Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are potent regulators of immune responses largely through paracrine signaling. MSC secreted extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) are increasingly recognized as the key ...paracrine factors responsible for the biological and therapeutic function of MSCs. We report the first comprehensive study demonstrating the immunomodulatory effect of MSC-EVs on dendritic cell (DC) maturation and function. MSC-EVs were isolated from MSC conditioned media using differential ultracentrifugation. Human monocyte-derived DCs were generated in the absence or presence of MSC-EVs (20 ug/ml) then subjected to phenotypic and functional analysis
. MSC-EV treatment impaired antigen uptake by immature DCs and halted DC maturation resulting in reduced expression of the maturation and activation markers CD83, CD38, and CD80, decreased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-12p70 and increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-β. MSC-EV treated DCs also demonstrated a diminished CCR 7 expression after LPS stimulation, coupled with a significantly reduced ability to migrate toward the CCR7-ligand CCL21, although they were still able to stimulate allogeneic T cell proliferation
. Through microRNA profiling we have identified 49 microRNAs, which were significantly enriched in MSC-EVs compared to their parent MSCs. MicroRNAs with known effect on DC maturation and functions, including miR-21-5p, miR-142-3p, miR-223-3p, and miR-126-3p, were detected within the top 10 most enriched miRNAs in MSC-EVs, with MiR-21-5p as the third highest expressed miRNA in MSC-EVs.
analysis revealed that miR-21-5p targets the
gene for degradation. To verify these observations, DCs were transfected with miR-21-5p mimics and analyzed for their ability to migrate toward the CCR7-ligand CCL21
. MiR-21-5p mimic transfected DCs showed a clear trend of reduced CCR7 expression and a significantly decreased migratory ability toward the CCL21. Our findings suggest that MSC-EVs are able to recapitulate MSC mediated DC modulation and MSC-EV enclosed microRNAs may represent a novel mechanism through which MSCs modulate DC functions. As MSCs are currently used in clinical trials to treat numerous diseases associated with immune dysregulation, such as graft-versus-host disease and inflammatory bowel disease, our data provide novel evidence to inform potential future application of MSC-EVs as a cell-free therapeutic agent.
The success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) lies with the ability of the engrafting immune system to remove residual leukemia cells
a graft-versus-leukemia effect (GvL), caused ...either spontaneously post-HSCT or
donor lymphocyte infusion. GvL effects can also be initiated by allogenic mismatched natural killer cells, antigen-specific T cells, and activated dendritic cells of leukemic origin. The history and further application of this GvL effect and the main mechanisms will be discussed and reviewed in this chapter.
Previous studies from Multhoff and colleagues reported that plasma membrane Hsp70 acts as a tumour-specific recognition structure for activated NK cells, and that the incubation of NK cells with ...Hsp70 and/or a 14-mer peptide derived from the N-terminal sequence of Hsp70 (TKDNNLLGRFELSG, TKD, aa 450-463) plus a low dose of IL-2 triggers NK cell proliferation and migration, and their capacity to kill cancer cells expressing membrane Hsp70. Herein, we have used flow cytometry to determine the influence of in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy individuals with IL-2 or IL-15, either alone or in combination with TKD peptide on the cell surface expression of CD94, NK cell activatory receptors (CD16, NK2D, NKG2C, NKp30, NKp44, NKp46, NKp80, KIR2DL4, DNAM-1 and LAMP1) and NK cell inhibitory receptors (NKG2A, KIR2DL2/L3, LIR1/ILT-2 and NKR-P1A) by CD3+CD56+ (NKT), CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+ and CD19+ populations. NKG2D, DNAM-1, LAMP1 and NKR-P1A expression was upregulated after the stimulation with IL-2 or IL-15 alone or in combination with TKD in NKT, CD8+ T cells and B cells. CD94 was upregulated in NKT and CD8+ T cells. Concurrently, an increase in a number of CD8+ T cells expressing LIR1/ILT-2 and CD4+ T cells positive for NKR-P1A was observed. The proportion of CD8+ T cells that expressed NKG2D was higher after IL-2/TKD treatment, when compared with IL-2 treatment alone. In comparison with IL-15 alone, IL-15/TKD treatment increased the proportion of NKT cells that were positive for CD94, LAMP1 and NKRP-1A. The more potent effect of IL-15/TKD on cell surface expression of NKG2D, LIR1/ILT-2 and NKRP-1A was observed in B cells compared with IL-15 alone. However, this increase was not of statistical significance. IL-2/TKD induced significant upregulation of LAMP1 in CD8+ T cells compared with IL-2 alone. Besides NK cells, other immunocompetent cells present within the fraction of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were influenced by the treatment with low-dose interleukins themselves or in combination with hsp70 derived (TKD) peptide.
