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Liu X, Hogg GD, Zuo C, Borcherding NC, Baer JM, Lander VE, Kang LI, Knolhoff BL, Ahmad F, Osterhout RE, Galkin AV, Bruey JM, Carter LL, Mpoy C, Vij KR, Fields RC, Schwarz JK, Park H, Gupta V, DeNardo DG. Context-dependent activation of STING-interferon signaling by CD11b agonists enhances anti-tumor immunity. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:1073-1090.e12. [PMID: 37236195 PMCID: PMC10281762 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Chronic activation of inflammatory pathways and suppressed interferon are hallmarks of immunosuppressive tumors. Previous studies have shown that CD11b integrin agonists could enhance anti-tumor immunity through myeloid reprograming, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein we find that CD11b agonists alter tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) phenotypes by repressing NF-κB signaling and activating interferon gene expression simultaneously. Repression of NF-κB signaling involves degradation of p65 protein and is context independent. In contrast, CD11b agonism induces STING/STAT1 pathway-mediated interferon gene expression through FAK-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, with the magnitude of induction dependent on the tumor microenvironment and amplified by cytotoxic therapies. Using tissues from phase I clinical studies, we demonstrate that GB1275 treatment activates STING and STAT1 signaling in TAMs in human tumors. These findings suggest potential mechanism-based therapeutic strategies for CD11b agonists and identify patient populations more likely to benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuting Liu
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Graham D Hogg
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Chong Zuo
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nicholas C Borcherding
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - John M Baer
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Varintra E Lander
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Liang-I Kang
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Brett L Knolhoff
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Faiz Ahmad
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Cedric Mpoy
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kiran R Vij
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ryan C Fields
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Julie K Schwarz
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Haeseong Park
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Vineet Gupta
- Drug Discovery Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - David G DeNardo
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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Budlewski T, Sarnik J, Galita G, Dragan G, Brzezińska O, Popławska M, Popławski T, Makowska J. SNP in PTPN22, PADI4, and STAT4 but Not TRAF1 and CD40 Increase the Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Polish Population. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087586. [PMID: 37108746 PMCID: PMC10145319 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in non-HLA genes are involved in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). SNPS in genes: PADI4 (rs2240340), STAT4 (rs7574865), CD40 (rs4810485), PTPN22 (rs2476601), and TRAF1 (rs3761847) have been described as risk factors for the development of autoimmune diseases, including RA. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of polymorphisms of these genes in the Polish population of patients with rheumatoid arthritis as compared to healthy controls. 324 subjects were included in the study: 153 healthy subjects and 181 patients from the Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz who fulfilled the criteria of rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. Genotypes were determined by Taqman SNP Genotyping Assay. rs2476601 (G/A, OR = 2.16, CI = 1.27-3.66; A/A, OR = 10.35, CI = 1.27-84.21), rs2240340 (C/T, OR = 4.35, CI = 2.55-7.42; T/T, OR = 2.80, CI = 1.43-4.10) and rs7574865 (G/T, OR = 1.97, CI = 1.21-3.21; T/T, OR = 3.33, CI = 1.01-11.02) were associated with RA in the Polish population. Rs4810485 was also associated with RA, however after Bonferroni's correction was statistically insignificant. We also found an association between minor alleles of rs2476601, rs2240340, and rs7574865 and RA (OR = 2.32, CI = 1.47-3.66; OR = 2.335, CI = 1.64-3.31; OR = 1.88, CI = 1.27-2.79, respectively). Multilocus analysis revealed an association between CGGGT and rare (below 0.02 frequency) haplotypes (OR = 12.28, CI = 2.65-56.91; OR = 3.23, CI = 1.63-6.39). In the Polish population, polymorphisms of the PADI4, PTPN22, and STAT4 genes have been detected, which are also known risk factors for RA in various other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Budlewski
- Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, 92-115 Lodz, Poland
| | - Joanna Sarnik
- Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, 92-115 Lodz, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Galita
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
