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PURPOSE Chronic inflammation contributes to tumor initiation,progression,and immune escape. Neutrophils are the major component of inflammatory response and participate in the tumorigenesis process. However,compared to other immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC),neutrophils,especially the tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs),have not yet been comprehensively explored. The mechanism for regulating the crosstalk between TANs and tumor cells still remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS The distribution profiles and phenotypic features of neutrophils and other inflammatory immune cell populations from a large LSCC patient cohort were systemically analyzed. Co-culturing of peripheral blood associated neutrophils (PANs) and TANs with PBMCs was performed,and the immunosuppression effect on T-cells was examined. RESULTS LSCC microenvironment is highly inflammatory with remarkable TANs infiltration,which is often associated with unfavorable prognosis and advanced clinical stage. We find that TANs in LSCC display morphologically immature and lower apoptosis,exhibit distinctively immunosuppressive phenotype of high PD-L1,and suppress CD8+ T lymphocytes proliferation and activation. We subsequently discover that PD-L1+TANs induced by LSCC-derived GM-CSF potently impair CD8+ T-cells proliferation and cytokines production function,which are partially blocked by a PD-L1-neutralizing antibody. Clinical data further support GM-CSF as an unfavorable prognostic biomarker and reveal a potential association with inflammatory immune cell infiltration,in particular neutrophils. CONCLUSION Tumor-infiltrating PD-L1+ neutrophils induced by LSCC-derived GM-CSF suppress T cell proliferation and activation in the inflammatory microenvironment of LSCC and predict unfavorable prognosis. These TANs cripple antitumor T cell immunity and promote tumor progression. Our findings provide a basis for targeting PD-L1+TANs or GM-CSF as a new immunotherapeutic strategy for LSCC. View Publication

Intrasynovial flexor tendon lacerations of the hand are clinically problematic,typically requiring operative repair and extensive rehabilitation. The small-molecule connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mimics,oxotremorine M (Oxo-M) and 4-PPBP maleate (4-PPBP),have been shown to improve tendon healing in small animal models by stimulating the expansion and differentiation of perivascular CD146+ cells. To enhance intrasynovial flexor tendon healing,small-molecule CTGF mimics were delivered to repaired canine flexor tendons via porous sutures. In vitro studies demonstrated that Oxo-M and 4-PPBP retained their bioactivity and could be released from porous sutures in a sustained manner. However,in vivo delivery of the CTGF mimics did not improve intrasynovial tendon healing. Histologic analyses and expression of tenogenic,extracellular matrix,inflammation,and remodeling genes showed similar outcomes in treated and untreated repairs across two time points. Although in vitro experiments revealed that CTGF mimics stimulated robust responses in extrasynovial tendon cells,there was no response in intrasynovial tendon cells,explaining the lack of in vivo effects. The results of the current study indicate that therapeutic strategies for tendon repair must carefully consider the environment and cellular makeup of the particular tendon for improving the healing response. View Publication

T cell inhibitory receptors can regulate the proliferation or function of T cells by binding to their ligands and present a unique opportunity to manage destructive immune responses during porcine islet xenotransplantation. We applied ex vivo porcine islet xenotransplantation and in vitro mixed lymphocyte-islet reaction models to assess immune checkpoint receptor expression profiles in recipient T cells,investigated whether CTLA4 or VISTA immunoglobulin (Ig) combination therapy alone could suppress porcine islet xenograft rejection and further analyzed its potential immune tolerance mechanism. Recipient T cells expressed moderate to high levels of CTLA4,PD-1,TIGIT and VISTA,and the frequency of CTLA4+ CD4+,TIGIT+ CD4+,VISTA+ CD4+ and VISTA+ CD8+ T cells was positively correlated with porcine islet xenograft survival time in xenotransplant recipients. Combined treatment with CTLA4Ig and VISTAIg selectively inhibited recipient CD4+ T cell hyper-responsiveness and proinflammatory cytokine production and significantly delayed xenograft rejection. SOCS1 deficiency in CD4+ T cells stimulated by xenogeneic islets facilitated hyper-responsiveness and abolished the suppressive effect of combination therapy on recipient T cell-mediated porcine islet damage in vivo and in vitro. Further mechanistic studies revealed that combined treatment significantly induced SOCS1 expression and inhibited the Jak-STAT signalling pathway in wild-type recipient CD4+ T cells stimulated by xenogeneic islets,whereas SOCS1 deficiency resulted in Jak-STAT signalling pathway activation in recipient CD4+ T cells. We demonstrated a major role for CTLA4 and VISTA as key targets in CD4+ T cell hyper-responsiveness and porcine islet xenograft rejection. The selective inhibition of CD4+ T cell immunity by CTLA4Ig/VISTAIg is based on SOCS1-dependent signalling. View Publication

