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Santosh Nirmala S, Kayani K, Gliwiński M, Hu Y, Iwaszkiewicz-Grześ D, Piotrowska-Mieczkowska M, Sakowska J, Tomaszewicz M, Marín Morales JM, Lakshmi K, Marek-Trzonkowska NM, Trzonkowski P, Oo YH, Fuchs A. Beyond FOXP3: a 20-year journey unravelling human regulatory T-cell heterogeneity. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1321228. [PMID: 38283365 PMCID: PMC10811018 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1321228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The initial idea of a distinct group of T-cells responsible for suppressing immune responses was first postulated half a century ago. However, it is only in the last three decades that we have identified what we now term regulatory T-cells (Tregs), and subsequently elucidated and crystallized our understanding of them. Human Tregs have emerged as essential to immune tolerance and the prevention of autoimmune diseases and are typically contemporaneously characterized by their CD3+CD4+CD25high CD127lowFOXP3+ phenotype. It is important to note that FOXP3+ Tregs exhibit substantial diversity in their origin, phenotypic characteristics, and function. Identifying reliable markers is crucial to the accurate identification, quantification, and assessment of Tregs in health and disease, as well as the enrichment and expansion of viable cells for adoptive cell therapy. In our comprehensive review, we address the contributions of various markers identified in the last two decades since the master transcriptional factor FOXP3 was identified in establishing and enriching purity, lineage stability, tissue homing and suppressive proficiency in CD4+ Tregs. Additionally, our review delves into recent breakthroughs in innovative Treg-based therapies, underscoring the significance of distinct markers in their therapeutic utilization. Understanding Treg subsets holds the key to effectively harnessing human Tregs for immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kayani Kayani
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Academic Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Renal Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Mateusz Gliwiński
- Department of Medical Immunology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Yueyuan Hu
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | - Justyna Sakowska
- Department of Medical Immunology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Martyna Tomaszewicz
- Department of Medical Immunology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | | | - Kavitha Lakshmi
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Piotr Trzonkowski
- Department of Medical Immunology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ye Htun Oo
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Liver Transplant and Hepatobiliary Unit, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Advanced Cellular Therapy Facility, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre for Rare Diseases, European Reference Network - Rare Liver Centre, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Anke Fuchs
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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McGettigan SE, Aira LE, Kumar G, Ballet R, Butcher EC, Baumgarth N, Debes GF. Secreted IgM modulates IL-10 expression in B cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:324. [PMID: 38182585 PMCID: PMC10773282 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44382-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
IL-10+ B cells are critical for immune homeostasis and restraining immune responses in infection, cancer, and inflammation; however, the signals that govern IL-10+ B cell differentiation are ill-defined. Here we find that IL-10+ B cells expand in mice lacking secreted IgM ((s)IgM-/-) up to 10-fold relative to wildtype (WT) among all major B cell and regulatory B cell subsets. The IL-10+ B cell increase is polyclonal and presents within 24 hours of birth. In WT mice, sIgM is produced prenatally and limits the expansion of IL-10+ B cells. Lack of the high affinity receptor for sIgM, FcμR, in B cells translates into an intermediate IL-10+ B cell phenotype relative to WT or sIgM-/- mice. Our study thus shows that sIgM regulates IL-10 programming in B cells in part via B cell-expressed FcμR, thereby revealing a function of sIgM in regulating immune homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Eileen McGettigan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Lazaro Emilio Aira
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Gaurav Kumar
- Department of Cancer Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Romain Ballet
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Eugene C Butcher
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nicole Baumgarth
- Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Dept. Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gudrun F Debes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
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Brea D. Post-stroke immunosuppression: Exploring potential implications beyond infections. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:4269-4281. [PMID: 37857561 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and disability. It occurs when cerebral blood flow is disrupted via vascular occlusion or rupture, causing tissue damage. Research has extensively examined the role of the immune response in stroke pathophysiology, focusing on infiltrated immune cells and inflammatory molecules. However, the stroke's impact on immune physiology remains underexplored. While initially stroke triggers the activation of peripheral inflammation, a subsequent profound immunosuppression occurs in a matter of hours/days. This response, potentially shielding the brain from excessive inflammation, significantly affects stroke patients. Beyond rendering patients more susceptible to infections, immunosuppression generates diverse consequences by disrupting immune system functions that are crucial for organ homeostasis. This review explores the effects of immunosuppression on stroke patients, shedding light on potential issues in immune organs such as the spleen and bone marrow, as well as non-immune organs like the small intestine, liver and heart. By synthesizing existing literature and offering additional insights, this manuscript highlights the multifaceted impact of post-stroke immunosuppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Brea