- Doctoral Study in Molecular Genetics, Cytogenetics and Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-236 Lodz, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Dragan
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
| | - Olga Brzezińska
- Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, 92-115 Lodz, Poland
| | - Marta Popławska
- Biobank, Department of Immunology and Allergy, Medical University of Lodz, 92-213 Lodz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Popławski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
| | - Joanna Makowska
- Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, 92-115 Lodz, Poland
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Lee HJ, Stefan-Lifshitz M, Li CW, Tomer Y. Genetics and epigenetics of autoimmune thyroid diseases: Translational implications. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 2023; 37:101661. [PMID: 35459628 PMCID: PMC9550878 DOI: 10.1016/j.beem.2022.101661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and Graves' disease (GD) are prevalent autoimmune disorders, representing opposite ends of the clinical spectrum of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). The pathogenesis involves a complex interplay between environment and genes. Specific susceptibility genes have been discovered that predispose to AITD, including thyroid-specific and immune-regulatory genes. Growing evidence has revealed that genetic and epigenetic variants can alter autoantigen presentation during the development of immune tolerance, can enhance self-peptide binding to MHC (major histocompatibility complex), and can amplify stimulation of T- and B-cells. These gene-driven mechanistic discoveries lay the groundwork for novel treatment targets. This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of key AITD susceptibility genes (Tg1, TSHR, HLA-DR3, and CD40) and their translational therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna J Lee
- Department of Medicine, The Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Mihaela Stefan-Lifshitz
- Department of Medicine, The Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Cheuk Wun Li
- Department of Medicine, The Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Yaron Tomer
- Department of Medicine, The Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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Cheng T, Wu J, Xu Y, Liu C, Zhang H, Wang M. CD40/TRAF1 decreases synovial cell apoptosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis through JNK/NF-κB pathway. J Bone Miner Metab 2022; 40:819-828. [PMID: 35960381 DOI: 10.1007/s00774-022-01350-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A genome-wide association analysis revealed a rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-risk-associated genetic locus on chromosome 9, which contained the tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 1 (TRAF1). However, the detail mechanism by TRAF1 signaled to fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) apoptosis remains to be fully understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS Synovial tissue of 10 RA patients and osteoarthritis patients were obtained during joint replacement surgery. We investigated TRAF1 level and FLSs apoptosis percentage in vivo and elucidated the mechanism involved in the regulation of apoptotic process in vitro. RESULTS We proved the significant increase of TRAF1 level in FLSs of RA patients and demonstrated that TRAF1 level correlated positively with DAS28 score and negatively with FLSs apoptosis. Treatment with siTRAF1 was able to decrease MMPs levels and the phosphorylated forms of JNK/NF-κB in vitro. Moreover, JNK inhibitor could attenuate expression of MMPs and increase percentage of apoptosis in RA-FLSs, while siTRAF1 could not promote apoptosis when RA-FLSs were pretreated with JNK activator. CONCLUSIONS High levels of TRAF1 in RA synovium play an important role in the synovial hyperplasia of RA by suppressing apoptosis through activating JNK/NF-kB-dependent signaling pathways in response to the engagement of CD40.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Cheng
- Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
| | - Jian Wu
- Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China
| | - Yaozeng Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China
| | - Cuiping Liu
- Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China
| | - Huayong Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Mingjun Wang
- Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