Macrophages are mediators of inflammation having an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Recently,a pro-inflammatory subpopulation,known as metabolically activated macrophages (MMe),has been described in conditions of obesity and metabolic syndrome where they are known to release cytokines that can promote insulin resistance. Dyslipidemia represents an important feature in metabolic syndrome and corresponds to one of the main modifiable risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Circulating monocytes can differentiate into macrophages under certain conditions. They correspond to a heterogeneous population,which include inflammatory and anti-inflammatory subsets; however,there is a wide spectrum of phenotypes. Therefore,we decided to investigate whether the metabolic activated monocyte (MoMe) subpopulation is already present under dyslipidemia conditions. Secondly,we assessed whether different levels of cholesterol and triglycerides play a role in the polarization towards the metabolic phenotype (MMe) of macrophages. Our results indicate that MoMe cells are found in both healthy and dyslipidemia patients,with cells displaying the following metabolic phenotype: CD14varCD36+ABCA1+PLIN2+. Furthermore,the percentages of CD14++CD68+CD80+ pro-inflammatory monocytes are higher in dyslipidemia than in healthy subjects. When analysing macrophage differentiation,we observed that MMe percentages were higher in the dyslipidemia group than in healthy subjects. These MMe have the ability to produce high levels of IL-6 and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Furthermore,ABCA1 expression in MMe correlates with LDL serum levels. Our study highlights the dynamic contributions of metabolically activated macrophages in dyslipidemia,which may have a complex participation in low-grade inflammation due to their pro- and anti-inflammatory function. View Publication

BACKGROUND Seminal plasma contains signaling molecules capable of modulating the maternal immune environment to support implantation and pregnancy. Prior studies indicated that seminal plasma induces changes in gene transcription of maternal immune cells. Reduced immune suppressive capacity may lead to pregnancy loss. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunomodulating effects of seminal plasma on T cells and monocytes in the context of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). METHODS Female T cells and monocytes were incubated with seminal plasma of 20 males in unexplained RPL couples (RPL males) and of 11 males whose partners had ongoing pregnancies (control males). The effect of seminal plasma on messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of immune cells was measured. Levels of mRNA expression were related to key signaling molecules present in the seminal plasma. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on seminal plasma expression profiles and on mRNA expression profiles. RESULTS Expression of CD25 and anti-inflammatory IL-10 by female T cells was significantly lower after stimulation with seminal plasma of RPL males compared to control males. Female monocytes treated with seminal plasma of RPL males showed an immune activation signature of relatively elevated HLA-DR expression. Expression of these T cell and monocyte components was particularly correlated with the amounts of TGF-$\beta$ and VEGF in the seminal plasma. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that seminal plasma has immunomodulating properties on female immune cells compatible with the induction of a more regulatory phenotype,which may be impaired in cases of unexplained RPL. View Publication

Immune checkpoint blockade has revolutionized the field of oncology,inducing durable anti-tumour immunity in solid tumours. In patients with advanced prostate cancer,immunotherapy treatments have largely failed1-5. Androgen deprivation therapy is classically administered in these patients to inhibit tumour cell growth,and we postulated that this therapy also affects tumour-associated T cells. Here we demonstrate that androgen receptor (AR) blockade sensitizes tumour-bearing hosts to effective checkpoint blockade by directly enhancing CD8 T cell function. Inhibition of AR activity in CD8 T cells prevented T cell exhaustion and improved responsiveness to PD-1 targeted therapy via increased IFN$\gamma$ expression. AR bound directly to Ifng and eviction of AR with a small molecule significantly increased cytokine production in CD8 T cells. Together,our findings establish that T cell intrinsic AR activity represses IFN$\gamma$ expression and represents a novel mechanism of immunotherapy resistance. View Publication

