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Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) are characterized by their unique capacities of self-renewal and multi-differentiation potential. This second property makes them able to adapt their differentiation profile depending on the local environment they reach. Taking advantage of an animal model of peritonitis,induced by injection of the TLR-2 ligand,zymosan,we sought to study the relationship between bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (BM-HSPCs) and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) regarding their emergence and differentiation at the site of inflammation. Our results demonstrate that the strength of the inflammatory signals affects the capacity of BM-derived HSPCs to migrate and give rise in situ to ILCs. Both low- and high-dose of zymosan injections trigger the appearance of mature ILCs in the peritoneal cavity where the inflammation occurs. Herein,we show that only in low-dose injected mice,the recovered ILCs are dependent on an in situ differentiation of BM-derived HSPCs and/or ILC2 precursors (ILC2P) wherein high-dose,the stronger inflammatory environment seems to be able to induce the emergence of ILCs independently of BM-derived HSPCs. We suggest that a relationship between HSPCs and ILCs seems to be affected by the strength of the inflammatory stimuli opening new perspectives in the manipulation of these early hematopoietic cells. View Publication

Background: B cells play an important role in the development and maintenance of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although IL-10-producing B cells represent a major subset of regulatory B cells (Bregs) able to suppress autoimmune and inflammatory responses,recent reports showed that B cell-mediated immune suppression may also occur independent of IL-10. For instance,B cells can modulate T cell immune responses through the expression of regulatory molecules such as PD-L1. So far,PD-L1-expressing B cells have not been analyzed in RA patients. Objective: To analyze the frequency of PD-L1-expressing B cells in the peripheral blood of RA patients compared to healthy controls (HC) matched for sex and age,their function on T cell response and their changes in response to therapy. Methods: Fresh peripheral blood B cells from RA patients and HC were characterized by flow cytometry and their functionality assessed in a co-culture system with autologous T cells. Results: The frequencies of CD19+PD-L1+ B cells,CD24hiCD38-PD-L1+ and CD24hiCD38hiPD-L1+ B cells were significantly lower in untreated RA patients than in HC. In a follow-up study,the frequencies of PD-L1+ B cells (CD19+PD-L1+ B cells,CD24hiCD38-PD-L1+ and CD24hiCD38hiPD-L1+ B cells) increased significantly after treatment in good responder patients,although the frequency of total CD24hiCD38hi B cells decreased. CD19+ B cells from untreated RA patients and HC upregulated PD-L1 expression similarly upon stimulation with CpG plus IL-2 and were able to suppress,in vitro,CD8+ T cell proliferation and cytokine production in a PD-L1-dependent manner. Conclusions: Our results show that PD-L1+ B cells exhibiting T cell suppressive capacity are significantly decreased in untreated RA patients but increase in response to successful treatment. PD-L1 expression on B cells from RA patients can be modulated in vitro and PD-L1+ B cells could thus provide new perspectives for future treatment strategies. View Publication

We examined the unique contributions of the cytokines IL-21 and IL-4 on germinal center (GC) B cell initiation and subsequent maturation in a murine model system. Similar to other reports,we found T follicular helper cell expression of IL-21 begins prior to T follicular helper cell migration into the B cell follicle and precedes that of IL-4. Consistent with this timing,IL-21 signaling has a greater influence on the perifollicular pre-GC B cell transition to the intrafollicular stage. Notably,Bcl6hi B cells can form in the combined absence of IL-21R- and STAT6-derived signals; however,these nascent GC B cells cease to proliferate and are more prone to apoptosis. When B cells lack either IL-21R or STAT6,aberrant GCs form atypical centroblasts and centrocytes that differ in their phenotypic maturation and costimulatory molecule expression. Thus,IL-4 and IL-21 play nonredundant roles in the phased progression of GC B cell development that can initiate in the combined absence of these cytokine signals. View Publication

Natural killer (NK) cell recognition of tumor cells is mediated through activating receptors such as CD226,with suppression of effector functions often controlled by negative regulatory transcription factors such as FOXO1. Here we show that CD226 regulation of NK cell cytotoxicity is facilitated through inactivation of FOXO1. Gene-expression analysis of NK cells isolated from syngeneic tumors grown in wild-type or CD226-deficient mice revealed dysregulated expression of FOXO1-regulated genes in the absence of CD226. In vitro cytotoxicity and stimulation assays demonstrated that CD226 is required for optimal killing of tumor target cells,with engagement of its ligand CD155 resulting in phosphorylation of FOXO1. CD226 deficiency or anti-CD226 antibody blockade impaired cytotoxicity with concomitant compromised inactivation of FOXO1. Furthermore,inhibitors of FOXO1 phosphorylation abrogated CD226-mediated signaling and effector responses. These results define a pathway by which CD226 exerts control of NK cell responses against tumors. View Publication

