1
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Rodolfi S, Davidson C, Vecellio M. Regulatory T cells in spondyloarthropathies: genetic evidence, functional role, and therapeutic possibilities. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1303640. [PMID: 38288110 PMCID: PMC10822883 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1303640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a very specialized subset of T lymphocytes: their main function is controlling immune responses during inflammation. T-regs involvement in autoimmune and immune-mediated rheumatic diseases is well-described. Here, we critically review the up-to-date literature findings on the role of Tregs in spondyloarthropathies, particularly in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a polygenic inflammatory rheumatic disease that preferentially affects the spine and the sacroiliac joints. Genetics discoveries helped in elucidating pathogenic T-regs gene modules and functional involvement. We highlight T-regs tissue specificity as crucial point, as T-regs might have a distinct epigenomic and molecular profiling depending on the different site of tissue inflammation. Furthermore, we speculate about possible therapeutic interventions targeting, or enhancing, Treg cells in spondyloarthropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Rodolfi
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Connor Davidson
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo Vecellio
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Centro Ricerche Fondazione Italiana Ricerca Sull’Artrite (FIRA), Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza ONLUS, San Giuliano Terme, Italy
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2
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Trujillo-Ochoa JL, Kazemian M, Afzali B. The role of transcription factors in shaping regulatory T cell identity. Nat Rev Immunol 2023; 23:842-856. [PMID: 37336954 PMCID: PMC10893967 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00893-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Forkhead box protein 3-expressing (FOXP3+) regulatory T cells (Treg cells) suppress conventional T cells and are essential for immunological tolerance. FOXP3, the master transcription factor of Treg cells, controls the expression of multiples genes to guide Treg cell differentiation and function. However, only a small fraction (<10%) of Treg cell-associated genes are directly bound by FOXP3, and FOXP3 alone is insufficient to fully specify the Treg cell programme, indicating a role for other accessory transcription factors operating upstream, downstream and/or concurrently with FOXP3 to direct Treg cell specification and specialized functions. Indeed, the heterogeneity of Treg cells can be at least partially attributed to differential expression of transcription factors that fine-tune their trafficking, survival and functional properties, some of which are niche-specific. In this Review, we discuss the emerging roles of accessory transcription factors in controlling Treg cell identity. We specifically focus on members of the basic helix-loop-helix family (AHR), basic leucine zipper family (BACH2, NFIL3 and BATF), CUT homeobox family (SATB1), zinc-finger domain family (BLIMP1, Ikaros and BCL-11B) and interferon regulatory factor family (IRF4), as well as lineage-defining transcription factors (T-bet, GATA3, RORγt and BCL-6). Understanding the imprinting of Treg cell identity and specialized function will be key to unravelling basic mechanisms of autoimmunity and identifying novel targets for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge L Trujillo-Ochoa
- Immunoregulation Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Majid Kazemian
- Departments of Biochemistry and Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Behdad Afzali
- Immunoregulation Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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3
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Baßler K, Schmidleithner L, Shakiba MH, Elmzzahi T, Köhne M, Floess S, Scholz R, Ohkura N, Sadlon T, Klee K, Neubauer A, Sakaguchi S, Barry SC, Huehn J, Bonaguro L, Ulas T, Beyer M. Identification of the novel FOXP3-dependent T reg cell transcription factor MEOX1 by high-dimensional analysis of human CD4 + T cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1107397. [PMID: 37559728 PMCID: PMC10407399 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1107397] [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: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
CD4+ T cells play a central role in the adaptive immune response through their capacity to activate, support and control other immune cells. Although these cells have become the focus of intense research, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying regulatory networks that orchestrate CD4+ T cell function and activation is still incomplete. Here, we analyzed a large transcriptomic dataset consisting of 48 different human CD4+ T cell conditions. By performing reverse network engineering, we identified six common denominators of CD4+ T cell functionality (CREB1, E2F3, AHR, STAT1, NFAT5 and NFATC3). Moreover, we also analyzed condition-specific genes which led us to the identification of the transcription factor MEOX1 in Treg cells. Expression of MEOX1 was comparable to FOXP3 in Treg cells and can be upregulated by IL-2. Epigenetic analyses revealed a permissive epigenetic landscape for MEOX1 solely in Treg cells. Knockdown of MEOX1 in Treg cells revealed a profound impact on downstream gene expression programs and Treg cell suppressive capacity. These findings in the context of CD4+ T cells contribute to a better understanding of the transcriptional networks and biological mechanisms controlling CD4+ T cell functionality, which opens new avenues for future therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Baßler
- Systems Medicine, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- LIMES-Institute, Laboratory for Genomics and Immunoregulation, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lisa Schmidleithner
- Immunogenomics & Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Tarek Elmzzahi
- Immunogenomics & Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Maren Köhne
- Immunogenomics & Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Stefan Floess
- Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rebekka Scholz
- Immunogenomics & Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Naganari Ohkura
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Timothy Sadlon
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Norwich Centre, North Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Kathrin Klee
- LIMES-Institute, Laboratory for Genomics and Immunoregulation, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anna Neubauer
- Immunogenomics & Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Shimon Sakaguchi
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Simon C. Barry
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Norwich Centre, North Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jochen Huehn
- Experimental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lorenzo Bonaguro
- Systems Medicine, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- LIMES-Institute, Laboratory for Genomics and Immunoregulation, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Ulas
- Systems Medicine, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- LIMES-Institute, Laboratory for Genomics and Immunoregulation, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- PRECISE, Platform for Single Cell Genomics and Epigenomics at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marc Beyer
- Immunogenomics & Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- PRECISE, Platform for Single Cell Genomics and Epigenomics at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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4
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Fayyad-Kazan M, Rouas R, Merimi M, Najar M, Badran B, Lewalle P, Fayyad-Kazan H. Human CD4 +CD25 +CD127 lowFOXP3 + regulatory T lymphocytes and CD4 +CD25 -FOXP3 - conventional T lymphocytes: a differential transcriptome profile. NUCLEOSIDES, NUCLEOTIDES & NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 42:919-929. [PMID: 37246921 DOI: 10.1080/15257770.2023.2216226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
CD4+CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) represent a subpopulation of CD4+ T cells central for the suppression of physiological and pathological immune reactions. Although distinct cell surface antigens are expressed in regulatory T cells, those components are also present on the surface of activated CD4+CD25- FOXP3-T cells, thus making the discrimination between Tregs and conventional CD4+ T difficult and isolation of Tregs complex. Yet, the molecular components driving Tregs' function are still not fully characterized. Aiming at unraveling molecular components specifically marking Tregs, and upon using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) followed by bioinformatics analysis, we identified, in this study, differential transcriptional profiles, in peripheral blood CD4 + CD25 + CD127low FOXP3+ Tregs versus CD4 + CD25-FOXP3- conventional T cells, for set of genes with distinct immunological roles. In conclusion, this study identifies some novel genes that appeared to be differentially transcribed in CD4+ Tregs versus conventional T cells. The identified genes could serve as novel molecular targets relevant to Tregs' function and isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Fayyad-Kazan
- College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, The American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB), Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Redouane Rouas
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Hematology Department, Jules Bordet Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Makram Merimi
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Hematology Department, Jules Bordet Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Genetics and Immune-Cell therapy Unit, LBBES Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohammed Premier, Oujda, Morocco
| | - Mehdi Najar
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Hematology Department, Jules Bordet Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Center (CRCHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Bassam Badran
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Molecular Immunology, Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon
| | - Philippe Lewalle
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Hematology Department, Jules Bordet Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hussein Fayyad-Kazan
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Molecular Immunology, Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon
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5
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Wang B, Zhang Z, Liu W, Tan B. Targeting regulatory T cells in gastric cancer: Pathogenesis, immunotherapy, and prognosis. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 158:114180. [PMID: 36586241 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Despite immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has revolutionized cancer treatment and obtained durable clinical responses, only a fraction of GC patients benefit from it. As an important component of T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a vital role in the pathogenesis of GC, keep a core balance between immune suppression and autoimmunity, and function as predictive biomarkers for prognosis of GC patients. In this review, we discuss the role of Tregs in the pathogenesis of GC, and targeting Tregs via influencing their transcription factor, migration, co-stimulatory receptors, immune checkpoints, and cytokines. We also focus on the currently important findings of Tregs metabolism including amino acid, fatty acid, and lactic acid metabolism of GC. The emerging role of microbiome and clinical combined therapy in modulating Tregs in GC treatment is also summarized. Meanwhile, this review recapitulates a novel regulator, magnesium, is involved in mediating Tregs in GC. These research advances on Treg-related strategies provide new insights and challenges for GC progression, treatment, and prognosis. And we hope our review can stimulate further discovery and implication of mediators and pathways targeting Tregs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingyu Wang
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 050011 Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zaibo Zhang
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 050011 Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Wenbo Liu
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 050011 Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Bibo Tan
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 050011 Shijiazhuang, China.
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6
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Lee FFY, Alper S. Alternative pre-mRNA splicing as a mechanism for terminating Toll-like Receptor signaling. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1023567. [PMID: 36531997 PMCID: PMC9755862 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1023567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
While inflammation induced by Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is required to combat infection, persistent inflammation can damage host tissues and contribute to a myriad of acute and chronic inflammatory disorders. Thus, it is essential not only that TLR signaling be activated in the presence of pathogens but that TLR signaling is ultimately terminated. One mechanism that limits persistent TLR signaling is alternative pre-mRNA splicing. In addition to encoding the canonical mRNAs that produce proteins that promote inflammation, many genes in the TLR signaling pathway also encode alternative mRNAs that produce proteins that are dominant negative inhibitors of signaling. Many of these negative regulators are induced by immune challenge, so production of these alternative isoforms represents a negative feedback loop that limits persistent inflammation. While these alternative splicing events have been investigated on a gene by gene basis, there has been limited systemic analysis of this mechanism that terminates TLR signaling. Here we review what is known about the production of negatively acting alternative isoforms in the TLR signaling pathway including how these inhibitors function, how they are produced, and what role they may play in inflammatory disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Fang Yao Lee
- Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine and Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United States,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz, CO, United States
| | - Scott Alper
- Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine and Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United States,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz, CO, United States,*Correspondence: Scott Alper,
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7
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Inhibition of FOXP3 by stapled alpha-helical peptides dampens regulatory T cell function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2209044119. [PMID: 36227917 PMCID: PMC9586281 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209044119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapies and preclinical probes designed to drug and better understand the specific functions of intracellular protein–protein interactions (PPIs) remain an area of unmet need. This study describes the development of prototype therapeutics against the FOXP3 homodimer, a PPI essential for regulatory T cell suppressive capacity. We demonstrate that hydrocarbon stapled peptides designed to block this interaction can dampen regulatory T cell (Treg cell) suppressive function and lead to genetic signatures of immune reactivation. This work provides strong scientific justification for continued development of FOXP3-specific peptide-based inhibitors and provides mechanistic insights into the design and delivery of specific inhibitors of the coiled-coil region of FOXP3. These studies ultimately could lead to new immunotherapeutic strategies to amplify immune responsiveness in a number of settings. Despite continuing advances in the development of novel cellular-, antibody-, and chemotherapeutic-based strategies to enhance immune reactivity, the presence of regulatory T cells (Treg cells) remains a complicating factor for their clinical efficacy. To overcome dosing limitations and off-target effects from antibody-based Treg cell deletional strategies or small molecule drugging, we investigated the ability of hydrocarbon stapled alpha-helical (SAH) peptides to target FOXP3, the master transcription factor regulator of Treg cell development, maintenance, and suppressive function. Using the crystal structure of the FOXP3 homodimer as a guide, we developed SAHs in the likeness of a portion of the native FOXP3 antiparallel coiled-coil homodimerization domain (SAH-FOXP3) to block this key FOXP3 protein-protein interaction (PPI) through molecular mimicry. We describe the design, synthesis, and biochemical evaluation of single- and double-stapled SAHs covering the entire coiled-coil expanse. We show that lead SAH-FOXP3s bind FOXP3, are cell permeable and nontoxic to T cells, induce dose-dependent transcript and protein level alterations of FOXP3 target genes, impede Treg cell function, and lead to Treg cell gene expression changes in vivo consistent with FOXP3 dysfunction. These results demonstrate a proof of concept for rationally designed FOXP3-directed peptide therapeutics that could be used as approaches to amplify endogenous immune responsiveness.
