Search

Neutrophils help to clear pathogens and cellular debris, but can also cause collateral damage within inflamed tissues. Prolonged neutrophil residency within an inflammatory niche can exacerbate tissue pathology. Using both genetic and pharmacological approaches, we show that BCL-XL is required for the persistence of neutrophils within inflammatory sites in mice. We demonstrate that a selective BCL-XL inhibitor (A-1331852) has therapeutic potential by causing apoptosis in inflammatory human neutrophils ex vivo. Moreover, in murine models of acute and chronic inflammatory disease, it reduced inflammatory neutrophil numbers and ameliorated tissue pathology. In contrast, there was minimal effect on circulating neutrophils. Thus, we show a differential survival requirement in activated neutrophils for BCL-XL and reveal a new therapeutic approach to neutrophil-mediated diseases.

The importance of costimulation on CD4+ T cells has been well documented. However, primary CTLs against many infections including influenza can be generated in the absence of CD4+ T-cell help. The role of costimulation under such “helpless” circumstances is not fully elucidated. Here, we investigated such a role for CD28 using CTLA4Ig transgenic (Tg) mice. To ensure valid comparison across the genotypes, we showed that all mice had similar naive precursor frequencies and similar peak viral loads. In the absence of help, viral clearance was significantly reduced in CTLA4Ig Tg mice compared with WT mice. CD44+BrdU+influenza-specific CD8+ T cells were diminished in CTLA4Ig Tg mice at days 5 and 8 postinfection. Adoptive transfer of ovalbumin-specific transgenic CD8+ T cells (OT-I)-I cells into WT or CTLA4Ig Tg mice revealed that loss of CD28 costimulation resulted in impairment in OT-I cell division. As shown previously, neither viral clearance nor the generation of influenza-specific CD8+ T cells was affected by the absence of CD4+ T cells alone. In contrast, both were markedly impaired by CD28 blockade of “helpless” CD8+ T cells. We suggest that direct CD28 costimulation of CD8+ T cells is more critical in their priming during primary influenza infection than previously appreciated.

STIM1 (where STIM is stromal interaction molecule) is a candidate tumour suppressor gene that maps to human chromosome 11p15.5, a region implicated in a variety of cancers, particularly embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. STIM1 codes for a transmembrane phosphoprotein whose structure is unrelated to that of any other known proteins. The precise pathway by which STIM1 regulates cell growth is not known. In the present study we screened gene databases for STIM1-related sequences, and have identified and characterized cDNA sequences representing a single gene in humans and other vertebrates, which we have called STIM2. We identified a single STIM homologue in Drosophila melanogaster (D-Stim) and Caenorhabditis elegans, but no homologues in yeast. STIM1, STIM2 and D-Stim have a conserved genomic organization, indicating that the vertebrate family of two STIM genes most probably arose from a single ancestral gene. The three STIM proteins each contain a single SAM (sterile α-motif) domain and an unpaired EF hand within the highly conserved extracellular region, and have coiled-coil domains that are conserved in structure and position within the cytoplasmic region. However, the STIM proteins diverge significantly within the C-terminal half of the cytoplasmic domain. Differential levels of phosphorylation appear to account for two molecular mass isoforms (105 and 115kDa) of STIM2. We demonstrate by mutation analysis and protein sequencing that human STIM2 initiates translation exclusively from a non-AUG start site in vivo. STIM2 is expressed ubiquitously in cell lines, and co-precipitates with STIM1 from cell lysates. This association into oligomers in vivo indicates a possible functional interaction between STIM1 and STIM2. The structural similarities between STIM1, STIM2 and D-STIM suggest conserved biological functions.