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes generalized CD8+ T cell impairment,not limited to HCV-specific CD8+ T-cells. Liver-infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) contribute to the local micro-environment and can interact with and influence cells routinely trafficking through the liver,including CD8+ T-cells. MDMs can be polarized into M1 (classically activated) and M2a,M2b,and M2c (alternatively activated) phenotypes that perform pro- and anti-inflammatory functions,respectively. The impact of chronic HCV infection on MDM subset functions is not known. Our results show that M1 cells generated from chronic HCV patients acquire M2 characteristics,such as increased CD86 expression and IL-10 secretion,compared to uninfected controls. In contrast,M2 subsets from HCV-infected individuals acquired M1-like features by secreting more IL-12 and IFN-gamma. The severity of liver disease was also associated with altered macrophage subset differentiation. In co-cultures with autologous CD8+ T-cells from controls,M1 macrophages alone significantly increased CD8+ T cell IFN-gamma expression in a cytokine-independent and cell-contact-dependent manner. However,M1 macrophages from HCV-infected individuals significantly decreased IFN-gamma expression in CD8+ T-cells. Therefore,altered M1 macrophage differentiation in chronic HCV infection may contribute to observed CD8+ T-cell dysfunction. Understanding the immunological perturbations in chronic HCV infection will lead to the identification of therapeutic targets to restore immune function in HCV+ individuals,and aid in the mitigation of associated negative clinical outcomes. View Publication

Pathobiology of several chronic inflammatory disorders,including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease is related to intermittent,spontaneous injury/ulceration of mucosal surfaces. Disease morbidity has been associated with pathologic release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). In this report,we show that TNFalpha promotes intestinal mucosal repair through upregulation of the GPCR platelet activating factor receptor (PAFR) in the intestinal epithelium. Platelet activating factor (PAF) was increased in healing mucosal wounds and its engagement with epithelial PAFR leads to activation of epidermal growth factor receptor,Src and Rac1 signaling to promote wound closure. Consistent with these findings,delayed colonic mucosal repair was observed after administration of a neutralizing TNFalpha antibody and in mice lacking PAFR. These findings suggest that in the injured mucosa,the pro-inflammatory milieu containing TNFalpha and PAF sets the stage for reparative events mediated by PAFR signaling. View Publication

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a tumor of plasma cells (PCs). Due to the intense immunoglobulin secretion,PCs are prone to endoplasmic reticulum stress and activate several stress-managing pathways,including autophagy. Indeed,autophagy deregulation is maladaptive for MM cells,resulting in cell death. CK1alpha,a pro-survival kinase in MM,has recently been involved as a regulator of the autophagic flux and of the transcriptional competence of the autophagy-related transcription factor FOXO3a in several cancers. In this study,we investigated the role of CK1alpha in autophagy in MM. To study the autophagic flux we generated clones of MM cell lines expressing the mCherry-eGFP-LC3B fusion protein. We observed that CK1 inhibition with the chemical ATP-competitive CK1 alpha/delta inhibitor D4476 resulted in an impaired autophagic flux,likely due to an alteration of lysosomes acidification. However,D4476 caused the accumulation of the transcription factor FOXO3a in the nucleus,and this was paralleled by the upregulation of mRNA coding for autophagic genes. Surprisingly,silencing of CK1alpha by RNA interference triggered the autophagic flux. However,FOXO3a did not shuttle into the nucleus and the transcription of autophagy-related FOXO3a-dependent genes was not observed. Thus,while the chemical inhibition with the dual CK1alpha/delta inhibitor D4476 induced cell death as a consequence of an accumulation of ineffective autophagic vesicles,on the opposite,CK1alpha silencing,although it also determined apoptosis,triggered a full activation of the early autophagic flux,which was then not supported by the upregulation of autophagic genes. Taken together,our results indicate that the family of CK1 kinases may profoundly influence MM cells survival also through the modulation of the autophagic pathway. View Publication

Associations between chronic antigen stimulation,T cell dysfunction,and the expression of various inhibitory receptors are well characterized in several mouse and human systems. During chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (CHB),T cell responses are blunted with low frequencies of virus-specific T cells observed,making these parameters difficult to study. Here,using mass cytometry and a highly multiplexed combinatorial peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) tetramer strategy that allows for the detection of rare antigen-specific T cells,we simultaneously probed 484 unique HLA-A*1101-restricted epitopes spanning the entire HBV genome on T cells from patients at various stages of CHB. Numerous HBV-specific T cell populations were detected,validated,and profiled. T cells specific for two epitopes (HBVpol387 and HBVcore169) displayed differing and complex heterogeneities that were associated with the disease progression,and the expression of inhibitory receptors on these cells was not linearly related with their extent of T cell dysfunction. For HBVcore169-specific CD8+ T cells,we found cellular markers associated with long-term memory,polyfunctionality,and the presence of several previously unidentified public TCR clones that correlated with viral control. Using high-dimensional trajectory analysis of these cellular phenotypes,a pseudo-time metric was constructed that fit with the status of viral infection in corresponding patients. This was validated in a longitudinal cohort of patients undergoing antiviral therapy. Our study uncovers complex relationships of inhibitory receptors between the profiles of antigen-specific T cells and the status of CHB with implications for new strategies of therapeutic intervention. View Publication

