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Abstract
Menin is a scaffolding protein that interacts with context-specific partners to regulate gene expression. In MLL-rearranged leukemias, Menin:MLL interactions drive leukemogenesis and Menin inhibitors have been FDA approved for these cancers. We previously reported that Menin promotes oncogenic phenotypes in Ewing sarcoma (EwS). Here, we sought to define EwS-specific functions of Menin and determine if Menin inhibitors could be therapeutically leveraged for these tumors. Genetic knockout of Menin had no impact on EwS cell proliferation in vitro, but metastatic potential of Menin-depleted cells in vivo was impaired. Transcriptional profiling of Menin knockout cells in vitro showed reproducible downregulation of MYC signature genes and upregulation of developmental programs. Conversely, transcriptional rewiring of developmental genes and restoration of MYC target gene expression were evident in tumors that arose from Menin knockout cells. Exposing EwS cells to the Menin inhibitor VTP50469 (revumenib) inhibited expression of MYC targets and co-immunoprecipitation studies detected Menin:MYC interactions that were partially disrupted by the drug. Metastatic colonization of disseminated EwS cells in vivo was significantly inhibited in mice fed VTP50469 chow. Together these findings implicate Menin as a mediator of EwS metastasis and suggest that Menin inhibitors warrant investigation as novel therapeutics for patients with high-risk disease.
Authors
Katherine A. Braun, Nicolas M. Garcia, Mohamed A. Ahmed, Darleen S. Tu, Stephanie I. Walter, Emma D. Wrenn, Megan E. B. Dean, Neerja Katiyar, Elizabeth R. Lawlor
Abstract
Autoimmune kidney diseases can cause glomerulonephritis and tubulointerstitial nephritis, which if unresolved, lead to progressive glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. The IL-1 receptor (IL-1R1) is known to have divergent and cell-specific effects in kidney injury. We hypothesized that IL-1R1 would dampen pro-inflammatory activation of myeloid cells such that deletion of myeloid cell IL-1R1 would exacerbate autoimmune nephritis. Mice with myeloid cell-specific deletion of IL-1R1 (LysMCre(+) / Il1r1fl/fl - MKO) and littermate controls (LysMCre(-) / Il1r1fl/fl - MWT) were subjected to nephrotoxic serum (NTS) nephritis. MKO mice demonstrated worsened glomerular and tubular injury as indicated by increased albuminuria, glomerular injury scores, and kidney mRNA levels of kidney injury molecule (KIM)-1 (Havcr1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL/Lcn2). We further found that myeloid IL-1R1 deficiency resulted in increased myeloid cell ER stress and expression of the heterodimeric cytokine Ebi3/Il27a (IL-27). IL-27 then induced increased type I IFN expression by kidney endothelial cells. In turn, anti-IL-27 limited type I IFN expression in endothelial cells and NTS nephritis, and anti-IFNAR1 therapy ameliorated glomerular and tubular injury in MKO mice. Thus, we demonstrated a myeloid cell-endothelial cell immunoregulatory axis whereby myeloid IL-1R1 activity constrained endothelial type I IFN generation to limit chronic kidney damage.
Authors
Yanting Chen, Yu Li, Jiafa Ren, Chia-Chun Wu, Xiaohan Lu, Achintya Inumarty, Steven D. Crowley, Jamie R. Privratsky
Abstract
Identifying factors that govern retinal ganglion cells’ (RGCs) ability to extend axons is an important step in developing therapies to achieve recovery after optic nerve injury. Here we report that the intracellular domain of the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR/CD118) is essential for mature RGCs’ ability to regenerate injured axons independent of the cognate ligand (LIF) and other therapies. Overexpression of LIFR in adult RGCs induces neurite outgrowth in cultured RGCs and axon regeneration in vivo while strongly amplifying RGCs’ response to LIF itself and to unrelated growth factors. Conversely, downregulation of LIFR strongly suppresses the pro-regenerative effects of Pten deletion and other potent stimuli. LIFR modulation alters the constitutive activity of the MAP kinase pathway, in contrast to LIF itself, which primarily activates pSTAT3. The extracellular-domain-truncated LIFR construct retains substantial pro-regenerative activity, whereas mutation of intracellular signaling motifs reduces the full regenerative effect of LIFR. Together, these findings identify LIFR as a key cell-autonomous regulator of optic nerve regeneration in mature RGCs.