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8
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Dwivedi M, Tiwari S, Kemp EH, Begum R. Implications of regulatory T cells in anti-cancer immunity: from pathogenesis to therapeutics. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10450. [PMID: 36082331 PMCID: PMC9445387 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an essential role in maintaining immune tolerance and suppressing inflammation. However, Tregs present major hurdle in eliciting potent anti-cancer immune responses. Therefore, curbing the activity of Tregs represents a novel and efficient way towards successful immunotherapy of cancer. Moreover, there is an emerging interest in harnessing Treg-based strategies for augmenting anti-cancer immunity in different types of the disease. This review summarises the crucial mechanisms of Tregs’ mediated suppression of anti-cancer immunity and strategies to suppress or to alter such Tregs to improve the immune response against tumors. Highlighting important clinical studies, the review also describes current Treg-based therapeutic interventions in cancer, and discusses Treg-suppression by molecular targeting, which may emerge as an effective cancer immunotherapy and as an alternative to detrimental chemotherapeutic agents. Tregs are crucial in maintaining immune tolerance and suppressing inflammation. Tregs present a major obstacle to eliciting potent anti-tumor immune responses. The review summarizes current Treg-based therapeutic interventions in cancer. Treg can be an effective cancer immunotherapy target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitesh Dwivedi
- C. G. Bhakta Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Uka Tarsadia University, Tarsadi, Surat, Gujarat, 394350, India
- Corresponding author.
| | - Sanjay Tiwari
- Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Raebareli, Lucknow, 226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - E. Helen Kemp
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - Rasheedunnisa Begum
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, 390 002, Gujarat, India
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9
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Kumagai S, Koyama S, Itahashi K, Tanegashima T, Lin YT, Togashi Y, Kamada T, Irie T, Okumura G, Kono H, Ito D, Fujii R, Watanabe S, Sai A, Fukuoka S, Sugiyama E, Watanabe G, Owari T, Nishinakamura H, Sugiyama D, Maeda Y, Kawazoe A, Yukami H, Chida K, Ohara Y, Yoshida T, Shinno Y, Takeyasu Y, Shirasawa M, Nakama K, Aokage K, Suzuki J, Ishii G, Kuwata T, Sakamoto N, Kawazu M, Ueno T, Mori T, Yamazaki N, Tsuboi M, Yatabe Y, Kinoshita T, Doi T, Shitara K, Mano H, Nishikawa H. Lactic acid promotes PD-1 expression in regulatory T cells in highly glycolytic tumor microenvironments. Cancer Cell 2022; 40:201-218.e9. [PMID: 35090594 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 307] [Impact Index Per Article: 153.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The balance of programmed death-1 (PD-1)-expressing CD8+ T cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) determines the clinical efficacy of PD-1 blockade therapy through the competition of their reactivation. However, factors that determine this balance remain unknown. Here, we show that Treg cells gain higher PD-1 expression than effector T cells in highly glycolytic tumors, including MYC-amplified tumors and liver tumors. Under low-glucose environments via glucose consumption by tumor cells, Treg cells actively absorbed lactic acid (LA) through monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), promoting NFAT1 translocation into the nucleus, thereby enhancing the expression of PD-1, whereas PD-1 expression by effector T cells was dampened. PD-1 blockade invigorated the PD-1-expressing Treg cells, resulting in treatment failure. We propose that LA in the highly glycolytic TME is an active checkpoint for the function of Treg cells in the TME via upregulation of PD-1 expression.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Disease Models, Animal
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Glycolysis
- Humans
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Immune Checkpoint Proteins/metabolism
- Immunophenotyping
- Lactic Acid/metabolism
- Lactic Acid/pharmacology
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Lymphocyte Count
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/metabolism
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/pathology
- Mice
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Prognosis
- Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/antagonists & inhibitors
- Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/genetics
- Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/drug effects
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolism
- Treatment Outcome
- Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects
- Tumor Microenvironment/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Kumagai
- Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan; Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Shohei Koyama
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan; Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Kota Itahashi
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Tokiyoshi Tanegashima
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Yi-Tzu Lin
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan; Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Yosuke Togashi
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Takahiro Kamada
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Takuma Irie
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Genki Okumura
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Kono
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ito
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Rika Fujii
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Sho Watanabe
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Atsuo Sai
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan; Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Shota Fukuoka
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Eri Sugiyama
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Go Watanabe
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Takuya Owari
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Hitomi Nishinakamura
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sugiyama
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Yuka Maeda
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Akihito Kawazoe
- Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Hiroki Yukami
- Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Keigo Chida
- Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Yuuki Ohara
- Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Yoshida
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yuki Shinno
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yuki Takeyasu
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Masayuki Shirasawa
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Kenta Nakama
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Keiju Aokage
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Jun Suzuki
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Genichiro Ishii
- Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kuwata
- Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Naoya Sakamoto
- Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Masahito Kawazu
- Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Toshihide Ueno
- Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Taisuke Mori
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Naoya Yamazaki
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Masahiro Tsuboi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Yasushi Yatabe
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Takahiro Kinoshita
- Department of Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Doi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Kohei Shitara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Mano
- Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045/Chiba 277-8577, Japan; Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
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10
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Maeda Y, Wada H, Sugiyama D, Saito T, Irie T, Itahashi K, Minoura K, Suzuki S, Kojima T, Kakimi K, Nakajima J, Funakoshi T, Iida S, Oka M, Shimamura T, Doi T, Doki Y, Nakayama E, Ueda R, Nishikawa H. Depletion of central memory CD8 + T cells might impede the antitumor therapeutic effect of Mogamulizumab. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7280. [PMID: 34907192 PMCID: PMC8671535 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27574-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells are important negative regulators of immune homeostasis, but in cancers they tone down the anti-tumor immune response. They are distinguished by high expression levels of the chemokine receptor CCR4, hence their targeting by the anti-CCR4 monoclonal antibody mogamulizumab holds therapeutic promise. Here we show that despite a significant reduction in peripheral effector Treg cells, clinical responses are minimal in a cohort of patients with advanced CCR4-negative solid cancer in a phase Ib study (NCT01929486). Comprehensive immune-monitoring reveals that the abundance of CCR4-expressing central memory CD8+ T cells that are known to play roles in the antitumor immune response is reduced. In long survivors, characterised by lower CCR4 expression in their central memory CD8+ T cells possessed and/or NK cells with an exhausted phenotype, cell numbers are eventually maintained. Our study thus shows that mogamulizumab doses that are currently administered to patients in clinical studies may not differentiate between targeting effector Treg cells and central memory CD8+ T cells, and dosage refinement might be necessary to avoid depletion of effector components during immune therapy.
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MESH Headings
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/drug effects
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Female
- Humans
- Immunotherapy
- Killer Cells, Natural/drug effects
- Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism
- Male
- Memory T Cells/drug effects
- Middle Aged
- Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Neoplasms/immunology
- Receptors, CCR4/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, CCR4/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/drug effects
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolism
- Treatment Outcome
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Grants
- Research Activity Start-up grant no. 15H06878, for Young Scientists (B) grant no. 17K15738 from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.the Projects for Cancer Research by Therapeutic Evolution [P-CREATE, no. 17cm0106322h0002]
- Scientific Research (B) grant no. 19H03729 from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.
- the Development of Technology for Patient Stratification Biomarker Discovery grant [no.19ae0101074s0401] from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
- Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) grant no. 17H06162, for Challenging Exploratory Research grant no. 16K15551, from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; the Projects for Cancer Research by Therapeutic Evolution [P-CREATE, no. 16cm0106301h0001, the Development of Technology for Patient Stratification Biomarker Discovery grant [no.19ae0101074s0401] from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), the National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund [no. 28-A-7 and 31-A-7]
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Maeda
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo, 104-0045/Chiba, 277-8577, Japan
| | - Hisashi Wada
- Department of Clinical Research in Tumor Immunology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Sugiyama
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Takuro Saito
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takuma Irie
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo, 104-0045/Chiba, 277-8577, Japan
| | - Kota Itahashi
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo, 104-0045/Chiba, 277-8577, Japan
| | - Kodai Minoura
- Department of Systems Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Susumu Suzuki
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Aichi Medical University, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan
| | - Takashi Kojima
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Kakimi
- Department of Immunotherapeutics, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Jun Nakajima
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Takeru Funakoshi
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Iida
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya City University Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya, 467-8601, Japan
| | - Mikio Oka
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama 701-0192, Japan
| | - Teppei Shimamura
- Department of Systems Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Doi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Doki
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Eiichi Nakayama
- Faculty of Health and Welfare, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Okayama, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Ryuzo Ueda
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Aichi Medical University, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan.
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Tokyo, 104-0045/Chiba, 277-8577, Japan.
