技术资料

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment,but preclinical models are required to understand immunotherapy resistance mechanisms underlying patient relapse. This protocol describes how to generate an acquired resistance humanized in vivo model to immunotherapies in patient-derived xenografts (PDX). We detail steps to inject human CD34+ cells into NSG mice,followed by generation of immunoresistant PDX in humanized mice. This approach recapitulates the human immune system,allowing investigators to generate preclinical resistance models to different immunotherapies for identifying the resistant phenotype. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol,please refer to Mart{\'{i}}nez-Sabadell et al.,2022 and Arenas et al. (2021). View Publication

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are attractive alternatives to conventional anti-asthmatic drugs for severe asthma. Mechanisms underlying the anti-asthmatic effects of MSCs have not yet been elucidated. This study evaluated the anti-asthmatic effects of intravenously administered MSCs,focusing on macrophages and monocytes. Seven-week-old transgenic (Tg) mice with lung-specific overexpression of IL-13 were used to simulate chronic asthma. MSCs were intravenously administered four days before sampling. We examined changes in immune cell subpopulations,gene expression,and histological phenotypes. IL-13 Tg mice exhibited diverse features of chronic asthma,including severe type 2 inflammation,airway fibrosis,and mucus metaplasia. Intravenous administration of MSCs attenuated these asthmatic features just four days after a single treatment. MSC treatment significantly reduced SiglecF-CD11c-CD11b+ monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMs) and inhibited the polarization of MoMs into M2 macrophages,especially M2a and M2c. Furthermore,MSCs downregulated the excessive accumulation of Ly6c- monocytes in the lungs. While an intravenous adoptive transfer of Ly6c- monocytes promoted the infiltration of MoM and Th2 inflammation,that of MSC-exposed Ly6c- monocytes did not. Ex vivo Ly6c- MoMs upregulated M2-related genes,which were reduced by MSC treatment. Molecules secreted by Ly6c- MoMs from IL-13 Tg mice lungs upregulated the expression of fibrosis-related genes in fibroblasts,which were also suppressed by MSC treatment. In conclusion,intravenously administered MSCs attenuate asthma phenotypes of chronic asthma by modulating macrophages. Identifying M2 macrophage subtypes revealed that exposure to MSCs transforms the phenotype and function of macrophages. We suggest that Ly6c- monocytes could be a therapeutic target for asthma management. View Publication

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable malignancy of plasma cells despite constantly evolving therapeutic approaches including various types of immunotherapy. Increased arginase activity has been associated with potent suppression of T-cell immune responses in different types of cancer. Here,we investigated the role of arginase 1 (ARG1) in V$\kappa$*MYC model of MM in mice. ARG1 expression in myeloid cells correlated with tumor progression and was accompanied by a systemic drop in EY-arginine levels. In MM-bearing mice antigen-induced proliferation of adoptively transferred T-cells was strongly suppressed and T-cell proliferation was restored by pharmacological arginase inhibition. Progression of V$\kappa$*MYC tumors was significantly delayed in mice with myeloid-specific ARG1 deletion. Arginase inhibition effectively inhibited tumor progression although it failed to augment anti-myeloma effects of bortezomib. However,arginase inhibitor completely prevented development of bortezomib-induced cardiotoxicity in mice. Altogether,these findings indicate that arginase inhibitors could be further tested as a complementary strategy in multiple myeloma to mitigate adverse cardiac events without compromising antitumor efficacy of proteasome inhibitors. View Publication

