1
|
Pacini CP, Soares MVD, Lacerda JF. The impact of regulatory T cells on the graft-versus-leukemia effect. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1339318. [PMID: 38711496 PMCID: PMC11070504 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1339318] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (allo-HSCT) is the only curative therapy for many hematologic malignancies, whereby the Graft-versus-Leukemia (GVL) effect plays a pivotal role in controlling relapse. However, the success of GVL is hindered by Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD), where donor T cells attack healthy tissues in the recipient. The ability of natural regulatory T cells (Treg) to suppress immune responses has been exploited as a therapeutical option against GVHD. Still, it is crucial to evaluate if the ability of Treg to suppress GVHD does not compromise the benefits of GVL. Initial studies in animal models suggest that Treg can attenuate GVHD while preserving GVL, but results vary according to tumor type. Human trials using Treg as GVHD prophylaxis or treatment show promising results, emphasizing the importance of infusion timing and Treg/Tcon ratios. In this review, we discuss strategies that can be used aiming to enhance GVL post-Treg infusion and the proposed mechanisms for the maintenance of the GVL effect upon the adoptive Treg transfer. In order to optimize the therapeutic outcomes of Treg administration in allo-HSCT, future efforts should focus on refining Treg sources for infusion and evaluating their specificity for antigens mediating GVHD while preserving GVL responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina P. Pacini
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria V. D. Soares
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João F. Lacerda
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Serviço de Hematologia e Transplantação de Medula, Hospital de Santa Maria, ULS Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Talley S, Rademacher DJ, Campbell EM. Inflammasome activation occurs in CD4 + and CD8 + T cells during graft-versus-host disease. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:632. [PMID: 37749127 PMCID: PMC10519954 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06138-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
A severe complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a reaction that occurs following the transfer of donor immune cells (the graft) into an allogeneic host. Transplanted cells recognize host alloantigens as foreign, resulting in the activation of donor T cells and migration of these pathological cells into host tissues. In this study, we found that caspase-1 is activated in alloreactive murine and human CD4+ and CD8+ T cells early during acute GvHD (aGvHD). The presence of inflammasome-bound active caspase-1 (p33) and ASC-speck formation confirmed inflammasome activation in these cells. We further measured gasdermin D (GSDMD) cleavage and IL-18 secretion from alloreactive T cells ex vivo. Isolated T cells with high levels of active caspase-1 had a strong inflammatory transcriptional signature and a metabolic phenotype similar to inflammatory myeloid cells, including the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines and metabolic switch from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis. We also observed oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death phenotypes consistent with inflammatory cell death in alloreactive T cells. For the first time, this study characterizes caspase-1 activation in transplanted T cells during aGvHD, using mouse and human models, adding to a body of literature supporting inflammasome function in cells of the adaptive immune system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Talley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - David J Rademacher
- Core Imaging Facility and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University of Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Edward M Campbell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li Q, Wang X, Song Q, Yang S, Wu X, Yang D, Marié IJ, Qin H, Zheng M, Nasri U, Kong X, Wang B, Lizhar E, Cassady K, Tompkins J, Levy D, Martin PJ, Zhang X, Zeng D. Donor T cell STAT3 deficiency enables tissue PD-L1-dependent prevention of graft-versus-host disease while preserving graft-versus-leukemia activity. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e165723. [PMID: 37526084 PMCID: PMC10378157 DOI: 10.1172/jci165723] [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: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
STAT3 deficiency (STAT3-/-) in donor T cells prevents graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), but the impact on graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) activity and mechanisms of GVHD prevention remains unclear. Here, using murine models of GVHD, we show that STAT3-/- donor T cells induced only mild reversible acute GVHD while preserving GVL effects against nonsusceptible acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells in a donor T cell dose-dependent manner. GVHD prevention depended on programmed death ligand 1/programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-L1/PD-1) signaling. In GVHD target tissues, STAT3 deficiency amplified PD-L1/PD-1 inhibition of glutathione (GSH)/Myc pathways that regulate metabolic reprogramming in activated T cells, with decreased glycolytic and mitochondrial ATP production and increased mitochondrial ROS production and dysfunction, leading to tissue-specific deletion of host-reactive T cells and prevention of GVHD. Mitochondrial STAT3 deficiency alone did not reduce GSH expression or prevent GVHD. In lymphoid tissues, the lack of host-tissue PD-L1 interaction with PD-1 reduced the inhibition of the GSH/Myc pathway despite reduced GSH production caused by STAT3 deficiency and allowed donor T cell functions that mediate GVL activity. Therefore, STAT3 deficiency in donor T cells augments PD-1 signaling-mediated inhibition of GSH/Myc pathways and augments dysfunction of T cells in GVHD target tissues while sparing T cells in lymphoid tissues, leading to prevention of GVHD while preserving GVL effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qinjian Li
- Medical Center of Hematology, Xinqiao Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Xiaoqi Wang
- Medical Center of Hematology, Xinqiao Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Qingxiao Song
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
- Fujian Medical University Center of Translational Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, and Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shijie Yang
- Medical Center of Hematology, Xinqiao Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Xiwei Wu
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Dongyun Yang
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Isabelle J Marié
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Hanjun Qin
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Moqian Zheng
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Ubaydah Nasri
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Xiaohui Kong
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Bixin Wang
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
- Fujian Medical University Center of Translational Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, and Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Elizabeth Lizhar
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Kaniel Cassady
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Josh Tompkins
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - David Levy
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Paul J Martin
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Xi Zhang
- Medical Center of Hematology, Xinqiao Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Defu Zeng
- Arthur D. Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ramgopal A, Braverman EL, Sun LK, Monlish D, Wittmann C, Ramsey MJ, Caitley R, Hawse W, Byersdorfer CA. AMPK Drives Both Glycolytic and Oxidative Metabolism in T Cells During Graft-versus-host Disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.12.544686. [PMID: 37398326 PMCID: PMC10312647 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.12.544686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Allogeneic T cells reprogram their metabolism during acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in a process reliant on the cellular energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Deletion of AMPK in donor T cells limits GVHD but still preserves homeostatic reconstitution and graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects. In the current studies, murine T cells lacking AMPK decreased oxidative metabolism at early timepoints post-transplant and were also unable to mediate a compensatory increase in glycolysis following inhibition of the electron transport chain. Human T cells lacking AMPK gave similar results, with glycolytic compensation impaired both in vitro and following expansion in vivo in a modified model of GVHD. Immunoprecipitation of proteins from day 7 allogeneic T cells, using an antibody specific to phosphorylated AMPK targets, recovered lower levels of multiple glycolysis-related proteins including the glycolytic enzymes aldolase, enolase, pyruvate kinase M (PKM), and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Functionally, murine T cells lacking AMPK exhibited impaired aldolase activity following anti-CD3/CD28 stimulation and a decrease in GAPDH activity on day 7 post-transplant. Importantly, these changes in glycolysis correlated with an impaired ability of AMPK KO T cells to produce significant amounts of interferon gamma (IFNγ) upon antigenic re-stimulation. Together these data highlight a significant role for AMPK in controlling oxidative and glycolytic metabolism in both murine and human T cells during GVHD and endorse further study of AMPK inhibition as a potential target for future clinical therapies. KEY POINTS AMPK plays a key role in driving both and oxidative and glycolytic metabolism in T cells during graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)Absence of AMPK simultaneously impairs both glycolytic enzyme activity, most notably by aldolase, and interferon gamma (IFNγ) production.
Collapse
|