Toll-Like Receptor Activation in Immunity vs. Tolerance in Autoimmune Diabetes

PLGA-particle vaccine carrying TLR3/RIG-I ligand Riboxxim synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade for effective anti-cancer immunotherapy

With emerging supremacy, cancer immunotherapy has evolved as a promising therapeutic modality compared to conventional antitumor therapies. Cancer immunotherapy composed of biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) particles containing antigens and toll-like receptor ligands induces vigorous antitumor immune responses in vivo. Here, we demonstrate the supreme adjuvant effect of the recently developed and pharmaceutically defined double-stranded (ds)RNA adjuvant Riboxxim especially when incorporated into PLGA particles. Encapsulation of Riboxxim together with antigens potently activates murine and human dendritic cells, and elevated tumor-specific CD8+ T cell responses are superior to those obtained using classical dsRNA analogues. This PLGA particle vaccine affords primary tumor growth retardation, prevention of metastases, and prolonged survival in preclinical tumor models. Its advantageous therapeutic potency was further enhanced by immune checkpoint blockade that resulted in reinvigoration of cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses and tumor ablation. Thus, combining immune checkpoint blockade with immunotherapy based on Riboxxim-bearing PLGA particles strongly increases its efficacy.

Fatty acid binding protein 4 promotes autoimmune diabetes by recruitment and activation of pancreatic islet macrophages

Both innate and adaptive immune cells are critical players in autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing β cells in type 1 diabetes. However, the early pathogenic events triggering the recruitment and activation of innate immune cells in islets remain obscure. Here we show that circulating fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) level was significantly elevated in patients with type 1 diabetes and their first-degree relatives and positively correlated with the titers of several islet autoantibodies. In nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, increased FABP4 expression in islet macrophages started from the neonatal period, well before the occurrence of overt diabetes. Furthermore, the spontaneous development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice was markedly reduced by pharmacological inhibition or genetic ablation of FABP4 or adoptive transfer of FABP4-deficient bone marrow cells. Mechanistically, FABP4 activated innate immune responses in islets by enhancing the infiltration and polarization of macrophages to proinflammatory M1 subtype, thus creating an inflammatory milieu required for activation of diabetogenic CD8+ T cells and shift of CD4+ helper T cells toward Th1 subtypes. These findings demonstrate FABP4 as a possible early mediator for β cell autoimmunity by facilitating crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune cells, suggesting that pharmacological inhibition of FABP4 may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for autoimmune diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus as a disease of the β-cell (do not blame the immune system?)

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is believed to result from destruction of the insulin-producing β-cells in pancreatic islets that is mediated by autoimmune mechanisms. The classic view is that autoreactive T cells mistakenly destroy healthy ('innocent') β-cells. We propose an alternative view in which the β-cell is the key contributor to the disease. By their nature and function, β-cells are prone to biosynthetic stress with limited measures for self-defence. β-Cell stress provokes an immune attack that has considerable negative effects on the source of a vital hormone. This view would explain why immunotherapy at best delays progression of type 1 diabetes mellitus and points to opportunities to use therapies that revitalize β-cells, in combination with immune intervention strategies, to reverse the disease. We present the case that dysfunction occurs in both the immune system and β-cells, which provokes further dysfunction, and present the evidence leading to the consensus that islet autoimmunity is an essential component in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Next, we build the case for the β-cell as the trigger of an autoimmune response, supported by analogies in cancer and antitumour immunity. Finally, we synthesize a model ('connecting the dots') in which both β-cell stress and islet autoimmunity can be harnessed as targets for intervention strategies.

Phagocyte Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) and Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPGs) as Major Regulators in Anti-bacterial Defense of Crassostrea hongkongensis

