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BACKGROUND Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) limits T-cell activation and is expressed on T-regulatory cells. Human CTLA-4 deficiency results in severe immune dysregulation. Abatacept (CTLA-4 Ig) is approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its mechanism of action is attributed to effects on T-cells. It is known that CTLA-4 modulates the expression of its ligands CD80 and CD86 on antigen presenting cells (APC) by transendocytosis. As B-cells express CD80/CD86 and function as APC,we hypothesize that B-cells are a direct target of abatacept. OBJECTIVES To investigate direct effects of abatacept on human B-lymphocytes in vitro and in RA patients. METHODS The effect of abatacept on healthy donor B-cells' phenotype,activation and CD80/CD86 expression was studied in vitro. Nine abatacept-treated RA patients were studied. Seven of these were followed up to 24 months,and two up to 12 months only and treatment response,immunoglobulins,ACPA,RF concentrations,B-cell phenotype and ACPA-specific switched memory B-cell frequency were assessed. RESULTS B-cell development was unaffected by abatacept. Abatacept treatment resulted in a dose-dependent decrease of CD80/CD86 expression on B-cells in vitro,which was due to dynamin-dependent internalization. RA patients treated with abatacept showed a progressive decrease in plasmablasts and serum IgG. While ACPA-titers only moderately declined,the frequency of ACPA-specific switched memory B-cells significantly decreased. CONCLUSIONS Abatacept directly targets B-cells by reducing CD80/CD86 expression. Impairment of antigen presentation and T-cell activation may result in altered B-cell selection,providing a new therapeutic mechanism and a base for abatacept use in B-cell mediated autoimmunity. View Publication

Exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) results in heterogeneous clinical outcomes including primary progressive tuberculosis and latent Mtb infection (LTBI). Mtb infection is identified using the tuberculin skin test and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) release assay IGRA,and a positive result may prompt chemoprophylaxis to prevent progression to tuberculosis. In the present study,we report on a cohort of Ugandan individuals who were household contacts of patients with TB. These individuals were highly exposed to Mtb but tested negative disease by IFN-gamma release assay and tuberculin skin test,'resisting' development of classic LTBI. We show that 'resisters' possess IgM,class-switched IgG antibody responses and non-IFN-gamma T cell responses to the Mtb-specific proteins ESAT6 and CFP10,immunologic evidence of exposure to Mtb. Compared to subjects with classic LTBI,'resisters' display enhanced antibody avidity and distinct Mtb-specific IgG Fc profiles. These data reveal a distinctive adaptive immune profile among Mtb-exposed subjects,supporting an expanded definition of the host response to Mtb exposure,with implications for public health and the design of clinical trials. View Publication

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by severe and recurrent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract,associated with altered patterns of cytokine synthesis,excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production,and high levels of the innate immune protein,lipocalin-2 (LCN-2),in the mucosa. The major source of ROS in intestinal epithelial cells is the NADPH oxidase NOX1,which consists of the transmembrane proteins,NOX1 and p22PHOX,and the cytosolic proteins,NOXO1,NOXA1,and Rac1. Here,we investigated whether NOX1 activation and ROS production induced by key inflammatory cytokines in IBD causally affects LCN-2 production in colonic epithelial cells. We found that the combination of TNFalpha and IL-17 induced a dramatic upregulation of NOXO1 expression that was dependent on the activation of p38MAPK and JNK1/2,and resulted into an increase of NOX1 activity and ROS production. NOX1-derived ROS drive the expression of LCN-2 by controlling the expression of IkappaBzeta,a master inducer of LCN-2. Furthermore,LCN-2 production and colon damage were decreased in NOX1-deficient mice during TNBS-induced colitis. Finally,analyses of biopsies from patients with Crohn's disease showed increased JNK1/2 activation,and NOXO1 and LCN-2 expression. Therefore,NOX1 might play a key role in mucosal immunity and inflammation by controlling LCN-2 expression. View Publication

Antibodies to donor specific HLA antigens (DSA) detected by single antigen bead (SAB) analysis prior to kidney transplant have been associated with inferior graft outcomes. However,studies of pre-transplant DSA specifically in the setting of a negative flow cytometry crossmatch (FCXM) without desensitization therapy are limited. 660 kidney and kidney/pancreas recipients with a negative pre-transplant FCXM from 09/2007 to 08/2012 without desensitization therapy were analyzed with a median follow-up of 4.2 years. All patients underwent cell-based FCXM and SAB analysis on current and historic sera prior to transplantation. 162 patients (24.5%) had DSA detected prior to transplant. One-year acute rejection rates were similar in DSA(+) vs. DSA(-) patients (15.4% vs. 11.4% respectively,p=0.18) and were higher in those with DSA MFI≥3000 in multivariable analysis (p=0.046). eGFR at 3 and 4 years was lower in the DSA(+) vs. DSA(-) group (p=0.050 at 3 years) without an impact on 5-year death-censored graft survival (89.0% vs. 90.6% respectively,p=0.53). Timing (current or historic) of DSA detection did not alter these findings. In conclusion,pre-transplant DSA in the setting of a negative FCXM confers minimal immunologic risk in the intermediate-term,does not necessitate desensitization therapy,and should not represent a barrier to renal transplant. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View Publication