Same day processing of biospecimens such as blood is not always feasible,which presents a challenge for research programs seeking to study a broad population or to characterize patients with rare diseases. Recruiting sites may not be equipped to process blood samples and variability in timing and technique employed to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) at local sites may compromise reproducibility across patients. One solution is to send whole blood collected by routine phlebotomy via overnight courier to the testing site under ambient conditions. Determining the impact of shipping on subsequent leukocyte responses is a necessary prerequisite to any experimental analysis derived from transported samples. To this end,whole blood was collected from healthy control subjects and processed fresh or at 6,24 and 48 h after collection and handling under modeled shipping conditions. At endpoint,whole blood was assessed via a complete blood count with differential and immunophenotyped using a standardized panel of antibodies [HLADR,CD66b,CD3,CD14,CD16]. PBMCs and neutrophils were isolated from whole blood and subjected to ex vivo stimulation with lipopolysaccharide and heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus. Stimulated release of cytokines and chemokines was assessed by cytometric bead array. RNA was also isolated from PBMCs to analyze transcriptional changes induced by shipping. The complete blood count with differential revealed that most parameters were maintained in shipped blood held for 24 h at ambient temperature. Immunophenotyping indicated preservation of cellular profiles at 24 h,although with broadening of some populations and a decrease in CD16 intensity on classical monocytes. At the transcriptional level,RNAseq analysis identified upregulation of a transcription factor module associated with inflammation in unstimulated PBMCs derived from whole blood shipped overnight. However,these changes were limited in both scale and number of impacted genes. Ex vivo stimulation of PBMCs further revealed preservation of functional responses in cells isolated from shipped blood held for 24 h at ambient temperature. However,neutrophil responses were largely abrogated by this time. By 48 h neither cell population responded within normal parameters. These findings indicate that robust immunophenotyping and PBMC stimulated response profiles are maintained in whole blood shipped overnight and processed within 24 h of collection,yielding results that are representative of those obtained from the sample immediately following venipuncture. This methodology is feasible for many patient recruitment sites to implement and allows for sophisticated immunological analysis of patient populations derived from large geographic areas. With regard to rare disease research,this meets a universal need to enroll patients in sufficient numbers for immunoprofiling and discovery of underlying pathogenic mechanisms. View Publication

BACKGROUND CD8+ T cells are important for protective immunity against intracellular pathogens. Excessive amounts of antigen and/or inflammatory signals often lead to the gradual deterioration of CD8+ T cell function,a state called exhaustion". However the association between CD8+ T cell exhaustion and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has not been studied. This study was conducted to elucidate how CD8+ T cells and inhibitory receptors were related to the clinical prognosis of ARDS. METHODS A prospective observational study in an emergency department enrolled patients who were diagnosed with sepsis-associated ARDS according to the sepsis-3 criteria and Berlin definition. Peripheral blood samples were collected within 24??h post recruitment. CD8+ T cell count proliferation ratio cytokine secretion and the expression of coinhibitory receptors were assayed. RESULTS Sixty-two patients with ARDS met the inclusion criteria. CD8+ T cell counts and proliferation rates were dramatically decreased in non-surviving ARDS patients. Increasing programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) expression on the CD8+ T cell surface was seen in patients with worse organ function while an increasing level of T cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 (Tim-3) was associated with a longer duration of the shock. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that low CD8+ T cell percentages and increased inhibitory molecule expression were significantly associated with a worse survival rate. CONCLUSIONS CD8+ T cells and coinhibitory receptors are promising independent prognostic markers of sepsis-induced ARDS and increased CD8+ T cell exhaustion is significantly correlated with poor prognosis." View Publication

Facile and sensitive detection and isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) was achieved using the aptamer-targeted magnetic nanoparticles (Apt-MNPs) in conjugation with a microfluidic device. Apt-MNPs were developed by the covalent attachment of anti-MUC1 aptamer to the silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles via the glutaraldehyde linkers. Apt-MNPs displayed high stability and functionality after 6 months of storage at 4 °C. The specific microfluidic device consisting of mixing,sorting and separation modules was fabricated through conventional photo- and soft-lithography by using polydimethylsiloxane. The capture efficiency of Apt-MNPs was first studied in vitro on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines in the bulk and microfluidic platforms. The cell capture yields of more than 91% were obtained at the optimum condition after 60 minutes of exposure to 50 $\mu$g mL-1 Apt-MNPs with 10 to 106 cancer cells in different media. CTCs were also isolated efficiently from the blood samples of breast cancer patients and successfully propagated in vitro. The isolated CTCs were further characterized using immunofluorescence staining. The overall results indicated the high potential of the present method for the detection and capture of CTCs. View Publication

Normal density granulocytes (NDGs) can suppress T-cell responses in a similar way as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). In this study,we tested the hypothesis that NDGs from healthy donors preferentially inhibit T helper 1 (Th1) cells and investigated the myeloid-derived suppressive effect in different T-cell populations. We found that NDG-induced suppression of T-cell proliferation was contact dependent,mediated by integrin CD11b,and dependent on NDG-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The suppression was rapid and occurred within the first few hours of coculture. The suppression did not influence the CD8+/CD4+ ratio indicating an equal sensitivity in these populations. We further analyzed the CD4+ T helper subsets and found that NDGs induced a loss of Th1 surface marker,CD183,that was unrelated to ligand-binding to CD183. In addition,we analyzed the Th1,Th2,and Th17 cytokine production and found that all cytokine groups were suppressed when T-cells were incubated with NDGs. We therefore concluded that NDGs do not preferentially suppress Th1-cells. Instead,NDGs generally suppress Th cells and cytotoxic T-cells but specifically downregulate the Th1 marker CD183. View Publication