Inhibitory receptors have a critical role in the regulation of immunity. Siglecs are a family of primarily inhibitory receptors expressed by immune cells that recognize specific sialic acid modifications on cell surface glycans. Many tumors have increased sialic acid incorporation. Overexpression of the sialyltransferase ST8Sia6 on tumors led to altered immune responses and increased tumor growth. In this study,we examined the role of ST8Sia6 on immune cells in regulating antitumor immunity. ST8Sia6 knockout mice had an enhanced immune response to tumors. The loss of ST8Sia6 promoted an enhanced intratumoral activation of macrophages and dendritic cells,including upregulation of CD40. Intratumoral regulatory T cells exhibited a more inflammatory phenotype in ST8Sia6 knockout mice. Using adoptive transfer studies,the change in regulatory T cell phenotype was not cell intrinsic and depended on the loss of ST8Sia6 expression in APCs. Thus,ST8Sia6 generates ligands for Siglecs that dampen antitumor immunity. View Publication

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disorder derived from neoplastic myeloid progenitor cells characterized by abnormal proliferation and differentiation. Although novel therapeutics have recently been introduced,AML remains a therapeutic challenge with insufficient cure rates. In the last years,immune-directed therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells were introduced,which showed outstanding clinical activity against B-cell malignancies including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However,the application of CAR-T cells appears to be challenging due to the enormous molecular heterogeneity of the disease and potential long-term suppression of hematopoiesis. Here we report on the generation of CD33-targeted CAR-modified natural killer (NK) cells by transduction of blood-derived primary NK cells using baboon envelope pseudotyped lentiviral vectors (BaEV-LVs). Transduced cells displayed stable CAR-expression,unimpeded proliferation,and increased cytotoxic activity against CD33-positive OCI-AML2 and primary AML cells in vitro. Furthermore,CD33-CAR-NK cells strongly reduced leukemic burden and prevented bone marrow engraftment of leukemic cells in OCI-AML2 xenograft mouse models without observable side effects. View Publication

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a signature cytokine pivotal in Type 2 helper T cell (Th2) immune response,particularly in allergy and hypersensitivity. Interestingly,IL-4 increases endogenous levels of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2 ) and its metabolites,$\Delta$12 -prostaglandin J2 ($\Delta$12 -PGJ2 ) and 15-deoxy-$\Delta$12,14 -prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2 ),collectively called cyclopentenone PGs (CyPGs). However,the therapeutic role of IL-4 in hematologic malignancies remains unclear. Here,we employed a murine model of acute myeloid leukemia (AML),where human MLL-AF9 fusion oncoprotein was expressed in hematopoietic progenitor cells,to test the effect of IL-4 treatment in vivo. Daily intraperitoneal treatment with IL-4 at 60 µg/kg/d significantly alleviated the severity of AML,as seen by decreased leukemia-initiating cells (LICs). The effect of IL-4 was mediated,in part,by the enhanced expression of hematopoietic- PGD2  synthase (H-PGDS) to effect endogenous production of CyPGs,through autocrine and paracrine signaling mechanisms. Similar results were seen with patient-derived AML cells cultured ex vivo with IL-4. Use of GW9662,a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR$\gamma$) antagonist,suggested endogenous CyPGs-PPAR$\gamma$ axis mediated p53-dependent apoptosis of LICs by IL-4. Taken together,our results reveal a beneficial role of IL-4 treatment in AML suggesting a potential therapeutic regimen worthy of clinical trials in patients with AML. View Publication