Invertebrates generally lack adaptive immunity and compensate for this with highly efficient innate immune machineries such as phagocytosis by hemocytes to eradicate invading pathogens. However, how extrinsically cued hemocytes marshal internal signals to accomplish phagocytosis is not yet fully understood. To this end, we established a facile magnetic cell sorting method to enrich professional phagocytes from hemocytes of the Hong Kong oyster (Crassostrea hongkongensis), an ecologically and commercially valuable marine invertebrate. Transcriptomic analysis on presorted cells shows that phagocytes maintain a remarkable array of differentially expressed genes that distinguish them from non-phagocytes, including 352 significantly upregulated genes and 479 downregulated genes. Pathway annotations reveal that focal adhesion and extracellular matrix–receptor interactions were the most conspicuously enriched pathways in phagocytes. Phagocytosis rate dramatically declined in the presence of an FAK inhibitor, confirming importance of the focal adhesion pathway in regulating phagocytosis. In addition, we also found that heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) families were lineage-specifically expanded in C. hongkongensis and abundantly expressed in phagocytes. Efficiency of phagocytosis and hemocytes aggregation was markedly reduced upon blockage of endogenous synthesis of HSPGs, thus implicating these proteins as key surface receptors in pathogen recognition and initiation of phagocytosis.

Dietary Iron and Heme Iron Consumption, Genetic Susceptibility, and Risk of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

BACKGROUND

Dietary iron and heme, likely through their effect on gut commensal bacteria and colonic barrier function, have been shown to modulate colonic inflammation in animal models of colitis. Nonetheless, the link between dietary total and heme iron and risk of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) has not been previously explored.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 165,331 U.S. women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II. Dietary information was collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline (1984) and updated every 2 to 4 years. Self-reported CD and UC diagnoses were confirmed through medical records review. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals while adjusting for potential confounders. In a case-control study nested within these cohorts, we evaluated the interaction between single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with genome-wide susceptibility to CD and UC and dietary total and heme iron intake on risk of CD and UC using logistic regression modeling.

RESULTS

Through 2011, over 3,038,049 person-years of follow-up, we documented 261 incident cases of CD and 321 incident cases of UC. Dietary heme iron was nonsignificantly associated with increased risk of UC (Ptrend = 0.12). This association seemed to be modified by the UC susceptibility locus, rs1801274, a coding variant in the FcγRIIA gene (Pinteraction = 7.00E-05). In contrast, there was no association between dietary heme iron and risk of CD (Ptrend = 0.67). We also did not observe an association between total dietary intake of iron and risk of CD or UC (All Ptrend > 0.35).

CONCLUSION

In 2 large prospective cohort studies, dietary total and heme iron were not associated with risk of CD or UC. Our suggestive finding that the association between dietary heme iron intake and risk of UC may be modified by a coding variant in FcγRIIA gene warrants additional investigation.

Direct TLR-2 Costimulation Unmasks the Proinflammatory Potential of Neonatal CD4+ T Cells

Neonatal CD4(+) T cells have traditionally been viewed as deficient in their capacity to produce Th1 cytokines in response to polyclonal or Ag-specific stimuli. Thus, defining unique aspects of CD4(+) T cell activation and development into Th1 effector cells in neonates is essential to the successful development of novel vaccines and immunotherapies to protect infants from intracellular pathogens. Using highly purified naive CD4(+) T cells derived from cord and adult peripheral blood, we compared the impact of anti-CD3 stimulation plus costimulation through TLR-2 performed in the absence of APC on CD4(+) T cell cytokine production, proliferation, and expression of activation markers. In both age groups, TLR-2 costimulation elicited activation of naive CD4(+) T cells, characterized by robust production of IL-2 as well as key Th1-type cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α. TLR-2 costimulation also dramatically reduced naive T cell production of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10. We observed that neonatal naive CD4(+) T cells are uniquely sensitive to TLR-2-mediated costimulation, which enabled them to produce equivalent amounts of IFN-γ and more IL-2 when compared with adult responses. Thus, neonatal CD4(+) T cells have a distinctive propensity to use TLR-2-mediated costimulation for development into proinflammatory Th1 effectors, and interventions that target CD4(+) T cell TLR-2-mediated responses may be exploited to enhance neonatal adaptive immunity.

