Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is used to treat over 15,000 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) per year. Donor graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect can prevent AML ...relapse; however, alloSCT is limited by significant toxicity related to conditioning intensity, immunosuppression, opportunistic infections, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Reducing the intensity of conditioning regimens prior to alloSCT has improved their tolerability, but does not alter the pattern of GVHD and has been associated with increased rates of graft rejection and relapse. Here, using a murine pre-clinical model, we describe a novel recipient conditioning approach combining reduced intensity conditioning with either genetic or pharmacological inhibition of NK cell numbers that permits efficient donor engraftment and promotes GVL without inducing GVHD. We show that NK cell-specific deletion of Bcl2 or Mcl1 in mice, or pharmacological inhibition of BCL2 impairs radio-resistant NK cell-mediated rejection of allogeneic engraftment and allows reduction of conditioning intensity below that associated with GVHD priming. The combination of reduced intensity conditioning and NK cell targeting in mice allowed successful donor T cell engraftment and protective immunity against AML while avoiding GVHD. These findings suggest that reduced conditioning in combination with targeted therapies against recipient NK cells may allow the delivery of effective alloSCT against AML while reducing the toxicities associated with more intensive conditioning including GVHD.
We used an N-ethyl-N-nitrosurea-based forward genetic screen in mice to identify new genes and alleles that regulate erythropoiesis. Here, we describe a mouse line expressing an activated form of the ...K-Cl cotransporter Slc12a4 (Kcc1), which results in a semi-dominant microcytosis of red cells. A missense mutation from methionine to lysine in the cytoplasmic tail of Kcc1 impairs phosphorylation of adjacent threonines required for inhibiting cotransporter activity. We bred Kcc1M935K mutant mice with a humanized mouse model of sickle cell disease to directly explore the relevance of the reported increase in KCC activity in disease pathogenesis. We show that a single mutant allele of Kcc1 induces widespread sickling and tissue damage, leading to premature death. This mouse model reveals important new insights into the regulation of K-Cl cotransporters and provides in vivo evidence that increased KCC activity worsened end-organ damage and diminished survival in sickle cell disease.
•A missense mutation in the cytoplasmic tail of Kcc1 activates K-Cl cotransporter activity by impairing phosphorylation of nearby threonines.•In vivo evidence shows that activation of Kcc1 directly contributes to the pathogenesis of sickle cell disease.
Type-1 interferons (IFNs) are pleiotropic cytokines that signal through the type-1 IFN receptor (IFNAR1). Recent literature has implicated the type-1 IFNs in disorders of the CNS. In this study, we ...have investigated the role of type-1 IFNs in neuroinflammation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Using a controlled cortical impact model, TBI was induced in 8- to 10-week-old male C57BL/6J WT and IFNAR1(-/-) mice and brains were excised to study infarct volume, inflammatory mediator release via quantitative PCR analysis and immune cell profile via immunohistochemistry. IFNAR1(-/-) mice displayed smaller infarcts compared with WT mice after TBI. IFNAR1(-/-) mice exhibited an altered anti-inflammatory environment compared with WT mice, with significantly reduced levels of the proinflammatory mediators TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6, an up-regulation of the anti-inflammatory mediator IL-10 and an increased activation of resident and peripheral immune cells after TBI. WT mice injected intravenously with an anti-IFNAR1 blocking monoclonal antibody (MAR1) 1 h before, 30 min after or 30 min and 2 d after TBI displayed significantly improved histological and behavioral outcome. Bone marrow chimeras demonstrated that the hematopoietic cells are a peripheral source of type-1 IFNs that drives neuroinflammation and a worsened TBI outcome. Type-1 IFN mRNA levels were confirmed to be significantly altered in human postmortem TBI brains. Together, these data demonstrate that type-1 IFN signaling is a critical pathway in the progression of neuroinflammation and presents a viable therapeutic target for the treatment of TBI.
Here, we have characterized the first known auto-inflammatory disease caused by interleukin-18 (IL-18). This is due to a point mutation in the gene Wdr1, which is required for disassembly of actin ...filaments in conjunction with ADF/cofilin family proteins. Mice homozygous for this mutation (Wdr1rd/rd) develop severe autoinflammation in the ears and tail due to an intracellular build up of polymerized actin. The serum IL-18 level was significantly elevated in Wdr1rd/rd mice, compared to littermate controls. Processing and secretion of IL-18 and IL-1β is induced by caspase-1 via activation of the inflammasome complex. Importantly, a delayed onset of the disease was seen in Wdr1rd/rd mice lacking caspase-1, the inflammasome adaptor ASC or IL-18 itself. In contrast, the time of onset and severity of the inflammatory disease was not altered by a deficiency of IL-1R, G-CSF, interferon γ (IFNγ) or tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), suggesting that the inflammatory disease was driven by an IL-18 specific inflammasome. Furthermore, we are able to show ex vivo and in vivo, that this IL-18 production specifically comes from monocytes, but not mature macrophages. Overall, our data reveal the mechanism and biological basis of a mouse model of spontaneous sterile inflammatory disease driven by IL-18 but not IL-1.