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Yeh MC, Wu BJ, Li Y, Elahy M, Prado-Lourenco L, Sockler J, Lau H, Day RO, Khachigian LM. BT2 Suppresses Human Monocytic-Endothelial Cell Adhesion, Bone Erosion and Inflammation. J Inflamm Res 2021; 14:1019-1028. [PMID: 33790617 PMCID: PMC8001047 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s296676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Inflammation and bone erosion are processes key to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, a systemic autoimmune disease causing progressive disability and pain, impacting around 1.3 million people in the United States alone. However, many patients do not respond sufficiently to existing therapies or benefit is not sustained and alternate therapeutic approaches are lacking. We recently identified the dibenzoxazepinone BT2, which inhibits ERK phosphorylation, from a high-throughput chemical screen and identified its ability to inhibit angiogenesis and vascular leakiness. Methods Here we evaluated BT2 for potential anti-inflammatory activity in in vitro models of human monocytic-endothelial cell adhesion, monocytic cell extravasation and collagen antibody-induced arthritis in mice. Results BT2 inhibits human monocytic cell adhesion to IL-1ß-treated human endothelial cells and inhibits monocytic transendothelial migration toward MCP-1. In mice rendered arthritic, single systemic administration of BT2 prevented footpad swelling, bone destruction and TRAP+ cells in the joints. BT2 suppressed inducible circulating levels of IL-1ß, IL-2 and IL-6 to normal levels without affecting levels of IL-4 or IL-10 among other cytokines. BT2 also inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in arthritic joints. There was no evidence of toxicity following intraperitoneal, gavage or intraarticular administration of BT2. Conclusion BT2 is a novel small molecule inhibitor of joint inflammation, bone erosion, pro-inflammatory cytokine and adhesion molecule expression. This suggests the potential clinical utility of BT2 as a new anti-inflammatory agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Chun Yeh
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Ben J Wu
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Yue Li
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Mina Elahy
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Leonel Prado-Lourenco
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jim Sockler
- Statistical Operations & Programming, Datapharm Australia Pty Ltd, Drummoyne, NSW, 2047, Australia
| | - Herman Lau
- BJC Health, Chatswood, NSW, 2067, Australia
| | - Ric O Day
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Therapeutics Centre, St Vincent's Hospital, UNSW Medicine and Health, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Levon M Khachigian
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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Baricitinib for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Reumatologia 2020; 58:407-415. [PMID: 33456084 PMCID: PMC7792534 DOI: 10.5114/reum.2020.102006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common inflammatory disease with several implications on health, disability and economy. Conventional treatment for RA centers on anti-inflammatory drugs and specific targeting of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Baricitinib is a novel, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, once daily oral drug that is effective in combination with current treatment and results in significantly reduced symptoms with good safety profile. Further studies are required to find rare side effects and evaluate the long term efficacy in disease modulation and patient symptom reduction. This is a comprehensive review of the literature on baricitinib for the treatment of RA. This review provides an update on the pathophysiology, diagnosis and conventional treatment of RA, then proceeds to introduce baricitinib and the data that exists to support or refute its use in RA. The presented study also indicated clinical trials confirming the effectiveness of baricitinib in this indication.
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Transcriptional Regulation of CD40 Expression by 4 Ribosomal Proteins via a Functional SNP on a Disease-Associated CD40 Locus. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11121526. [PMID: 33371207 PMCID: PMC7767238 DOI: 10.3390/genes11121526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously, using FREP-MS, we identified a protein complex including eight proteins that specifically bind to the functional SNP (fSNP) rs6032664 at a CD40 locus associated with autoimmune diseases. Among these eight proteins, four are ribosomal proteins RPL26, RPL4, RPL8, and RPS9 that normally make up the ribosomal subunits involved in the cellular process of protein translation. So far, no publication has shown these ribosomal proteins function as transcriptional regulators. In this work, we demonstrate that four ribosomal proteins: RPL26, RPL4, RPL8, and RPS9 are bona fide CD40 transcriptional regulators via binding to rs6032664. In addition, we show that suppression of CD40 expression by RPL26 RNAi knockdown inactivates NF-κB p65 by dephosphorylation via NF-κB signaling pathway in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), which further reduces the transcription of disease-associated risk genes such as STAT4, CD86, TRAF1 and ICAM1 as the direct targets of NF-κB p65. Based on these findings, a disease-associated risk gene transcriptional regulation network (TRN) is generated, in which decreased expression of, at least, RPL26 results in the downregulation of risk genes: STAT4, CD86, TRAF1 and ICAM1, as well as the two proinflammatory cytokines: IL1β and IL6 via CD40-induced NF-κB signaling. We believe that further characterization of this disease-associated TRN in the CD40-induced NF-κB signaling by identifying both the upstream and downstream regulators will potentially enable us to identify the best targets for drug development.