Authors
Qian Jiang, Cong Wang, Yuerong Ren, Peiyun Duan, Ke Tian, Xiangwei Duan, Binghan Cai, Changzhong Xu, Ke Liu, Jian Li, Larry Benowitz, Ningli Wang, Bing Jiang, Lili Xie
Abstract
Identifying and monitoring autoreactive T cells that drive beta cell destruction remains a major obstacle to developing effective immunotherapies for type 1 diabetes (T1D). These cells are extremely rare in peripheral blood and cannot be accessed directly from the pancreas. We used intradermal injection of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD)-Alum to recruit GAD-specific T cells to accessible sites in the skin and skin-draining lymph nodes (LNs), sampled by skin suction blisters and ultrasound-guided LN aspiration. Peripheral blood samples obtained before GAD injection were restimulated with GAD in vitro to detect reactive CD4+ T cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) followed by re-expression of selected T cell receptors (TCRs) confirmed antigen specificity. Up to 70% of T cells at the skin injection site were clonally-expanded and 4 of 14 (28%) re-expressed TCRs were GAD-reactive. In LNs 1 of 14 (4%) clonally-expanded TCRs was GAD-reactive, representing ~0.08% of all T-cells. GAD-reactive cells across compartments displayed Th1 and Th17-associated transcription signatures. These results demonstrate the intradermal autoantigen challenge and scRNAseq, enable direct identification and molecular profiling of autoreactive T cells in vivo. This minimally invasive approach provides a powerful platform for tracking antigen-specific T cells to monitor disease activity and evaluate immune interventions in T1D.
Authors
Stephanie J. Hanna, Emma J.S. Robinson, Terri C. Thayer, Maki Nakayama, Laurie Landry, Robert Andrews, Garry Dolton, Joanne Davies, Evangelia Williams, James A. Pearson, Andrew K. Sewell, Parth Narendran, David Wraith, Alexandra Howell, Philippa Young, Mary Hart, Anton Lindqvist, F. Susan Wong, Tim I.M. Tree, Colin M. Dayan, Danijela Tatovic
Abstract
Vascular plasticity is a crucial biological asset enabling our bodies to rapidly adapt to infections and acute inflammation. However, repeated insults during chronic disease can result in these vascular adaptations becoming irreversible, thereby driving disease progression and fibrosis. This study aimed to understand if phenotypic changes in endothelial cell (EC) identity could be indicative of progressive fibrosis and thereby offer diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). We integrated high-resolution imaging, proteomic and transcriptomic analysis which collectively highlighted a central role for endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT)-induced EC plasticity in the derivation of ‘fibrosis-associated’ EC (FAEC). We demonstrated that: 1) full spectrum flow cytometry can provide new opportunities to categorize and phenotype EC subpopulations, 2) two distinct EndMT-derived FAEC subpopulations expanded during fibrogenesis; THY1.2+ICAM1+ and TAGLN+MCAM+ EC that displayed unique immunomodulatory and metabolic phenotypes, 3) TAGLN+ FAEC are a conserved, pro-fibrotic cell type that arose at early stages of MASLD, and 4) increased hepatic expression of TAGLN was significantly associated with detrimental patient outcomes at all stages of liver disease. This study paves the way for the development of FAEC-specific diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to tackle progressive fibrotic disease.
