor mTEC development caused by Mtor deficiency. Altogether, MTOR is essential for TEC development and maturation by regulating proliferation and WNT signaling activity through autophagy. The present study also implies that long-term usage of RPM might increase the risk of autoimmunity by impairing TEC maturation and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhanfeng Liang
- a State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China.,b College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Lianjun Zhang
- a State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Huiting Su
- a State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China.,b College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Rong Luan
- a State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Ning Na
- c Department of Kidney Transplantation , The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou , Guangdong , China
| | - Lina Sun
- a State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Yang Zhao
- a State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China.,b College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- d Department of Urology , Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University , Chaoyang District, Beijing , China
| | - Qian Zhang
- a State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China.,b College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Juan Li
- a State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China.,b College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Lianfeng Zhang
- e Key Laboratory of Human Diseases Comparative Medicine, Ministry of Health; Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Beijing , China
| | - Yong Zhao
- a State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China.,b College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Placek K, Hu G, Cui K, Zhang D, Ding Y, Lee JE, Jang Y, Wang C, Konkel JE, Song J, Liu C, Ge K, Chen W, Zhao K. MLL4 prepares the enhancer landscape for Foxp3 induction via chromatin looping. Nat Immunol 2017; 18:1035-1045. [PMID: 28759003 PMCID: PMC5836551 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
MLL4 is an essential subunit of the histone H3 Lys4 (H3K4)-methylation complexes. We found that MLL4 deficiency compromised the development of regulatory T cells (Treg cells) and resulted in a substantial decrease in monomethylated H3K4 (H3K4me1) and chromatin interaction at putative gene enhancers, a considerable portion of which were not direct targets of MLL4 but were enhancers that interacted with MLL4-bound sites. The decrease in H3K4me1 and chromatin interaction at the enhancers not bound by MLL4 correlated with MLL4 binding at distant interacting regions. Deletion of an upstream MLL4-binding site diminished the abundance of H3K4me1 at the regulatory elements of the gene encoding the transcription factor Foxp3 that were looped to the MLL4-binding site and compromised both the thymic differentiation and the inducible differentiation of Treg cells. We found that MLL4 catalyzed methylation of H3K4 at distant unbound enhancers via chromatin looping, which identifies a previously unknown mechanism for regulating the T cell enhancer landscape and affecting Treg cell differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Placek
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gangqing Hu
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kairong Cui
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dunfang Zhang
- Mucosal Immunology Section, Division of Intramural Research, NIDCR, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yi Ding
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Department of Animal and Avian Sciences University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Ji-Eun Lee
- Adipocyte Biology and Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Younghoon Jang
- Adipocyte Biology and Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Chaochen Wang
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Adipocyte Biology and Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joanne Elizabeth Konkel
- Mucosal Immunology Section, Division of Intramural Research, NIDCR, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jiuzhou Song
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Chengyu Liu
- Transgenic Core, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kai Ge
- Adipocyte Biology and Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wanjun Chen
- Mucosal Immunology Section, Division of Intramural Research, NIDCR, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Keji Zhao
- Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ley K, Gerdes N, Winkels H. ATVB Distinguished Scientist Award: How Costimulatory and Coinhibitory Pathways Shape Atherosclerosis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2017; 37:764-777. [PMID: 28360089 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.117.308611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Immune cells play a critical role in atherosclerosis. Costimulatory and coinhibitory molecules of the tumor necrosis factor receptor and CD28 immunoglobulin superfamilies not only shape T-cell and B-cell responses but also have a major effect on antigen-presenting cells and nonimmune cells. APPROACH AND RESULTS Pharmacological inhibition or activation of costimulatory and coinhibitory molecules and genetic deletion demonstrated their involvement in atherosclerosis. This review highlights recent advances in understanding how costimulatory and coinhibitory pathways shape the immune response in atherosclerosis. CONCLUSIONS Insights gained from costimulatory and coinhibitory molecule function in atherosclerosis may inform future therapeutic approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Ley
- From the Division of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, CA (K.L., H.W.); Division of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany (N.G.); and Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany (N.G.).
| | - Norbert Gerdes
- From the Division of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, CA (K.L., H.W.); Division of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany (N.G.); and Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany (N.G.)