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona (IIBB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científcas (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
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Soylu S, Cherkezzade M, Akbayır E, Yüceer Korkmaz H, Koral G, Şanlı E, Topaloğlu P, Yılmaz V, Tüzün E, Küçükali Cİ. Distribution of peripheral blood mononuclear cell subtypes in patients with West syndrome: Impact of synacthen treatment. Immunol Lett 2023; 261:17-24. [PMID: 37459957 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND West Syndrome (WS) is an epileptic encephalopathy that typically occurs in infants and is characterized by hypsarrhythmia, infantile spasms, and neurodevelopmental impairment. Demonstration of autoantibodies and cytokines in some WS patients and favorable response to immunotherapy have implicated inflammation as a putative trigger of epileptiform activity in WS. Our aim was to provide additional support for altered inflammatory responses in WS through peripheral blood immunophenotype analysis. METHODS Eight WS cases treated with synacthen and 11 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were included. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated and immunophenotyping was performed in pre-treatment baseline (8 patients) and 3 months post-treatment (6 patients) samples. The analysis included PBMC expressing NFκB transcription and NLRP3 inflammasome factors. RESULTS In pre-treatment baseline samples, switched memory B cells (CD19+IgD-CD27+) were significantly reduced, whereas plasma cells (CD19+CD38+CD138+) and cytotoxic T cells (CD3+CD8+) were significantly increased. Regulatory T and B cell ratios were not significantly altered. Synacthen treatment only marginally reduced helper T cell ratios and did not significantly change other T, B, NK and NKT cell and monocyte ratios. CONCLUSIONS Our findings lend further support for the involvement of inflammation-related mechanisms in WS. New-onset WS patients are inclined to display increased plasma cells in the peripheral blood. Synacthen treatment does not show a beneficial effect on most effector acquired and innate immunity subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selen Soylu
- Istanbul University, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Istanbul, Turkey; Istanbul University, Institute of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Minara Cherkezzade
- Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Neurology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ece Akbayır
- Istanbul University, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Istanbul, Turkey; Istanbul University, Institute of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hande Yüceer Korkmaz
- Istanbul University, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Istanbul, Turkey; Istanbul University, Institute of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gizem Koral
- Istanbul University, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Istanbul, Turkey; Istanbul University, Institute of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Elif Şanlı
- Istanbul University, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Istanbul, Turkey; Istanbul University, Institute of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Pınar Topaloğlu
- Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Neurology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Vuslat Yılmaz
- Istanbul University, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Erdem Tüzün
- Istanbul University, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cem İsmail Küçükali
- Istanbul University, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Liu Z, Hollmann C, Kalanidhi S, Grothey A, Keating S, Mena-Palomo I, Lamer S, Schlosser A, Kaiping A, Scheller C, Sotzny F, Horn A, Nürnberger C, Cejka V, Afshar B, Bahmer T, Schreiber S, Vehreschild JJ, Miljukov O, Schäfer C, Kretzler L, Keil T, Reese JP, Eichner FA, Schmidbauer L, Heuschmann PU, Störk S, Morbach C, Riemekasten G, Beyersdorf N, Scheibenbogen C, Naviaux RK, Williams M, Ariza ME, Prusty BK. Increased circulating fibronectin, depletion of natural IgM and heightened EBV, HSV-1 reactivation in ME/CFS and long COVID. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.06.23.23291827. [PMID: 37425897 PMCID: PMC10327231 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.23.23291827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex, debilitating, long-term illness without a diagnostic biomarker. ME/CFS patients share overlapping symptoms with long COVID patients, an observation which has strengthened the infectious origin hypothesis of ME/CFS. However, the exact sequence of events leading to disease development is largely unknown for both clinical conditions. Here we show antibody response to herpesvirus dUTPases, particularly to that of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and HSV-1, increased circulating fibronectin (FN1) levels in serum and depletion of natural IgM against fibronectin ((n)IgM-FN1) are common factors for both severe ME/CFS and long COVID. We provide evidence for herpesvirus dUTPases-mediated alterations in host cell cytoskeleton, mitochondrial dysfunction and OXPHOS. Our data show altered active immune complexes, immunoglobulin-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation as well as adaptive IgM production in ME/CFS patients. Our findings provide mechanistic insight into both ME/CFS and long COVID development. Finding of increased circulating FN1 and depletion of (n)IgM-FN1 as a biomarker for the severity of both ME/CFS and long COVID has an immediate implication in diagnostics and development of treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Liu
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Hollmann
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sharada Kalanidhi
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Arnhild Grothey
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sam Keating
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Irene Mena-Palomo
- Institute for Medical Data Sciences, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg
| | - Stephanie Lamer
- Rudolf Virchow Center, Center for Translational Bioimaging, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Schlosser
- Rudolf Virchow Center, Center for Translational Bioimaging, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Agnes Kaiping
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Carsten Scheller
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Franzeska Sotzny
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna Horn