Authors
Christina Gkantsinikoudi, Joshua P. Dignam, Raju Kumar, Elliot Jokl, Meenakshi Rana, Wenhao Li, Maryna Samus, Stephanie Landi, Varinder S. Athwal, Timothy J. Kendall, Antal Rot, Jonathan A. Fallowfield, Karen Piper Hanley, William Alazawi, Neil P. Dufton
Abstract
Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), a recurrent inflammatory skin disorder, affects 21% of humans and is the second leading cause of occupational diseases in USA. ACD is initiated by the innate immune response to skin-contact sensitizers potentiated by the neuropeptide substance P (SP). Skin sensitizers stimulate SP-secreting sensory nerves and trigger proinflammatory functions of keratinocytes expressing the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R). Nevertheless, the neuroimmune regulation of hapten-initiated skin inflammation, remains incompletely elucidated. Using K14Cre/+NK1RKO mice skin-sensitized with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), we demonstrate that NK1R deletion exclusively in keratinocytes prevents hapten-initiated skin inflammation, impairs the mobilization of conventional dendritic cells (cDC) to draining lymph nodes (dLN) and blocks the elicitation of the contact hypersensitivity reaction (CHS) to the same extent observed in global Tac1KO (without SP) and NK1RKO mice. The DNCB effects were restored by skin co-administration of IL-1β and TNF-α. SP-NK1R signaling of mouse and human keratinocytes increased transcripts encoding proteins of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Although, DNCB and SP induced pro-IL-1β synthesis, only SP triggered intracellular Ca2+ increase, NFATc1 nuclear translocation and TNF-α synthesis, a cytokine mediating systemic inflammation in ACD. Our data identifying SP-NK1R-signaling of keratinocytes as a key mechanism for ACD provide relevant insight for therapies targeting skin neuroimmune interactions.
Authors
Sumeet Manandhar, Mohna Bandyopadhyay, Olga Tkacheva, William Shufesky, Greg Gibson, Simon C. Watkins, Adrian Morelli, Adriana T. Larregina
Abstract
Effective grant writing is an essential skill for physician-scientists to achieve academic independence and long-term career success. Previous studies have established that receiving an NIH F30 or F31 during predoctoral training is correlated with success in subsequent training stages and contributes to the retention of physician-scientists in academia. However, many trainees experience challenges in predoctoral grant writing that prevent them from submitting a grant or developing a well-rounded application. Identifying and addressing these challenges remains crucial; however, limitations in NIH public reporting exclude data on prospective applicants and applicants who were not awarded grants. In this study, we employed a national survey of trainees to identify perceived needs and barriers to grant writing as well as factors associated with NIH predoctoral grant funding success. We found that limited mentor and sponsor support to developing quality applications, constrained eligibility timelines, and limited available awards were prominent barriers to submission, while access to previously funded applications was the most valued resource among respondents. Using these findings, we highlight opportunities for interventions at the federal, institutional, applicant, and medical and scientific society levels to improve predoctoral grant writing feasibility and success.
Authors
Brian J. Thomas, Tiger S. Zhang, Daniel C. Brock, Timothy J. Ley, William D. Arnold, Cynthia Y. Tang
Abstract
DNA ligase IV (LIG4) is essential for DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Hypomorphic LIG4 variants cause LIG4 syndrome, characterized by growth disturbance, increased radiosensitivity, predisposition to malignancies, adaptive immunodeficiency and inflammatory conditions. Most of these manifestations are recapitulated in hypomorphic LIG4 mutant mice. However, no model mice with defective DSB repair have consistently exhibited inflammation. Here, we have generated mutant mice carrying the LIG4 missense variant, p.W447C, found in a patient with LIG4 syndrome. Lig4W447C/W447C mice showed functional defects of LIGIV and manifested growth retardation, increased radiosensitivity, and life-threatening intestinal inflammation under severe adaptive immunodeficiency. The inflammation was dependent on lymphocytes and characterized by marked infiltration of Th1 cells and macrophages, along with elevated expression of IFN-γ-inducible genes. When Ifng was deleted, Th2 and Th17 instead of Th1 cells drove the inflammation. Single-cell RNA-seq analyses with TCR repertoire revealed that T cells from Lig4W447C/W447C mice preferentially used proximal Vα and Jα segments in V regions of TCRα chains and exhibited expansion of several clonotypes, a substantial portion of which were CD4 T cells expressing IFN-γ. Thus, our hypomorphic Lig4 mutant mice represent a unique model for studying Th1-skewed intestinal inflammation under severe adaptive immunodeficiency.