| | - Holger Winkels
- From the Division of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, CA (K.L., H.W.); Division of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany (N.G.); and Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany (N.G.)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Seay HR, Putnam AL, Cserny J, Posgai AL, Rosenau EH, Wingard JR, Girard KF, Kraus M, Lares AP, Brown HL, Brown KS, Balavage KT, Peters LD, Bushdorf AN, Atkinson MA, Bluestone JA, Haller MJ, Brusko TM. Expansion of Human Tregs from Cryopreserved Umbilical Cord Blood for GMP-Compliant Autologous Adoptive Cell Transfer Therapy. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2016; 4:178-191. [PMID: 28345003 PMCID: PMC5363324 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Umbilical cord blood is a traditional and convenient source of cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Thymic regulatory T cells (Tregs) are also present in cord blood, and there is growing interest in the use of autologous Tregs to provide a low-risk, fully human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched cell product for treating autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes. Here, we describe a good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compatible Treg expansion protocol using fluorescence-activated cell sorting, resulting in a mean 2,092-fold expansion of Tregs over a 16-day culture for a median yield of 1.26 × 109 Tregs from single-donor cryopreserved units. The resulting Tregs passed prior clinical trial release criteria for Treg purity and sterility, including additional rigorous assessments of FOXP3 and Helios expression and epigenetic analysis of the FOXP3 Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR). Compared with expanded adult peripheral blood Tregs, expanded cord blood Tregs remained more naive, as assessed by continued expression of CD45RA, produced reduced IFN-γ following activation, and effectively inhibited responder T cell proliferation. Immunosequencing of the T cell receptor revealed a remarkably diverse receptor repertoire within cord blood Tregs that was maintained following in vitro expansion. These data support the feasibility of generating GMP-compliant Tregs from cord blood for adoptive cell transfer therapies and highlight potential advantages in terms of safety, phenotypic stability, autoantigen specificity, and tissue distribution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Howard R Seay
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Amy L Putnam
- Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Judit Cserny
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Amanda L Posgai
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Emma H Rosenau
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - John R Wingard
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | | | | | - Angela P Lares
- Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | | | | | - Kristi T Balavage
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Leeana D Peters
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Ashley N Bushdorf
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Mark A Atkinson
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Bluestone
- Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Michael J Haller
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Todd M Brusko
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Beyond pan-B-cell-directed therapy - new avenues and insights into the pathogenesis of SLE. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2016; 12:645-657. [PMID: 27733759 DOI: 10.1038/nrrheum.2016.158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
New insights into the mechanisms of autoimmune diseases have been obtained not only from preclinical studies, but also from clinical trials of pan-B-cell-directed therapy. Overall, the results of these clinical trials suggest that more-specific approaches focusing on pathogenic B-cell functions, and perhaps sparing or even enhancing regulatory B-cell activity, might be attractive alternatives. Importantly, pathogenic B-cell subpopulations function within a network of cellular interactions, many of which might require additional interventions to restore immunologic balance and suppress autoimmune disease. Thus, approaches that simultaneously target innate immune cells as well as multiple nodes of T-cell and B-cell interactions might hold the promise of improved therapeutic efficacy. Interfering with B-cell intracellular signalling pathways, altering their intracellular metabolic pathways and perturbing transcription factors are additional options. This Review critically analyses these approaches, examines the role of cytokines and other functions of B-lineage cells separate from antibody secretion, and provides insights into the potential next generation of therapies targeting B-lineage cells.
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells that express the transcription factor forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) play an essential role in enforcing immune tolerance to self tissues, regulating host-commensal flora interaction, and facilitating tissue repair. Their deficiency and/or dysfunction trigger unbridled autoimmunity and inflammation. A growing number of monogenic defects have been recognized that adversely impact Treg cell development, differentiation, and/or function, leading to heritable diseases of immune dysregulation and autoimmunity. In this article, we review recent insights into Treg cell biology and function, with particular attention to lessons learned from newly recognized clinical disorders of Treg cell deficiency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fayhan J Alroqi
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Karp Family Building, Room 10-214. 1 Blackfan Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Talal A Chatila
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Karp Family Building, Room 10-214. 1 Blackfan Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Roh KH, Roy K. Engineering approaches for regeneration of T lymphopoiesis. Biomater Res 2016; 20:20. [PMID: 27358746 PMCID: PMC4926289 DOI: 10.1186/s40824-016-0067-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells play a central role in immune-homeostasis; specifically in the induction of antigen-specific adaptive immunity against pathogens and mutated self with immunological memory. The thymus is the unique organ where T cells are generated. In this review, first the complex structures and functions of various thymic microcompartments are briefly discussed to identify critical engineering targets for regeneration of thymic functions in vitro and in vivo. Then the biomimetic regenerative engineering approaches are reviewed in three categories: 1) reconstruction of 3-D thymic architecture, 2) cellular engineering, and 3) biomaterials-based artificial presentation of critical biomolecules. For each engineering approach, remaining challenges and clinical opportunities are also identified and discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Ho Roh
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
| | - Krishnendu Roy
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Perry JSA, Hsieh CS. Development of T-cell tolerance utilizes both cell-autonomous and cooperative presentation of self-antigen. Immunol Rev 2016; 271:141-55. [PMID: 27088912 PMCID: PMC4837647 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The development of T-cell self-tolerance in the thymus is important for establishing immune homeostasis and preventing autoimmunity. Here, we review the components of T-cell tolerance, which includes T-cell receptor (TCR) self-reactivity, costimulation, cytokines, and antigen presentation by a variety of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) subsets. We discuss the current evidence on the process of regulatory T (Treg) cell and negative selection and the importance of TCR signaling. We then examine recent evidence showing unique roles for bone marrow (BM)-derived APCs and medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) on the conventional and Treg TCR repertoire, as well as emerging data on the role of B cells in tolerance. Finally, we review the accumulating data that suggest that cooperative antigen presentation is a prominent component of T -ell tolerance. With the development of tools to interrogate the function of individual APC subsets in the medulla, we have gained greater understanding of the complex cellular and molecular events that determine T-cell tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin S A Perry