The outbreak of a pandemic provokes fear and risk of ill health for all individuals, however, these events pose even more of a threat to people with disability who often have poorer health outcomes ...because of underlying conditions, have difficulties in accessing health and other services, and typically fare worse once they are in the healthcare system. The growth of personalisation schemes in disability internationally is now exacerbating those risks and could lead to high morbidity and mortality if swift action is not taken.
Hematopoietic allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is a curative option for patients with hematological malignancies. However, due to disparities in major and minor histocompatibility ...antigens between donor and recipient, severe inflammatory complications can occur, among which chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) can be life-threatening. A classical therapeutic approach to the prevention and treatment of cGVHD has been broad immunosuppression, but more recently adjuvant immunotherapies have been tested. This review summarizes and discusses immunomodulatory approaches with T cells, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and regulatory T cells, with natural killer (NK) cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), and finally with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) and extracellular vesicles thereof. Clinical studies and pre-clinical research results are presented likewise.
Atg16L1 mediates the cellular degradative process of autophagy and is considered a critical regulator of inflammation based on its genetic association with inflammatory bowel disease. Here we find ...that Atg16L1 deficiency leads to an exacerbated graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in a mouse model of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Atg16L1-deficient allo-HSCT recipients with GVHD displayed increased T cell proliferation due to increased dendritic cell (DC) numbers and costimulatory molecule expression. Reduced autophagy within DCs was associated with lysosomal abnormalities and decreased amounts of A20, a negative regulator of DC activation. These results broaden the function of Atg16L1 and the autophagy pathway to include a role in limiting a DC-mediated response during inflammatory disease, such as GVHD.
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•Mice deficient in autophagy gene Atg16l1 are susceptible to graft-versus-host disease•Autophagy-deficient dendritic cells become hyperactive following an HSC transplant•Hyperactive dendritic cells stimulate donor T cells that damage the intestine
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, a procedure used to treat malignant and nonmalignant disorders. Cadwell and colleagues show that Atg16l1, an autophagy gene commonly mutated in humans, suppresses GVHD by dampening dendritic cell hyperactivation.
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have potent immunosuppressive properties and have been advocated for therapeutic use in humans. The nature of their suppressive capacity is poorly understood ...but is said to be a primitive stem cell function. Demonstration that adult stromal cells such as fibroblasts (Fb) can modulate T cells would have important implications for immunoregulation and cellular therapy. In this report, we show that dermal Fb inhibit allogeneic T cell activation by autologously derived cutaneous APCs and other stimulators. Fb mediate suppression through soluble factors, but this is critically dependent on IFN-gamma from activated T cells. IFN-gamma induces IDO in Fb, and accelerated tryptophan metabolism is at least partly responsible for suppression of T cell proliferation. T cell suppression is reversible, and transient exposure to Fb during activation reprograms T cells, increasing IL-4 and IL-10 secretion upon restimulation. Increased Th2 polarization by stromal cells is associated with amelioration of pathological changes in a human model of graft-vs-host disease. Dermal Fb are highly clonogenic in vitro, suggesting that Fb-mediated immunosuppression is not due to outgrowth of rare MSC, although dermal Fb remain difficult to distinguish from MSC by phenotype or transdifferentiation capacity. These results suggest that immunosuppression is a general property of stromal cells and that dermal Fb may provide an alternative and accessible source of cellular therapy.
NK cells have shown promise in therapy of hematological cancers, in particular against acute myeloid leukemia. In contrast, the more NK cell-resistant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is difficult ...to treat with NK-cell-based therapies, and we hypothesized that pre-activation of NK cells could overcome this resistance. We show in pediatric and adult patients with T-cell ALL (T-ALL) perturbed NK cell effector functions at diagnosis. Using an in vivo rat model for T-ALL, Roser leukemia (RL), suppressed NK cell effector functions were observed. NK cells from T-ALL patients had reduced expression of the activating receptors NKp46 and DNAM-1, but not NKG2D. In contrast to T-ALL patients, NKG2D but not NKp46 was downregulated on NK cells during rat RL. Decreased frequencies of terminally differentiated NKG2A
+
CD57
−
CD56
dim
NK cells in human T-ALL was paralleled in the rat by reduced frequencies of bone marrow NK cells expressing the maturation marker CD11b, possibly indicating impairment of differentiation during leukemia. RL was highly resistant to autologous NK cells, but this resistance was overcome upon pre-activation of NK cells with IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18, with concomitant upregulation of activation markers and activating receptors. Importantly, adoptive transfers of IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18 pre-activated NK cells significantly slowed progression of RL in vivo. The data thus shows that T-ALL blasts normally resistant to NK cells may be targeted by cytokine pre-activated autologous NK cells, and this approach could have potential implications for immunotherapeutic protocols using NK cells to more efficiently target leukemia.