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offer a renewable source of cells that can be expanded indefinitely and differentiated into virtually any type of cell in the human body,including neurons. This opens up unprecedented possibilities to study neuronal cell and developmental biology and cellular pathology of the nervous system,provides a platform for the screening of chemical libraries that affect these processes,and offers a potential source of transplantable cells for regenerative approaches to neurological disease. However,defining protocols that permit a large number and high yield of neurons has proved difficult. We present differentiation protocols for the generation of distinct subtypes of neurons in a highly reproducible manner,with minimal experiment-to-experiment variation. These neurons form synapses with neighboring cells,exhibit spontaneous electrical activity,and respond appropriately to depolarization. hPSC-derived neurons exhibit a high degree of maturation and survive in culture for up to 4-5 months,even without astrocyte feeder layers. View Publication

Oct4 and Sox2 are pluripotent stem cell factors but the interplay between them in tumorigenesis is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the roles of Oct4 and Sox2 in the reprogramming of oral cancer stem cells. One or both Oct4 and Sox2 were overexpressed in immortalized oral epithelial (hTERT+-OME) cells by lentivirus transduction. In addition,Oct4 and Sox2 proteins in two oral squamous cell carcinoma cell (OSCC) lines (Cal27 and primary cultured OSCC from a T2N2M0 patient) were individually or combinedly knocked down by shRNA. The results showed that the doubly transduced (Oct4+Sox2+) cells could trigger neoplasms in immunodeficient mice after lentivirus transduction,but single transduced (Oct4+ or Sox2+) cells had no tumor formation ability. The knockdown Sox2low and knockdown Oct4lowSox2low cells resulted in decreased tumor size in the immunodeficient mice but the single knockdown Oct4low cancer cells acquired more aggressive xenografts. Our findings suggest that Oct4+Sox2+ cells may be reprogrammed cancer stem cells inducing oral carcinogenesis. View Publication

Th2-eosinophil immune responses are well known for mediating host defence against helminths. Herein we describe a function of Th2-eosinophil responses in counteracting the development of arthritis. In two independent models of arthritis,Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection leads to Th2 and eosinophil accumulation in the joints associated with robust inhibition of arthritis and protection from bone loss. Mechanistically,this protective effect is dependent on IL-4/IL-13-induced STAT6 pathway. Furthermore,we show that eosinophils play a central role in the modulation of arthritis probably through the increase of anti-inflammatory macrophages into arthritic joints. The presence of these pathways in human disease is confirmed by detection of GATA3-positive cells and eosinophils in the joints of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Taken together,these results demonstrate that eosinophils and helminth-induced activation of the Th2 pathway axis effectively mitigate the course of inflammatory arthritis. View Publication

CD8(+) T cells develop increased sensitivity following Ag experience,and differences in sensitivity exist between T cell memory subsets. How differential TCR signaling between memory subsets contributes to sensitivity differences is unclear. We show in mouse effector memory T cells (TEM) that textgreater50% of lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (Lck) exists in a constitutively active conformation,compared with textless20% in central memory T cells (TCM). Immediately proximal to Lck signaling,we observed enhanced Zap-70 phosphorylation in TEM following TCR ligation compared with TCM Furthermore,we observed superior cytotoxic effector function in TEM compared with TCM,and we provide evidence that this results from a lower probability of TCM reaching threshold signaling owing to the decreased magnitude of TCR-proximal signaling. We provide evidence that the differences in Lck constitutive activity between CD8(+) TCM and TEM are due to differential regulation by SH2 domain-containing phosphatase-1 (Shp-1) and C-terminal Src kinase,and we use modeling of early TCR signaling to reveal the significance of these differences. We show that inhibition of Shp-1 results in increased constitutive Lck activity in TCM to levels similar to TEM,as well as increased cytotoxic effector function in TCM Collectively,this work demonstrates a role for constitutive Lck activity in controlling Ag sensitivity,and it suggests that differential activities of TCR-proximal signaling components may contribute to establishing the divergent effector properties of TCM and TEM. This work also identifies Shp-1 as a potential target to improve the cytotoxic effector functions of TCM for adoptive cell therapy applications. View Publication