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Chyi-Song Hsieh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Dijke IE, Hoeppli RE, Ellis T, Pearcey J, Huang Q, McMurchy AN, Boer K, Peeters AMA, Aubert G, Larsen I, Ross DB, Rebeyka I, Campbell A, Baan CC, Levings MK, West LJ. Discarded Human Thymus Is a Novel Source of Stable and Long-Lived Therapeutic Regulatory T Cells. Am J Transplant 2016; 16:58-71. [PMID: 26414799 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.13456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T cell (Treg)-based therapy is a promising approach to treat many immune-mediated disorders such as autoimmune diseases, organ transplant rejection, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Challenges to successful clinical implementation of adoptive Treg therapy include difficulties isolating homogeneous cell populations and developing expansion protocols that result in adequate numbers of cells that remain stable, even under inflammatory conditions. We investigated the potential of discarded human thymuses, routinely removed during pediatric cardiac surgery, to be used as a novel source of therapeutic Tregs. Here, we show that large numbers of FOXP3(+) Tregs can be isolated and expanded from a single thymus. Expanded thymic Tregs had stable FOXP3 expression and long telomeres, and suppressed proliferation and cytokine production of activated allogeneic T cells in vitro. Moreover, expanded thymic Tregs delayed development of xenogeneic GVHD in vivo more effectively than expanded Tregs isolated based on CD25 expression from peripheral blood. Importantly, in contrast to expanded blood Tregs, expanded thymic Tregs remained stable under inflammatory conditions. Our results demonstrate that discarded pediatric thymuses are an excellent source of therapeutic Tregs, having the potential to overcome limitations currently hindering the use of Tregs derived from peripheral or cord blood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I E Dijke
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Alberta Transplant Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - R E Hoeppli
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - T Ellis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Alberta Transplant Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - J Pearcey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Alberta Transplant Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Q Huang
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - A N McMurchy
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - K Boer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A M A Peeters
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - G Aubert
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - I Larsen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Alberta Transplant Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - D B Ross
- Alberta Transplant Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - I Rebeyka
- Alberta Transplant Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - A Campbell
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - C C Baan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M K Levings
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - L J West
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Alberta Transplant Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Vicente R, Quentin J, Mausset-Bonnefont AL, Chuchana P, Martire D, Cren M, Jorgensen C, Louis-Plence P. Nonclassical CD4+CD49b+ Regulatory T Cells as a Better Alternative to Conventional CD4+CD25+ T Cells To Dampen Arthritis Severity. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 196:298-309. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1501069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
|
15
|
O'Hagan KL, Choi J, Pryshchep O, Chernoff J, Phee H. Pak2 Links TCR Signaling Strength to the Development of Regulatory T Cells and Maintains Peripheral Tolerance. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 195:1564-77. [PMID: 26157175 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1500843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Although significant effort has been devoted to understanding the thymic development of Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs), the precise signaling pathways that govern their lineage commitment still remain enigmatic. Our findings show a novel role for the actin cytoskeletal remodeling protein, p21-activated kinase 2 (Pak2), in Treg development and homeostasis. The absence of Pak2 in T cells resulted in a marked reduction in both thymus- and peripherally derived Tregs, accompanied by the development of spontaneous colitis in Pak2-deficient mice. Additionally, Pak2 was required for the proper differentiation of in vitro-induced Tregs as well as maintenance of Tregs. Interestingly, Pak2 was necessary for generating the high-affinity TCR- and IL-2-mediated signals that are required by developing Tregs for their lineage commitment. These findings provide novel insight into how developing thymocytes translate lineage-specific high-affinity TCR signals to adopt the Treg fate, and they further posit Pak2 as an essential regulator for this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Leonard O'Hagan
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611; and
| | - Jinyong Choi
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611; and
| | - Olga Pryshchep
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611; and
| | - Jonathan Chernoff
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111
| | - Hyewon Phee
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611; and
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lu FT, Yang W, Wang YH, Ma HD, Tang W, Yang JB, Li L, Ansari AA, Lian ZX. Thymic B cells promote thymus-derived regulatory T cell development and proliferation. J Autoimmun 2015; 61:62-72. [PMID: 26071985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2015.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2015] [Revised: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Thymic CD4(+) FoxP3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells are critical for the development of immunological tolerance and immune homeostasis and requires contributions of both thymic dendritic and epithelial cells. Although B cells have been reported to be present within the thymus, there has not hitherto been a definition of their role in immune cell development and, in particular, whether or how they contribute to the Treg cellular thymic compartment. Herein, using both phenotypic and functional approaches, we demonstrate that thymic B cells contribute to the maintenance of thymic Treg cells and, using an in vitro culture system, demonstrate that thymic B cells contribute to the size of the thymic Treg compartment via cell-cell MHC II contact and the involvement of two independent co-stimulatory pathways that include interactions between the CD40/CD80/CD86 co-stimulatory molecules. Our data also suggest that thymic B cells promote the generation of thymic Treg cell precursors (pre-Treg cells), but not the conversion of FoxP3(+) Treg cells from pre-Treg cells. In addition, thymic B cells directly promote the proliferation of thymic Treg cells that is MHC II contact dependent with a minimal if any role for co-stimulatory molecules including CD40/CD80/CD86. Both pathways are independent of TGFβ. In conclusion, we rigorously define the critical role of thymic B cells in the development of thymic Treg cells from non-Treg to precursor stage and in the proliferation of mature thymic Treg cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Ting Lu
