N-glycosylation of ICAM-2 is required for ICAM-2-mediated complete suppression of metastatic potential of SK-N-AS neuroblastoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are expressed ubiquitously. Each of the four families of CAMs is comprised of glycosylated, membrane-bound proteins that participate in multiple cellular processes including cell-cell communication, cell motility, inside-out and outside-in signaling, tumorigenesis, angiogenesis and metastasis. Intercellular adhesion molecule-2 (ICAM-2), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of CAMs, has six N-linked glycosylation sites at amino acids (asparagines) 47, 82, 105, 153, 178 and 187. Recently, we demonstrated a previously unknown function for ICAM-2 in tumor cells. We showed that ICAM-2 suppressed neuroblastoma cell motility and growth in soft agar, and induced a juxtamembrane distribution of F-actin in vitro. We also showed that ICAM-2 completely suppressed development of disseminated tumors in vivo in a murine model of metastatic NB. These effects of ICAM-2 on NB cell phenotype in vitro and in vivo depended on the interaction of ICAM-2 with the cytoskeletal linker protein α-actinin. Interestingly, ICAM-2 did not suppress subcutaneous growth of tumors in mice, suggesting that ICAM-2 affects the metastatic but not the tumorigenic potential of NB cells. The goal of the study presented here was to determine if the glycosylation status of ICAM-2 influenced its function in neuroblastoma cells. METHODS: Because it is well documented that glycosylation facilitates essential steps in tumor progression and metastasis, we investigated whether the glycosylation status of ICAM-2 affected the phenotype of NB cells. We used site-directed mutagenesis to express hypo- or non-glycosylated variants of ICAM-2, by substituting alanine for asparagine at glycosylation sites, and compared the impact of each variant on NB cell motility, anchorage-independent growth, interaction with intracellular proteins, effect on F-actin distribution and metastatic potential in vivo. RESULTS: The in vitro and in vivo phenotypes of cells expressing glycosylation site variants differed from cells expressing fully-glycosylated ICAM-2 or no ICAM-2. Most striking was the finding that mice injected intravenously with NB cells expressing glycosylation site variants survived longer (P ≤ 0.002) than mice receiving SK-N-AS cells with undetectable ICAM-2. However, unlike fully-glycosylated ICAM-2, glycosylation site variants did not completely suppress disseminated tumor development. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced glycosylation of ICAM-2 significantly attenuated, but did not abolish, its ability to suppress metastatic properties of NB cells.

GABA and Combined GABA with GAD65-Alum Treatment Alters Th1 Cytokine Responses of PBMCs from Children with Recent-Onset Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease culminating in the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic cells. There is a need for the development of novel antigen-specific strategies to delay cell destruction, including combinatorial strategies that do not elicit systemic immunosuppression. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is expressed by immune cells, ß-cells, and gut bacteria and is immunomodulatory. Glutamic-acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65), which catalyzes GABA from glutamate, is a T1D autoantigen. To test the efficacy of combinatorial GABA treatment with or without GAD65-immunization to dampen autoimmune responses, we enrolled recent-onset children with T1D in a one-year clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02002130) and examined T cell responses. We isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and evaluated cytokine responses following polyclonal activation and GAD65 rechallenge. Both GABA alone and GABA/GAD65-alum treatment inhibited Th1 cytokine responses over the 12-month study with both polyclonal and GAD65 restimulation. We also investigated whether patients with HLA-DR3-DQ2 and HLA-DR4-DQ8, the two highest-risk human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes in T1D, exhibited differences in response to GABA alone and GABA/GAD65-alum. HLA-DR4-DQ8 patients possessed a Th1-skewed response compared to HLA-DR3-DQ2 patients. We show that GABA and GABA/GAD65-alum present an attractive immunomodulatory treatment for children with T1D and that HLA haplotypes should be considered.

A role for cell sex in stem cell-mediated skeletal muscle regeneration: female cells have higher muscle regeneration efficiency.