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
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11
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Shahin T, Kuehn HS, Shoeb MR, Gawriyski L, Giuliani S, Repiscak P, Hoeger B, Yüce Petronczki Ö, Bal SK, Zoghi S, Dmytrus J, Seruggia D, Castanon I, Rezaei N, Varjosalo M, Halbritter F, Rosenzweig SD, Boztug K. Germline biallelic mutation affecting the transcription factor Helios causes pleiotropic defects of immunity. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:eabe3981. [PMID: 34826259 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abe3981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Tala Shahin
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Vienna, Austria.,CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hye Sun Kuehn
- Immunology Service, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Mohamed R Shoeb
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Gawriyski
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, Proteomics Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sarah Giuliani
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Repiscak
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Birgit Hoeger
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Vienna, Austria
| | - Özlem Yüce Petronczki
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sevgi Köstel Bal
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Vienna, Austria
| | - Samaneh Zoghi
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jasmin Dmytrus
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Vienna, Austria
| | - Davide Seruggia
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Irinka Castanon
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Markku Varjosalo
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, Proteomics Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Sergio D Rosenzweig
- Immunology Service, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Kaan Boztug
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Vienna, Austria.,CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,St. Anna Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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12
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Lam AJ, Lin DTS, Gillies JK, Uday P, Pesenacker AM, Kobor MS, Levings MK. Optimized CRISPR-mediated gene knockin reveals FOXP3-independent maintenance of human Treg identity. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109494. [PMID: 34348163 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cell (Treg) therapy is a promising curative approach for a variety of immune-mediated conditions. CRISPR-based genome editing allows precise insertion of transgenes through homology-directed repair, but its use in human Tregs has been limited. We report an optimized protocol for CRISPR-mediated gene knockin in human Tregs with high-yield expansion. To establish a benchmark of human Treg dysfunction, we target the master transcription factor FOXP3 in naive and memory Tregs. Although FOXP3-ablated Tregs upregulate cytokine expression, effects on suppressive capacity in vitro manifest slowly and primarily in memory Tregs. Moreover, FOXP3-ablated Tregs retain their characteristic protein, transcriptional, and DNA methylation profile. Instead, FOXP3 maintains DNA methylation at regions enriched for AP-1 binding sites. Thus, although FOXP3 is important for human Treg development, it has a limited role in maintaining mature Treg identity. Optimized gene knockin with human Tregs will enable mechanistic studies and the development of tailored, next-generation Treg cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery J Lam
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - David T S Lin
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada
| | - Jana K Gillies
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Prakruti Uday
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Anne M Pesenacker
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada
| | - Megan K Levings
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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13
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Xiong L, Dean JW, Fu Z, Oliff KN, Bostick JW, Ye J, Chen ZE, Mühlbauer M, Zhou L. Ahr-Foxp3-RORγt axis controls gut homing of CD4 + T cells by regulating GPR15. Sci Immunol 2021; 5:5/48/eaaz7277. [PMID: 32532834 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aaz7277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The orphan chemoattractant receptor GPR15 is important for homing T lymphocytes to the large intestine, thereby maintaining intestinal immune homeostasis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of GPR15 expression remain elusive. Here, we show a central role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) in promoting GPR15 expression in both mice and human, thus gut homing of T lymphocytes. Mechanistically, Ahr directly binds to open chromatin regions of the Gpr15 locus to enhance its expression. Ahr transcriptional activity in directing GPR15 expression was modulated by two transcription factors, Foxp3 and RORγt, both of which are expressed preferentially by gut regulatory T cells (Tregs) in vivo. Specifically, Foxp3 interacted with Ahr and enhanced Ahr DNA binding at the Gpr15 locus, thereby promoting GPR15 expression. In contrast, RORγt plays an inhibitory role, at least in part, by competing with Ahr binding to the Gpr15 locus. Our findings thus demonstrate a key role for Ahr in regulating Treg intestinal homing under the steady state and during inflammation and the importance of Ahr-RORγt-Foxp3 axis in regulating gut homing receptor GPR15 expression by lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifeng Xiong
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Joseph W Dean
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Zheng Fu
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Kristen N Oliff
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - John W Bostick
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Jian Ye
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Zongming E Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Marcus Mühlbauer
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Liang Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.
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14
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Brown CY, Sadlon T, Hope CM, Wong YY, Wong S, Liu N, Withers H, Brown K, Bandara V, Gundsambuu B, Pederson S, Breen J, Robertson SA, Forrest A, Beyer M, Barry SC. Molecular Insights Into Regulatory T-Cell Adaptation to Self, Environment, and Host Tissues: Plasticity or Loss of Function in Autoimmune Disease. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1269. [PMID: 33072063 PMCID: PMC7533603 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been much interest in the ability of regulatory T cells (Treg) to switch function in vivo, either as a result of genetic risk of disease or in response to environmental and metabolic cues. The relationship between levels of FOXP3 and functional fitness plays a significant part in this plasticity. There is an emerging role for Treg in tissue repair that may be less dependent on FOXP3, and the molecular mechanisms underpinning this are not fully understood. As a result of detailed, high-resolution functional genomics, the gene regulatory networks and key functional mediators of Treg phenotype downstream of FOXP3 have been mapped, enabling a mechanistic insight into Treg function. This transcription factor-driven programming of T-cell function to generate Treg requires the switching on and off of key genes that form part of the Treg gene regulatory network and raises the possibility that this is reversible. It is plausible that subtle shifts in expression levels of specific genes, including transcription factors and non-coding RNAs, change the regulation of the Treg gene network. The subtle skewing of gene expression initiates changes in function, with the potential to promote chronic disease and/or to license appropriate inflammatory responses. In the case of autoimmunity, there is an underlying genetic risk, and the interplay of genetic and environmental cues is complex and impacts gene regulation networks frequently involving promoters and enhancers, the regulatory elements that control gene expression levels and responsiveness. These promoter–enhancer interactions can operate over long distances and are highly cell type specific. In autoimmunity, the genetic risk can result in changes in these enhancer/promoter interactions, and this mainly impacts genes which are expressed in T cells and hence impacts Treg/conventional T-cell (Tconv) function. Genetic risk may cause the subtle alterations to the responsiveness of gene regulatory networks which are controlled by or control FOXP3 and its target genes, and the application of assays of the 3D organization of chromatin, enabling the connection of non-coding regulatory regions to the genes they control, is revealing the direct impact of environmental/metabolic/genetic risk on T-cell function and is providing mechanistic insight into susceptibility to inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl Y Brown
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Timothy Sadlon
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Women's and Children's Health Network, North Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - Ying Y Wong
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Soon Wong
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ning Liu
- Bioinformatics Hub, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Holly Withers
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Katherine Brown
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Veronika Bandara
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Batjargal Gundsambuu
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Stephen Pederson
- Bioinformatics Hub, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - James Breen
- Bioinformatics Hub, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Sarah Anne Robertson
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Alistair Forrest
- QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Marc Beyer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Simon Charles Barry
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Women's and Children's Health Network, North Adelaide, SA, Australia
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15
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Tanaka A, Nishikawa H, Noguchi S, Sugiyama D, Morikawa H, Takeuchi Y, Ha D, Shigeta N, Kitawaki T, Maeda Y, Saito T, Shinohara Y, Kameoka Y, Iwaisako K, Monma F, Ohishi K, Karbach J, Jäger E, Sawada K, Katayama N, Takahashi N, Sakaguchi S. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib augments tumor immunity by depleting effector regulatory T cells. J Exp Med 2020; 217:jem.20191009. [PMID: 31704808 PMCID: PMC7041710 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20191009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
As a novel type of anticancer reagent, imatinib inhibits not only BCR-ABL oncogenic protein but also LCK in T cells as an off-target, being able to selectively deplete mature T reg cells and thereby evoke effective immune responses to various cancers. This report addresses whether small molecules can deplete FoxP3-expressing regulatory T (T reg) cells, thereby augmenting antitumor immunity. Imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of oncogenic BCR-ABL protein expressed by chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells, possesses off-targets including LCK expressed in T cells. We showed that imatinib-treated CML patients in complete molecular remission (CMR) exhibited selective depletion of effector T reg (eT reg) cells and significant increase in effector/memory CD8+ T cells while non-CMR patients did not. Imatinib at CML-therapeutic concentrations indeed induced apoptosis specifically in eT reg cells and expanded tumor antigen–specific CD8+ T cells in vitro in healthy individuals and melanoma patients, and suppressed colon tumor growth in vivo in mice. Mechanistically, because of FoxP3-dependent much lower expression of LCK and ZAP-70 in T reg cells compared with other T cells, imatinib inhibition of LCK further reduced their TCR signal intensity, rendering them selectively susceptible to signal-deprived apoptotis. Taken together, eT reg cell depletion by imatinib is instrumental in evoking effective immune responses to various cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Tanaka
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Noguchi
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Hematology, Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sugiyama
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Morikawa
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Takeuchi
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Danbee Ha
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Naoya Shigeta
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshio Kitawaki
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuka Maeda
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takuro Saito
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Shinohara
- Department of Hematology, Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kameoka
- Department of Hematology, Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Keiko Iwaisako
- Department of Target Therapy Oncology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Monma
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie, Japan
| | - Kohshi Ohishi
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie, Japan
| | - Julia Karbach
- Hämatologie-Onkologie Krankenhaus Nordwest, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Elke Jäger
- Hämatologie-Onkologie Krankenhaus Nordwest, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Kenichi Sawada
- Department of Hematology, Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Katayama
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie, Japan
| | - Naoto Takahashi
- Department of Hematology, Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Shimon Sakaguchi
- Experimental Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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16
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Hou J, Sun Y. Role of Regulatory T Cells in Disturbed Immune Homeostasis in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Front Immunol 2020; 11:723. [PMID: 32411140 PMCID: PMC7198877 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex chronic disease in which T cell-mediated pulmonary inflammation has been shown to play a key role. Accumulating evidence shows that COPD has many of the characteristics of an autoimmune response. An adaptive immune response directed against lung self-antigens, which are released during the initial innate inflammatory response and are triggered by constant exposure to cigarette smoke and epithelial injury, drives the persistent inflammatory response found in smokers. The development and severity of adaptive inflammation depend on the level of tolerance to self-antigens. For these reasons, the effect of regulatory T (Treg) cells on adaptive immunity in COPD patients is of particular interest and could be targeted therapeutically. The disturbance in immune homeostasis caused by changes in the number or function of Treg cells, which is related to cigarette smoke exposure, may be of importance in understanding the development and progression of COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Hou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China
| | - Yongchang Sun
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
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17
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Wu Y, Chang YM, Stell AJ, Priestnall SL, Sharma E, Goulart MR, Gribben J, Xia D, Garden OA. Phenotypic characterisation of regulatory T cells in dogs reveals signature transcripts conserved in humans and mice. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13478. [PMID: 31530890 PMCID: PMC6748983 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50065-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a double-edged regulator of the immune system. Aberrations of Tregs correlate with pathogenesis of inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic disorders. Phenotypically and functionally distinct subsets of Tregs have been identified in humans and mice on the basis of their extensive portfolios of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against Treg surface antigens. As an important veterinary species, dogs are increasingly recognised as an excellent model for many human diseases. However, insightful study of canine Tregs has been restrained by the limited availability of mAb. We therefore set out to characterise CD4+CD25high T cells isolated ex vivo from healthy dogs and showed that they possess a regulatory phenotype, function, and transcriptomic signature that resembles those of human and murine Tregs. By launching a cross-species comparison, we unveiled a conserved transcriptomic signature of Tregs and identified that transcript hip1 may have implications in Treg function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wu
- Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Eshita Sharma
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michelle R Goulart
- Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - John Gribben
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Dong Xia
- Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
| | - Oliver A Garden
- Royal Veterinary College, London, UK.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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18
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Lee SY, Fazlina N, Tye GJ. DNA-templated silver nanocluster for live-intracellular FOXP3 detection. Anal Biochem 2019; 581:113352. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2019.113352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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19
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Gene expression profile of human T cells following a single stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with anti-CD3 antibodies. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:593. [PMID: 31324145 PMCID: PMC6642599 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5967-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Anti-CD3 immunotherapy was initially approved for clinical use for renal transplantation rejection prevention. Subsequently, new generations of anti-CD3 antibodies have entered clinical trials for a broader spectrum of therapeutic applications, including cancer and autoimmune diseases. Despite their extensive use, little is known about the exact mechanism of these molecules, except that they are able to activate T cells, inducing an overall immunoregulatory and tolerogenic behavior. To better understand the effects of anti-CD3 antibodies on human T cells, PBMCs were stimulated, and then, we performed RNA-seq assays of enriched T cells to assess changes in their gene expression profiles. In this study, three different anti-CD3 antibodies were used for the stimulation: two recombinant antibody fragments, namely, a humanized and a chimeric FvFc molecule, and the prototype mouse mAb OKT3. Results Gene Ontology categories and individual immunoregulatory markers were compared, suggesting a similarity in modulated gene sets, mainly those for immunoregulatory and inflammatory terms. Upregulation of interleukin receptors, such as IL2RA, IL1R, IL12RB2, IL18R1, IL21R and IL23R, and of inhibitory molecules, such as FOXP3, CTLA4, TNFRSF18, LAG3 and PDCD1, were also observed, suggesting an inhibitory and exhausted phenotype. Conclusions We used a deep transcriptome sequencing method for comparing three anti-CD3 antibodies in terms of Gene Ontology enrichment and immunological marker expression. The present data showed that both recombinant antibodies induced a compatible expression profile, suggesting that they might be candidates for a closer evaluation with respect to their therapeutic value. Moreover, the proposed methodology is amenable to be more generally applied for molecular comparison of cell receptor dependent antibody therapy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5967-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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20
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Regulatory T cells in cancer immunosuppression - implications for anticancer therapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2019; 16:356-371. [PMID: 30705439 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-019-0175-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 834] [Impact Index Per Article: 166.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells, an immunosuppressive subset of CD4+ T cells characterized by the expression of the master transcription factor forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3), are a component of the immune system with essential roles in maintaining self-tolerance. In addition, Treg cells can suppress anticancer immunity, thereby hindering protective immunosurveillance of neoplasia and hampering effective antitumour immune responses in tumour-bearing hosts, thus promoting tumour development and progression. Identification of the factors that are specifically expressed in Treg cells and/or that influence Treg cell homeostasis and function is important to understanding cancer pathogenesis and to identifying therapeutic targets. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have provided a paradigm shift in the treatment of cancer. Most immune-checkpoint molecules are expressed in Treg cells, but the effects of ICIs on Treg cells, and thus the contributions of these cells to treatment responses, remain unclear. Notably, evidence indicates that ICIs targeting programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) might enhance the immunosuppressive function of Treg cells, whereas cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors might deplete these cells. Thus, although manipulation of Treg cells is a promising anticancer therapeutic strategy, approaches to controlling these cells require further research. Herein, we discuss novel insights into the roles of Treg cells in cancer, which can hopefully be used to develop Treg cell-targeted therapies and facilitate immune precision medicine.