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Wei Yang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Yin-Hu Wang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Hong-Di Ma
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Wei Tang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Jing-Bo Yang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Liang Li
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Aftab A Ansari
- Department of Pathology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Zhe-Xiong Lian
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Chen W, Konkel JE. Development of thymic Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells: TGF-β matters. Eur J Immunol 2015; 45:958-65. [PMID: 25684698 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201444999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Revised: 02/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
CD4(+) regulatory T cells expressing the transcription factor Foxp3 can be generated in the thymus (tTreg cells), but the cellular and molecular pathways driving their development remain incompletely understood. TGF-β is essential for the generation of Foxp3(+) Treg cells converted from peripheral naïve CD4(+) T cells (pTreg cells), yet a role for TGF-β in tTreg-cell development was initially refuted. Nevertheless, recent studies have unmasked a requirement for TGF-β in the generation of tTreg cells. Experimental evidence reveals that TGF-β in the context of TCR stimulation induces Foxp3 gene transcription in thymic Treg precursors, CD4(+) CD8(-) CD25(-) semimature and mature single-positive thymocytes. Intriguingly, thymic apoptosis was found to be intrinsically linked to the generation of tTreg cells, as apoptosis induced expression of TGF-β intrathymically. In this short review, we will highlight key data, discuss the experimental evidence and propose a modified model of tTreg-cell development involving TGF-β. We will also outline the remaining unresolved questions concerning generation of thymic Foxp3(+) Treg cells and provide our personal perspectives on the mechanisms controlling tTreg-cell development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- WanJun Chen
- Mucosal Immunology Section, OPCB, NIDCR, 30 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Petzold C, Steinbronn N, Gereke M, Strasser RH, Sparwasser T, Bruder D, Geffers R, Schallenberg S, Kretschmer K. Fluorochrome-based definition of naturally occurring Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells of intra- and extrathymic origin. Eur J Immunol 2014; 44:3632-45. [PMID: 25159127 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201444750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2014] [Revised: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Under physiological conditions, studies on the biology of naturally induced Foxp3(+) Treg cells of intra- and extrathymic origin have been hampered by the lack of unambiguous markers to discriminate the mature progeny of such developmental Treg-cell sublineages. Here, we report on experiments in double-transgenic mice, in which red fluorescent protein (RFP) is expressed in all Foxp3(+) Treg cells, whereas Foxp3-dependent GFP expression is exclusively confined to intrathymically induced Foxp3(+) Treg cells. This novel molecular genetic tool enabled us to faithfully track and characterize naturally induced Treg cells of intrathymic (RFP(+) GFP(+) ) and extrathymic (RFP(+) GFP(-) ) origin in otherwise unmanipulated mice. These experiments directly demonstrate that extrathymically induced Treg cells substantially contribute to the overall pool of mature Foxp3(+) Treg cells residing in peripheral lymphoid tissues of steady-state mice. Furthermore, we provide evidence that intra- and extrathymically induced Foxp3(+) Treg cells represent distinct phenotypic and functional sublineages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cathleen Petzold
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology/Immune Regulation, DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
Although intestinal bacteria live deep within the body, they are topographically on the exterior surface and thus outside the host. According to the classic notion that the immune system targets non-self rather than self, these intestinal bacteria should be considered foreign and therefore attacked and eliminated. While this appears to be true for some commensal bacterial species, recent data suggest that the immune system actively becomes tolerant to many bacterial organisms. The induction or activation of regulatory T (Treg) cells that inhibit, rather than promote, inflammatory responses to commensal bacteria appears to be a central component of mucosal tolerance. Loss of this mechanism can lead to inappropriate immune reactivity toward commensal organisms, perhaps contributing to mucosal inflammation characteristic of disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa L Ai
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Bin Dhuban K, Kornete M, S Mason E, Piccirillo CA. Functional dynamics of Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells in mice and humans. Immunol Rev 2014; 259:140-58. [PMID: 24712464 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3)(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells are critical mediators for the establishment of self-tolerance and immune homeostasis and for the control of pathology in various inflammatory responses. While Foxp3(+) Treg cells often control immune responses in secondary lymphoid tissues, they must also traffic to and persist within non-lymphoid tissues, where they integrate various environmental cues to coordinate and adapt their effector acitvities in these sites. In recent years, our group has made use of several mouse models, including the non-obese diabetic model of type 1 diabetes, to characterize the factors, which impact the homeostasis, function, and reprogramming potential of Foxp3(+) Treg cells in situ. In addition, our recent work shows that Foxp3(+) Treg cells possess distinct post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene regulation, namely mRNA translation, to modulate tissue-specific inflammatory responses. In humans, there is a pressing need for reliable markers of FOXP3(+) Treg cells and their related function in blood and tissue. Experimental progress in our group has enabled us to discover novel markers of FOXP3(+) Treg cell (dys)function and unique gene signatures that discriminate effector and Treg cells, as well as functional and dysfunctional FOXP3(+) Treg cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Bin Dhuban
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, FOCIS Center of Excellence in Translational Immunology, Microbiome and Disease Tolerance Centre, McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Chai JN, Zhou YW, Hsieh CS. T cells and intestinal commensal bacteria--ignorance, rejection, and acceptance. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:4167-75. [PMID: 24997344 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Trillions of commensal bacteria cohabit our bodies to mutual benefit. In the past several years, it has become clear that the adaptive immune system is not ignorant of intestinal commensal bacteria, but is constantly interacting with them. For T cells, the response to commensal bacteria does not appear uniform, as certain commensal bacterial species appear to trigger effector T cells to reject and control them, whereas other species elicit Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells to accept and be tolerant of them. Here, we review our current knowledge of T cell differentiation in response to commensal bacteria, and how this process leads to immune homeostasis in the intestine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiani N Chai
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63132, United States
| | - You W Zhou
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63132, United States
