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The druggable transcription factor Fli-1 regulates T cell immunity and tolerance in graft-versus-host disease
Steven D. Schutt, … , Yaacov Ben-David, Xue-Zhong Yu
Steven D. Schutt, … , Yaacov Ben-David, Xue-Zhong Yu
Published September 8, 2022
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2022;132(21):e143950. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI143950.
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Research Article Immunology

The druggable transcription factor Fli-1 regulates T cell immunity and tolerance in graft-versus-host disease

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Abstract

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), manifesting as either acute (aGVHD) or chronic (cGVHD), presents significant life-threatening complications following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Here, we investigated Friend virus leukemia integration 1 (Fli-1) in GVHD pathogenesis and validated Fli-1 as a therapeutic target. Using genetic approaches, we found that Fli-1 dynamically regulated different T cell subsets in allogeneic responses and pathogenicity in the development of aGVHD and cGVHD. Compared with homozygous Fli1-deficient or WT T cells, heterozygous Fli1-deficient T cells induced the mildest GVHD, as evidenced by the lowest Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation. Single-cell RNA-Seq analysis revealed that Fli-1 differentially regulated CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses. Fli-1 promoted the transcription of Th1/Th17 pathways and T cell receptor–inducible (TCR-inducible) transcription factors in CD4+ T cells, while suppressing activation- and function-related gene pathways in CD8+ T cells. Importantly, a low dose of camptothecin, topotecan, or etoposide acted as a potent Fli-1 inhibitor and significantly attenuated GVHD severity, while preserving the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect. This observation was extended to a xenograft model, in which GVHD was induced by human T cells. In conclusion, we provide evidence that Fli-1 plays a crucial role in alloreactive CD4+ T cell activation and differentiation and that targeting Fli-1 may be an attractive strategy for treating GVHD without compromising the GVL effect.

Authors

Steven D. Schutt, Yongxia Wu, Arjun Kharel, David Bastian, Hee-Jin Choi, Mohammed Hanief Sofi, Corey Mealer, Brianyell McDaniel Mims, Hung Nguyen, Chen Liu, Kris Helke, Weiguo Cui, Xian Zhang, Yaacov Ben-David, Xue-Zhong Yu

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Figure 7

Inhibition of Fli-1 prevents aGVHD and preserves the GVL effect.

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Inhibition of Fli-1 prevents aGVHD and preserves the GVL effect.
(A–F) L...
(A–F) Lethally irradiated B6D2F1 mice were transplanted with 5 × 106 TCD-BM cells from CD45.1 or CD45.2 B6 donors supplemented or not with 3 × 106 purified total T cells from CD45.2 B6 donors. Three of the 4 groups of mice were also supplemented with 5,000 P815 at the time of BMT and received vehicle, 0.25 mg/kg CPT only, mature T cells plus vehicle (T+Veh), or mature T cells plus 0.25 mg/kg CPT (T+CPT) on day 0 and then every other day until day 28 after BMT. Recipient survival (A) and aGVHD clinical scores (B) were monitored following BMT. At the experimental endpoint (~day 80) donor splenic H2Kd–B220+ (C) and thymic CD4+CD8+ double-positive (DP) (D) cell populations were analyzed by flow cytometry. An IVIS 200 imager was used to periodically monitor firefly-luciferase expression in transplanted P815 cells in recipient mice, which were injected with d-luciferin substrate at each imaging time point (E). Western blot analysis of the indicated proteins and tumor cell lines after 24 hours in culture (F). α, anti-. Data in A–E represent 3 independent experiments (BM only, n = 6; BM + P815 + vehicle, n = 9; BM + P815 + CPT, n = 7; BM + P815 + T cells + vehicle, n = 14; BM + P815 + T cells + CPT, n = 11). Data in F are from an individual Western blot. (G–I) Purified T cells isolated from Fli1WT, Fli1fl/WT, or Fli1fl/fl donor mice plus WT TCD-BM were transferred into lethally irradiated B6D2F1 mice. On the day of BMT, 5,000 luciferase-transduced P815 cells were i.v. injected into these recipients. Recipient survival rates (G), clinical scores (H), and P815 tumor growth (I) were monitored following BMT (BM only, n = 3; BM + P815, n = 3; BM + P815 + Fli1WT, n = 5; BM + P815 + Fli1fl/WT, n = 5; BM + P815 + Fli1fl/fl, n = 5). Significance was determined using mixed-model tests for clinical scores, a log-rank test for survival data, and a 1-way ANOVA for all other data. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, and ***P < 0.001.

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