To determine whether antigen presentation by HLA-DR on hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) is involved in the development of acquired aplastic anemia (AA),we studied the HLA-DR expression on CD45dimCD34+CD38+ cells in the peripheral blood of 61 AA patients including 23 patients possessing HLA-class I allele-lacking (HLA-class I[-]) leukocytes. HLA-DR-lacking (DR[-]) cells accounted for 13.0-57.1% of the total HSPCs in seven (11.5%) patients with HLA-DR15 who did not possess HLA-class I(-) leukocytes. The incubation of sorted DR(-) HSPCs in the presence of IFN-$\gamma$ for 72??h resulted in the full restoration of the DR expression. A comparison of the transcriptome profile between DR(-) and DR(+) HSPCs revealed the lower expression of immune response-related genes including co-stimulatory molecules (e.g.,CD48,CD74,and CD86) in DR(-) cells,which was not evident in HLA-class I(-) HSPCs. DR(-) cells were exclusively detected in GPI(+) HSPCs in four patients whose HSPCs could be analyzed separately for GPI(+) and GPI(-) HSPCs. These findings suggest that CD4+ T cells specific to antigens presented by HLA-DR15 on HSPCs may contribute to the development of AA as well as the immune escape of GPI(-) HSPCs in a distinct way from CD8+ T cells recognizing HLA-class I-restricted antigens. View Publication

Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs) play important roles in constituting the immune suppressive environment promoting cancer development and progression. They are consisted of a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells including polymorphonuclear MDSC (PMN-MDSC) and monocytes MDSC (M-MDSC) that are found in both the systemic circulation and in the tumor microenvironment (TME). While previous studies had shown that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) could induce MDSC differentiation and maturation,the very poor solubility and fast metabolism of the drug limited its applications as an immune-modulator for cancer immunotherapy. We aimed in this study to develop a drug encapsulated liposome formulation L-ATRA with sustained release properties and examined the immuno-modulation effects. We showed that the actively loaded L-ATRA achieved stable encapsulation and enabled controlled drug release and accumulation in the tumor tissues. In vivo administration of L-ATRA promoted the remodeling of the systemic immune homeostasis as well as the tumor microenvironment. They were found to promote MDSCs maturation into DCs and facilitate immune responses against cancer cells. When used as a single agent treatment,L-ATRA deterred tumor growth,but only in immune-competent mice. In mice with impaired immune functions,L-ATRA at the same dose was not effective. When combined with checkpoint inhibitory agents,L-ATRA resulted in greater anti-cancer activities. Thus,L-ATRA may present a new IO strategy targeting the MDSCs that needs be further explored for improving the immunotherapy efficacy in cancer. View Publication

BACKGROUND Recent investigations of the meninges have highlighted the importance of the dura layer in central nervous system immune surveillance beyond a purely structural role. However,our understanding of the meninges largely stems from the use of pre-clinical models rather than human samples. METHODS Single-cell RNA sequencing of seven non-tumor-associated human dura samples and six primary meningioma tumor samples (4 matched and 2 non-matched) was performed. Cell type identities,gene expression profiles,and T cell receptor expression were analyzed. Copy number variant (CNV) analysis was performed to identify putative tumor cells and analyze intratumoral CNV heterogeneity. Immunohistochemistry and imaging mass cytometry was performed on selected samples to validate protein expression and reveal spatial localization of select protein markers. RESULTS In this study,we use single-cell RNA sequencing to perform the first characterization of both non-tumor-associated human dura and primary meningioma samples. First,we reveal a complex immune microenvironment in human dura that is transcriptionally distinct from that of meningioma. In addition,we characterize a functionally diverse and heterogenous landscape of non-immune cells including endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Through imaging mass cytometry,we highlight the spatial relationship among immune cell types and vasculature in non-tumor-associated dura. Utilizing T cell receptor sequencing,we show significant TCR overlap between matched dura and meningioma samples. Finally,we report copy number variant heterogeneity within our meningioma samples. CONCLUSIONS Our comprehensive investigation of both the immune and non-immune cellular landscapes of human dura and meningioma at single-cell resolution builds upon previously published data in murine models and provides new insight into previously uncharacterized roles of human dura. View Publication