Late-onset inflammatory toxicities resembling hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) or macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) occur after chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T cell) infusion and represent a therapeutic challenge. Given the established link between perforin deficiency and primary HLH, we investigated the role of perforin in anti-CD19 CAR T cell efficacy and HLH-like toxicities in a syngeneic murine model. Perforin contributed to both CD8+ and CD4+ CAR T cell cytotoxicity but was not required for in vitro or in vivo leukemia clearance. Upon CAR-mediated in vitro activation, perforin-deficient CAR T cells produced higher amounts of proinflammatory cytokines compared with WT CAR T cells. Following in vivo clearance of leukemia, perforin-deficient CAR T cells reexpanded, resulting in splenomegaly with disruption of normal splenic architecture and the presence of hemophagocytes, which are findings reminiscent of HLH. Notably, a substantial fraction of patients who received anti-CD22 CAR T cells also experienced biphasic inflammation, with the second phase occurring after the resolution of cytokine release syndrome, resembling clinical manifestations of HLH. Elevated inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18 and concurrent late CAR T cell expansion characterized the HLH-like syndromes occurring in the murine model and in humans. Thus, a murine model of perforin-deficient CAR T cells recapitulated late-onset inflammatory toxicities occurring in human CAR T cell recipients, providing therapeutically relevant mechanistic insights.
Kazusa Ishii, Marie Pouzolles, Christopher D. Chien, Rebecca A. Erwin-Cohen, M. Eric Kohler, Haiying Qin, Haiyan Lei, Skyler Kuhn, Amanda K. Ombrello, Alina Dulau-Florea, Michael A. Eckhaus, Haneen Shalabi, Bonnie Yates, Daniel A. Lichtenstein, Valérie S. Zimmermann, Taisuke Kondo, Jack F. Shern, Howard A. Young, Naomi Taylor, Nirali N. Shah, Terry J. Fry
Beclin 2 plays a critical role in metabolic regulation and obesity, but its functions in innate immune signaling and cancer development remain largely unknown. Here, we identified Beclin 2 as a critical negative regulator of inflammation and lymphoma development. Mice with homozygous ablation of BCL2-interacting protein 2 (Becn2) developed splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy and markedly increased ERK1/2 and NF-κB signaling for proinflammatory cytokine production. Beclin 2 targeted the key signaling kinases MEKK3 and TAK1 for degradation through an ATG9A-dependent, but ATG16L/Beclin 1/LC3–independent, autophagic pathway. Mechanistically, Beclin 2 recruited MEKK3 or TAK1 through ATG9A to form a complex (Beclin 2-ATG9A-MEKK3) on ATG9A+ vesicles upon ULK1 activation. Beclin 2 further interacted with STX5 and STX6 to promote the fusion of MEKK3- or TAK1-associated ATG9A+ vesicles to phagophores for subsequent degradation. Importantly, Becn2-deficient mice had a markedly increased incidence of lymphoma development, with persistent STAT3 activation. Myeloid-specific ablation of MEKK3 (Map3k3) completely rescued the phenotypes (splenomegaly, higher amounts of proinflammatory cytokines, and cancer incidence) of Becn2-deficient mice. Hence, our findings have identified an important role of Beclin 2 in the negative regulation of innate immune signaling and tumor development through an ATG9A-dependent, but ATG16L/Beclin 1/LC3–independent, autophagic pathway, thus providing a potential target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer.
Motao Zhu, Guangtong Deng, Peng Tan, Changsheng Xing, Cuiping Guan, Chongming Jiang, Yinlong Zhang, Bo Ning, Chaoran Li, Bingnan Yin, Kaifu Chen, Yuliang Zhao, Helen Y. Wang, Beth Levine, Guangjun Nie, Rong-Fu Wang
FOXP3+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical for immune homeostasis and respond to local tissue cues, which control their stability and function. We explored here whether DEL-1, which, like Tregs, increases during resolution of inflammation, promotes Treg responses. DEL-1 enhanced Treg numbers and function at barrier sites (oral and lung mucosa). The underlying mechanism was dissected using mice lacking DEL-1 or expressing a point mutant thereof, or mice with T cell-specific deletion of the transcription factor RUNX1, identified by RNA-seq analysis of the DEL-1-induced Treg transcriptome. Specifically, through interaction with αvβ3-integrin, DEL-1 promoted induction of RUNX1-dependent FOXP3 expression and conferred stability of FOXP3 expression upon Treg restimulation in the absence of exogenous TGFβ1. Consistently, DEL-1 enhanced the demethylation of the Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR) in the mouse Foxp3 gene and the suppressive function of sorted induced Tregs. Similarly, DEL-1 increased RUNX1 and FOXP3 expression in human conventional T cells promoting their conversion into induced Tregs with increased TSDR demethylation, enhanced stability and suppressive activity. We thus uncovered a DEL-1-αvβ3-RUNX1 axis that promotes Treg responses at barrier sites and offers novel therapeutic options for modulating inflammatory/autoimmune disorders.
