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BACKGROUND Obesity has often been associated with severe allergic asthma (AA). Here,we analyzed the frequency of different circulating CD4+T-cell subsets from lean,overweight and obese AA patients. METHODS Mononuclear cells from peripheral blood were obtained from 60 AA patients and the frequency of different CD4+T-cell subsets and type 1 regulatory B cells (Br1) was determined by cytometry. The effect of obese-related leptin dose on cytokine production and Treg cell function in AA-derived CD4+ T cell cultures was evaluated by ELISA and 3H thymidine uptake,respectively. Leptin levels were quantified in the plasma by ELISA. According to the BMI,patients were stratified as lean,overweight and obese. RESULTS AA severity,mainly among obese patients,was associated with an expansion of hybrid Th2/Th17 and Th17-like cells rather than classic Th2-like cells. On the other hand,the frequencies of Th1-like,Br1 cells and regulatory CD4+ T-cell subsets were lower in patients with severe AA. While percentages of the hybrid Th2/Th17 phenotype and Th17-like cells positively correlated with leptin levels,the frequencies of regulatory CD4+ T-cell subsets and Br1 cells negatively correlated with this adipokine. Interestingly,the obesity-related leptin dose not only elevated Th2 and Th17 cytokine levels,but also directly reduced the Treg function in CD4+ T cell cultures from lean AA patients. CONCLUSION In summary,our results indicated that obesity might increase AA severity by favoring the expansion of Th17-like and Th2/Th17 cells and decreasing regulatory CD4+T cell subsets,being adverse effects probably mediated by leptin overproduction. View Publication

BACKGROUND The use of intralesional Mycobacterium bovis BCG (intralesional live BCG) for the treatment of metastatic melanoma resulted in regression of directly injected,and occasionally of distal lesions. However,intralesional-BCG is less effective in patients with visceral metastases and did not significantly improve overall survival. METHODS We generated a novel BCG lysate and developed it into a thermosensitive PLGA-PEG-PLGA hydrogel (BCG hydrogel),which was injected adjacent to the tumor to assess its antitumor effect in syngeneic tumor models (B16F10,MC38). The effect of BCG hydrogel treatment on contralateral tumors,lung metastases,and survival was assessed to evaluate systemic long-term efficacy. Gene expression profiles of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and of tumor-draining lymph nodes from BCG hydrogel-treated mice were analyzed by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and CD8+ T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity was assessed by TCR-sequencing. To confirm the mechanistic findings,RNA-seq data of biopsies obtained from in-transit cutaneous metastases of patients with melanoma who had received intralesional-BCG therapy were analyzed. RESULTS Here,we show that BCG lysate exhibits enhanced antitumor efficacy compared to live mycobacteria and promotes a proinflammatory tumor microenvironment and M1 macrophage (M$\Phi$) polarization in vivo. The underlying mechanisms of BCG lysate-mediated tumor immunity are dependent on M$\Phi$ and dendritic cells (DCs). BCG hydrogel treatment induced systemic immunity in melanoma-bearing mice with suppression of lung metastases and improved survival. Furthermore,BCG hydrogel promoted cathepsin S (CTSS) activity in M$\Phi$ and DCs,resulting in enhanced antigen processing and presentation of tumor-associated antigens. Finally,BCG hydrogel treatment was associated with increased frequencies of melanoma-reactive CD8+ T cells. In human patients with melanoma,intralesional-BCG treatment was associated with enhanced M1 M$\Phi$,mature DC,antigen processing and presentation,as well as with increased CTSS expression which positively correlated with patient survival. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide mechanistic insights as well as rationale for the clinical translation of BCG hydrogel as cancer immunotherapy to overcome the current limitations of immunotherapies for the treatment of patients with melanoma. View Publication