Authors
Yusuke Yamashita, Hideki Kosako, Takashi Kato, Izumi Sasaki, Sadahiro Iwabuchi, Yuri Fukuda-Ohta, Tadashi Okamura, Misato Tane, Shotaro Tabata, Kazutaka Nakashima, Ken Tanaka, Kazunori Shiraishi, Yuki Uchihara, Daisuke Okuzaki, Kyoichi Isono, Atsushi Shibata, Tsunehiro Mizushima, Hiroaki Hemmi, Nobuo Kanazawa, Seiji Kodama, Hiroaki Miyoshi, Koichi Ohshima, Shinichi Hashimoto, Yoshio Fujitani, Takashi Sonoki, Shinobu Tamura, Tsuneyasu Kaisho
Abstract
Obesity is a major risk factor for chronic kidney disease. Time-restricted feeding (TRF) shows promise to reduce kidney inflammation in chronic kidney disease. We hypothesized that TRF blunts kidney fibrosis in obese mice by mitigating T cell inflammation. We used a diet-induced obese mouse model fed a high fat diet (DIO, 45% fat) ad libitum for 18 weeks followed by 2 weeks of TRF or ad libitum high fat feeding. We found that TRF reversed kidney fibrosis as well as reduced kidney CD8+ T cells in DIO mice. Our study also revealed that DIO mice had increased kidney CD8+ T cell infiltration from the small intestine that was blunted with TRF. Furthermore, anti-CD8 intervention in DIO showed reduced kidney fibrosis and damage compared to anti-IgG treated DIO mice. Single cell RNA sequencing data revealed that DIO increased, while TRF reduced, the frequency of a specific cluster of CD8+ T cells that featured high expression of exhaustion/activation genes. Spatial analyses showed DIO mice had significant infiltration of PD-1+CD8+ T cells near CD31+ endothelial cells that was diminished by TRF. In conclusion, this study discovered that TRF reverses kidney fibrosis through reducing CD8+ T cell infiltration in obese mice.
Authors
Claudia J. Edell, John D. Erickson, Xiaofen Liu, Savannah C. Walker, Jackson Colson, Michael Heim, Pranav Nagila, Kyle H. Moore, Keri M. Kemp, Kelly Hyndman, Selene Meza-Perez, Troy D. Randall, Annye P. Bennett, Anna G. Sorace, Yu-Hua Dean Fang, David M. Pollock, Carmen De Miguel, Julienne L. Carstens, Jennifer S. Pollock
Abstract
Rationale: Persistent monocyte activation contributes to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), yet biomarkers that predict neurocognitive impairment before and after antiretroviral therapy (ART) remain incompletely defined. Objectives: We evaluated monocyte subsets and activation markers in participants from the SEARCH007 cohort prior to ART initiation and at 6 and 12 months following treatment. Methods and Results: Increased frequencies of CD14+CD16+ monocytes and elevated CD163 expression were associated with worsening neurocognitive performance and HAND severity. Plasma soluble CD163 levels increased with neurocognitive impairment and correlated with plasma HIV RNA levels, while CCR2 expression was associated with NPZ Global scores. Notably, CD169 expression was elevated across all monocyte subsets and demonstrated a stepwise increase with worsening neurocognitive impairment. Although ART reduced overall monocyte activation, elevated CD169 expression persisted in some individuals despite virologic suppression. Bayesian kernel machine regression and random forest analyses identified CD169 expression as one of the strongest predictors of cognitive impairment, surpassing plasma viral load, CD4+ T-cell count, and several established monocyte activation markers. Conclusions: These findings identify monocyte CD169 expression as a biomarker of neurocognitive dysfunction before and during the first year of ART and support further investigation of its role in HAND pathogenesis.