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Bakheet SA, Alrwashied BS, Ansari MA, Nadeem A, Attia SM, Alanazi MM, Aldossari AA, Assiri MA, Mahmood HM, Al-Mazroua HA, Ahmad SF. CXC chemokine receptor 3 antagonist AMG487 shows potent anti-arthritic effects on collagen-induced arthritis by modifying B cell inflammatory profile. Immunol Lett 2020; 225:74-81. [PMID: 32590119 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2020.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have suggested that chemokine receptors are important mediators of inflammatory response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). B cells are also known to play an important role in RA pathology. C-X-C chemokine receptor type 3 (CXCR3) is considered a potential therapeutic target in different inflammatory diseases; however, the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the potentially protective effect of AMG487, a selective CXCR3 antagonist, in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model. CIA mice were treated with AMG487 (5 mg/kg) every 48 h, from day 21 until day 41. We then investigated the effect of AMG487 on NF-κB p65-, NOS2-, MCP-1-, TNF-α-, IFN-γ, IL-4-, and IL-27-producing CD19+ B cells in the spleen through flow cytometry. We also evaluated the mRNA and protein expression levels of these molecules using RT-PCR and western blotting in the knee tissues. Our results revealed that AMG487-treated mice showed decreased NF-κB p65-, NOS2-, MCP-1-, and TNF-α-, and increased IL-4-, and IL-27-producing CD19+ B cells compared with the control mice. Additionally, AMG487 treatment significantly down regulated NF-κB p65, NOS2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ, and upregulated IL-4 and IL-27 mRNA and protein expression levels compared with the control. Thus, our study shows that AMG487 exerts its anti-arthritic effect by potently downregulating inflammatory B cell signaling. Based on our observations, we propose that AMG487 could serve as a potential novel therapeutic agent for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saleh A Bakheet
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bader S Alrwashied
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mushtaq A Ansari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Nadeem
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sabry M Attia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed M Alanazi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah A Aldossari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed A Assiri
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hafiz M Mahmood
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Haneen A Al-Mazroua
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sheikh F Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Targeting the CD40-CD154 Signaling Pathway for Treatment of Autoimmune Arthritis. Cells 2019; 8:cells8080927. [PMID: 31426619 PMCID: PMC6721639 DOI: 10.3390/cells8080927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Full activation of T lymphocytes requires signals from both T cell receptors and costimulatory molecules. In addition to CD28, several T cell molecules could deliver costimulatory signals, including CD154, which primarily interacts with CD40 on B-cells. CD40 is a critical molecule regulating several B-cell functions, such as antibody production, germinal center formation and cellular proliferation. Upregulated expression of CD40 and CD154 occurs in immune effector cells and non-immune cells in different autoimmune diseases. In addition, therapeutic benefits have been observed by blocking the CD40-CD154 interaction in animals with collagen-induced arthritis. Given the therapeutic success of the biologics abatacept, which blocks CD28 costimulation, and rituximab, which deletes B cells in the treatment of autoimmune arthritis, the inhibition of the CD40-CD154 axis has two advantages, namely, attenuating CD154-mediated T cell costimulation and suppressing CD40-mediated B-cell stimulation. Furthermore, blockade of the CD40-CD154 interaction drives the conversion of CD4+ T cells to regulatory T cells that mediate immunosuppression. Currently, several biological products targeting the CD40-CD154 axis have been developed and are undergoing early phase clinical trials with encouraging success in several autoimmune disorders, including autoimmune arthritis. This review addresses the roles of the CD40-CD154 axis in the pathogenesis of autoimmune arthritis and its potential as a therapeutic target.
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