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Reprogramming dysfunctional CD8+ T cells to promote properties associated with natural HIV control
Federico Perdomo-Celis, … , Olivier Lambotte, Asier Sáez-Cirión
Federico Perdomo-Celis, … , Olivier Lambotte, Asier Sáez-Cirión
Published April 5, 2022
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2022;132(11):e157549. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI157549.
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Research Article AIDS/HIV Immunology

Reprogramming dysfunctional CD8+ T cells to promote properties associated with natural HIV control

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Abstract

Virus-specific CD8+ T cells play a central role in HIV-1 natural controllers to maintain suppressed viremia in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. These cells display a memory program that confers them stemness properties, high survival, polyfunctionality, proliferative capacity, metabolic plasticity, and antiviral potential. The development and maintenance of such qualities by memory CD8+ T cells appear crucial to achieving natural HIV-1 control. Here, we show that targeting the signaling pathways Wnt/transcription factor T cell factor 1 (Wnt/TCF-1) and mTORC through GSK3 inhibition to reprogram HIV-specific CD8+ T cells from noncontrollers promoted functional capacities associated with natural control of infection. Features of such reprogrammed cells included enrichment in TCF-1+ less-differentiated subsets, a superior response to antigen, enhanced survival, polyfunctionality, metabolic plasticity, less mTORC1 dependency, an improved response to γ-chain cytokines, and a stronger HIV-suppressive capacity. Thus, such CD8+ T cell reprogramming, combined with other available immunomodulators, might represent a promising strategy for adoptive cell therapy in the search for an HIV-1 cure.

Authors

Federico Perdomo-Celis, Caroline Passaes, Valérie Monceaux, Stevenn Volant, Faroudy Boufassa, Pierre de Truchis, Morgane Marcou, Katia Bourdic, Laurence Weiss, Corinne Jung, Christine Bourgeois, Cécile Goujard, Laurence Meyer, Michaela Müller-Trutwin, Olivier Lambotte, Asier Sáez-Cirión

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Figure 2

Intrinsic effects of reprogramming in CD8+ T cell memory subpopulations.

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Intrinsic effects of reprogramming in CD8+ T cell memory subpopulations....
Sorted TCM, TTM, TEM, and TTE cells from people without HIV were treated with the GSK3 inhibitor or vehicle control, followed by incubation under basal conditions or anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation for 48 hours. (A) Representative histograms showing the expression of CCR7, CD27, CD28, and TCF-1 in sorted TTM cell populations (pop) under basal conditions. The median fluorescence intensity of each marker is indicated. Analysis of the expression of each marker in memory T cells after vehicle control or GSK3 inhibitor treatment, in the absence of stimulation, is shown. *P < 0.05, by Wilcoxon test. (B) Flow cytometric analysis of CD127+T-bet– and CD127–T-bet+ cells after anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation, and fold change in the indicated subsets among memory T cells induced by anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation, relative to the unstimulated condition. *P < 0.05, by Wilcoxon test. (C) Frequencies of granzyme B+, IFN-γ+, IL-2+, and TNF-α+ cells among memory cells after anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation. At least 5 donors were included for each comparison; data shown are from 7 independent experiments. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01, by Wilcoxon test. (D) PCA of gene expression by TCM cells treated with vehicle control or the GSK3 inhibitor. (E) Heatmap of genes differentially expressed (P < 0.05 according to a mixed-effects model) in reprogrammed versus nonreprogrammed TCM cells. Heatmap scale indicates mRNA levels relative to the housekeeping gene GAPDH and are plotted as log 2–ΔCt in unstimulated and polyclonally stimulated cells (at least 5 donors were included for each comparison; data are from 2 independent experiments).

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