A Functionally Distinct CXCR3+/IFN-γ+/IL-10+ Subset Defines Disease-Suppressive Myelin-Specific CD8 T Cells

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Tokyo-172 vaccine provides age-related neuroprotection in actively induced and spontaneous experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models

Multiple sclerosis is the most common immune-mediated disorder affecting the central nervous system in young adults but still has no cure. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is reported to have non-specific anti-inflammatory effects and therapeutic benefits in autoimmune disorders including multiple sclerosis. However, the precise mechanism of action of BCG and the host immune response to it remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of the BCG Tokyo-172 vaccine in suppressing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Groups of young and mature adult female C57BL/6J mice were BCG-vaccinated 1 month prior or 6 days after active EAE induction using myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)35-55 peptide. Another group of 2D2 TCRMOG transgenic female mice was BCG-vaccinated before and after the onset of spontaneous EAE. BCG had an age-associated protective effect against active EAE only in wild-type mice vaccinated 1 month before EAE induction. Furthermore, the incidence of spontaneous EAE was significantly lower in BCG vaccinated 2D2 mice than in non-vaccinated controls. Protection against EAE was associated with reduced splenic T-cell proliferation in response to MOG35-55 peptide together with high frequency of CD8+ interleukin-10-secreting T cells in the spleen. In addition, microglia and astrocytes isolated from BCG-vaccinated mice showed polarization to anti-inflammatory M2 and A2 phenotypes, respectively. Our data provide new insights into the cell-mediated and humoral immune mechanisms underlying BCG vaccine-induced neuroprotection, potentially useful for developing better strategies for the treatment of MS.

B Cells Drive MHC Class I-Restricted CD4 T Cells to Induce Spontaneous Central Nervous System Autoimmunity

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory, demyelinating CNS disease believed to be mediated by CD4 T cells specific for CNS self-antigens. CD8 T cells are also implicated in MS but their function is not well understood. MS lesions are heterogeneous and may reflect variation in the contribution of different types of lymphocytes. Understanding how lymphocytes with different effector functions contribute to MS is essential to develop effective therapies. We investigated how T cells expressing an MHC class I-restricted transgenic TCR specific for myelin basic protein (MBP) contribute to CNS autoimmunity using the mouse model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Virus infection triggered cytotoxic TCR-transgenic CD8 T cells to initiate acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in an IFN-γ- and perforin-dependent manner. Unexpectedly, spontaneous CNS autoimmunity developed in the TCR-transgenic mice that was accelerated by IFN-γ-deficiency. Spontaneous disease was associated with CD4 T cells that develop via endogenous TCR rearrangements but retain specificity for the MHC class I-restricted MBP epitope. The CD4 T cells produced TNF-α without other inflammatory cytokines and caused lesions with striking similarity to active MS lesions. Surprisingly, B cells were the predominant cell type that cross-presented MBP, and their depletion halted disease progression. This work provides a new model of spontaneous CNS autoimmunity with unique similarities to MS that is mediated by T cells with a distinct effector phenotype.

Neuroinflammation: Extinguishing a blaze of T cells

Inflammation is a biological process that dynamically alters the surrounding microenvironment, including participating immune cells. As a well-protected organ surrounded by specialized barriers and with immune privilege properties, the central nervous system (CNS) tightly regulates immune responses. Yet in neuroinflammatory conditions, pathogenic immunity can disrupt CNS structure and function. T cells in particular play a key role in promoting and restricting neuroinflammatory responses, while the inflamed CNS microenvironment can influence and reshape T cell function and identity. Still, the contraction of aberrant T cell responses within the CNS is not well understood. Using autoimmunity as a model, here we address the contribution of CD4 T helper (Th) cell subsets in promoting neuropathology and disease. To address the mechanisms antagonizing neuroinflammation, we focus on the control of the immune response by regulatory T cells (Tregs) and describe the counteracting processes that preserve their identity under inflammatory challenges. Finally, given the influence of the local microenvironment on immune regulation, we address how CNS-intrinsic signals reshape T cell function to mitigate abnormal immune T cell responses.