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21
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Sekiya T, Takaki S. RGMB enhances the suppressive activity of the monomeric secreted form of CTLA-4. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6984. [PMID: 31061392 PMCID: PMC6502797 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43068-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunoregulatory molecule CTLA-4 plays a crucial role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. CTLA-4-neutralizing antibodies are now approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma, and are in development for treating other cancers as well. However, a thorough understanding of CTLA-4 function at the molecular level is necessary in order to develop strategies to prevent the unintended autoimmunity that is frequently associated with systemic blockade of CTLA-4 activity. Here, we describe an extracellular molecule, repulsive guidance molecule B (RGMB) as a novel binding partner of CTLA-4. RGMB expression was detected at high levels in dendritic cell subsets that have been suggested to have tolerogenic capabilities. RGMB binds an extracellular domain of CTLA-4, and specifically strengthens the binding of the monomeric, soluble form of CTLA-4 (sCTLA-4) to CD80, enhancing CTLA-4's suppressive effect on co-stimulation. Examination of expression data from tumor tissues revealed a negative correlation between RGMB expression and immune activation status in the majority of non-hematologic tumor tissues. These findings advance our understanding of CTLA-4 activity, as well as identify the RGMB/CTLA-4 binding interface as a potential target for the development of novel immune checkpoint blockade therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Sekiya
- Section of Immune Response Modification, The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-7-1 Kohnodai, Ichikawa, Chiba, 272-8516, Japan.
- Department of Immune Regulation, The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-7-1 Kohnodai, Ichikawa, Chiba, 272-8516, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Takaki
- Department of Immune Regulation, The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-7-1 Kohnodai, Ichikawa, Chiba, 272-8516, Japan
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22
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Herzog RW, Kuteyeva V, Saboungi R, Terhorst C, Biswas M. Reprogrammed CD4 + T Cells That Express FoxP3 + Control Inhibitory Antibody Formation in Hemophilia A Mice. Front Immunol 2019; 10:274. [PMID: 30842776 PMCID: PMC6391332 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Coagulation Factor VIII (FVIII) replacement therapy in hemophilia A patients is complicated by the development of inhibitory antibodies, which often render the treatment ineffective. Previous studies demonstrated a strong correlation between induction of regulatory T cells (Treg) and tolerance to the therapeutic protein. We, therefore, set out to evaluate whether the adoptive transfer of FVIII-specific CD4+ Treg cells prevents inhibitor response to FVIII protein therapy. To this end, we first retrovirally transduced FoxP3+ into FVIII-specific CD4+ cells, which resulted in cells that stably express FoxP3, are phenotypically similar to peripherally induced Tregs and are antigen specific suppressors, as judged by in vitro assays. Upon transfer of the FVIII-specific CD4+ FoxP3+ cells into hemophilia A mice, development of inhibitory antibodies in response to administering FVIII protein was completely suppressed. Suppression was extended for 2 months, even after transferred cells were no longer detectable in the secondary lymphoid organs of recipient animals. Upon co-transfer of FoxP3+-transduced cells with the B cell depleting anti-CD20 into mice with pre-existing inhibitory antibodies to FVIII, the escalation of inhibitory antibody titers in response to subsequent FVIII protein therapy was dramatically reduced. We conclude that reprogramed FoxP3 expressing cells are capable of inducing the in vivo conversion of endogenous FVIII peripheral Tregs, which results in sustained suppression of FVIII inhibitors caused by replacement therapy in recipient hemophilia A animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland W. Herzog
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Veronica Kuteyeva
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Rania Saboungi
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Cox Terhorst
- Division of Immunology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Moanaro Biswas
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States,*Correspondence: Moanaro Biswas
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23
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Brill L, Lavon I, Vaknin-Dembinsky A. Foxp3+ regulatory T cells expression in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019; 30:114-118. [PMID: 30771576 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2019.01.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alterations in the frequency or function of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which play a critical role in the maintenance of peripheral immune tolerance, are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases. Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are autoimmune inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), of which the etiology and mechanisms underlying its development are not completely understood. Although there is increasing evidence for the involvement of effector T cells in NMOSD, no data are available regarding the role of Tregs in its pathogenesis. AIM The aim of this study was to investigate the mRNA expression level of regulatory T cell genes in NMOSD. METHODS We used gene expression array and RT-PCR analysis to study Treg cell genes in NMOSD RESULTS: A distinctive Treg gene signature in the peripheral blood of NMOSD patients is described, as well as significantly decreased FoxP3 mRNA expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the patients vs that in the healthy controls (HCs) (NMOSD,1.8RQ vs HC, 6.8RQ, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The present study shows downregulation at the mRNA expression level of a Treg key transcription factor FoxP3, in NMOSD. Exploration of Tregs function and interconnections in the peripheral immune system should advance our understanding of NMOSD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livnat Brill
- Department of Neurology and the Multiple Sclerosis Center, the Agnes-Ginges Center for Neurogenetics, Hadassah- Medical Center, Hebrew University, Ein Karem, P.O.B. 12000, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Iris Lavon
- Department of Neurology and the Multiple Sclerosis Center, the Agnes-Ginges Center for Neurogenetics, Hadassah- Medical Center, Hebrew University, Ein Karem, P.O.B. 12000, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; Leslie and Michael Center for Neuro-oncology, Hadassah- Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Vaknin-Dembinsky
- Department of Neurology and the Multiple Sclerosis Center, the Agnes-Ginges Center for Neurogenetics, Hadassah- Medical Center, Hebrew University, Ein Karem, P.O.B. 12000, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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24
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Huang KW, Wu MK, Hung YY. Elevated TNIP3 mRNA Expression in TNF-α-Secreting Cells from Patients with Major Depressive Disorder. Neuroimmunomodulation 2019; 26:153-158. [PMID: 31307045 DOI: 10.1159/000501083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, in particular tumor necrotic factor alpha (TNF-α), and abnormalities in negative regulation in Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways are associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). Previous research by our group disclosed lower expression of TNF-α-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3), one of the negative regulators of the TLR4 signaling pathway, in depressive patients than in healthy controls. METHODS In this study, we assessed the mRNA levels of TNFAIP3, TNFAIP3-interacting proteins (TNIP), including TNIP1, TNIP2, and TNIP3, and TNFAIP3-like proteins, such as cezanne1, cezanne2, trabid, and VCIP135, in TNF-α-secreting cells and examined their association with severity of depression using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) scores from 30 MDD patients and 30 healthy controls. Twenty-six patients received a second assessment after treatment with antidepressants for 4 weeks. RESULTS TNF-α-secreting cells displayed higher TNIP3 mRNA expression in MDD patients than in healthy controls before treatment, which was marginally decreased after antidepressant treatment. In addition, the TNIP2 level could be effectively applied to predict changes in HAMD scores after linear regression analysis. CONCLUSION Our collective findings suggest that molecules associated with negative regulation of innate immunity are aberrantly expressed in patients with MDD and present potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Wei Huang
- Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Kung Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Yung Hung
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan,
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25
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Wang J, Ferreira R, Lu W, Farrow S, Downes K, Jermutus L, Minter R, Al-Lamki RS, Pober JS, Bradley JR. TNFR2 ligation in human T regulatory cells enhances IL2-induced cell proliferation through the non-canonical NF-κB pathway. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12079. [PMID: 30104686 PMCID: PMC6089958 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30621-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Human T regulatory cells (T regs) express high levels of TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2). Ligation of TNFR2 with TNF, which can recognise both TNFR1 and TNFR2, or with a TNFR2-selective binding molecule, DARPin 18 (D18) activates canonical NF-κB signalling, assessed by IκBα degradation, and the magnitude of the response correlates with the level of TNFR2 expression. RNA-seq analysis of TNF- or D18-treated human T regs revealed that TNFR2 ligation induces transcription of NFKB2 and RELB, encoding proteins that form the non-canonical NF-κB transcription factor. In combination with IL2, D18 treatment is specific for T regs in (1) stabilising NF-κB-inducing kinase protein, the activator of non-canonical NF-κB signalling, (2) inducing translocation of RelB from cytosol to nucleus, (3) increasing cell cycle entry, and (4) increasing cell numbers. However, the regulatory function of the expanded T regs is unaltered. Inhibition of RelB nuclear translocation blocks the proliferative response. We conclude that ligation of TNFR2 by D18 enhances IL2-induced T regs proliferation and expansion in cell number through the non-canonical NF-κB pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wang
- Department of Medicine, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Ricardo Ferreira
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Wanhua Lu
- Department of Medicine, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Samatha Farrow
- Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kate Downes
- Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lutz Jermutus
- MedImmune Ltd., Granta Park, Cambridge, CB21 6GH, UK
| | - Ralph Minter
- MedImmune Ltd., Granta Park, Cambridge, CB21 6GH, UK
| | - Rafia S Al-Lamki
- Department of Medicine, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jordan S Pober
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - John R Bradley
- Department of Medicine, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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26
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Time-resolved transcriptome and proteome landscape of human regulatory T cell (Treg) differentiation reveals novel regulators of FOXP3. BMC Biol 2018; 16:47. [PMID: 29730990 PMCID: PMC5937035 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0518-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Regulatory T cells (Tregs) expressing the transcription factor FOXP3 are crucial mediators of self-tolerance, preventing autoimmune diseases but possibly hampering tumor rejection. Clinical manipulation of Tregs is of great interest, and first-in-man trials of Treg transfer have achieved promising outcomes. Yet, the mechanisms governing induced Treg (iTreg) differentiation and the regulation of FOXP3 are incompletely understood. Results To gain a comprehensive and unbiased molecular understanding of FOXP3 induction, we performed time-series RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and proteomics profiling on the same samples during human iTreg differentiation. To enable the broad analysis of universal FOXP3-inducing pathways, we used five differentiation protocols in parallel. Integrative analysis of the transcriptome and proteome confirmed involvement of specific molecular processes, as well as overlap of a novel iTreg subnetwork with known Treg regulators and autoimmunity-associated genes. Importantly, we propose 37 novel molecules putatively involved in iTreg differentiation. Their relevance was validated by a targeted shRNA screen confirming a functional role in FOXP3 induction, discriminant analyses classifying iTregs accordingly, and comparable expression in an independent novel iTreg RNA-Seq dataset. Conclusion The data generated by this novel approach facilitates understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying iTreg generation as well as of the concomitant changes in the transcriptome and proteome. Our results provide a reference map exploitable for future discovery of markers and drug candidates governing control of Tregs, which has important implications for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-018-0518-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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27
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Magg T, Wiebking V, Conca R, Krebs S, Arens S, Schmid I, Klein C, Albert MH, Hauck F. IPEX due to an exon 7 skipping FOXP3 mutation with autoimmune diabetes mellitus cured by selective T Reg cell engraftment. Clin Immunol 2018; 191:52-58. [PMID: 29567430 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) syndrome is a rare inherited disorder leading to severe organ-specific autoimmunity. IPEX is caused by hemizygous mutations in FOXP3, which codes for a master transcription factor of regulatory T (TReg) cell development and function. We describe a four-year-old boy with typical but slightly delayed-onset of IPEX with autoimmune diabetes mellitus, enteropathy, hepatitis and skin disease. We found the unreported FOXP3 splice site mutation c.816+2T>A that leads to the loss of leucine-zipper coding exon 7. RNA-Seq revealed that FOXP3Δ7 leads to differential expression of FOXP3 regulated genes. After myeloablative conditioning the patient underwent allogeneic HSCT from a matched unrelated donor. HSCT led to the resolution of all IPEX symptoms including insulin requirement despite persisting autoantibody levels. After initial full donor engraftment nearly complete autologous reconstitution was documented, but donor-derived TReg cells persisted with a lineage-specific chimerism of >70% and the patient remained in clinical remission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Magg
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Immunology, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Volker Wiebking
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Immunology, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Raffaele Conca
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Immunology, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Arens
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital, Klinikum Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Irene Schmid
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Immunology, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph Klein
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Immunology, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael H Albert
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Immunology, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Fabian Hauck
