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Selective expansion of regulatory T cells using an orthogonal IL-2/IL-2 receptor system facilitates transplantation tolerance
Toshihito Hirai, … , K. Christopher Garcia, Robert S. Negrin
Toshihito Hirai, … , K. Christopher Garcia, Robert S. Negrin
Published April 15, 2021
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2021;131(8):e139991. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI139991.
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Research Article

Selective expansion of regulatory T cells using an orthogonal IL-2/IL-2 receptor system facilitates transplantation tolerance

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Abstract

Adoptive transfer of Tregs has been shown to improve alloengraftment in animal models. However, it is technically challenging to expand Tregs ex vivo for the purpose of infusing large numbers of cells in the clinic. We demonstrate an innovative approach to engineering an orthogonal IL-2/IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) pair, the parts of which selectively interact with each other, transmitting native IL-2 signals, but do not interact with the natural IL-2 or IL-2R counterparts, thereby enabling selective stimulation of target cells in vivo. Here, we introduced this orthogonal IL-2R into Tregs. Upon adoptive transfer in a murine mixed hematopoietic chimerism model, orthogonal IL-2 injection significantly promoted orthogonal IL-2R+Foxp3GFP+CD4+ cell proliferation without increasing other T cell subsets and facilitated donor hematopoietic cell engraftment followed by acceptance of heart allografts. Our data indicate that selective target cell stimulation enabled by the engineered orthogonal cytokine receptor improves Treg potential for the induction of organ transplantation tolerance.

Authors

Toshihito Hirai, Teresa L. Ramos, Po-Yu Lin, Federico Simonetta, Leon L. Su, Lora K. Picton, Jeanette Baker, Jian-Xin Lin, Peng Li, Kinya Seo, Juliane K. Lohmeyer, Sara Bolivar-Wagers, Melissa Mavers, Warren J. Leonard, Bruce R. Blazar, K. Christopher Garcia, Robert S. Negrin

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Figure 4

In vivo injection of ortho IL-2 selectively expands oIL-2Rβ–transduced Tregs.

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In vivo injection of ortho IL-2 selectively expands oIL-2Rβ–transduced T...
(A) Schematic of in vivo model for mixed chimerism induction. After 3.3 Gy TBI, CD45.2+Thy1.1+H2d+ BALB/c mice received Luc+CD45.1+Thy1.1+H2b+ C57BL/6 BMCs (15 × 106) plus CD45.2+Thy1.2+H2d+Foxp3GFP+ Tregs (1 × 106) that were transduced with oIL-2Rβ (oTreg: transduction efficiency was about 30%). All mice were treated with anti-CD40L (0.3 mg i.p. on d0) followed by i.p. administration of PBS (n = 7), WT IL-2 MSA 25,000 IU/d (n = 7), or ortho IL-2 MSA 25,000 IU/d (n = 7) for 6 days. Spleen, blood, and peripheral lymph nodes were recovered and analyzed by flow cytometry on d6. (B–D) Ortho IL-2 administration increases the population (B) and expression levels of CD25 and ICOS (C and D) on tRFP-positive fraction (brown gate), but not on tRFP-negative fraction (black) of oTregs in the spleen. (E) Box plots showing relative cell number normalized by PBS control mice in Thy1.2+Foxp3GFP+ with (tRFP+ oTreg. top) or without (tRFP– oTreg, middle) IL-2Rβ expression, and Thy1.1+ T cells (host T cells, bottom). (F and G) Ortho IL-2 administration increases oTreg population without affecting Thy1.1+ T cells. Representative pseudocolor plots of CD45.2+ splenocytes (F) and box plots (G). (H) The percentage of oTregs in CD45.2+CD4+ T cells in total body blood collected from the inferior vena cava and peripheral lymph nodes. Left, representative pseudocolor plots in blood. Right, comparison between PBS- and ortho IL-2–treated mice. Pooled data from 2 independent experiments including 3 to 4 mice per group per each experiment. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001, between indicated groups calculated by Mann-Whitney U test for 2-group comparison, Dunn’s Kruskal-Wallis test for multiple group comparison. TBI, total body irradiation; CD40L, CD40 ligand.

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