The high mobility group (HMG) transcription factor TCF-1 is essential for early T cell development. Although in vitro biochemical assays suggest that HMG proteins can serve as architectural elements in the assembly of higher-order nuclear organization,the contribution of TCF-1 on the control of three-dimensional (3D) genome structures during T cell development remains unknown. Here,we investigated the role of TCF-1 in 3D genome reconfiguration. Using gain- and loss-of-function experiments,we discovered that the co-occupancy of TCF-1 and the architectural protein CTCF altered the structure of topologically associating domains in T cell progenitors,leading to interactions between previously insulated regulatory elements and target genes at late stages of T cell development. The TCF-1-dependent gain in long-range interactions was linked to deposition of active enhancer mark H3K27ac and recruitment of the cohesin-loading factor NIPBL at active enhancers. These data indicate that TCF-1 has a role in controlling global genome organization during T cell development. View Publication

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease with no cure,where clinical translation of promising therapeutics has been hampered by the reproducibility crisis. Here,short-term administration of an antagonist to the receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) protected against murine diabetes at two independent research centers. Treatment with sRAGE increased regulatory T cells (Tregs) within the islets,pancreatic lymph nodes,and spleen,increasing islet insulin expression and function. Diabetes protection was abrogated by Treg depletion and shown to be dependent on antagonizing RAGE with use of knockout mice. Human Tregs treated with a RAGE ligand downregulated genes for suppression,migration,and Treg homeostasis (FOXP3,IL7R,TIGIT,JAK1,STAT3,STAT5b,CCR4). Loss of suppressive function was reversed by sRAGE,where Tregs increased proliferation and suppressed conventional T-cell division,confirming that sRAGE expands functional human Tregs. These results highlight sRAGE as an attractive treatment to prevent diabetes,showing efficacy and reproducibility at multiple research centers and in human T cells. View Publication

Allogeneic T cells are key immune therapeutic cells to fight cancer and other clinical indications. High T cell dose per patient and increasing patient numbers result in clinical demand for a large number of allogeneic T cells. This necessitates a manufacturing platform that can be scaled up while retaining cell quality. Here we present a closed and scalable platform for T cell manufacturing to meet clinical demand. Upstream manufacturing steps of T cell activation and expansion are done in-vessel,in a stirred-tank bioreactor. T cell selection,which is necessary for CAR-T-based therapy,is done in the bioreactor itself,thus maintaining optimal culture conditions through the selection step. Platform's attributes of automation and performing the steps of T cell activation,expansion,and selection in-vessel,greatly contribute to enhancing process control,cell quality,and to the reduction of manual labor and contamination risk. In addition,the viability of integrating a closed,automated,downstream process of cell concentration,is demonstrated. The presented T cell manufacturing platform has scale-up capabilities while preserving key factors of cell quality and process control. View Publication

The various stages of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) generate phenotypically heterogeneous populations of cells. Here,we detail a dual recombinase lineage tracing system using a transgenic mouse model of metastatic breast cancer to trace and characterize breast cancer cells at different EMT stages. We describe analytical steps to label cancer cells at an early partial or a late full EMT state,followed by tracking their behavior in tumor slice cultures. We then characterize their transcriptome by five-cell RNA sequencing. View Publication

BACKGROUND & AIMS N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent RNA modification and recognized as an important epitranscriptomic mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to exploit whether and how tumor-intrinsic m6A modification driven by methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3) can dictate the immune landscape of CRC. METHODS Mettl3 knockout mice,CD34+ humanized mice,and different syngeneic mice models were used. Immune cell composition and cytokine level were analyzed by flow cytometry and Cytokine 23-Plex immunoassay,respectively. M6A sequencing and RNA sequencing were performed to identify downstream targets and pathways of METTL3. Human CRC specimens (n = 176) were used to evaluate correlation between METTL3 expression and myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) infiltration. RESULTS We demonstrated that silencing of METTL3 in CRC cells reduced MDSC accumulation to sustain activation and proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells,and eventually suppressed CRC in ApcMin/+Mettl3+/- mice,CD34+ humanized mice,and syngeneic mice models. Mechanistically,METTL3 activated the m6A-BHLHE41-CXCL1 axis by analysis of m6A sequencing,RNA sequencing,and cytokine arrays. METTL3 promoted BHLHE41 expression in an m6A-dependent manner,which subsequently induced CXCL1 transcription to enhance MDSC migration in vitro. However,the effect was negligible on BHLHE41 depletion,CXCL1 protein or CXCR2 inhibitor SB265610 administration,inferring that METTL3 promotes MDSC migration via BHLHE41-CXCL1/CXCR2. Consistently,depletion of MDSCs by anti-Gr1 antibody or SB265610 blocked the tumor-promoting effect of METTL3 in vivo. Importantly,targeting METTL3 by METTL3-single guide RNA or specific inhibitor potentiated the effect of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD1) treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our study identifies METTL3 as a potential therapeutic target for CRC immunotherapy whose inhibition reverses immune suppression through the m6A-BHLHE41-CXCL1 axis. METTL3 inhibition plus anti-PD1 treatment shows promising antitumor efficacy against CRC. View Publication