Authors
Hai Duc Nguyen, Andrew K. Ding-Su, Caroline Soulas, Tricia H. Burdo, Patrick Autissier, Pasiri Sithinamsuwan, Nitiya Chomchey, Jintanat Ananworanich, Victor Valcour, Silvia Ratto-Kim, Woong-Ki Kim, Kenneth C. Williams
Abstract
Prediabetes associates with increased production of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and hepatic steatosis, which is linked to increased plasma levels of soluble TREM2 (sTREM2), the shed domain of TREM2 (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2). Whether and how TREM2 shedding contributes to elevated TRLs is unknown. By complementary analyses of individuals with prediabetes and hepatic steatosis and preclinical models, we show that plasma sTREM2 levels correlate positively with plasma apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3), an apolipoprotein that slows TRL catabolism and predicts CVD risk. Individuals with prediabetes and hepatic steatosis had higher plasma concentrations of APOC3-rich TRLs 35 to 60 nm in diameter than healthy controls. Mouse models of prediabetes with hepatic steatosis revealed that the increased plasma concentrations of sTREM2, APOC3, and TRLs were due to activation of macrophage ADAM17, a TREM2 sheddase. Preserving macrophage full-length TREM2 protected against the elevated plasma APOC3, sTREM2, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis, while TREM2-deficiency increased APOC3, TRLs, and atherosclerosis. Mechanistically, full-length TREM2 mediates macrophage TRL uptake, preventing excessive hepatic APOC3-rich TRL release and atherosclerosis. Our findings identify macrophage TREM2 shedding as an upstream contributor to the elevated TRLs in hepatic steatosis, providing a mechanistic link between hepatic steatosis and CVD risk in prediabetes.
Authors
Jingjing Tang, Jenny Kanter, Baohai Shao, Masami Shimizu-Albergine, Farah Kramer, Ah Reum Khang, Jason Luo, Huaqing Zheng, Alan Tran, Jocelyn Cervantes, Jeremy M Frey, Mauricio D. Dorfman, Cheng-Chieh Hsu, Laura J. den Hartigh, Tomas Vaisar, Brandon SJ Davies, Adam E. Mullick, George Ioannou, Gordon I Smith, Samuel Klein, Nicholas O. Davidson, Karin E. Bornfeldt
Abstract
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a major public health problem caused by damage to cochlear hair cells, synapses, and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Since effective treatments are lacking, we investigated cellular stress responses induced by moderate and loud noise in a mouse model of cochlear synaptopathy. RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics revealed that noise exposure elicited a robust but transient upregulation of endoplasmic reticulum chaperones and proteasome subunits in SGNs and their supporting cells. To target this response, we administered TRC051384, a small-molecule activator of the heat shock transcription factor Hsf1, prior to noise exposure. TRC051384 crossed the blood–labyrinth barrier and reached the cochlea, induced heat shock protein gene expression, and restored ubiquitin–proteasome function in SGNs. Notably, TRC051384 treatment enhanced auditory brainstem response threshold recovery, preserved Wave I amplitudes, and maintained ribbon synapse density. Together with the existing literature, these findings identify proteotoxic stress in spiral ganglion neurons as a contributor to noise-induced hearing loss and support pharmacological activation of HSF1 as a promising therapeutic strategy.
Authors
Jintao Yu, Miguel A. Ramirez, Yi-Zhi Wang, Seby Edassery, Maxwell Shramuk, SangEun Yeom, Casey Jiaxi Li, Yuvraj Joshi, Mary Ann Cheatham, Mark A. Rutherford, Leah J. Welty, Jeffrey N. Savas
Abstract
Authors
Allen Duong, Sajad Moshkelgosha, Tereza Martinu, Stephen Juvet
Abstract
The pathogenesis of Bartter syndrome (BS) has long been attributed to decreased salt reabsorption in the thick ascending limb of Henle’s loop (TAL). By studying Clc-k2 (mouse ortholog of ClC-Kb)-knockout (Clc-k2-/-) mice, we recently uncovered an additional mechanism in which loss of Clc-k2 induces TAL hypoplasia in neonatal kidneys, exacerbating BS severity. Here, we further investigated this mechanism. TALs and distal convoluted tubules (DCTs) isolated from Clc-k2-/- and wild-type mice were used for transcriptome, proteomics, cell cycle, and proliferation assays. Mitochondrial morphology and function were studied using electron microscopy and mitochondrial respiration assays. Our results revealed impairments in cell proliferation, S-to-G2/M cell cycle transition, mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, and fatty acid oxidation in Clc-k2-/- TALs and DCTs. Increasing transport function by introducing a gain-of-function with-no-lysine kinase 4 mutation in Clc-k2-/- mice restored these metabolic and proliferative impairments and improved phenotype. Transgenic expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α, a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, in Clc-k2-/- mice also alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction and phenotype. These findings support the hypothesis that mitochondrial hypofunction, resulting from decreased transport function, contributes to cell cycle arrest and tubular hypoplasia in BS. Targeting mitochondria early in life could be a potential therapeutic approach for BS.