| | - Chyi-Song Hsieh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63132, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Klein L, Kyewski B, Allen PM, Hogquist KA. Positive and negative selection of the T cell repertoire: what thymocytes see (and don't see). Nat Rev Immunol 2014; 14:377-91. [PMID: 24830344 PMCID: PMC4757912 DOI: 10.1038/nri3667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 882] [Impact Index Per Article: 88.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The fate of developing T cells is specified by the interaction of their antigen receptors with self-peptide-MHC complexes that are displayed by thymic antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Various subsets of thymic APCs are strategically positioned in particular thymic microenvironments and they coordinate the selection of a functional and self-tolerant T cell repertoire. In this Review, we discuss the different strategies that these APCs use to sample and process self antigens and to thereby generate partly unique, 'idiosyncratic' peptide-MHC ligandomes. We discuss how the particular composition of the peptide-MHC ligandomes that are presented by specific APC subsets not only shapes the T cell repertoire in the thymus but may also indelibly imprint the behaviour of mature T cells in the periphery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ludger Klein
- Institute for Immunology, Ludwig Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Bruno Kyewski
- Division of Developmental Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Paul M Allen
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Kristin A Hogquist
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Abstract
Regulatory T cells are the central element for the maintenance of peripheral tolerance. Several subtypes of regulatory T (Treg) cells have been described, and most of them belong to the CD4(+) T-helper (Th) cell lineage. These specific subtypes can be discriminated according to phenotype and function. Forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3)-expressing natural Treg cells (Tregs) and IL-10-producing, T-regulatory type 1 cells (Tr1) are the best-studied types of CD4(+) regulatory T cells in humans and experimental animal models. It was shown that they play a crucial role during autoimmune neuroinflammation. Both cells types seem to be particularly important for multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, we discuss the role of CD4(+) regulatory T cells in autoimmune neuroinflammation with an emphasis on Tregs and Tr1 cells in MS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Kleinewietfeld
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Faculty of Medicine, Dresden University of Technology (TUD), Dresden, Germany
| | - David A. Hafler
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
A regulatory role for TGF-β signaling in the establishment and function of the thymic medulla. Nat Immunol 2014; 15:554-61. [DOI: 10.1038/ni.2869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
|
25
|
Xu H, Li XL, Yue LT, Li H, Zhang M, Wang S, Wang CC, Duan RS. Therapeutic potential of atorvastatin-modified dendritic cells in experimental autoimmune neuritis by decreased Th1/Th17 cytokines and up-regulated T regulatory cells and NKR-P1(+) cells. J Neuroimmunol 2014; 269:28-37. [PMID: 24565076 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2014.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Statins have pleiotropic effects which include anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. In the present study, dendritic cells treated with atorvastatin (statin-DCs) could be induced into tolerogenic DCs. Administration of these tolerogenic DCs ameliorated clinical symptoms in experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN), which was associated with reduced number of inflammatory cells in sciatic nerves, inhibited CD4(+) T cells proliferation, down-regulated expression of co-stimulatory molecules (CD80 and CD86) and MHC class II, decreased levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-17A, increased number of NKR-P1(+) cells (including NK and NKT cells), up-regulated number of Treg cells in lymph node MNC as well as increased Foxp3 expression in the thymus. These data indicated that statin-DCs could develop as a new therapeutic strategy to GBS in the future.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Atorvastatin
- Cattle
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Dendritic Cells/drug effects
- Dendritic Cells/immunology
- Dendritic Cells/metabolism
- Female
- Heptanoic Acids/pharmacology
- Heptanoic Acids/therapeutic use
- NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B/immunology
- NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B/metabolism
- Neuritis, Autoimmune, Experimental/drug therapy
- Neuritis, Autoimmune, Experimental/immunology
- Neuritis, Autoimmune, Experimental/metabolism
- Pyrroles/pharmacology
- Pyrroles/therapeutic use
- Rats
- Rats, Inbred Lew
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/drug effects
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolism
- Th1 Cells/drug effects
- Th1 Cells/immunology
- Th1 Cells/metabolism
- Th17 Cells/drug effects
- Th17 Cells/immunology
- Th17 Cells/metabolism
- Up-Regulation/drug effects
- Up-Regulation/physiology
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hua Xu
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, PR China; Taian City Central Hospital, Taian 271000, PR China
| | - Xiao-Li Li
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Long-Tao Yue
- Central Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Heng Li
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Shan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Cong-Cong Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, PR China
| | - Rui-Sheng Duan
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Children who develop type 1 diabetes early in life show low levels of carnitine and amino acids at birth: does this finding shed light on the etiopathogenesis of the disease? Nutr Diabetes 2013; 3:e94. [PMID: 24166423 PMCID: PMC3817347 DOI: 10.1038/nutd.2013.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2013] [Revised: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 09/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children and adolescents with overt type 1 diabetes (T1D) have been found to show an altered carnitine profile. This pattern has not previously been analyzed in neonates before onset of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty children who developed T1D during the first 6 years of life, born and living in the Tuscany and Umbria Regions of Italy, were identified and 200 controls were recruited into the study. All newborns were subjected to extended neonatal screening by mass spectrometry at 48-72 h of life. Four controls for each of the 50 index cases were taken randomly and blinded in the same analytical batch. The panel used for neonatal screening consists of 13 amino acids, free carnitine, 33 acyl-carnitines and 21 ratios. All Guthrie cards are analyzed within 2 days of collection. RESULTS Total and free carnitine were found to be significantly lower in neonates who later developed T1D compared with controls. Moreover, the concentrations of the acyl-carnitines - acetyl-L-carnitine (C2), proprionylcarnitine (C3), 3-hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine (C5OH), miristoylcarnitine (C4), palmitoylcarnitine (C16) and stearoylcarnitine (C18) - were also significantly low in the cases vs controls. Furthermore, total amino-acid concentrations, expressed as the algebraic sum of all amino acids tested, showed a trend toward lower levels in cases vs controls. CONCLUSIONS We found that carnitine and amino-acid deficit may be evident before the clinical appearance of T1D, possibly from birth. The evaluation of these metabolites in the neonatal period of children human leukocyte antigen genetically at 'risk' to develop T1D, could represent an additional tool for the prediction of T1D and could also offer the possibility to design new strategies for the primary prevention of the disease from birth.