Gamma-delta (??) T cells recognize antigens in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) independent and have cytotoxic capability. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection reduces the proportion of the V?2 cell subset compared to the V?1 cell subset of ?? T cells in the blood in most infected individuals,except for elite controllers. The capacity of V?2 T cells to kill HIV-infected targets has been demonstrated in vitro,albeit in vivo confirmatory studies are lacking. Here,we provide the first characterization of ?? T cell-HIV interactions in bone marrow-liver-thymus (BLT) humanized mice and examined the immunotherapeutic potential of V?2 T cells in controlling HIV replication in vivo. We demonstrate a reduced proportion of V?2 T cells and an increased proportion of V?1 T cells in HIV-infected BLT humanized mice,like in HIV-positive individuals. HIV infection in BLT humanized mice also impaired the ex vivo expansion of V?2 T cells,like in HIV-positive individuals. Adoptive transfer of activated V?2 T cells did not control HIV replication during cell-associated HIV transmission in BLT humanized mice but instead exacerbated viremia,suggesting that V?2 T cells may serve as early targets for HIV replication. Our findings demonstrate that BLT humanized mice can model ?? T cell-HIV interactions in vivo. View Publication

The current global COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a public health crisis with more than 168 million cases reported globally and more than 4.5 million deaths at the time of writing. In addition to the direct impact of the disease,the economic impact has been significant as public health measures to contain or reduce the spread have led to country wide lockdowns resulting in near closure of many sectors of the economy. Antibodies are a principal determinant of the humoral immune response to COVID-19 infections and may have the potential to reduce disease and spread of the virus. The development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) represents a therapeutic option that can be produced at large quantity and high quality. In the present study,a mAb combination mixture therapy was investigated for its capability to specifically neutralize SARS-CoV-2. We demonstrate that each of the antibodies bind the spike protein and neutralize the virus,preventing it from infecting cells in an in vitro cell-based assay,including multiple viral variants that are currently circulating in the human population. In addition,we investigated the effects of two different mutations in the Fc portion (YTE and LALA) of the antibody on Fc effector function and the ability to alleviate potential antibody-dependent enhancement of disease. These data demonstrate the potential of a combination of two mAbs that target two different epitopes on the SARS-CoV2 spike protein to provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans while extending serum half-life and preventing antibody-dependent enhancement of disease. View Publication

Cytokine storm refers to the dysregulated production of inflammatory mediators leading to hyperinflammation. They are often detrimental,and worsen the severity of COVID-19 and other infectious or inflammatory diseases. Cannabinoids are known to have anti-inflammatory effects but their possible therapeutic value on cytokine storms has not been fully elucidated. In vivo and ex vivo studies were carried out to investigate the effects of high-THC and high-CBD extracts on cytokine production in immune cells. Significant differences between the extracts were observed. Subsequent experiments focusing on a specific high CBD extract (CBD-X) showed significant reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokines in human-derived PBMCs,neutrophils and T cells. In vivo mouse studies,using a systemically inflamed mouse model,showed reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF$\alpha$ and IL-1$\beta$ and a concurrent increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in response to CBD-X extract treatment. Lung inflammation,as in severe COVID-19 disease,is characterized by increased T-cell homing to the lungs. Our investigation revealed that CBD-X extract impaired T-cell migration induced by the chemoattractant SDF1. In addition,the phosphorylation levels of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling proteins Lck and Zap70 were significantly reduced,demonstrating an inhibitory effect on the early events downstream to TCR activation. In a lung inflamed mouse model,we observed a reduction in leukocytes including neutrophil migration to the lungs and decreased levels of IL-1$\beta$,MCP-1,IL-6 and TNF$\alpha$,in response to the administration of the high-CBD extract. The results presented in this work offer that certain high-CBD extract has a high potential in the management of pathological conditions,in which the secretion of cytokines is dysregulated,as it is in severe COVID-19 disease or other infectious or inflammatory diseases. View Publication