Authors
Chiao-Hui Hsieh, Yu-Jen Chen, Chih-Chien Sung, Emily Morrison, Chou-Long Huang, Chih-Jen Cheng
Abstract
Mycobacteriumtuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is the most common coinfection in people living with HIV-1 (PLWH). This coinfection is associated with accelerated HIV-1 disease progression and reduced survival. However, the immunological and virological mechanisms driving this progression are not completely understood. To address this knowledge gap, using pleural effusion samples from PLWH and TB, we investigated how the HIV-1 genetic landscape and the anti-HIV-1 immune response are impacted by a TB-associated microenvironment. Our results revealed an enrichment of genetically intact HIV-1 and impaired CD8+ T cell-mediated antiviral response at this site of HIV-1/Mtb coinfection. Moreover, efficient CD8+ T cell activation was inhibited by lipids present in the TB-associated pleural effusion. These findings indicate that this immune microenvironment induced by TB promotes the persistence of cells infected with replication-competent HIV-1 by creating a niche of reduced antiviral immune pressure, potentially contributing to the worsened clinical outcomes observed in PLWH and TB.
Authors
Samantha Cronin, Jennifer Simpson, Andrea Pereyra-Casanova, Yuchen Li, Josefina Marín-Rojas, Freja A. Warner van Dijk, Katie Fisher, Daniel J. Buffa, Hafsa Rana, Zoï Vahlas, Joaquina Barros, Mariano Maio, Thomas R. O'Neil, Kirstie M. Bertram, Eunok Lee, Najla Nasr, Andrew N. Harman, Gabriela Turk, Maria Florencia Quiroga, Anthony D. Kelleher, Christel Vérollet, Luciana Balboa, Sarah Palmer, Gabriel Duette
Abstract
Skeletal muscle is composed of heterogeneous myofiber types and non-myocyte populations. Myopathies occur in many diseases, but mechanisms driving these pathologies remain largely unknown, partly because conventional approaches cannot link histopathological features to molecular states at single-fiber resolution. To address this challenge, we brought histopathology and spatial transcriptomics together by applying high-resolution Seq-Scope technology to a mouse model of mTORC1 hyperactivation. Cross-sections from extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus (SOL), two muscles with distinct fiber-type compositions, were profiled to determine how transcriptome changes are linked to histopathological outcomes. mTORC1 hyperactivation elicited distinct, fiber-type-dependent pathological programs. Type I and IIa fibers were largely resistant to mTORC1-induced pathology, exhibiting relatively limited morphological alterations. In contrast, type IIx fibers diverged into opposing fates: in SOL, they underwent abnormal enlargement associated with sustained growth signaling, cytoskeletal remodeling, and impaired proteostasis; in EDL, they developed basophilia associated with increased RNA content and lipid, oxidative, and nucleotide metabolism-related signatures. Within EDL, type IIb fibers displayed heterogeneity with discrete transcriptional states. Non-myocytic populations, including macrophages and fibroblasts, accumulated preferentially in SOL, forming a fibrotic microenvironment associated with inflammation, remodeling, and hypertrophy. These findings provide a link between histopathological phenotypes and molecular states at single-fiber resolution.
Authors
Jer-En Hsu, Qingyang Zhao, Weiqiu Cheng, Hyun Min Kang, Susan V. Brooks, Myungjin Kim, Jun Hee Lee
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite (PfSPZ) vaccines, comprised of aseptic, purified, live parasites that arrest during or just after liver stage development, show excellent safety and efficacy in humans. They can induce complete protection against Pf infection, mediated primarily by cellular immune responses against parasite antigens expressed in hepatocytes. Current PfSPZ vaccines rely on the West African PfNF54 parasite, which uniquely produces high numbers of PfSPZ in mosquitoes, facilitating manufacturing efficiency. However, PfNF54 has relatively low hepatocyte infectivity, limiting potency. We created hybrid pan-African Pf strains by genetically crossing PfNF54 with East African Pf strains. The hybrid, AV27, was selected for development based on balanced contribution of parental genomes, high PfSPZ production and high liver stage infectivity. As compared to NF54-based PfSPZ vaccines, we expect AV27-based vaccines will have greater and broader efficacy at lower doses due to higher liver stage infectivity and inclusion of unique East African CD8+ T cell epitopes.