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Immunology, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
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28
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Donnelly C, Dykstra B, Mondal N, Huang J, Kaskow BJ, Griffin R, Sackstein R, Baecher-Allan C. Optimizing human Treg immunotherapy by Treg subset selection and E-selectin ligand expression. Sci Rep 2018; 8:420. [PMID: 29323143 PMCID: PMC5765004 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17981-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
While human Tregs hold immense promise for immunotherapy, their biologic variability poses challenges for clinical use. Here, we examined clinically-relevant activities of defined subsets of freshly-isolated and culture-expanded human PBMC-derived Tregs. Unlike highly suppressive but plastic memory Tregs (memTreg), naïve Tregs (nvTreg) exhibited the greatest proliferation, suppressive capacity after stimulation, and Treg lineage fidelity. Yet, unlike memTregs, nvTregs lack Fucosyltransferase VII and display low sLeX expression, with concomitant poor homing capacity. In vitro nvTreg expansion augmented their suppressive function, but did not alter the nvTreg sLeX-l°w glycome. However, exofucosylation of the nvTreg surface yielded high sLeX expression, promoting endothelial adhesion and enhanced inhibition of xenogeneic aGVHD. These data indicate that the immature Treg glycome is under unique regulation and that adult PBMCs can be an ideal source of autologous-derived therapeutic Tregs, provided that subset selection and glycan engineering are engaged to optimize both their immunomodulation and tropism for inflammatory sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor Donnelly
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Program of Excellence in Glycosciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Brad Dykstra
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Program of Excellence in Glycosciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Platelet Biogenesis, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nandini Mondal
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Program of Excellence in Glycosciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Junning Huang
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Disease, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Belinda J Kaskow
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Disease, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Russell Griffin
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Robert Sackstein
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Program of Excellence in Glycosciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Clare Baecher-Allan
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Disease, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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29
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The Secrets of T Cell Polarization. Oncoimmunology 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-62431-0_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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30
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Kasheta M, Painter CA, Moore FE, Lobbardi R, Bryll A, Freiman E, Stachura D, Rogers AB, Houvras Y, Langenau DM, Ceol CJ. Identification and characterization of T reg-like cells in zebrafish. J Exp Med 2017; 214:3519-3530. [PMID: 29066577 PMCID: PMC5716030 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20162084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Kasheta et al. report the identification of T reg–like cells in zebrafish, a means to track and live-image these cells, and foxp3a-deficient mutants that display lymphoproliferation, severe inflammation, and other hallmarks of T reg deficiency syndromes. Regulatory T (T reg) cells are a specialized sublineage of T lymphocytes that suppress autoreactive T cells. Functional studies of T reg cells in vitro have defined multiple suppression mechanisms, and studies of T reg–deficient humans and mice have made clear the important role that these cells play in preventing autoimmunity. However, many questions remain about how T reg cells act in vivo. Specifically, it is not clear which suppression mechanisms are most important, where T reg cells act, and how they get there. To begin to address these issues, we sought to identify T reg cells in zebrafish, a model system that provides unparalleled advantages in live-cell imaging and high-throughput genetic analyses. Using a FOXP3 orthologue as a marker, we identified CD4-enriched, mature T lymphocytes with properties of T reg cells. Zebrafish mutant for foxp3a displayed excess T lymphocytes, splenomegaly, and a profound inflammatory phenotype that was suppressed by genetic ablation of lymphocytes. This study identifies T reg–like cells in zebrafish, providing both a model to study the normal functions of these cells in vivo and mutants to explore the consequences of their loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Kasheta
- Program in Molecular Medicine and Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Corrie A Painter
- Program in Molecular Medicine and Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Finola E Moore
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA.,Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA.,Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA
| | - Riadh Lobbardi
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA.,Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA.,Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA
| | - Alysia Bryll
- Program in Molecular Medicine and Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Eli Freiman
- Program in Molecular Medicine and Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - David Stachura
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Chico, CA
| | - Arlin B Rogers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, MA
| | - Yariv Houvras
- Departments of Surgery and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - David M Langenau
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA.,Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA.,Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA
| | - Craig J Ceol
- Program in Molecular Medicine and Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
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Bhat J, Helmuth J, Chitadze G, Kouakanou L, Peters C, Vingron M, Ammerpohl O, Kabelitz D. Stochastics of Cellular Differentiation Explained by Epigenetics: The Case of T-Cell Differentiation and Functional Plasticity. Scand J Immunol 2017; 86:184-195. [PMID: 28799233 DOI: 10.1111/sji.12589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic marks including histone modifications and DNA methylation are associated with the regulation of gene expression and activity. In addition, an increasing number of non-coding RNAs with regulatory activity on gene expression have been identified. Alongside, technological advancements allow for the analysis of these mechanisms with high resolution up to the single-cell level. For instance, the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) simultaneously probes for chromatin accessibility and nucleosome positioning. Thus, it provides information on two levels of epigenetic regulation. Development and differentiation of T cells into functional subset cells including memory T cells are dynamic processes driven by environmental signals. Here, we briefly review the current knowledge of how epigenetic regulation contributes to subset specification, differentiation and memory development in T cells. Specifically, we focus on epigenetic mechanisms differentially active in the two distinct T cell populations expressing αβ or γδ T cell receptors. We also discuss examples of epigenetic alterations of T cells in autoimmune diseases. DNA methylation and histone acetylation are subject to modification by several classes of 'epigenetic modifiers', some of which are in clinical use or in preclinical development. Therefore, we address the impact of some epigenetic modifiers on T-cell activation and differentiation, and discuss possible synergies with T cell-based immunotherapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bhat
- Institute of Immunology, University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - J Helmuth
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratories: Epigenomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - G Chitadze
- Institute of Immunology, University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - L Kouakanou
- Institute of Immunology, University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - C Peters
- Institute of Immunology, University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - M Vingron
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - O Ammerpohl
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - D Kabelitz
- Institute of Immunology, University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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Lyons YA, Wu SY, Overwijk WW, Baggerly KA, Sood AK. Immune cell profiling in cancer: molecular approaches to cell-specific identification. NPJ Precis Oncol 2017; 1:26. [PMID: 29872708 PMCID: PMC5871917 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-017-0031-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune system has many important regulatory roles in cancer development and progression. Given the emergence of effective immune therapies against many cancers, reliable predictors of response are needed. One method of determining response is by evaluating immune cell populations from treated and untreated tumor samples. The amount of material obtained from tumor biopsies can be limited; therefore, gene-based or protein-based analyses may be attractive because they require minimal tissue. Cell-specific signatures are being analyzed with use of the latest technologies, including NanoString’s nCounter technology, intracellular staining flow cytometry, cytometry by time-of-flight, RNA-Seq, and barcoding antibody-based protein arrays. These signatures provide information about the contributions of specific types of immune cells to bulk tumor samples. To date, both tumor tissue and immune cells have been analyzed for molecular expression profiles that can assess genes and proteins that are specific to immune cells, yielding results of varying specificity. Here, we discuss the importance of profiling tumor tissue and immune cells to identify immune-cell-associated genes and proteins and specific gene profiles of immune cells. We also discuss the use of these signatures in cancer treatment and the challenges faced in molecular expression profiling of immune cell populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin A Lyons
- 1Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Sherry Y Wu
- 1Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Willem W Overwijk
- 2Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Keith A Baggerly
- 3Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Anil K Sood
- 1Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030 USA.,4Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030 USA.,5Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
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Soderquest K, Hertweck A, Giambartolomei C, Henderson S, Mohamed R, Goldberg R, Perucha E, Franke L, Herrero J, Plagnol V, Jenner RG, Lord GM. Genetic variants alter T-bet binding and gene expression in mucosal inflammatory disease. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006587. [PMID: 28187197 PMCID: PMC5328407 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The polarization of CD4+ T cells into distinct T helper cell lineages is essential for protective immunity against infection, but aberrant T cell polarization can cause autoimmunity. The transcription factor T-bet (TBX21) specifies the Th1 lineage and represses alternative T cell fates. Genome-wide association studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may be causative for autoimmune diseases. The majority of these polymorphisms are located within non-coding distal regulatory elements. It is considered that these genetic variants contribute to disease by altering the binding of regulatory proteins and thus gene expression, but whether these variants alter the binding of lineage-specifying transcription factors has not been determined. Here, we show that SNPs associated with the mucosal inflammatory diseases Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis (UC) and celiac disease, but not rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis, are enriched at T-bet binding sites. Furthermore, we identify disease-associated variants that alter T-bet binding in vitro and in vivo. ChIP-seq for T-bet in individuals heterozygous for the celiac disease-associated SNPs rs1465321 and rs2058622 and the IBD-associated SNPs rs1551398 and rs1551399, reveals decreased binding to the minor disease-associated alleles. Furthermore, we show that rs1465321 is an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) for the neighboring gene IL18RAP, with decreased T-bet binding associated with decreased expression of this gene. These results suggest that genetic polymorphisms may predispose individuals to mucosal autoimmune disease through alterations in T-bet binding. Other disease-associated variants may similarly act by modulating the binding of lineage-specifying transcription factors in a tissue-selective and disease-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Soderquest
- Department of Experimental Immunobiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arnulf Hertweck
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Stephen Henderson
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rami Mohamed
- Department of Experimental Immunobiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rimma Goldberg
- Department of Experimental Immunobiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Esperanza Perucha
- Department of Experimental Immunobiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lude Franke
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Javier Herrero
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent Plagnol
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard G. Jenner
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Graham M. Lord
- Department of Experimental Immunobiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Antigen exposure shapes the ratio between antigen-specific Tregs and conventional T cells in human peripheral blood. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E6192-E6198. [PMID: 27681619 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1611723113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The T-cell receptor (TCR) is required for maturation and function of regulatory T cells (Tregs), but the ligand specificities of Tregs outside the context of transgenic TCRs are largely unknown. Using peptide-MHC tetramers, we isolated rare specific Foxp3+ cells directly ex vivo from adult peripheral blood and defined their frequency and phenotype. We find that a proportion of circulating Tregs recognize foreign antigens and the frequency of these cells are similar to that of self-reactive Tregs in the absence of cognate infection. In contrast, the frequencies of Tregs that recognize some common microbial antigens are significantly reduced in the blood of most adults. Exposure to peripheral antigens likely has a major influence on the balance between Tregs and conventional T-cell subsets because a larger proportion of flu-specific T cells has a regulatory cell phenotype in the cord blood. Consistent with this finding, we show that lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection can directly modulate the ratio of virus-specific effectors and Tregs in mice. The resulting change in the balance within an antigen-specific T-cell population further correlates with the magnitude of effector response and the chronicity of infection. Taken together, our data highlight the importance of antigen specificity in the functional dynamics of the T-cell repertoire. Each specific population of CD4+ T cells in human peripheral blood contains a subset of Tregs at birth, but the balance between regulatory and effector subsets changes in response to peripheral antigen exposure and this could impact the robustness of antipathogen immunity.