Prognostic, diagnostic or predictive biomarkers are urgently needed for assessment of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD), a major risk for patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem ...cell transplantation. The main goal of this review generated within the COST Action EUROGRAFT "Integrated European Network on Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease" was to identify potential novel biomarkers for cGvHD besides the widely accepted molecular and cellular biomarkers. Thus, the focus was on cellular biomarkers, alloantibodies, glycomics, endothelial derived particles, extracellular vesicles, microbiome, epigenetic and neurologic changes in cGvHD patients. Both host-reactive antibodies in general, and particularly alloantibodies have been associated with cGvHD and require further consideration. Glycans attached to IgG modulate its activity and represent a promising predictive and/or stratification biomarker for cGVHD. Furthermore, epigenetic changes such as microRNAs and DNA methylation represent potential biomarkers for monitoring cGvHD patients and novel targets for developing new treatment approaches. Finally, the microbiome likely affects the pathophysiology of cGvHD; bacterial strains as well as microbial metabolites could display potential biomarkers for dysbiosis and risk for the development of cGvHD. In summary, although there are no validated biomarkers currently available for clinical use to better inform on the diagnosis, prognosis or prediction of outcome for cGvHD, many novel sources of potential markers have shown promise and warrant further investigation using well characterized, multi-center patient cohorts.
MicroRNAs are small regulatory molecules that demonstrate useful biomarker potential. They have been recognised in biofluids, where they are protected from degradation by encapsulation into ...extracellular vesicles (EVs). A number of commercial products are available for the isolation of EVs and their RNA content; however, extensive protocol comparisons are lacking. Furthermore, robust qRT-PCR assessment of microRNA expression within EVs is problematic, as endogenous controls (ECs) previously used in cellular samples may not be present. This study compares EV isolation and RNA extraction methods (EV precipitation reagents, RNA isolation kits and ultracentrifugation) from serum or urine samples and evaluates suitable ECs for incorporation into qRT-PCR analysis. Results were assessed by electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and bioanalyzer concentrations. The stability of 8 ECs was compared for both serum and urine EV RNA and retrospectively validated in independent cohorts (serum n=55, urine n=50). The Life Technologies precipitation reagent gave superior serum EV recovery compared to SBI reagent, as assessed by NTA size distribution, increased RNA concentration, and lower small RNA Ct values. Similarly, the Norgen Biotek Urine Exosome RNA Isolation Kit gave improved results for urine EV isolation compared to ultracentrifugation, when determined by the same parameters. The Qiagen miRNeasy™ RNA isolation kit gave suitable serum EV RNA concentrations compared to other kits, as assessed by Bioanalyzer and small RNA qRT-PCR. Small RNAs HY3 (S.D=1.77, CoV=6.2%) and U6 (S.D=2.14, CoV=8.6%) were selected as optimal ECs for serum EV microRNA expression analysis, while HY3 (S.D=1.67, CoV=6.5%) and RNU48 (S.D=1.85, CoV=5.3%) were identified as suitable for urine studies. In conclusion, this study identifies optimal methods for isolation of serum and urine EV RNA, and suitable ECs for normalisation of qRT-PCR studies. Such reports should aid in the standardisation of EV microRNA data, particularly for biomarker studies.
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•Circulatory microRNAs in bodily fluid EVs have developed great interest, due to their biomarker potential.•A variety of methods have been used to isolate EVs/RNA, and qRT-PCR normalisation has not been established.•Life Technologies exosome precipitation reagent & Qiagen miRNeasy™ RNA isolation kit give sufficient EV and RNA isolation.•HY3 & U6 are optimal controls for serum EV miRNA expression normalisation, while HY3 & RNU48 are suitable for urine studies.•Such reports should aid in the standardisation of EV microRNA isolation, increasing the validity of study comparisons.