Xiaofei Li, Alessandra Colamatteo, Lydia Kalafati, Tetsuhiro Kajikawa, Hui Wang, Jong-Hyung Lim, Khalil Bdeir, Kyoung-Jin Chung, Xiang Yu, Clorinda Fusco, Antonio Porcellini, Salvatore De Simone, Giuseppe Matarese, Triantafyllos Chavakis, Veronica De Rosa, George Hajishengallis
Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) is a subunit common to IL-27, IL-35, and IL-39. Here, we explore an intracellular role of EBI3 independent of function as cytokines. EBI3-deficient naive CD4+ T cells had reduced IFN-γ production and failed to induce T cell-dependent colitis in mice. Similarly reduced IFN-γ production was observed in vitro in EBI3-deficient CD4+ T cells differentiated under pathogenic Th17 polarizing conditions with IL-23. This is because the induction of expression of one of IL-23 receptor (R) subunits, IL-23Rα, but not another IL-23R subunit, IL-12Rβ1, was selectively decreased at the protein level but not the mRNA level. EBI3 augmented IL-23Rα expression via binding to the chaperone molecule calnexin and to IL-23Rα in a peptide-dependent manner, but not glycan-dependent manner. Indeed, EBI3 failed to augment the IL-23Rα expression in the absence of endogenous calnexin. Moreover, EBI3 poorly augmented the expression of G149R, an IL-23Rα variant that protects against the development of human colitis, because binding of EBI3 to the variant was reduced. Taking together with the result that EBI3 expression is inducible in T cells, the present results suggest that EBI3 plays a critical role in augmenting IL-23Rα protein expression via calnexin under inflammatory conditions.
Izuru Mizoguchi, Mio Ohashi, Hideaki Hasegawa, Yukino Chiba, Naoko Orii, Shinya Inoue, Chiaki Kawana, Mingli Xu, Katsuko Sudo, Koji Fujita, Masahiko Kuroda, Shin-ichi Hashimoto, Kouji Matsushima, Takayuki Yoshimoto
Background:While mitochondria play an important role in innate immunity, the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation in heart failure (HF) is poorly understood. In this study we aimed to investigate the mechanistic link between mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammatory activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and the potential anti-inflammatory effect of boosting NAD level.Methods:We compared the PBMC mitochondrial respiration of 19 hospitalized Stage D HF patients with 19 healthy participants. We then created an in vitro model of sterile inflammation by treating healthy PBMC with MitoDAMP (Mitochondrial Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns) isolated from human heart tissue. Lastly, we enrolled Stage D HF patients and sampled their blood before and after taking 5-9 days of oral nicotinamide riboside, an NAD precursor.Results:We demonstrated that HF is associated with both reduced respiratory capacity and elevated proinflammatory cytokine gene expressions. In our in vitro model, MitoDAMP-treated PBMCs secreted IL-6 that impaired mitochondrial respiration by reducing Complex I activity. Last, oral NR administration enhanced PBMC respiration and reduced proinflammatory cytokine gene expression in 4 HF subjects.Conclusion:These findings suggest that systemic inflammation in HF patients is causally linked to mitochondrial function of the PBMC. Increasing NAD levels may have the potential to improve mitochondrial respiration and attenuate proinflammatory activation of PBMC in HF. FundingThis study is funded by NIH R21 HL126209 (to RT and KO), NIH R01 HL144937 (to KO and RT) and University of Washington ITHS Catalyst Award (to DDW). Both BZ (18POST33990352) and DDW (18POST34030098) are funded by the AHA Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Bo Zhou, Dennis D. Wang, Yanhua Qiu, Sophia Airhart, Yaxin Liu, April Stempien-Otero, Kevin D. O’Brien, Rong Tian.