We have shown that muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) transplanted into dystrophic (mdx) mice efficiently regenerate skeletal muscle. However, MDSC populations exhibit heterogeneity in marker profiles and variability in regeneration abilities. We show here that cell sex is a variable that considerably influences MDSCs' regeneration abilities. We found that the female MDSCs (F-MDSCs) regenerated skeletal muscle more efficiently. Despite using additional isolation techniques and cell cloning, we could not obtain a male subfraction with a regeneration capacity similar to that of their female counterparts. Rather than being directly hormonal or caused by host immune response, this difference in MDSCs' regeneration potential may arise from innate sex-related differences in the cells' stress responses. In comparison with F-MDSCs, male MDSCs have increased differentiation after exposure to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide, which may lead to in vivo donor cell depletion, and a proliferative advantage for F-MDSCs that eventually increases muscle regeneration. These findings should persuade researchers to report cell sex, which is a largely unexplored variable, and consider the implications of relying on cells of one sex.

Effect of VEGF on the regenerative capacity of muscle stem cells in dystrophic skeletal muscle.

We have isolated a population of muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) that, when compared with myoblasts, display an improved regeneration capacity, exhibit better cell survival, and improve myogenesis and angiogenesis. In addition, we and others have observed that the origin of the MDSCs may reside within the blood vessel walls (endothelial cells and pericytes). Here, we investigated the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated angiogenesis in MDSC transplantation-based skeletal muscle regeneration in mdx mice (an animal model of muscular dystrophy). We studied MDSC and MDSC transduced to overexpress VEGF; no differences were observed in vitro in terms of phenotype or myogenic differentiation. However, after in vivo transplantation, we observe an increase in angiogenesis and endogenous muscle regeneration as well as a reduction in muscle fibrosis in muscles transplanted with VEGF-expressing cells when compared to control cells. In contrast, we observe a significant decrease in vascularization and an increase in fibrosis in the muscles transplanted with MDSCs expressing soluble forms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1) (VEGF-specific antagonist) when compared to control MDSCs. Our results indicate that VEGF-expressing cells do not increase the number of dystrophin-positive fibers in the injected mdx muscle, when compared to the control MDSCs. Together the results suggest that the transplantation of VEGF-expressing MDSCs improved skeletal muscle repair through modulation of angiogenesis, regeneration and fibrosis in the injected mdx skeletal muscle.

Dampening Antigen-Specific T Cell Responses with Antigens Encapsulated in Polyphenolic Microcapsules.

Efficient T cell activation and effector responses require an antigenic peptide presented on the MHC complex to the TCR (signal 1), costimulatory molecule interactions between T cells and APCs (signal 2), and the synthesis of innate immune-derived proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (signal 3). We previously demonstrated that the third signal dissipation impairs autoreactive T cell activation. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that encapsulation of Ag with an antioxidant-containing biomaterial would induce Ag-specific hyporesponsiveness. We cocultured bone marrow-derived dendritic cells with microcapsules composed of multilayer-assembled poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVPON) and the antioxidant tannic acid (TA). LPS-activated dendritic cells cocultured with (PVPON/TA) microcapsules displayed a decrease in TNF-α, IL-12p70, and CXCL10 synthesis. To study Ag-specific T cell responses, we incorporated chicken OVA into the (PVPON/TA) multilayers and stimulated OT-II splenocytes in a primary recall assay. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated a significant inhibition of CD4 T cell activation markers, upregulation of CTLA-4 and PD-1, and blunted secretion of IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and CXCL10 by ELISA. To test microcapsule efficacy in vivo, we immunized OT-II mice with (PVPON/TA)-OVA microcapsules and performed an OVA recall assay. Immunization of OT-II mice with (PVPON/TA)-OVA microcapsules elicited a decrease in CD4 T cell differentiation and effector responses including IFN-γ, TNF-α, CCL3, and CCL5 by ELISA compared with OVA immunization alone. These data show that microcapsules composed of antioxidant and encapsulated Ags can effectively blunt innate immune-derived proinflammatory third signal synthesis necessary for Ag-specific effector T cell responses and present a prospective strategy for T cell-mediated autoimmunity.