Collapse
|
27
|
Environmental sensing and regulation of gene expression in CD4+ T cell subsets. Curr Opin Immunol 2013; 25:564-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2013.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Revised: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
28
|
Inhibitory role of the transcription repressor Gfi1 in the generation of thymus-derived regulatory T cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:E3198-205. [PMID: 23918371 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1300950110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Foxp3(+) regulatory T (T(reg)) cells are essential for the maintenance of self-tolerance and immune homeostasis. The majority of T(reg) cells is generated in the thymus as a specific subset of CD4(+) T cells, known as thymus-derived or natural T(reg) (nT(reg)) cells, in response to signals from T-cell receptors, costimulatory molecules, and cytokines. Recent studies have identified intracellular signaling and transcriptional pathways that link these signals to Foxp3 induction, but how the production of these extrinsic factors is controlled remains poorly understood. Here, we report that the transcription repressor growth factor independent 1 (Gfi1) has a key inhibitory role in the generation of nT(reg) cells by a noncell-autonomous mechanism. T cell-specific deletion of Gfi1 results in aberrant expansion of thymic nT(reg) cells and increased production of cytokines. In particular, IL-2 overproduction plays an important role in driving the expansion of nT(reg) cells. In contrast, although Gfi1 deficiency elevated thymocyte apoptosis, Gfi1 repressed nT(reg) generation independently of its prosurvival effect. Consistent with an inhibitory role of Gfi1 in this process, loss of Gfi1 dampens antitumor immunity. These data point to a previously unrecognized extrinsic control mechanism that negatively shapes thymic generation of nT(reg) cells.
Collapse
|
29
|
Muratori L, Longhi MS. The interplay between regulatory and effector T cells in autoimmune hepatitis: Implications for innovative treatment strategies. J Autoimmun 2013; 46:74-80. [PMID: 23871639 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2013.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2013] [Revised: 06/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Autoimmune hepatitis is an immuno-mediated inflammatory liver disorder of unknown etiology and is characterized by hypergammaglobulinaemia, circulating autoantibodies and interface hepatitis. The disease may often present as an acute icteric hepatitis, or run an insidious and progressive course, and in most of the cases it is expected to evolve toward liver cirrhosis and end-stage liver failure, without prompt and appropriate treatment with steroids and other immunosuppressive drugs. Nonetheless, several patients are non-responsive or become non-tolerant to conventional therapy with prednisone/prednisolone with or without azathioprine. Recent findings highlight the role of the interplay between CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells and Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune hepatitis. A numerical and functional imbalance between regulatory and effector cells in favor of the latter appears to be pivotal in the progression of the disease. In addition, the intra-hepatic microenvironment of autoimmune hepatitis is particularly rich in pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-17, IL-23, IL-1β which play a crucial role in perpetuating and expanding effector cells and subsequent liver damage, whereas regulatory T cells are greatly disadvantaged and inhibited in such polarized habitat. Novel therapeutic interventions should aim at modulating the intra-hepatic pro-inflammatory milieu while favoring the expansion of regulatory T cells. Liver autoantigen-specific regulatory T cells generated and expanded in vitro from patients' own cells might offer a potentially curative approach to autoimmune hepatitis by inhibiting effector cells of the same specificity without inducing pan-immunosuppression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Muratori
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Policlinico Sant'Orsola-Malpighi (Padiglione 11), via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Romano R, Palamaro L, Fusco A, Giardino G, Gallo V, Del Vecchio L, Pignata C. FOXN1: A Master Regulator Gene of Thymic Epithelial Development Program. Front Immunol 2013; 4:187. [PMID: 23874334 PMCID: PMC3709140 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2013.00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell ontogeny is a sophisticated process, which takes place within the thymus through a series of well-defined discrete stages. The process requires a proper lympho-stromal interaction. In particular, cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (cTECs, mTECs) drive T cell differentiation, education, and selection processes, while the thymocyte-dependent signals allow thymic epithelial cells (TECs) to maturate and provide an appropriate thymic microenvironment. Alterations in genes implicated in thymus organogenesis, including Tbx1, Pax1, Pax3, Pax9, Hoxa3, Eya1, and Six1, affect this well-orchestrated process, leading to disruption of thymic architecture. Of note, in both human and mice, the primordial TECs are yet unable to fully support T cell development and only after the transcriptional activation of the Forkhead-box n1 (FOXN1) gene in the thymic epithelium this essential function is acquired. FOXN1 is a master regulator in the TEC lineage specification in that it down-stream promotes transcription of genes, which, in turn, regulate TECs differentiation. In particular, FOXN1 mainly regulates TEC patterning in the fetal stage and TEC homeostasis in the post-natal thymus. An inborn null mutation in FOXN1 leads to Nude/severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) phenotype in mouse, rat, and humans. In Foxn1−/− nude animals, initial formation of the primordial organ is arrested and the primordium is not colonized by hematopoietic precursors, causing a severe primary T cell immunodeficiency. In humans, the Nude/SCID phenotype is characterized by congenital alopecia of the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes, nail dystrophy, and a severe T cell immunodeficiency, inherited as an autosomal recessive disorder. Aim of this review is to summarize all the scientific information so far available to better characterize the pivotal role of the master regulator FOXN1 transcription factor in the TEC lineage specifications and functionality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Romano
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, "Federico II" University , Naples , Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Cording S, Fleissner D, Heimesaat MM, Bereswill S, Loddenkemper C, Uematsu S, Akira S, Hamann A, Huehn J. Commensal microbiota drive proliferation of conventional and Foxp3(+) regulatory CD4(+) T cells in mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp) 2013; 3:1-10. [PMID: 24265914 DOI: 10.1556/eujmi.3.2013.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Compelling evidence demonstrates that intestinal commensal microbiota modulate conventional and regulatory T cell (Treg) responses that are required for effective host defence against pathogens and avoidance of autoimmunity and other immunopathologic conditions. Here, we investigated the contribution of the commensal microbiota and Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling to homeostasis of Foxp3(-) conventional CD4(+) T cells and Foxp3(+) Tregs. Upon long-term antibiotics treatment, we observed a significant reduction of conventional CD4(+) T cell proliferation in a systemic manner, whereas Foxp3(+) Treg proliferation was locally impaired in gut-draining mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. The proliferative response to microbial components was not mediated by TLRs as MyD88- and various TLR-deficient mice displayed normal or even increased conventional T cell and Foxp3(+) Treg proliferation. Thus, commensal microbiota-derived stimuli support cycling of both conventional CD4(+) T cells and Foxp3(+) Tregs with TLR-mediated recognition of bacterial components not being the major mechanism controlling microbiota-driven T cell homeostasis.