Mitochondria have emerged as key actors of innate and adaptive immunity. Mitophagy has a pivotal role in cell homeostasis but its contribution to macrophage functions and host defense remains to be delineated. Here we showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in combination with IFNγ, inhibits PINK1-dependent mitophagy in macrophages through a STAT1-dependent activation of the inflammatory caspases 1 and 11. In addition, we demonstrated that the inhibition of mitophagy triggers classical macrophage activation in a mitochondrial ROS-dependent manner. In a murine model of polymicrobial infection (cecal ligature and puncture, CLP), adoptive transfer of Pink1-deficient bone marrow or pharmacological inhibition of mitophagy promoted macrophage activation which favored bactericidal clearance and lead to a better survival. Reciprocally, mitochondrial uncouplers, that promote mitophagy, reverse LPS/IFNγ-mediated activation of macrophages and lead to immuno-paralysis with impaired bacterial clearance and lowered survival. In critically ill patients, we showed that mitophagy is inhibited in blood monocytes of patients with sepsis as compared to non-septic patients. Overall, this work demonstrates that the inhibition of mitophagy is a physiological mechanism that contributes to the activation of myeloid cells and improves the outcome of sepsis.
Danish Patoli, Franck Mignotte, Valérie Deckert, Alois Dusuel, Adelie Dumont, Aurelie Rieu, Antoine Jalil, Kevin Van Dongen, Thibaut Bourgeois, Thomas Gautier, Charlene Magnani, Naig Le Guern, Stéphane Mandard, Jean Bastin, Fatima Djouadi, Christine Schaeffer, Nina Guillaumot, Michel Narce, Maxime Nguyen, Julien Guy, Auguste Dargent, Jean-Pierre Quenot, Mickaël Rialland, David Masson, Johan Auwerx, Laurent Lagrost, Charles Thomas
Although IKK-β has previously been shown as a negative regulator of IL-1β secretion in mice, this role has not been demonstrated in humans. Genetic studies of NF-κB signalling in humans with inherited diseases of the immune system have not demonstrated the relevance of the NF-κB pathway in suppression of IL-1β expression. Here, we report an infant displaying clinical pathology comprising neutrophil-mediated auto-inflammation and recurrent bacterial infections. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a de novo heterozygous missense mutation in NFKBIA, resulting in a L34P IκBα variant, that severely repressed NF-κB activation and downstream cytokine production. Paradoxically, IL-1β secretion was elevated in the patient’s stimulated leukocytes, in her induced-pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophages, and in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages containing the L34P mutation. The patient’s hyper-IL-1β secretion correlated with activated neutrophilia and liver fibrosis with neutrophil accumulation. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation reversed neutrophilia, restored a resting state in neutrophils, and normalized IL-1β release from stimulated leukocytes. Additional therapeutic blockade of IL-1 ameliorated liver damage, whilst decreasing neutrophil activation and associated IL-1β secretion. Our studies reveal a previously unrecognized role of human IκBα as an essential regulator of canonical NF-κB signalling in the prevention of neutrophilic-dependent auto-inflammatory diseases. We showed that IκBα controls IL-1β secretion through a mechanism of self-limiting post-transcriptional regulation. These findings also highlight a therapeutic potential for IL-1 inhibitors to treat complications arising from systemic NF-κB inhibition.
Enrica Ee Kar Tan, Richard Hopkins, Chrissie K. Lim, Saumya Jamuar, Christina Ong, Koh Cheng Thoon, Mark J.A. Koh, Eun Myoung Shin, Derrick Wen Quan Lian, Madhushanee Weerasooriya, Christopher Z.W Lee, Andreas Alvin Purnomo Soetedjo, Chang Siang Lim, Veronica B. Au, WM Edmond Chua, Hui Yin Lee, Leigh Ann Jones, Sharmy Jennifer James, Nivashini Kaliaperumal, Jeffrey Kwok, Ee Shien Tan, Biju Thomas, Lena Ho, Lynn Wu, Anna-Marie Fairhurst, Florent Ginhoux, Adrian K.K. Teo, Yongliang Zhang, Kok Haur Ong, Weimiao Yu, Byrappa Venkatesh, Vinay Tergaonkar, Bruno Reversade, Keh-Chuang Chin, Ah Moy Tan, Woei Kang Liew, John E. Connolly
Exposure of mononuclear phagocytes to β-glucan, a naturally occurring polysaccharide, contributes to the induction of innate immune memory, which is associated with long-term epigenetic, metabolic, and functional reprogramming. Although previous studies have shown that innate immune memory induced by β-glucan confers protection against secondary infections, its impact on autoinflammatory diseases, associated with inflammasome activation and IL-1β secretion, remains poorly understood. In particular, whether β-glucan–induced long-term reprogramming affects inflammasome activation in human macrophages in the context of these diseases has not been explored. We found that NLRP3 inflammasome–mediated caspase-1 activation and subsequent IL-1β production were reduced in β-glucan–reprogrammed macrophages. β-Glucan acted upstream of the NLRP3 inflammasome by preventing potassium (K+) efflux, mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) generation, and, ultimately, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) oligomerization and speck formation. Importantly, β-glucan–induced memory in macrophages resulted in a remarkable attenuation of IL-1β secretion and caspase-1 activation in patients with an NLRP3-associated autoinflammatory disease, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS). Our findings demonstrate that β-glucan–induced innate immune memory represses IL-1β–mediated inflammation and support its potential clinical use in NLRP3-driven diseases.