The proinflammatory effects of macrophage-derived NADPH oxidase function in autoimmune diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease culminating in the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic ß-cells. While ultimately a T cell-mediated disease, macrophages play an indispensable role in disease initiation and progression. Infiltrating macrophages generate an inflammatory environment by releasing NADPH oxidase-derived superoxide and proinflammatory cytokines. The synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is acknowledged as putative factors contributing to autoimmunity and ß-cell damage in T1D. In addition to direct lysis, free radicals collectively participate in ß-cell destruction by providing a redox-dependent third signal necessary for islet-reactive CD4 and CD8 T cell maturation and by inducing oxidative post-translational modifications of ß-cell epitopes to further exacerbate autoimmune responses. This review will provide an overview of macrophage function and a synergistic cross-talk with redox biology that contributes to autoimmune dysregulation in T1D.

Immature myeloid cells are critical for enhancing bone fracture healing through angiogenic cascade.

Bone fractures heal with overlapping phases of inflammation, cell proliferation, and bone remodeling. Osteogenesis and angiogenesis work in concert to control many stages of this process, and when one is impaired it leads to failure of bone healing, termed a nonunion. During fracture repair, there is an infiltration of immune cells at the fracture site that not only mediate the inflammatory responses, but we hypothesize they also exert influence on neovasculature. Thus, further understanding the effects of immune cell participation throughout fracture healing will reveal additional knowledge as to why some fractures heal while others form nonunions, and lead to development of novel therapeutics modulating immune cells, to increase fracture healing and prevent nonunions. Using novel femoral segmental and critical-size defect models in mice, we identified a systemic and significant increase in immature myeloid cell (IMC) infiltration during the initial phase of fracture healing until boney union is complete. Using gemcitabine to specifically ablate the IMC population, we confirmed delayed bone healing. Further, adoptive transfer of IMC increased bone growth in a nonunion model, signifying the role of this unique cell population in fracture healing. We also identified IMC post-fracture have the ability to increase endothelial cell migration, and tube formation, signaling the essential communication between the immune system and angiogenesis as a requirement for proper bone healing. Based on this data we propose that IMC may play a significant role in fracture healing and therapeutic targeting of IMC after fracture would minimize the chances of eventual nonunion pathology.

Human muscle-derived cell populations isolated by differential adhesion rates: phenotype and contribution to skeletal muscle regeneration in Mdx/SCID mice.

Muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) isolated from murine skeletal tissue by the preplate method have displayed the capability to commit to the myogenic lineage and regenerate more efficiently than myoblasts in skeletal and cardiac muscle in murine Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy mice (mdx). However, until now, these studies have not been translated to human muscle cells. Here, we describe the isolation, by a preplate technique, of candidate human MDSCs, which exhibit myogenic and regenerative characteristics similar to their murine counterparts. Using the preplate isolation method, we compared cells that adhere faster to the flasks, preplate 2 (PP2), and cells that adhere slower, preplate 6 (PP6). The human PP6 cells express several markers of mesenchymal stem cells and are distinct from human PP2 (a myoblast-like population) based on their expression of CD146 and myogenic markers desmin and CD56. After transplantation to the gastrocnemius muscle of mdx/SCID mice, we observe significantly higher levels of PP6 cells participating in muscle regeneration as compared with the transplantation of PP2 cells. This study supports some previous findings related to mouse preplate cells, and also identifies some differences between mouse and human muscle preplate cells.

Muscle-derived stem/progenitor cell dysfunction limits healthspan and lifespan in a murine progeria model.

With ageing, there is a loss of adult stem cell function. However, there is no direct evidence that this has a causal role in ageing-related decline. We tested this using muscle-derived stem/progenitor cells (MDSPCs) in a murine progeria model. Here we show that MDSPCs from old and progeroid mice are defective in proliferation and multilineage differentiation. Intraperitoneal administration of MDSPCs, isolated from young wild-type mice, to progeroid mice confer significant lifespan and healthspan extension. The transplanted MDSPCs improve degenerative changes and vascularization in tissues where donor cells are not detected, suggesting that their therapeutic effect may be mediated by secreted factor(s). Indeed, young wild-type-MDSPCs rescue proliferation and differentiation defects of aged MDSPCs when co-cultured. These results establish that adult stem/progenitor cell dysfunction contributes to ageing-related degeneration and suggests a therapeutic potential of post-natal stem cells to extend health.