Authors
Lucia Pazzagli, Bethany Jenkins, Ankit Dwivedi, Asha Patil, Yonas Abebe, Tales V. Pascini, Urvashi Rai, Priya Gupta, Nastaran Rezakhani, Chakshu Gandhi, Yiwei Yang, Sudhir Kumar, Mohd Kamil, Gigliola Zanghí, Manuel Llinás, Stephen L. Hoffman, Joana C. Silva, Ashley M. Vaughan, B. Kim Lee Sim
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a progressive autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs and tissues, with lupus nephritis (LN) as one of its most severe complications. While LN progression is associated with compromised permeability of human renal glomerular endothelial cells (HRGECs), the underlying mechanisms are not fully defined. Herein, we demonstrate that aberrant glycolysis drives this glomerular endothelial barrier defect by suppressing the transcription of tight junction (TJ) genes. Mechanistically, circulating self-DNA in SLE plasma acts as a ligand that activates the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway in HRGECs, driving aberrant glycolytic adaption. The resulting glycolytic product, lactate, serves as a substrate for protein lactylation, leading to extensive lactylation and subsequent ubiquitination of the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2). In consequence, EZH2 deficiency results in reduced H3K27me3 levels, thereby suppressing the transcription of TJ genes. In a self-DNA-induced SLE model, inhibition of cGAS-STING signaling or lactate production effectively restored the integrity of TJs of HRGECs and concurrently alleviated key LN symptoms. Together, lactate programs lactylation and ubiquitination of EZH2 to impair glomerular endothelial barrier in human SLE.
Authors
Jiaxin Lei, Xingyu Zhai, Yixin Wang, Ying Li, Lei Li, Mengdi Liu, Jing Guo, Lingyi Li, Zhezhuyun Chen, Qinghua Cao, Zhichun Liu, Ting Liu, Lin Xu, Zhenke Wen
Abstract
Authors
Kadambari Vijaykumar, Liang Ma, Kevin Chen, Liping Tang, Nikoleta Pavelkova, Elex Harris, Kajal Jadhav, Qian Li, Mohamed Hanafy, Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt, Guillermo J. Tearney, Finn Hawkins, Darrell N. Kotton, Steven M. Rowe
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease is a global health concern characterized by maladaptive repair processes leading to kidney fibrosis. Following injury, early alterations in the extracellular matrix precede the development of kidney fibrosis and represent potential therapeutic targets to improve kidney repair. In this context, studies from our laboratory and others have shown that the matricellular protein SMOC2 can be targeted to decrease inflammation and tubulointerstitial fibrosis following kidney injury. The tubular epithelial cells (TECs), which are abundant and particularly susceptible to injury, play a central role in maladaptive repair; however, whether SMOC2 affects their functionality after kidney injury has not been explored. In this study, we show that SMOC2 localizes to the basement membrane of injured TECs across three murine models of kidney injury. Our in vitro studies demonstrate that SMOC2 induces a partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) transition of TECs. We further demonstrate that its extracellular calcium-binding domain mediates binding to the decellularized extracellular matrix and mediates most of its effects on TECs. Mechanistically, SMOC2 promotes partial EMT effects through an integrin-dependent pathway. Together, these findings provide new mechanistic insight into how SMOC2 drives maladaptive repair by modulating TEC behavior and identify its calcium-binding domain as a key functional mediator.
Authors
Schrodinger Cenatus, Peng Gao, Nathalie Henley, Caroline Lamarche, Xue-Song Liu, Frédérick A. Mallette, Jonatan Barrera-Chimal, Casimiro Gerarduzzi