Giorgio Camilli, Mathieu Bohm, Alícia Corbellini Piffer, Rachel Lavenir, David L. Williams, Benedicte Neven, Gilles Grateau, Sophie Georgin-Lavialle, Jessica Quintin
Pathologic lymphatic remodeling in lymphedema evolves during periods of tissue inflammation and hypoxia through poorly defined processes. In human and mouse lymphedema, there is a significant increase of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α, but a reduction of HIF-2α protein expression in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). We questioned whether dysregulated expression of these transcription factors contributes to disease pathogenesis and found that LEC-specific deletion of Hif-2α exacerbated lymphedema pathology. Even without lymphatic vascular injury, the loss of LEC-specific Hif-2α caused anatomic pathology and a functional decline in fetal and adult mice. These findings suggest that HIF-2α is an important mediator of lymphatic health. HIF-2α promoted protective phosphorylated TIE2 (p-TIE2) signaling in LECs, a process also replicated by upregulating TIE2 signaling through adenovirus-mediated angiopoietin-1 (Angpt1) gene therapy. Our study suggests that HIF-2α normally promotes healthy lymphatic homeostasis and raises the exciting possibility that restoring HIF-2α pathways in lymphedema could mitigate long-term pathology and disability.
Xinguo Jiang, Wen Tian, Eric J. Granucci, Allen B. Tu, Dongeon Kim, Petra Dahms, Shravani Pasupneti, Gongyong Peng, Yesl Kim, Amber H. Lim, F. Hernan Espinoza, Matthew Cribb, J. Brandon Dixon, Stanley G. Rockson, Gregg L. Semenza, Mark R. Nicolls
Characterization of the key cellular targets contributing to sustained microglial activation in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), and optimal modulation of these targets can provide potential treatments to halt disease progression. Here, we demonstrated that microglial Kv1.3, a voltage-gated potassium channel, was transcriptionally upregulated in response to aggregated α-synuclein (αSynAgg) stimulation in primary microglial cultures and animal models of PD, as well as in postmortem human PD brains. Patch-clamp electrophysiological studies confirmed that the observed Kv1.3 upregulation translated to increased Kv1.3 channel activity. The kinase Fyn, a risk factor for PD, modulated transcriptional upregulation and posttranslational modification of microglial Kv1.3. Multiple state-of-the-art analyses, including Duolink proximity ligation assay imaging, revealed that Fyn directly bound to Kv1.3 and posttranslationally modified its channel activity. Furthermore, we demonstrated the functional relevance of Kv1.3 in augmenting the neuroinflammatory response by using Kv1.3-KO primary microglia and the Kv1.3-specific small-molecule inhibitor PAP-1, thus highlighting the importance of Kv1.3 in neuroinflammation. Administration of PAP-1 significantly inhibited neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in multiple animal models of PD. Collectively, our results imply that Fyn-dependent regulation of Kv1.3 channels plays an obligatory role in accentuating the neuroinflammatory response in PD and identify Kv1.3 as a potential therapeutic target for PD.
Souvarish Sarkar, Hai M. Nguyen, Emir Malovic, Jie Luo, Monica Langley, Bharathi N. Palanisamy, Neeraj Singh, Sireesha Manne, Matthew Neal, Michelle Gabrielle, Ahmed Abdalla, Poojya Anantharam, Dharmin Rokad, Nikhil Panicker, Vikrant Singh, Muhammet Ay, Adhithiya Charli, Dilshan Harischandra, Lee-Way Jin, Huajun Jin, Srikant Rangaraju, Vellareddy Anantharam, Heike Wulff, Anumantha G. Kanthasamy
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