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Llorián-Salvador M, de la Fuente AG, McMurran CE, Dashwood A, Dooley J, Liston A, Penalva R, Dombrowski Y, Stitt AW, Fitzgerald DC. Regulatory T cells limit age-associated retinal inflammation and neurodegeneration. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:32. [PMID: 38581053 PMCID: PMC10996107 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00724-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ageing is the principal risk factor for retinal degenerative diseases, which are the commonest cause of blindness in the developed countries. These conditions include age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy. Regulatory T cells play a vital role in immunoregulation of the nervous system by limiting inflammation and tissue damage in health and disease. Because the retina was long-considered an immunoprivileged site, the precise contribution of regulatory T cells in retinal homeostasis and in age-related retinal diseases remains unknown. METHODS Regulatory T cells were selectively depleted in both young (2-4 months) and aged (18-23 months) FoxP3-DTR mice. We evaluated neuroretinal degeneration, gliosis, subretinal space phagocyte infiltration, and retinal pigmented epithelium morphology through immunofluorescence analysis. Subsequently, aged Treg depleted animals underwent adoptive transfer of both young and aged regulatory T cells from wild-type mice, and the resulting impact on neurodegeneration was assessed. Statistical analyses employed included the U-Mann Whitney test, and for comparisons involving more than two groups, 1-way ANOVA analysis followed by Bonferroni's post hoc test. RESULTS Our study shows that regulatory T cell elimination leads to retinal pigment epithelium cell dysmorphology and accumulation of phagocytes in the subretinal space of young and aged mice. However, only aged mice experience retinal neurodegeneration and gliosis. Surprisingly, adoptive transfer of young but not aged regulatory T cells reverse these changes. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate an essential role for regulatory T cells in maintaining age retinal homeostasis and preventing age-related neurodegeneration. This previously undescribed role of regulatory T cells in limiting retinal inflammation, RPE/choroid epithelium damage and subsequently photoreceptor loss with age, opens novel avenues to explore regulatory T cell neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties as potential therapeutic approaches for age-related retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Llorián-Salvador
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alerie G de la Fuente
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK.
- Institute for Health and Biomedical Research of Alicante (ISABIAL) Alicante, 03010, Alicante, Spain.
- Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC-UMH, San Juan de Alicante, 03550, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Christopher E McMurran
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amy Dashwood
- Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - James Dooley
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adrian Liston
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rosana Penalva
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Yvonne Dombrowski
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Alan W Stitt
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK.
| | - Denise C Fitzgerald
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK
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