Rationale: IgA can induce activation of neutrophils which are the most abundant cell type in blood,but the development of IgA as therapeutic has been confounded by its short half-life and a weak ability to recruit NK cells as effector cells. Therefore,we generated an X-shaped antibody (X-body) based on the principle of molecular self-assembly that combines the activities of both IgG and IgA,which can effectively recruit and activate NK cells,macrophages,and neutrophils to kill tumor cells. Methods: X-body was generated by using a self-assembly strategy. The affinity of the X-body with the antigen and Fc receptors was tested by surface plasmon resonance. The shape of X-body was examined using negative staining transmission electron microscopy. The tumor cell killing activity of X-body was assessed in vitro and in multiple syngeneic mouse models. To explore the mechanism of X-body,tumor-infiltrating immune cells were analyzed by single-cell RNA-seq and flow cytometry. The dependence of neutrophil,macrophage,and NK cells for the X-body efficacy was confirmed by in vivo depletion of immune cell subsets. Results: The X-body versions of rituximab and trastuzumab combined the full spectrum activity of IgG and IgA and recruited NK cells,macrophages,and neutrophils as effector cells for eradication of tumor cells. Treatment with anti-hCD20 and anti-hHER2 X-bodies leads to a greater reduction in tumor burden in tumor-bearing mice compared with the IgA or IgG counterpart,and no obvious adverse effect is observed upon X-body treatment. Moreover,the X-body has a serum half-life and drug stability comparable to IgG. Conclusions: The X-body,as a myeloid-cell-centered therapeutic strategy,holds promise for the development of more effective cancer-targeting therapies than the current state of the art. View Publication

INTRODUCTION Based on the immunologic effects of anti-cancer treatment and their therapeutic implications,we evaluated radiotherapy (RT)-induced dynamic alterations in programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression profiles. METHODS Local RT with 2 Gy ?— 5 or 7.5 Gy ?— 1 was administered to the CT26 mouse model. Thereafter,tumors were resected and evaluated at the following predefined timepoints according to radiation response status: baseline,early (immediately after RT),middle (beginning of tumor shrinkage),late (stable status with RT effect),and progression (tumor regrowth). PD-1/PD-L1 activity and related immune cell profiles were quantitatively assessed. RESULTS RT upregulated PD-L1 expression in tumor cells from the middle to late phase; however,the levels subsequently decreased to levels comparable to baseline in the progression phase. RT with 2 Gy ?— 5 induced a higher frequency of PD-L1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells,with a lesser degree of tumor regression,compared to 7.5 Gy. The proportion of PD-1+ and interferon (IFN)-$\gamma$+CD8$\alpha$ T cells continued to increase. The frequency of splenic PD-1+CD8+ T cells was markedly elevated,and was sustained longer with 2 Gy ?— 5. Based on the transcriptomic data,RT stimulated the transcription of immune-related genes,leading to sequentially altered patterns. DISCUSSION The dynamic alterations in PD-1/PD-L1 expression level were observed according to the time phases of tumor regression. This study suggests the influence of tumor cell killing and radiation dosing strategy on the tumor immune microenvironment. View Publication