The fact that Parkinson's disease (PD) can arise from numerous genetic mutations suggests a unifying molecular pathology underlying the various genetic backgrounds. To address this hypothesis,we took an integrated approach utilizing in vitro disease modeling and comprehensive transcriptome profiling to advance our understanding of PD progression and the concordant downstream signaling pathways across divergent genetic predispositions. To model PD in vitro,we generated neurons harboring disease-causing mutations from patient-specific,induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We observed signs of degeneration in midbrain dopaminergic neurons,reflecting the cardinal feature of PD. Gene expression signatures of PD neurons provided molecular insights into disease phenotypes observed in vitro,including oxidative stress vulnerability and altered neuronal activity. Notably,PD neurons show that elevated RBFOX1,a gene previously linked to neurodevelopmental diseases,underlies a pattern of alternative RNA-processing associated with PD-specific phenotypes. View Publication

In this study,we examined whether bacterial pathogen-associated molecular patterns recognized by toll-like receptors (TLRs) can modify the CCR7-dependent migration of human monocytes. MonoMac-1 (MM-1) cells and freshly isolated human monocytes were cultivated in the presence of agonists for TLR4 (which senses lipopolysaccharides from gram-negative bacteria),TLR1/2 (which senses peptidoglycan from gram-positive bacteria),and TLR9 (which recognizes bacterial DNA rich in unmethylated CpG DNA). CCR7 mRNA transcription was measured using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and protein expression was examined using flow cytometry. CCR7 function was monitored using migration and transmigration assays in response to CCL19/CCL21,which are natural ligands for CCR7. Our results show that TLR4 strongly increases monocyte migratory capacity in response to CCL19 in chemotaxis and transmigration assays in a model that mimics the human blood-brain barrier,whereas TLR1/2 and 9 have no effect. Examination of monocyte migration in response to TLRs that are activated by bacterial components would contribute to understanding the excessive monocyte migration that characterizes the pathogenesis of bacterial infections and/or neuroinflammatory diseases. View Publication

Proof of drug-target engagement in physiologically-relevant contexts is a key pillar of successful therapeutic target validation. We developed two orthogonal technologies,the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and a covalent chemical probe reporter approach (harnessing sulfonyl fluoride tyrosine labeling and subsequent click chemistry) to measure the occupancy of the mRNA-decapping scavenger enzyme DcpS by a small molecule inhibitor in live cells. Enzyme affinity determined using isothermal dose response fingerprinting (ITDRFCETSA) and the concentration required to occupy 50% of the enzyme (OC50) using the chemical probe reporter assay were very similar. In this case,the chemical probe method worked well due to the long offset kinetics of the reversible inhibitor (determined using a fluorescent dye-tagged probe). This work suggests that CETSA could become the first choice assay to determine in-cell target engagement due to its simplicity. View Publication

The vascularization of tissue-engineered bone is a prerequisite step for the successful repair of bone defects. Hypoxia inducible factor-1$$ (HIF-1$$) plays an essential role in angiogenesis-osteogenesis coupling during bone regeneration and can activate the expression of angiogenic factors in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Dimethyloxaloylglycine (DMOG) is an angiogenic small molecule that can inhibit prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) enzymes and thus regulate the stability of HIF-1$$ in cells at normal oxygen tension. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MSCs (hiPSC-MSCs) are promising alternatives for stem cell therapy. In this study,we evaluated the effect of DMOG on promoting hiPSC-MSCs angiogenesis in tissue-engineered bone and simultaneously explored the underlying mechanisms in vitro. The effectiveness of DMOG in improving the expression of HIF-1$$ and its downstream angiogenic genes in hiPSC-MSCs demonstrated that DMOG significantly enhanced the gene and protein expression profiles of angiogenic-related factors in hiPSC-MSCs by sustaining the expression of HIF-1$$. Further analysis showed that DMOG-stimulated hiPSC-MSCs angiogenesis was associated with the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) and with an increase in VEGF production. The effects could be blocked by the addition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002. In a critical-sized calvarial defect model in rats,DMOG-treated hiPSC-MSCs showed markedly improved angiogenic capacity in the tissue-engineered bone,leading to bone regeneration. Collectively,the results indicate that DMOG,via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway,promotes the angiogenesis of hiPSC-MSCs in tissue-engineered bone for bone defect repair and that DMOG-treated hiPSC-MSCs can be exploited as a potential therapeutic tool in bone regeneration. View Publication