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35
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Rueda CM, Jackson CM, Chougnet CA. Regulatory T-Cell-Mediated Suppression of Conventional T-Cells and Dendritic Cells by Different cAMP Intracellular Pathways. Front Immunol 2016; 7:216. [PMID: 27313580 PMCID: PMC4889573 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) mediate their suppressive action by acting directly on conventional T-cells (Tcons) or dendritic cells (DCs). One mechanism of Treg suppression is the increase of cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP) levels in target cells. Tregs utilize cAMP to control Tcon responses, such as proliferation and cytokine production. Tregs also exert their suppression on DCs, diminishing DC immunogenicity by downmodulating the expression of costimulatory molecules and actin polymerization at the immunological synapse. The Treg-mediated usage of cAMP occurs through two major mechanisms. The first involves the Treg-mediated influx of cAMP in target cells through gap junctions. The second is the conversion of adenosine triphosphate into adenosine by the ectonucleases CD39 and CD73 present on the surface of Tregs. Adenosine then binds to receptors on the surface of target cells, leading to increased intracellular cAMP levels in these targets. Downstream, cAMP can activate the canonical protein kinase A (PKA) pathway and the exchange protein activated by cyclic AMP (EPAC) non-canonical pathway. In this review, we discuss the most recent findings related to cAMP activation of PKA and EPAC, which are implicated in Treg homeostasis as well as the functional alterations induced by cAMP in cellular targets of Treg suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar M Rueda
- Division of Immunobiology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati, OH , USA
| | - Courtney M Jackson
- Division of Immunobiology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati, OH , USA
| | - Claire A Chougnet
- Division of Immunobiology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati, OH , USA
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36
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Lowther DE, Goods BA, Lucca LE, Lerner BA, Raddassi K, van Dijk D, Hernandez AL, Duan X, Gunel M, Coric V, Krishnaswamy S, Love JC, Hafler DA. PD-1 marks dysfunctional regulatory T cells in malignant gliomas. JCI Insight 2016; 1. [PMID: 27182555 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.85935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies targeting the immune checkpoint receptor programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) have shown remarkable efficacy in treating cancer. CD4+CD25hiFoxP3+ Tregs are critical regulators of immune responses in autoimmunity and malignancies, but the functional status of human Tregs expressing PD-1 remains unclear. We examined functional and molecular features of PD-1hi Tregs in healthy subjects and patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), combining functional assays, RNA sequencing, and cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF). In both patients with GBM and healthy subjects, circulating PD-1hi Tregs displayed reduced suppression of CD4+ effector T cells, production of IFN-γ, and molecular signatures of exhaustion. Transcriptional profiling of tumor-resident Tregs revealed that several genes coexpressed with PD-1 and associated with IFN-γ production and exhaustion as well as enrichment in exhaustion signatures compared with circulating PD-1hi Tregs. CyTOF analysis of circulating and tumor-infiltrating Tregs from patients with GBM treated with PD-1-blocking antibodies revealed that treatment shifts the profile of circulating Tregs toward a more exhausted phenotype reminiscent of that of tumor-infiltrating Tregs, further increasing IFN-γ production. Thus, high PD-1 expression on human Tregs identifies dysfunctional, exhausted Tregs secreting IFN-γ that exist in healthy individuals and are enriched in tumor infiltrates, possibly losing function as they attempt to modulate the antitumoral immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Lowther
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Brittany A Goods
- Departments of Biological Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Liliana E Lucca
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Benjamin A Lerner
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Khadir Raddassi
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - David van Dijk
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Amanda L Hernandez
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Xiangguo Duan
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Murat Gunel
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Vlad Coric
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Wallingford, Connecticut, USA
| | - Smita Krishnaswamy
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - J Christopher Love
- Departments of Biological Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David A Hafler
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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YY1 inhibits differentiation and function of regulatory T cells by blocking Foxp3 expression and activity. Nat Commun 2016; 7:10789. [PMID: 26892542 PMCID: PMC4762897 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T (T(reg)) cells are essential for maintenance of immune homeostasis. Foxp3 is the key transcription factor for T(reg)-cell differentiation and function; however, molecular mechanisms for its negative regulation are poorly understood. Here we show that YY1 expression is lower in T(reg) cells than T(conv) cells, and its overexpression causes a marked reduction of Foxp3 expression and abrogation of suppressive function of Treg cells. YY1 is increased in T(reg) cells under inflammatory conditions with concomitant decrease of suppressor activity in dextran sulfate-induced colitis model. YY1 inhibits Smad3/4 binding to and chromatin remodelling of the Foxp3 locus. In addition, YY1 interrupts Foxp3-dependent target gene expression by physically interacting with Foxp3 and by directly binding to the Foxp3 target genes. Thus, YY1 inhibits differentiation and function of T(reg) cells by blocking Foxp3.
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38
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Bhairavabhotla R, Kim YC, Glass DD, Escobar TM, Patel MC, Zahr R, Nguyen CK, Kilaru GK, Muljo SA, Shevach EM. Transcriptome profiling of human FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. Hum Immunol 2016; 77:201-13. [PMID: 26686412 PMCID: PMC4761514 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The major goal of this study was to perform an in depth characterization of the "gene signature" of human FoxP3(+) T regulatory cells (Tregs). Highly purified Tregs and T conventional cells (Tconvs) from multiple healthy donors (HD), either freshly explanted or activated in vitro, were analyzed via RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and gene expression changes validated using the nCounter system. Additionally, we analyzed microRNA (miRNA) expression using TaqMan low-density arrays. Our results confirm previous studies demonstrating selective gene expression of FoxP3, IKZF2, and CTLA4 in Tregs. Notably, a number of yet uncharacterized genes (RTKN2, LAYN, UTS2, CSF2RB, TRIB1, F5, CECAM4, CD70, ENC1 and NKG7) were identified and validated as being differentially expressed in human Tregs. We further characterize the functional roles of RTKN2 and LAYN by analyzing their roles in vitro human Treg suppression assays by knocking them down in Tregs and overexpressing them in Tconvs. In order to facilitate a better understanding of the human Treg gene expression signature, we have generated from our results a hypothetical interactome of genes and miRNAs in Tregs and Tconvs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravikiran Bhairavabhotla
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yong C Kim
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Deborah D Glass
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Thelma M Escobar
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mira C Patel
- Program in Genomics of Differentiation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rami Zahr
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Cuong K Nguyen
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gokhul K Kilaru
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Stefan A Muljo
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ethan M Shevach
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Arvey A, van der Veeken J, Plitas G, Rich SS, Concannon P, Rudensky AY. Genetic and epigenetic variation in the lineage specification of regulatory T cells. eLife 2015; 4:e07571. [PMID: 26510014 PMCID: PMC4623597 DOI: 10.7554/elife.07571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells, which suppress autoimmunity and other inflammatory states, are characterized by a distinct set of genetic elements controlling their gene expression. However, the extent of genetic and associated epigenetic variation in the Treg cell lineage and its possible relation to disease states in humans remain unknown. We explored evolutionary conservation of regulatory elements and natural human inter-individual epigenetic variation in Treg cells to identify the core transcriptional control program of lineage specification. Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms in core lineage-specific enhancers revealed disease associations, which were further corroborated by high-resolution genotyping to fine map causal polymorphisms in lineage-specific enhancers. Our findings suggest that a small set of regulatory elements specify the Treg lineage and that genetic variation in Treg cell-specific enhancers may alter Treg cell function contributing to polygenic disease. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07571.001 The immune system protects the body from infection. Key to this protection is the ability to mount an immune response that is sufficient to deal with the threat, but is not so large that the damage it causes to the body exceeds its immediate benefit. Immune cells called regulatory T cells (or Treg cells for short) help to shut down the immune response after a threat has been successfully destroyed. They also prevent the immune system from attacking the body's own cells, a phenomenon known as autoimmunity. All cells in the body carry the same set of genes, but the activity of these genes varies between cell types to enable the cells to perform their different jobs. This is possible because our DNA contains regions called regulatory elements that can control the expression of particular genes. These regions can be activated in specific types of cells, which results in specific chemical modifications to DNA that only affect gene activity in those cells. The DNA sequences of these regulatory elements vary between individuals. This ‘genetic variation’ can lead to differences in the chemical modifications that occur to DNA, which is known as epigenetic variation. This means that Treg cells in one person may work in a different way to those in another individual, which could make some individuals more susceptible to autoimmune diseases than others. However, it was not clear how much genetic and epigenetic variation exists in Treg cells. Here, Arvey et al. examined Treg and other immune cells from human and mouse donors. The experiments show that some of the epigenetic modifications present in many individuals only in Treg cells, which indicates that they may be important for the activity of the Treg cells. Unexpectedly, most of the epigenetic modifications were specific to either mice or humans, but Arvey et al. identified a core set of genes that had been modified only in Treg cells in both species. In the human cells, Arvey et al. also identified genetic differences in regulatory elements that are associated with autoimmune diseases. Arvey et al.'s findings suggest that a small set of regulatory elements are crucial to the role of Treg cells in the immune system. Furthermore, genetic variation in these elements can lead to epigenetic changes in Treg cells that contribute to autoimmune diseases in humans. Further study may lead to the development of new treatments for these diseases. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07571.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Arvey
- Immunology Program, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
| | - Joris van der Veeken
- Immunology Program, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
| | - George Plitas
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States.,Breast Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
| | - Stephen S Rich
- Center for Public Health Genomics, Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, United States
| | - Patrick Concannon
- Genetics Institute, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Florida, United States
| | - Alexander Y Rudensky
- Immunology Program, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States.,Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
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40
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Chowdhury A, Del Rio Estrada PM, Del Rio PME, Tharp GK, Trible RP, Amara RR, Chahroudi A, Reyes-Teran G, Bosinger SE, Silvestri G. Decreased T Follicular Regulatory Cell/T Follicular Helper Cell (TFH) in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Rhesus Macaques May Contribute to Accumulation of TFH in Chronic Infection. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2015; 195:3237-47. [PMID: 26297764 PMCID: PMC4575868 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1402701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