Abstract
Introduction: Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are a novel group of anti-cancer drugs with marked efficacy in haematological malignancy, for which thrombocytopenia (TCP) is the ...predominant dose limiting toxicity, currently limiting their use in combination treatment strategies. Using the HDAC 1/2 selective HDACi romidepsin and the pan-HDACi panobinostat, we have investigated the processes which underscore this significant clinical problem. Experimental procedures and data: We have demonstrated TCP is not due to myelosuppression, but decreased platelet release from megakaryocytes (MK) based on: 1) platelet half-life studies utilizing NHS-biotin to label circulating platelets, and reticulated platelet assays using thiazole orange staining, 2) studies in Bak-/- and Bak-/-Bax-/- bone marrow reconstituted mice which excluded HDACi-induced platelet apoptosis, and 3) bone marrow (BM) sections showing increased MK number in mice treated with HDACi compared to controls. Increases in thrombopoietin (TPO) were seen in thrombocytopenic mice, and using c-Mpl-/- mice, we demonstrated that TPO is required for the MK hyperplasia and rebound thrombocyosis seen on treatment cessation. To further elucidate the pathway causing reduced platelet production, we used the human MK cell line Meg-01 and primary MK derived from fetal liver cells stimulated with TPO. Proplatelet assays of primary MK showed reductions in proplatelet extensions following HDACi exposure and a concomitant dose dependant increase in the phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC). The phosphorylation status of the MLC (pMLC) is regulated by the Rho GTPase family, of which Rac1/CDC42, acting via PAK1 are postulated to have opposing actions to RhoA which is known to increase pMLC and reduce proplatelet formation. Western blots of lysates from Meg-01 and primary cells showed a reduction in protein levels of all three family members following HDACi, however qRT PCR did not demonstrate HDACi to cause transcriptional repression of these proteins We were able to recapitulate alteration in pMLC levels using both pharmacological inhibitors of PAK1 and Rac1 as well as genetically, using constitutively active and dominant negative Rac1 constructs. Furthermore, by administering a murine TPO-mimetic, we were able to treat murine HDACi-induced TCP in-vivo in both non-tumor bearing mice, resulting in platelet numbers increasing to levels similar to vehicle treated controls in naïve mice. In mice with established Eμ-Myc lymphoma, platelet numbers were increased above all control groups. Conclusions: HDACi induced TCP not due to myeloablation or effects on platelet half life, but is rather due to impaired proplatelet formation, most likely via inhibition of the Rho/Rac1/CDC42 pathways. HDACi induced TCP my be overcome in a variety of settings using TPO-mimetics.
Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} abstract. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2613. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2613
Mouse mutagenesis using forward genetics is valuable as a gene function discovery tool. We are looking for blood defects in a large ENU mutagenesis screen, and have isolated many new mouse mutants ...that reveal new mechanisms in hematopoiesis. One mutant mouse strain, called redears, is an intriguing model of inflammatory disease and thrombocytopenia. Animals homozygous for the redears (rd) mutation develop spontaneous inflammatory lesions of the ears and tail characterized by neutrophil infiltration and peripheral neutrophila. Unexpectedly, blood platelet numbers are dramatically reduced in rd/rd animals. A thorough analysis of platelet biogenesis shows that the platelet precursor cell, the megakaryocyte, undergoes abnormal maturation, which results in gross morphological abnormalities, increased ploidy and abortive platelet shedding. Here we report a mutation in a novel gene related to the yeast actin-interacting protein Aip1 in rd/rd mice. In yeast, Aip1 interacts with, and increases the activity of cofilin, a key regulator of actin depolymerization. Our data confirm that actin dynamics are dysregulated in rd/rd megakaryocytes and neutrophils. The massive cytoplasmic reorganization that is required for megakaryocyte maturation and platelet shedding has long been assumed to depend on the actin cytoskeleton. Intriguingly, recent studies suggest the process is caspase-dependent, and represents a form of ‘para-apoptosis'. With this in mind, we found that chemotaxis and apoptosis are perturbed in rd/rd neutrophils, suggesting that neutrophils are playing a key role in driving the inflammation. Disrupted actin depolymerization would provide an explanation for chemotactic deficiencies. Further, recent evidence implicating cofilin and other actin regulators in the initiation of apoptosis would suggest that this novel protein may play an essential role in neutrophil cell death. Thus, the redears mouse not only provides the first in vivo demonstration of the critical role of the actin cytoskeleton in megakaryocyte development and platelet production, but also represents a unique reagent to examine the relationship between actin dynamics, cellular maturation, inflammation and apoptosis.