OBJECTIVES Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) are a group of autoantibodies targeted against citrullinated proteins/peptides and are informative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) biomarkers. ACPAs also play a crucial role in RA pathogenesis,and their underlying mechanism merits investigation. METHODS Immunohistochemical (IHC) assays were carried out to determine IL-1beta levels in ACPA+ and ACPA- RA patients. PBMC-derived monocytes were differentiated into macrophages before stimulation with ACPAs purified from RA patients. The localization and interaction of molecules were analyzed by confocal microscopy,co-IP,and surface plasmon resonance. RESULTS In our study,we found that IL-1beta levels were elevated in ACPA+ RA patients and that ACPAs promoted IL-1beta production by PBMC-derived macrophages. ACPAs interacted with CD147 to enhance the interaction between CD147 and integrin beta1 and,in turn,activate the Akt/NF-kappaB signaling pathway. The nuclear localization of p65 promoted the expression of NLRP3 and pro-IL-1beta,resulting in priming. Moreover,ACPA stimulation activated pannexin channels,leading to ATP release. The accumulated ATP bound to the P2X7 receptor,leading to NLRP3 inflammasome activation. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests a new hypothesis regarding IL-1beta production in RA involving ACPAs,which may be a potential therapeutic target in RA treatment. View Publication

PURPOSE Targeting nonspecific,tumor-associated antigens (TAA) with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) requires specific attention to restrict possible detrimental on-target/off-tumor effects. A reduced affinity may direct CAR-engineered T (CAR-T) cells to tumor cells expressing high TAA levels while sparing low expressing normal tissues. However,decreasing the affinity of the CAR-target binding may compromise the overall antitumor effects. Here,we demonstrate the prime importance of the type of intracellular signaling on the function of low-affinity CAR-T cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We used a series of single-chain variable fragments (scFv) with five different affinities targeting the same epitope of the multiple myeloma-associated CD38 antigen. The scFvs were incorporated in three different CAR costimulation designs and we evaluated the antitumor functionality and off-tumor toxicity of the generated CAR-T cells in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS We show that the inferior cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion mediated by CD38 CARs of very low-affinity (Kd {\textless} 1.9 × 10-6 mol/L) bearing a 4-1BB intracellular domain can be significantly improved when a CD28 costimulatory domain is used. Additional 4-1BB signaling mediated by the coexpression of 4-1BBL provided the CD28-based CD38 CAR-T cells with superior proliferative capacity,preservation of a central memory phenotype,and significantly improved in vivo antitumor function,while preserving their ability to discriminate target antigen density. CONCLUSIONS A combinatorial costimulatory design allows the use of very low-affinity binding domains (Kd {\textless} 1 mumol/L) for the construction of safe but also optimally effective CAR-T cells. Thus,very-low-affinity scFvs empowered by selected costimulatory elements can enhance the clinical potential of TAA-targeting CARs. View Publication

The bone marrow microenvironment (BMME) contributes to the regulation of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function,though its role in age-associated lineage skewing is poorly understood. Here we show that dysfunction of aged marrow macrophages (Mphis) directs HSC platelet-bias. Mphis from the marrow of aged mice and humans exhibited an activated phenotype,with increased expression of inflammatory signals. Aged marrow Mphis also displayed decreased phagocytic function. Senescent neutrophils,typically cleared by marrow Mphis,were markedly increased in aged mice,consistent with functional defects in Mphi phagocytosis and efferocytosis. In aged mice,Interleukin 1B (IL1B) was elevated in the bone marrow and caspase 1 activity,which can process pro-IL1B,was increased in marrow Mphis and neutrophils. Mechanistically,IL1B signaling was necessary and sufficient to induce a platelet bias in HSCs. In young mice,depletion of phagocytic cell populations or loss of the efferocytic receptor Axl expanded platelet-biased HSCs. Our data support a model wherein increased inflammatory signals and decreased phagocytic function of aged marrow Mphis induce the acquisition of platelet bias in aged HSCs. This work highlights the instructive role of Mphis and IL1B in the age-associated lineage-skewing of HSCs,and reveals the therapeutic potential of their manipulation as antigeronic targets. View Publication

The types and magnitude of Ag-specific immune responses can be determined by the functional plasticity of dendritic cells (DCs). However,how DCs display functional plasticity and control host immune responses have not been fully understood. In this study,we report that ligation of DC-asialoglycoprotein receptor (DC-ASGPR),a C-type lectin receptor (CLR) expressed on human DCs,resulted in rapid activation of Syk,followed by PLCgamma2 and PKCdelta engagements. However,different from other Syk-coupled CLRs,including Dectin-1,signaling cascade through DC-ASGPR did not trigger NF-kappaB activation. Instead,it selectively activated MAPK ERK1/2 and JNK. Rapid and prolonged phosphorylation of ERK1/2 led to sequential activation of p90RSK and CREB,which consequently bound to IL10 promoter and initiated cytokine expression. In addition,DC-ASGPR ligation activated Akt,which differentially regulated the activities of GSK-3alpha/beta and beta-catenin and further contributed to IL-10 expression. Our observations demonstrate that DC-ASGPR induces IL-10 expression via an intrinsic signaling pathway,which provides a molecular explanation for DC-ASGPR-mediated programing of DCs to control host immune responses. View Publication