T follicular helper cells (TFH) are critical for the development and maintenance of germinal center (GC) and humoral immune responses. During chronic HIV/SIV infection, TFH accumulate, possibly as a result of Ag persistence. The HIV/SIV-associated TFH expansion may also reflect lack of regulation by suppressive follicular regulatory CD4(+) T cells (TFR). TFR are natural regulatory T cells (TREG) that migrate into the follicle and, similar to TFH, upregulate CXCR5, Bcl-6, and PD1. In this study, we identified TFR as CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+)CXCR5(+)PD1(hi)Bcl-6(+) within lymph nodes of rhesus macaques (RM) and confirmed their localization within the GC by immunohistochemistry. RNA sequencing showed that TFR exhibit a distinct transcriptional profile with shared features of both TFH and TREG, including intermediate expression of FOXP3, Bcl-6, PRDM1, IL-10, and IL-21. In healthy, SIV-uninfected RM, we observed a negative correlation between frequencies of TFR and both TFH and GC B cells, as well as levels of CD4(+) T cell proliferation. Post SIV infection, the TFR/TFH ratio was reduced with no change in the frequency of TREG or TFR within the total CD4(+) T cell pool. Finally, we examined whether higher levels of direct virus infection of TFR were responsible for their relative depletion post SIV infection. We found that TFH, TFR, and TREG sorted from SIV-infected RM harbor comparable levels of cell-associated viral DNA. Our data suggest that TFR may contribute to the regulation and proliferation of TFH and GC B cells in vivo and that a decreased TFR/TFH ratio in chronic SIV infection may lead to unchecked expansion of both TFH and GC B cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Chowdhury
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
| | - Perla Mariana Del Rio Estrada
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329; Departamento de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, "Ismael Cosio Villegas," Tlapan, Sección XVI, 14080 City of Mexico Federal District, Mexico; and
| | - Perla Maria Estrada Del Rio
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329; Departamento de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, "Ismael Cosio Villegas," Tlapan, Sección XVI, 14080 City of Mexico Federal District, Mexico; and
| | - Greg K Tharp
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
| | - Ronald P Trible
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
| | - Rama R Amara
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
| | - Ann Chahroudi
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Gustavo Reyes-Teran
- Departamento de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, "Ismael Cosio Villegas," Tlapan, Sección XVI, 14080 City of Mexico Federal District, Mexico; and
| | - Steven E Bosinger
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
| | - Guido Silvestri
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329;
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41
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Guo J, Zhou X. Regulatory T cells turn pathogenic. Cell Mol Immunol 2015; 12:525-32. [PMID: 25942597 PMCID: PMC4579652 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2015.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells are considered a sub-lineage of CD4(+) T cells that are protective against autoimmunity due to their essential roles in maintaining immune homeostasis and self-tolerance. However, Treg cells are unstable in vivo in terms of lineage specialization and suppressive function. These unstable Treg cells play roles in the pathogenesis of diseases, which cause safety concerns regarding human Treg cell therapy. In this review, we highlight recent findings that demonstrate the pathogenic conversion of Treg cells in different disease models.
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42
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Litjens NHR, Boer K, Zuijderwijk JM, Klepper M, Peeters AMA, Prens EP, Verschoor W, Kraaijeveld R, Ozgur Z, van den Hout-van Vroonhoven MC, van IJcken WFJ, Baan CC, Betjes MGH. Allogeneic Mature Human Dendritic Cells Generate Superior Alloreactive Regulatory T Cells in the Presence of IL-15. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 194:5282-93. [PMID: 25917092 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1402827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Expansion of Ag-specific naturally occurring regulatory T cells (nTregs) is required to obtain sufficient numbers of cells for cellular immunotherapy. In this study, different allogeneic stimuli were studied for their capacity to generate functional alloantigen-specific nTregs. A highly enriched nTreg fraction (CD4(+)CD25(bright)CD127(-) T cells) was alloantigen-specific expanded using HLA-mismatched immature, mature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs), or PBMCs. The allogeneic mature moDC-expanded nTregs were fully characterized by analysis of the demethylation status within the Treg-specific demethylation region of the FOXP3 gene and the expression of both protein and mRNA of FOXP3, HELIOS, CTLA4, and cytokines. In addition, the Ag-specific suppressive capacity of these expanded nTregs was tested. Allogeneic mature moDCs and skin-derived DCs were superior in inducing nTreg expansion compared with immature moDCs or PBMCs in an HLA-DR- and CD80/CD86-dependent way. Remarkably, the presence of exogenous IL-15 without IL-2 could facilitate optimal mature moDC-induced nTreg expansion. Allogeneic mature moDC-expanded nTregs were at low ratios (<1:320), potent suppressors of alloantigen-induced proliferation without significant suppression of completely HLA-mismatched, Ag-induced proliferation. Mature moDC-expanded nTregs were highly demethylated at the Treg-specific demethylation region within the FOXP3 gene and highly expressed of FOXP3, HELIOS, and CTLA4. A minority of the expanded nTregs produced IL-10, IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, but few IL-17-producing nTregs were found. Next-generation sequencing of mRNA of moDC-expanded nTregs revealed a strong induction of Treg-associated mRNAs. Human allogeneic mature moDCs are highly efficient stimulator cells, in the presence of exogenous IL-15, for expansion of stable alloantigen-specific nTregs with superior suppressive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolle H R Litjens
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands;
| | - Karin Boer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joke M Zuijderwijk
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mariska Klepper
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Annemiek M A Peeters
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Errol P Prens
- Department of Dermatology, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and
| | - Wenda Verschoor
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rens Kraaijeveld
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Zeliha Ozgur
- Erasmus Medical Center, Erasmus Center for Biomics, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Carla C Baan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel G H Betjes
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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43
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Farh KKH, Marson A, Zhu J, Kleinewietfeld M, Housley WJ, Beik S, Shoresh N, Whitton H, Ryan RJ, Shishkin AA, Hatan M, Carrasco-Alfonso MJ, Mayer D, Luckey CJ, Patsopoulos NA, De Jager PL, Kuchroo VK, Epstein CB, Daly MJ, Hafler DA, Bernstein BE. Genetic and epigenetic fine mapping of causal autoimmune disease variants. Nature 2015; 518:337-43. [PMID: 25363779 PMCID: PMC4336207 DOI: 10.1038/nature13835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1273] [Impact Index Per Article: 141.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies have identified loci underlying human diseases, but the causal nucleotide changes and mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we developed a fine-mapping algorithm to identify candidate causal variants for 21 autoimmune diseases from genotyping data. We integrated these predictions with transcription and cis-regulatory element annotations, derived by mapping RNA and chromatin in primary immune cells, including resting and stimulated CD4(+) T-cell subsets, regulatory T cells, CD8(+) T cells, B cells, and monocytes. We find that ∼90% of causal variants are non-coding, with ∼60% mapping to immune-cell enhancers, many of which gain histone acetylation and transcribe enhancer-associated RNA upon immune stimulation. Causal variants tend to occur near binding sites for master regulators of immune differentiation and stimulus-dependent gene activation, but only 10-20% directly alter recognizable transcription factor binding motifs. Rather, most non-coding risk variants, including those that alter gene expression, affect non-canonical sequence determinants not well-explained by current gene regulatory models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Kai-How Farh
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Analytical and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Alexander Marson
- Diabetes Center and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Center for Systems Biology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Markus Kleinewietfeld
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - William J. Housley
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Samantha Beik
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Noam Shoresh
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Holly Whitton
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Russell J.H. Ryan
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Alexander A. Shishkin
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Meital Hatan
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Dita Mayer
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - C. John Luckey
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nikolaos A. Patsopoulos
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Program in Translational NeuroPsychiatric Genomics, Institute for the Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02142, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02142, USA
| | - Philip L. De Jager
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Program in Translational NeuroPsychiatric Genomics, Institute for the Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02142, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02142, USA
| | - Vijay K. Kuchroo
- Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Mark J. Daly
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Analytical and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - David A. Hafler
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Bradley E. Bernstein
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Center for Systems Biology and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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44
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Nguyen LP, Pan J, Dinh TT, Hadeiba H, O'Hara E, Ebtikar A, Hertweck A, Gökmen MR, Lord GM, Jenner RG, Butcher EC, Habtezion A. Role and species-specific expression of colon T cell homing receptor GPR15 in colitis. Nat Immunol 2015; 16:207-213. [PMID: 25531831 PMCID: PMC4338558 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Lymphocyte recruitment maintains intestinal immune homeostasis but also contributes to inflammation. The orphan chemoattractant receptor GPR15 mediates regulatory T cell homing and immunosuppression in the mouse colon. We show that GPR15 is also expressed by mouse TH17 and TH1 effector cells and is required for colitis in a model that depends on the trafficking of these cells to the colon. In humans GPR15 is expressed by effector cells, including pathogenic TH2 cells in ulcerative colitis, but is expressed poorly or not at all by colon regulatory T (Treg) cells. The TH2 transcriptional activator GATA-3 and the Treg-associated transcriptional repressor FOXP3 robustly bind human, but not mouse, GPR15 enhancer sequences, correlating with receptor expression. Our results highlight species differences in GPR15 regulation and suggest it as a potential therapeutic target for colitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linh P Nguyen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- The Center for Molecular Biology and Medicine, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and The Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| | - Junliang Pan
- The Center for Molecular Biology and Medicine, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and The Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| | - Theresa Thanh Dinh
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Husein Hadeiba
- The Center for Molecular Biology and Medicine, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and The Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| | - Edward O'Hara
- The Center for Molecular Biology and Medicine, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and The Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| | - Ahmad Ebtikar
- The Center for Molecular Biology and Medicine, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and The Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
| | - Arnulf Hertweck
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, W1T 4JF, United Kingdom
| | - M Refik Gökmen
- Department of Experimental Immunobiology and NIHR Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital and King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
| | - Graham M Lord
- Department of Experimental Immunobiology and NIHR Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital and King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
| | - Richard G Jenner
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, W1T 4JF, United Kingdom
| | - Eugene C Butcher
- The Center for Molecular Biology and Medicine, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and The Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Aida Habtezion
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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45