The role of the innate immune system in destruction of pancreatic beta cells in NOD mice and humans with type I diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease characterized by T cell-mediated destruction of the insulin-producing pancreatic β cells. A combination of genetic and environmental factors eventually leads to the loss of functional β cell mass and hyperglycemia. Both innate and adaptive immunity are involved in the development of T1D. In this review, we have highlighted the most recent findings on the role of innate immunity, especially the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), in disease development. In murine models and human studies, different PRRs, such as toll-like receptors (TLRs) and nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat-containing (or Nod-like) receptors (NLRs), have different roles in the pathogenesis of T1D. These PRRs play a critical role in defending against infection by sensing specific ligands derived from exogenous microorganisms to induce innate immune responses and shape adaptive immunity. Animal studies have shown that TLR7, TLR9, MyD88 and NLPR3 play a disease-predisposing role in T1D, while controversial results have been found with other PRRs, such as TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5 and others. Human studies also shown that TLR2, TLR3 and TLR4 are expressed in either islet β cells or infiltrated immune cells, indicating the innate immunity plays a role in β cell autoimmunity. Furthermore, some human genetic studies showed a possible association of TLR3, TLR7, TLR8 or NLRP3 genes, at single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) level, with human T1D. Increasing evidence suggest that the innate immunity modulates β cell autoimmunity. Thus, targeting pathways of innate immunity may provide novel therapeutic strategies to fight this disease.

Does Hsp60 Provide a Link between Mitochondrial Stress and Inflammation in Diabetes Mellitus?

The focus of this review is to summarise the known relationships between the expression of heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) and its association with the pathogenesis of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Hsp60 is a mitochondrial stress protein that is induced by mitochondrial impairment. It is known to be secreted from a number of cell types and circulating levels have been documented in both Types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The biological significance of extracellular Hsp60, however, remains to be established. We will examine the links between Hsp60 and cellular anti- and proinflammatory processes and specifically address how Hsp60 appears to affect immune inflammation by at least two different mechanisms: as a ligand for innate immune receptors and as an antigen recognised by adaptive immune receptors. We will also look at the role of Hsp60 during immune cell activation in atherosclerosis, a significant risk factor during the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus.

Chloroquine attenuates LPS-mediated macrophage activation through miR-669n-regulated SENP6 protein translation

Chloroquine (CQ) has been shown to inhibit Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated monocyte and macrophage activation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, the underlying mechanisms have not been completely elucidated. Recently, SUMO-specific protease 6 (SENP6) has been reported to suppress LPS-induced activation of macrophages through deSUMOlation of NF-κB essential modifier (NEMO). Here, we studied whether this molecular pathway may also be involved in CQ/LPS model. We found that CQ dose-dependently increased SENP6 protein, but not mRNA, in mouse macrophages, RAW264.7 cells. Overexpression of SENP6 in RAW264.7 cells significantly decreased the LPS-induced release of pro-inflammatory proteins, TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ, while depletion of SENP6 in RAW264.7 cells significantly increased these proteins. Moreover, in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells, CQ dose-dependently decreased the levels of microRNA-669n (miR-669n), which bound to 3'-UTR of SENP6 mRNA to inhibit its translation. Overexpression of miR-669n decreased SENP6, resulting in increased production of TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ in RAW264.7 cells, while depletion of miR-669n increased SENP6, resulting in decreased production of TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ in RAW264.7 cells. In vivo, delivery of miR-669n plasmids augmented the effects of LPS, while delivery of antisense of miR-669n (as-miR-669n) plasmids abolished the effects of LPS. Taken together, our data demonstrate a previously unappreciated molecular control of LPS-induced macrophage activation by CQ, through miR-669n-regulated SENP6 protein translation.

The Role of Dendritic Cell Subsets and Innate Immunity in the Pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes and Other Autoimmune Diseases

Dendritic cells (DCs) are key antigen-presenting cells that have an important role in autoimmune pathogenesis. DCs control both steady-state T cell tolerance and activation of pathogenic responses. The balance between these two outcomes depends on several factors, including genetic susceptibility, environmental signals that stimulate varied innate responses, and which DC subset is presenting antigen. Although the specific DC phenotype can diverge depending on the tissue location and context, there are four main subsets identified in both mouse and human: conventional cDC1 and cDC2, plasmacytoid DCs, and monocyte-derived DCs. In this review, we will discuss the role of these subsets in autoimmune pathogenesis and regulation, as well as the genetic and environmental signals that influence their function. Specific topics to be addressed include impact of susceptibility loci on DC subsets, alterations in DC subset development, the role of infection- and host-derived innate inflammatory signals, and the role of the intestinal microbiota on DC phenotype. The effects of these various signals on disease progression and the relative effects of DC subset composition and maturation level of DCs will be examined. These areas will be explored using examples from several autoimmune diseases but will focus mainly on type 1 diabetes.