Direct costimulation of CD8+ T cells is more important than the canonical licensing of DCs by CD4 help, in influenza. The helper-dependent pathway of priming CD8+ T cells involves “licensing” of DCs by CD40L on CD4+ T cells. The helper-independent (“helpless”) pathways elicited by many viruses, including influenza, are less widely understood. We have postulated that CD40L can be up-regulated on DCs by such viruses, and this promotes priming of CD8+ T cells via CD40. Most studies on costimulation have been performed in the presence of CD4+ T cells, and so the role of CD40L costimulation under helpless circumstances has not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated such a role for CD40L using CD40L KO mice. Although the number of influenza-specific CD8+ T cells was unaffected by the absence of CD4+ T cells, it was markedly decreased in the absence of CD40L. Proliferation (the number of CD44+BrdU+ influenza-specific CD8+ T cells) in the primary response was diminished in CD40L KO mice at Day 8 but not at Day 5 after infection. MLR studies indicated that CD40L expression on DCs was critical for CD8+ T cell activation. Adoptive transfer of CD40 KO CD8+ T cells compared with WT cells confirmed that CD40 on such cells was critical for the generation of primary anti-influenza CD8+ T cell responses. The late effect also corresponded with the late expression of CD40 by influenza-specific CD8+ T cells. We suggest that costimulation via CD40L on DCs and CD40 on CD8+ T cells is important in optimizing primary CD8+ T cell responses during influenza infection.

Background We investigated whether graft produced anti-human CD2, mediated by adenovirus (Adv) transduction of pig neonatal islet cell clusters (pNICC), would protect xenografts in a humanized mouse model from immune attack and whether such immunosuppression would remain local. Methods A mouse anti-human CD2 Ab (CD2hb11) previously generated by us was genetically engineered to produce chimeric and humanized versions. The three forms of CD2hb11 were named dilimomab (mouse), diliximab (chimeric) and dilizumab (humanized). All 3 forms of CD2hb11 Ab were tested for their ability to bind CD3+ human T cells and to inhibit a human anti-pig xenogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). They were administered systemically in a humanized mouse model in order to test their ability to deplete human CD3+ T cells and whether they induced a cytokine storm. An adenoviral vector expressing diliximab was generated for transduction of pNICC. Humanized mice were transplanted with either control-transduced pNICC or diliximab-transduced pNICC and human T cells within grafts and spleens were enumerated by flow cytometry. Results Dilimomab and diliximab inhibited a human anti-pig xenogeneic response but dilizumab did not. All 3 forms of CD2hb11 Ab bound human T cells in vitro though dilimomab and diliximab exhibited 300-fold higher avidity than dilizumab. All 3 anti-CD2 Abs could deplete human CD3+ T cells in vivo in a humanized mouse model without inducing upregulation of activation markers or significant release of cytokines. Humanized mice transplanted with diliximab-transduced pNICC afforded depletion of CD3+ T cells at the graft site leaving the peripheral immune system intact. Conclusions Local production of a single Ab against T cells can reduce graft infiltration at the xenograft site and may reduce the need for conventional, systemic immunosuppression.

The importance of costimulation on CD4(+) T cells has been well documented. However, primary CTLs against many infections including influenza can be generated in the absence of CD4(+) T-cell help. The role of costimulation under such "helpless" circumstances is not fully elucidated. Here, we investigated such a role for CD28 using CTLA4Ig transgenic (Tg) mice. To ensure valid comparison across the genotypes, we showed that all mice had similar naïve precursor frequencies and similar peak viral loads. In the absence of help, viral clearance was significantly reduced in CTLA4Ig Tg mice compared with WT mice. CD44(+) BrdU(+) influenza-specific CD8(+) T cells were diminished in CTLA4Ig Tg mice at days 5 and 8 postinfection. Adoptive transfer of ovalbumin-specific transgenic CD8(+) T cells (OT-I)-I cells into WT or CTLA4Ig Tg mice revealed that loss of CD28 costimulation resulted in impairment in OT-I cell division. As shown previously, neither viral clearance nor the generation of influenza-specific CD8(+) T cells was affected by the absence of CD4(+) T cells alone. In contrast, both were markedly impaired by CD28 blockade of "helpless" CD8(+) T cells. We suggest that direct CD28 costimulation of CD8(+) T cells is more critical in their priming during primary influenza infection than previously appreciated.