Collapse
|
32
|
Toker A, Engelbert D, Garg G, Polansky JK, Floess S, Miyao T, Baron U, Düber S, Geffers R, Giehr P, Schallenberg S, Kretschmer K, Olek S, Walter J, Weiss S, Hori S, Hamann A, Huehn J. Active demethylation of the Foxp3 locus leads to the generation of stable regulatory T cells within the thymus. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 190:3180-8. [PMID: 23420886 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1203473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Stable expression of Foxp3 in regulatory T cells (Tregs) depends on DNA demethylation at the Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR), a conserved, CpG-rich region within the Foxp3 locus. The TSDR is selectively demethylated in ex vivo Tregs purified from secondary lymphoid organs, but it is unclear at which stage of Treg development demethylation takes place. In this study, we show that commitment to a stable lineage occurred during early stages of murine thymic Treg development by engraving of lineage-specific epigenetic marks in parallel with establishment of a Treg-specific gene expression profile. TSDR demethylation was achieved through an active mechanism and involved enzymes of the ten-eleven-translocation family and hydroxylation of methylated cytosines, a modification that is implicated as an initiating step of mitosis-independent DNA demethylation pathways and has not yet been observed at specific loci during immune cell differentiation. Together, our results demonstrate that initiating TSDR demethylation during early stages of thymic Treg development commences stabilization of Foxp3 expression and guarantees full functionality and long-term lineage stability of Tregs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aras Toker
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig 38124, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Schallenberg S, Petzold C, Riewaldt J, Kretschmer K. Regulatory T Cell-Based Immunotherapy. MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS IN AGING AND REGENERATIVE TECHNOLOGIES 2013. [DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-2506-8.ch006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing the forkhead box transcription factor Foxp3 have a vital function in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and the prevention of fatal multi-organ autoimmunity throughout life. In the last decade, Foxp3+ Treg cells have raised the hope for novel cell-based therapies to achieve tolerance in clinical settings of unwanted immune responses such as autoimmunity and graft rejection. Conceptually, the antigen-specific enhancement of Treg cell function is of particular importance because such strategies will minimize the requirements for pharmaceutical immunosuppression, sparing desired protective host immune responses to infectious and malignant insults. This chapter discusses current concepts of Treg cell-based immunotherapy with particular emphasis on antigen-specific Treg cell induction from conventional CD4+ T cells to deal with organ-specific autoimmunity.
Collapse
|
34
|
Kłossowicz M, Scirka B, Suchanek J, Marek-Bukowiec K, Kisielow P, Aguado E, Miazek A. Assessment of caspase mediated degradation of linker for activation of T cells (LAT) at a single cell level. J Immunol Methods 2012; 389:9-17. [PMID: 23261919 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2012.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2012] [Revised: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 12/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Caspase/Granzyme B mediated protein degradation is involved in elimination of activated T cell receptor (TCR) signaling molecules during processes of thymocyte selection and maintenance of peripheral homeostasis of T cells. Key components of TCR signaling cassette including LAT undergo biological inactivation in response to pro-apoptotic or anergy inducing environmental stimuli. Although available Western immunoblotting-based techniques are appropriate for detection of protein degradation in bulk populations of target cells, quantitative assessment of this process at a single cell level requires a different approach. Here we report on a novel, flow cytometry-based method for assessment of LAT integrity. This method exploits a loss of an anti-LAT antibody epitope recognition following proteolytic degradation of C-terminal domain of the LAT. We show that the LAT degradation precedes phosphatidylserine translocation to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane and thus may constitute an early marker of T cell apoptosis. When used in conjunction with multi-parameter flow cytometry, our method revealed that FoxP3(+)CD4(+)CD8(low) thymocytes i.e. precursors of thymus derived CD4(+) regulatory T cells, in contrast to Foxp3(-)CD4(+)CD8(low) thymocytes are resistant to LAT degradation in response to CD3ε crosslinking. This finding can be used as an additional marker for T regulatory cell lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikołaj Kłossowicz
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Department of Tumor Immunology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Regateiro FS, Chen Y, Kendal AR, Hilbrands R, Adams E, Cobbold SP, Ma J, Andersen KG, Betz AG, Zhang M, Madhiwalla S, Roberts B, Waldmann H, Nolan KF, Howie D. Foxp3 expression is required for the induction of therapeutic tissue tolerance. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2012; 189:3947-56. [PMID: 22988034 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1200449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) are essential for immune homeostasis and maintenance of self-tolerance. They are produced in the thymus and also generated de novo in the periphery in a TGF-β-dependent manner. Foxp3(+) Treg are also required to achieve tolerance to transplanted tissues when induced by coreceptor or costimulation blockade. Using TCR-transgenic mice to avoid issues of autoimmune pathology, we show that Foxp3 expression is both necessary and sufficient for tissue tolerance by coreceptor blockade. Moreover, the known need in tolerance induction for TGF-β signaling to T cells can wholly be explained by its role in induction of Foxp3, as such signaling proved dispensable for the suppressive process. We analyzed the relative contribution of TGF-β and Foxp3 to the transcriptome of TGF-β-induced Treg and showed that TGF-β elicited a large set of downregulated signature genes. The number of genes uniquely modulated due to the influence of Foxp3 alone was surprisingly limited. Retroviral-mediated conditional nuclear expression of Foxp3 proved sufficient to confer transplant-suppressive potency on CD4(+) T cells and was lost once nuclear Foxp3 expression was extinguished. These data support a dual role for TGF-β and Foxp3 in induced tolerance, in which TGF-β stimulates Foxp3 expression, for which sustained expression is then associated with acquisition of tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frederico S Regateiro