BACKGROUND Suppression of cardiac iinflammasome,which can be inhibited by Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist,can ameliorate cardiac inflammation and fibrosis. Increased cardiac inflammasome decrease the abundance of regulatory T (Treg) cells and exacerbate cardiac dysfunction. Interaction between cardiomyocytes and Treg cells is involved in the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related cardiac dysfunction. AIMS This study evaluates whether the FXR agonist obeticholic acid (OCA) treatment improves NASH-associated cardiac dysfunction. METHODS The in vivo and in vitro mechanisms and effects of two weeks of OCA treatment on inflammasome and Treg dysregulation-related cardiac dysfunction in NASH mice (NASH-OCA) at systemic,tissue and cellular levels were investigated. RESULTS The OCA treatment suppressed the serum and cardiac inflammasome levels,reduced the cardiac infiltrated CD3+ T cells,increased the cardiac Treg-represented anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10/IL-10R) and improved cardiac inflammation,fibrosis and function [decreased left ventricle (LV) mass and increased fractional shortening (FS)] in NASH-OCA mice. The percentages of OCA-decreased cardiac fibrosis and OCA-increased FS were positively correlated with the percentage of OCA-increased levels of cardiac FXR and IL-10/IL-10R. In the Treg cells from NASH-OCA mice spleen,in comparison with the Treg cells of the NASH group,higher intracellular FXR but lower inflammasome levels,and more proliferative/active and less apoptotic cells were observed. Incubation of H9c2 cardiomyoblasts with Treg-NASHcm [supernatant of Treg from NASH mice as condition medium (cm)],increased inflammasome levels,decreased the proliferative/active cells,suppressed the intracellular FXR,and downregulated differentiation/contraction marker. The Treg-NASHcm-induced hypocontractility of H9c2 can be attenuated by co-incubation with OCA,and the OCA-related effects were abolished by siIL-10R pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS Chronic FXR activation with OCA is a potential strategy for activating IL-10/IL-10R signalling,reversing cardiac regulatory T cell dysfunction,and improving inflammasome-mediated NASH-related cardiac dysfunction. View Publication

Asthmatic women tend to develop severe airway disease in their reproductive years,and 30%-40% of asthmatic women have peri-menstrual worsening of asthma symptoms. This indicates that fluctuations in ovarian hormones are involved in advancement of asthmatic disease and exacerbation of symptoms. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells,or ILC2,are readily detected in allergic conditions,such as rhinosinusitis,in individuals that develop nasal polyps do to allergen exposures,and in allergic asthma. ILC2 are airway localized immune cells activated by IL-33,an innate cytokine that perpetuates allergic inflammation by driving the production of IL-5 and IL-13. We have previously shown that ILC2 are highly activated in na{\{i}}ve and ovalbumin (OVA) challenged female BALB/c mice in comparison to male mice following stimulation with IL-33. Here we investigated the effect of steady-state ovarian hormones on ILC2 and the NF-$\kappa$B signaling pathway following OVA sensitization and challenge. We found that estrogen-treated ovariectomized mice (OVX-E2) that had been challenged with OVA had reduced IL-5 and IL-13 production by lung ILC2 as compared to lung ILC2 isolated from intact male and female sham-operated controls that had been treated with OVA. ILC2 were isolated from untreated animals and co-cultured ex vivo with and without estrogen plus IL-33. Those estrogen-treated ILC2 similarly produced less IL-5 and IL-13 in comparison to untreated and had reduced NF-$\kappa$B activation. Single-cell RNA sequencing showed that 120 genes were differentially expressed in male and female ILC2 and Nfkb1 was found among top-ranked regulatory interactions. Together these results provide new insight into the suppressive effect of estrogen on ILC2 which may be protective in female asthmatics. Understanding further how estrogen modulates ILC2 may provide therapeutic targets for the treatment of allergic diseases." View Publication

There is an unmet need for novel therapies to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the associated relapse that involves persistent leukemia stem cells (LSCs). An experimental AML rodent model to test therapies based on successfully transplanting these cells via retro-orbital injections in recipient mice is fraught with challenges. The aim of this study was to develop an easy,reliable,and consistent method to generate a robust murine model of AML using an intra-peritoneal route. In the present protocol,bone marrow cells were transduced with a retrovirus expressing human MLL-AF9 fusion oncoprotein. The efficiency of lineage negative (Lin-) and Lin-Sca-1+c-Kit+ (LSK) populations as donor LSCs in the development of primary AML was tested,and intra-peritoneal injection was adopted as a new method to generate AML. Comparison between intra-peritoneal and retro-orbital injections was done in serial transplantations to compare and contrast the two methods. Both Lin- and LSK cells transduced with human MLL-AF9 virus engrafted well in the bone marrow and spleen of recipients,leading to a full-blown AML. The intra-peritoneal injection of donor cells established AML in recipients upon serial transplantation,and the infiltration of AML cells was detected in the blood,bone marrow,spleen,and liver of recipients by flow cytometry,qPCR,and histological analyses. Thus,intra-peritoneal injection is an efficient method of AML induction using serial transplantation of donor leukemic cells. View Publication