Search

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) impair antitumor immune responses. Identifying regulatory circuits during MDSC development may bring new opportunities for therapeutic interventions. We report that the V-domain suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) functions as a key enabler of MDSC differentiation. VISTA deficiency reduced STAT3 activation and STAT3-dependent production of polyamines, which causally impaired mitochondrial respiration and MDSC expansion. In both mixed bone marrow (BM) chimera mice and myeloid-specific VISTA conditional knockout mice, VISTA deficiency significantly reduced tumor-associated MDSCs but expanded monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) and enhanced T cell-mediated tumor control. Correlated expression of VISTA and arginase-1 (ARG1), a key enzyme supporting polyamine biosynthesis, was observed in multiple human cancer types. In human endometrial cancer, co-expression of VISTA and ARG1 on tumor-associated myeloid cells is associated with poor survival. Taken together, these findings unveil the VISTA/polyamine axis as a central regulator of MDSC differentiation and warrant therapeutically targeting this axis for cancer immunotherapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests L.L.W is an inventor involved with the commercial development of VISTA with ImmuNext Inc. Corporation (Lebanon, NH, USA)., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Persistent TH2 cytokine responses following chronic helminth infections can often lead to the development of tissue pathology and fibrotic scarring. Despite a good understanding of the cellular mechanisms involved in fibrogenesis, there are very few therapeutic options available, highlighting a significant medical need and gap in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of TH2-mediated immunopathology. In this study, we found that the Map3 kinase, TPL-2 (Map3k8; Cot) regulated TH2-mediated intestinal, hepatic and pulmonary immunopathology following Schistosoma mansoni infection or S. mansoni egg injection. Elevated inflammation, TH2 cell responses and exacerbated fibrosis in Map3k8-/-mice was observed in mice with myeloid cell-specific (LysM) deletion of Map3k8, but not CD4 cell-specific deletion of Map3k8, indicating that TPL-2 regulated myeloid cell function to limit TH2-mediated immunopathology. Transcriptional and metabolic assays of Map3k8-/-M2 macrophages identified that TPL-2 was required for lipolysis, M2 macrophage activation and the expression of a variety of genes involved in immuno-regulatory and pro-fibrotic pathways. Taken together this study identified that TPL-2 regulated TH2-mediated inflammation by supporting lipolysis and M2 macrophage activation, preventing TH2 cell expansion and downstream immunopathology and fibrosis.