Our ongoing mutagenesis efforts continue to reveal new developmental mechanisms. New mutants, genetic tools, and resources can be found at www.mouse-genome.bcm.tmc.edu
Type-1 interferons (IFNs) are pleiotropic cytokines that signal through the type-1 IFN receptor (IFNAR1). Recent literature has implicated the type-1 IFNs in disorders of the CNS. In this study, we ...have investigated the role of type-1 IFNs in neuroinflammation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Using a controlled cortical impact model, TBI was induced in 8- to 10-week-old male C57BL/6J WT and IFNAR1
−/−
mice and brains were excised to study infarct volume, inflammatory mediator release via quantitative PCR analysis and immune cell profile via immunohistochemistry. IFNAR1
−/−
mice displayed smaller infarcts compared with WT mice after TBI. IFNAR1
−/−
mice exhibited an altered anti-inflammatory environment compared with WT mice, with significantly reduced levels of the proinflammatory mediators TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6, an up-regulation of the anti-inflammatory mediator IL-10 and an increased activation of resident and peripheral immune cells after TBI. WT mice injected intravenously with an anti-IFNAR1 blocking monoclonal antibody (MAR1) 1 h before, 30 min after or 30 min and 2 d after TBI displayed significantly improved histological and behavioral outcome. Bone marrow chimeras demonstrated that the hematopoietic cells are a peripheral source of type-1 IFNs that drives neuroinflammation and a worsened TBI outcome. Type-1 IFN mRNA levels were confirmed to be significantly altered in human postmortem TBI brains. Together, these data demonstrate that type-1 IFN signaling is a critical pathway in the progression of neuroinflammation and presents a viable therapeutic target for the treatment of TBI.
Cytopenias are key prognostic indicators of life-threatening infection, contributing to immunosuppression and mortality. Here we define a role for Caspase-1-dependent death, known as pyroptosis, in ...infection-induced cytopenias by studying inflammasome activation in hematopoietic progenitor cells. The NLRP1a inflammasome is expressed in hematopoietic progenitor cells and its activation triggers their pyroptotic death. Active NLRP1a induced a lethal systemic inflammatory disease that was driven by Caspase-1 and IL-1β but was independent of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) and ameliorated by IL-18. Surprisingly, in the absence of IL-1β-driven inflammation, active NLRP1a triggered pyroptosis of hematopoietic progenitor cells resulting in leukopenia at steady state. During periods of hematopoietic stress induced by chemotherapy or lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection, active NLRP1a caused prolonged cytopenia, bone marrow hypoplasia, and immunosuppression. Conversely, NLRP1-deficient mice showed enhanced recovery from chemotherapy and LCMV infection, demonstrating that NLRP1 acts as a cellular sentinel to alert Caspase-1 to hematopoietic and infectious stress.
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► Systemic NLRP1 inflammasome activation induces lethal inflammation ► IL-18 ameliorates inflammation induced by NLRP1 ► NLRP1 activation in progenitor cells induces cytopenia and immunosuppression ► NLRP1 deficiency accelerates recovery from viral infection and chemotherapy
Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is activated by Caspase-1 in inflammasome complexes and has anti-obesity effects; however, it is not known which inflammasome regulates this process. We found that mice lacking ...the NLRP1 inflammasome phenocopy mice lacking IL-18, with spontaneous obesity due to intrinsic lipid accumulation. This is exacerbated when the mice are fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or a high-protein diet, but not when mice are fed a HFD with low energy density (high fiber). Furthermore, mice with an activating mutation in NLRP1, and hence increased IL-18, have decreased adiposity and are resistant to diet-induced metabolic dysfunction. Feeding these mice a HFD further increased plasma IL-18 concentrations and strikingly resulted in loss of adipose tissue mass and fatal cachexia, which could be prevented by genetic deletion of IL-18. Thus, NLRP1 is an innate immune sensor that functions in the context of metabolic stress to produce IL-18, preventing obesity and metabolic syndrome.
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•Deletion of NLRP1 in mice leads to obesity and metabolic syndrome•NLRP1 obesity phenotype is related to the energy quotient of the diet•Loss of NLRP1 decreased IL-18 production and lipolysis•NLRP1 activation increased IL-18, prevented obesity, but was fatal on the high-fat diet
Murphy et al. link the NLRP1 inflammasome to IL-18 production and show that mice lacking NLRP1 have defective lipolysis and become obese, as seen with IL-18 deficiency. NLRP1 activation prevents obesity but results in fatal fat loss and cachexia on a high-fat diet, which is rescued by deletion of IL-18.
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