Conditioning regimens used for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) can escalate the severity of acute T cell-mediated graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) by disrupting gastrointestinal integrity and initiating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-dependent innate immune cell activation. Activation of the complement cascade has been associated with murine GVHD,and previous work has shown that alternative pathway complement activation can amplify T cell immunity. Whether and how mannan-binding lectin (MBL),a component of the complement system that binds mannose as well as oligosaccharide components of LPS and lipoteichoic acid,affects GVHD is unknown. In this study,we tested the hypothesis that MBL modulates murine GVHD and examined the mechanisms by which it does so. We adoptively transferred C3.SW bone marrow (BM) cells ± T cells into irradiated wild type (WT) or MBL-deficient C57Bl/6 (B6) recipients with or without inhibiting MBL-initiated complement activation using C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH). We analyzed the clinical severity of disease expression and analyzed intestinal gene and cell infiltration. In vitro studies assessed MBL expression on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and compared LPS-induced responses of WT and MBL-deficient APCs. MBL-deficient recipients of donor BM ± T cells exhibited significantly less weight loss over the first 2 weeks post-transplantation weeks compared with B6 controls (P < .05),with similar donor engraftment in the 2 groups. In recipients of C3.SW BM + T cells,the clinical expression of GVHD was less severe (P < .05) and overall survival was better (P < .05) in MBL-deficient mice compared with WT mice. On day-7 post-transplantation,analyses showed that the MBL-deficient recipients exhibited less intestinal IL1b,IL17,and IL12 p40 gene expression (P < .05 for each) and fewer infiltrating intestinal CD11c+,CD11b+,and F4/80+ cells and TCR$\beta$+,CD4+,CD4+IL17+,and CD8+ T cells (P < .05 for each). Ovalbumin or allogeneic cell immunizations induced equivalent T cell responses in MBL-deficient and WT mice,demonstrating that MBL-deficiency does not directly impact T cell immunity in the absence of irradiation conditioning. Administration of C1-INH did not alter the clinical expression of GVHD in preconditioned WT B6 recipients,suggesting that MBL amplifies clinical expression of GVHD via a complement-independent mechanism. WT,but not MBL-deficient,APCs express MBL on their surfaces. LPS-stimulated APCs from MBL-deficient mice produced less proinflammatory cytokines (P < .05) and induced weaker alloreactive T cell responses (P < .05) compared with WT APCs. Together,our data show that MBL modulates murine GVHD,likely by amplifying complement-independent,LPS-initiated gastrointestinal inflammation. The results suggest that devising strategies to block LPS/MBL ligation on APCs has the potential to reduce the clinical expression of GVHD. View Publication

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder that primarily affects the axial skeleton,especially the sacroiliac joints and spine. This results in chronic back pain and,in extreme cases,ankylosis of the spine. Despite its debilitating effects,the pathogenesis of AS remains to be further elucidated. This study used single cell CITE-seq technology to analyze peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in AS and in healthy controls. We identified a number of molecular features associated with AS. CD52 was found to be overexpressed in both RNA and surface protein expression across several cell types in patients with AS. CD16+ monocytes overexpressed TNFSF10 and IL-18R$\alpha$ in AS,while CD8+ TEM cells and natural killer cells overexpressed genes linked with cytotoxicity,including GZMH,GZMB,and NKG7. Tregs underexpressed CD39 in AS,suggesting reduced functionality. We identified an overrepresented NK cell subset in AS that overexpressed CD16,CD161,and CD38,as well as cytotoxic genes and pathways. Finally,we developed machine learning models derived from CITE-seq data for the classification of AS and achieved an Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) curve of > 0.95. In summary,CITE-seq identification of AS-associated genes and surface proteins in specific cell subsets informs our understanding of pathogenesis and potential new therapeutic targets,while providing new approaches for diagnosis via machine learning. View Publication