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Carolin Nürnberger
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Vladimir Cejka
- Department of Clinical Research & Epidemiology, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center and Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Boshra Afshar
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Bahmer
- Internal Medicine Department I, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein UKSH - Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stefan Schreiber
- Internal Medicine Department I, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein UKSH - Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jörg Janne Vehreschild
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Olga Miljukov
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Schäfer
- University Medicine Greifswald, Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Luzie Kretzler
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Keil
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens-Peter Reese
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Felizitas A Eichner
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lena Schmidbauer
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Peter U Heuschmann
- Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Institute for Medical Data Sciences, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg
- Clinical Trial Center, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg
| | - Stefan Störk
- Department of Clinical Research & Epidemiology, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center and Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Caroline Morbach
- Department of Clinical Research & Epidemiology, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center and Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Niklas Beyersdorf
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert K Naviaux
- Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Pathology, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, USA
| | - Marshall Williams
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research (IBMR), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Maria E Ariza
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research (IBMR), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Bhupesh K Prusty
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Dikiy S, Rudensky AY. Principles of regulatory T cell function. Immunity 2023; 56:240-255. [PMID: 36792571 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells represent a distinct lineage of cells of the adaptive immune system indispensable for forestalling fatal autoimmune and inflammatory pathologies. The role of Treg cells as principal guardians of the immune system can be attributed to their ability to restrain all currently recognized major types of inflammatory responses through modulating the activity of a wide range of cells of the innate and adaptive immune system. This broad purview over immunity and inflammation is afforded by the multiple modes of action Treg cells exert upon their diverse molecular and cellular targets. Beyond the suppression of autoimmunity for which they were originally recognized, Treg cells have been implicated in tissue maintenance, repair, and regeneration under physiologic and pathologic conditions. Herein, we discuss the current and emerging understanding of Treg cell effector mechanisms in the context of the basic properties of Treg cells that endow them with such functional versatility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Dikiy
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Ludwig Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Alexander Y Rudensky
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Ludwig Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Hiéronimus L, Huaux F. B-1 cells in immunotoxicology: Mechanisms underlying their response to chemicals and particles. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2023; 5:960861. [PMID: 37143777 PMCID: PMC10151831 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2023.960861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Since their discovery nearly 40 years ago, B-1 cells have continued to challenge the boundaries between innate and adaptive immunity, as well as myeloid and lymphoid functions. This B-cell subset ensures early immunity in neonates before the development of conventional B (B-2) cells and respond to immune injuries throughout life. B-1 cells are multifaceted and serve as natural- and induced-antibody-producing cells, phagocytic cells, antigen-presenting cells, and anti-/pro-inflammatory cytokine-releasing cells. This review retraces the origin of B-1 cells and their different roles in homeostatic and infectious conditions before focusing on pollutants comprising contact-sensitivity-inducing chemicals, endocrine disruptors, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligands, and reactive particles.
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DNA Methylation in Regulatory T Cell Differentiation and Function: Challenges and Opportunities. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12091282. [PMID: 36139121 PMCID: PMC9496199 DOI: 10.3390/biom12091282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
As a bona fide epigenetic marker, DNA methylation has been linked to the differentiation and function of regulatory T (Treg) cells, a subset of CD4 T cells that play an essential role in maintaining immune homeostasis and suppressing autoimmunity and antitumor immune response. DNA methylation undergoes dynamic regulation involving maintenance of preexisting patterns, passive and active demethylation, and de novo methylation. Scattered evidence suggests that these processes control different stages of Treg cell lifespan ranging from lineage induction to cell fate maintenance, suppression of effector T cells and innate immune cells, and transdifferentiation. Despite significant progress, it remains to be fully explored how differential DNA methylation regulates Treg cell fate and immunological function. Here, we review recent progress and discuss the questions and challenges for further understanding the immunological roles and mechanisms of dynamic DNA methylation in controlling Treg cell differentiation and function. We also explore the opportunities that these processes offer to manipulate Treg cell suppressive function for therapeutic purposes by targeting DNA methylation.
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