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Zhang X, Mozeleski B, Lemoine S, Dériaud E, Lim A, Zhivaki D, Azria E, Le Ray C, Roguet G, Launay O, Vanet A, Leclerc C, Lo-Man R. CD4 T cells with effector memory phenotype and function develop in the sterile environment of the fetus. Sci Transl Med 2015; 6:238ra72. [PMID: 24871133 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3008748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The T cell compartment is considered to be naïve and dedicated to the development of tolerance during fetal development. We have identified and characterized a population of fetally developed CD4 T cells with an effector memory phenotype (TEM), which are present in cord blood. This population is polyclonal and has phenotypic features similar to those of conventional adult memory T cells, such as CD45RO expression. These cells express low levels of CD25 but are distinct from regulatory T cells because they lack Foxp3 expression. After T cell receptor activation, neonatal TEM cells readily produced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). We also detected interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-producing T helper 1 (TH1) cells and interleukin-4 (IL-4)/IL-13-producing TH2-like cells, but not IL-17-producing cells. We used chemokine receptor expression patterns to divide this TEM population into different subsets and identified distinct transcriptional programs using whole-genome microarray analysis. IFN-γ was found in CXCR3(+) TEM cells, whereas IL-4 was found in both CXCR3(+) TEM cells and CCR4(+) TEM cells. CCR6(+) TEM cells displayed a genetic signature that corresponded to TH17 cells but failed to produce IL-17A. However, the TH17 function of TEM cells was observed in the presence of IL-1β and IL-23. In summary, in the absence of reported pathology or any major infectious history, T cells with a memory-like phenotype develop in an environment thought to be sterile during fetal development and display a large variety of inflammatory effector functions associated with CD4 TH cells at birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Zhang
- Régulation Immunitaire et Vaccinologie, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France. INSERM U1041, F-75724 Paris, France. Unit of Innate Defense and Immune Modulation, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Brian Mozeleski
- Régulation Immunitaire et Vaccinologie, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France. INSERM U1041, F-75724 Paris, France
| | - Sebastien Lemoine
- Régulation Immunitaire et Vaccinologie, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France. INSERM U1041, F-75724 Paris, France
| | - Edith Dériaud
- Régulation Immunitaire et Vaccinologie, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France. INSERM U1041, F-75724 Paris, France
| | - Annick Lim
- Department Immunology, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France
| | - Dania Zhivaki
- Régulation Immunitaire et Vaccinologie, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France. INSERM U1041, F-75724 Paris, France
| | - Elie Azria
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Bichat Claude Bernard, 75018 Paris, France. Paris 7 Diderot University, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Camille Le Ray
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternité Port Royal, F-75014 Paris, France. Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Odile Launay
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-75005 Paris, France. INSERM CIC1417, F-75014 Paris, France. AP-HP, Hopital Cochin, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Anne Vanet
- Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-75013 Paris, France. CNRS, UMR7592, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France. Atelier de Bio Informatique, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Claude Leclerc
- Régulation Immunitaire et Vaccinologie, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France. INSERM U1041, F-75724 Paris, France
| | - Richard Lo-Man
- Régulation Immunitaire et Vaccinologie, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris, France. INSERM U1041, F-75724 Paris, France.
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46
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Boria I, Boatti L, Saggese I, Mignone F. NGS-Trex: an automatic analysis workflow for RNA-Seq data. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1269:243-256. [PMID: 25577383 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2291-8_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
RNA-Seq technology allows the rapid analysis of whole transcriptomes taking advantage of next-generation sequencing platforms. Moreover with the constant decrease of the cost of NGS analysis RNA-Seq is becoming very popular and widespread. Unfortunately data analysis is quite demanding in terms of bioinformatic skills and infrastructures required, thus limiting the potential users of this method. Here we describe the complete analysis of sample data from raw sequences to data mining of results by using NGS-Trex platform, a low user interaction, fully automatic analysis workflow. Used through a web interface, NGS-Trex processes data and profiles the transcriptome of the samples identifying expressed genes, transcripts, and new and known splice variants. It also detects differentially expressed genes and transcripts across different experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Boria
- Department of Chemistry, University of Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133, Milano, Italy
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47
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Chen Y, Chen C, Zhang Z, Liu CC, Johnson ME, Espinoza CA, Edsall LE, Ren B, Zhou XJ, Grant SFA, Wells AD, Chen L. DNA binding by FOXP3 domain-swapped dimer suggests mechanisms of long-range chromosomal interactions. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:1268-82. [PMID: 25567984 PMCID: PMC4333414 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku1373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
FOXP3 is a lineage-specific transcription factor that is required for regulatory T cell development and function. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of the FOXP3 forkhead domain bound to DNA. The structure reveals that FOXP3 can form a stable domain-swapped dimer to bridge DNA in the absence of cofactors, suggesting that FOXP3 may play a role in long-range gene interactions. To test this hypothesis, we used circular chromosome conformation capture coupled with high throughput sequencing (4C-seq) to analyze FOXP3-dependent genomic contacts around a known FOXP3-bound locus, Ptpn22. Our studies reveal that FOXP3 induces significant changes in the chromatin contacts between the Ptpn22 locus and other Foxp3-regulated genes, reflecting a mechanism by which FOXP3 reorganizes the genome architecture to coordinate the expression of its target genes. Our results suggest that FOXP3 mediates long-range chromatin interactions as part of its mechanisms to regulate specific gene expression in regulatory T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongheng Chen
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, XiangYa Hospital & State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Chunxia Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Chun-Chi Liu
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Matthew E Johnson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Lee E Edsall
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Bing Ren
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Xianghong Jasmine Zhou
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, XiangYa Hospital & State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Struan F A Grant
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Andrew D Wells
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Lin Chen
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, XiangYa Hospital & State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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48
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Guo J, Zhang J, Zhang X, Zhang Z, Wei X, Zhou X. Constitutive activation of MEK1 promotes Treg cell instability in vivo. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:35139-48. [PMID: 25361764 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.589192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The instability of regulatory T (Treg) cells is involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and also highlights safety concerns with regard to clinical Treg cell therapy. Cell-intrinsic molecular events linked to this Treg cell instability in vivo cells, which leads to safety concerns regardingare still obscure. Here we developed a novel luciferase-based reporter system and performed an unbiased screening for kinases that potentially modulate Foxp3 function. We found that the active form of COT/Tpl2 specifically inhibits the DNA binding activity of Foxp3 through a MEK-ERK-dependent pathway. Moreover, Treg cell-specific expression of activated MEK1 led to dysregulation of Treg function and instability of Foxp3 expression in vivo. Our results support the hypothesis that outside inflammatory signals act through the COT/Tpl2-MEK-ERK signaling pathway to destabilize the Treg lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitao Guo
- From the Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASPMI), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- From the Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASPMI), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xuejie Zhang
- From the Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASPMI), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhongmei Zhang
- From the Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASPMI), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xundong Wei
- From the Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASPMI), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xuyu Zhou
- From the Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASPMI), Beijing 100101, China
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Grant CR, Liberal R, Mieli-Vergani G, Vergani D, Longhi MS. Regulatory T-cells in autoimmune diseases: challenges, controversies and--yet--unanswered questions. Autoimmun Rev 2014; 14:105-16. [PMID: 25449680 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2014.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are central to the maintenance of self-tolerance and tissue homeostasis. Markers commonly used to define human Tregs in the research setting include high expression of CD25, FOXP3 positivity and low expression/negativity for CD127. Many other markers have been proposed, but none unequivocally identifies bona fide Tregs. Tregs are equipped with an array of mechanisms of suppression, including the modulation of antigen presenting cell maturation and function, the killing of target cells, the disruption of metabolic pathways and the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Treg impairment has been reported in a number of human autoimmune conditions and includes Treg numerical and functional defects and conversion into effector cells in response to inflammation. In addition to intrinsic Treg impairment, resistance of effector T cells to Treg control has been described. Discrepancies in the literature are common, reflecting differences in the choice of study participants and the technical challenges associated with investigating this cell population. Studies differ in terms of the methodology used to define and isolate putative regulatory cells and to assess their suppressive function. In this review we outline studies describing Treg frequency and suppressive function in systemic and organ specific autoimmune diseases, with a specific focus on the challenges faced when investigating Tregs in these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte R Grant
- Division of Transplantation Immunology and Mucosal Biology, MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Rodrigo Liberal
- Division of Transplantation Immunology and Mucosal Biology, MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Giorgina Mieli-Vergani
- Division of Transplantation Immunology and Mucosal Biology, MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Diego Vergani
- Division of Transplantation Immunology and Mucosal Biology, MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Maria Serena Longhi
- Division of Transplantation Immunology and Mucosal Biology, MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
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Nocentini G, Alunno A, Petrillo MG, Bistoni O, Bartoloni E, Caterbi S, Ronchetti S, Migliorati G, Riccardi C, Gerli R. Expansion of regulatory GITR+CD25 low/-CD4+ T cells in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Arthritis Res Ther 2014; 16:444. [PMID: 25256257 PMCID: PMC4209023 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-014-0444-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction CD4+CD25low/-GITR+ T lymphocytes expressing forkhead box protein P3 (FoxP3) and showing regulatory activity have been recently described in healthy donors. The objective of the study was to evaluate the proportion of CD4+CD25low/-GITR+ T lymphocytes within CD4+ T cells and compare their phenotypic and functional profile with that of CD4+CD25highGITR− T lymphocytes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Methods The percentage of CD4+CD25low/-GITR+ cells circulating in the peripheral blood (PB) of 32 patients with SLE and 25 healthy controls was evaluated with flow cytometry. CD4+CD25low/-GITR+ cells were isolated with magnetic separation, and their phenotype was compared with that of CD4+CD25highGITR− cells. Regulatory activity of both cell subsets was tested in autologous and heterologous co-cultures after purification through a negative sorting strategy. Results Results indicated that CD4+CD25low/-GITR+ cells are expanded in the PB of 50% of SLE patients. Expansion was observed only in patients with inactive disease. Phenotypic analysis demonstrated that CD4+CD25low/-GITR+ cells display regulatory T-cell (Treg) markers, including FoxP3, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and interleukin (IL)-10. In contrast, CD4+CD25highGITR− cells appear to be activated and express low levels of Treg markers. Functional experiments demonstrated that CD4+CD25low/-GITR+ cells exert a higher inhibitory activity against both autologous and heterologous cells as compared with CD4+CD25highGITR− cells. Suppression is independent of cell contact and is mediated by IL-10 and TGF-β. Conclusions Phenotypic and functional data demonstrate that in SLE patients, CD4+CD25low/-GITR+ cells are fully active Treg cells, possibly representing peripheral Treg (pTreg) that are expanded in patients with inactive disease. These data may suggest a key role of this T-cell subset in the modulation of the abnormal immune response in SLE. Strategies aimed at expanding this Treg subset for therapeutic purpose deserve to be investigated.
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