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Marrack P, Kappler JW. Do MHCII-presented neoantigens drive type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases? Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2012; 2:a007765. [PMID: 22951444 PMCID: PMC3426820 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a007765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The strong association between particular MHCII alleles and type 1 diabetes is not fully understood. Two ideas that have been considered for many years are that autoimmunity is driven by (1) low-affinity CD4(+) T cells that escape thymic negative selection and respond to certain autoantigen peptides that are particularly well presented by particular MHCII molecules, or (2) CD4(+) T cells responding to neoantigens that are absent in the thymus, but uniquely created in the target tissue in the periphery and presented by particular MHCII alleles. Here we discuss the recent structural data in favor of the second idea. We review studies suggesting that peptide antigens recognized by autoimmune T cells are uniquely proteolytically processed and/or posttranslationally modified in the target tissue, thus allowing these T cells to escape deletion in the thymus during T-cell development. We postulate that an encounter with these tissue-specific neoantigenic peptides presented by the particular susceptible MHCII alleles in the peripheral tissues when accompanied by the appropriate inflammatory milieu activates these T-cell escapees leading to the onset of autoimmune disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philippa Marrack
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Integrated Department of Immunology, National Jewish Health, University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine, Denver, CO 80206, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
da Silva Martins M, Piccirillo CA. Functional stability of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. Trends Mol Med 2012; 18:454-62. [PMID: 22771168 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2012.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2011] [Revised: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 06/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Significant evidence demonstrates that CD4(+) regulatory T cells (T(reg)) expressing the Forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) transcription factor are a distinct lineage of CD4(+) T cells that are essential for maintaining self-tolerance and modulating immunity to various nonself-antigens under changing inflammatory settings. Stable Foxp3 expression ensures T(reg) function in a variety of inflammatory contexts. However, the model of T(reg) cells as a stable, long-lived lineage is controversial. Whereas some studies have observed long-lived T(reg) function, recent studies suggest that T(reg) cells adapt to microenvironmental changes and consequently manifest functional plasticity by reprogramming into inflammatory T cells. Here, we review the evidence addressing the functional stability or plasticity of Foxp3(+) T(reg) cells and the implications for immune homeostasis and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria da Silva Martins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Anderson G, Takahama Y. Thymic epithelial cells: working class heroes for T cell development and repertoire selection. Trends Immunol 2012; 33:256-63. [PMID: 22591984 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2012.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2011] [Revised: 03/09/2012] [Accepted: 03/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The thymus represents an epithelial-mesenchymal tissue, anatomically structured into discrete cortical and medullary regions that contain phenotypically and functionally distinct stromal cells, as well as thymocytes at defined stages of maturation. The stepwise progression of thymocyte development seems to require serial migration through these distinct thymic regions, where interactions with cortical thymic epithelial cell (cTEC) and medullary thymic epithelial cell (mTEC) subsets take place. Recent work on TEC subsets provides insight into T cell development and selection, such as the importance of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily members in thymus medulla development, and the specialised antigen processing/presentation capacity of the thymic cortex for positive selection. Here, we summarise current knowledge on the development and function of the thymic microenvironment, paying particular attention to the cortical and medullary epithelial compartments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Graham Anderson
- MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells are thought to be susceptible to conversion into effector T cells. In this issue of Immunity, Miyao et al. (2012) provide evidence that the apparent plasticity of murine Foxp3(+) Treg cells is largely restricted to a defined subset of poorly committed Foxp3(+) cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alf Hamann
- Experimental Rheumatology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Pilat
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Vienna General Hospital, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Wekerle
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Vienna General Hospital, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Miyao T, Floess S, Setoguchi R, Luche H, Fehling HJ, Waldmann H, Huehn J, Hori S. Plasticity of Foxp3(+) T cells reflects promiscuous Foxp3 expression in conventional T cells but not reprogramming of regulatory T cells. Immunity 2012; 36:262-75. [PMID: 22326580 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2011.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 457] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2011] [Revised: 12/08/2011] [Accepted: 12/23/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The emerging notion of environment-induced reprogramming of Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells into helper T (Th) cells remains controversial. By genetic fate mapping or adoptive transfers, we have identified a minor population of nonregulatory Foxp3(+) T cells exhibiting promiscuous and transient Foxp3 expression, which gave rise to Foxp3(-) ("exFoxp3") Th cells and selectively accumulated in inflammatory cytokine milieus or in lymphopenic environments including those in early ontogeny. In contrast, Treg cells did not undergo reprogramming under those conditions irrespective of their thymic or peripheral origins. Moreover, although a few Treg cells transiently lose Foxp3 expression, such "latent" Treg cells retained their memory and robustly re-expressed Foxp3 and suppressive function upon activation. This study establishes that Treg cells constitute a stable cell lineage, whose committed state in a changing environment is ensured by DNA demethylation of the Foxp3 locus irrespectively of ongoing Foxp3 expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takahisa Miyao
- Research Unit for Immune Homeostasis, RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Jiang S. Recent advances in regulatory T cells. Semin Immunol 2011; 23:399-400. [PMID: 22136693 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2011.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
|