Temperature-triggered in situ forming lipid mesophase gel for local treatment of ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that strongly affects patient quality of life. Side effects of current therapies necessitate new treatment strategies that maximise the drug concentration at the site of inflammation, while minimizing systemic exposure. Capitalizing on the biocompatible and biodegradable structure of lipid mesophases, we present a temperature-triggered in situ forming lipid gel for topical treatment of colitis. We show that the gel is versatile and can host and release drugs of different polarities, including tofacitinib and tacrolimus, in a sustained manner. Further, we demonstrate its adherence to the colonic wall for at least 6 h, thus preventing leakage and improving drug bioavailability. Importantly, we find that loading known colitis treatment drugs into the temperature-triggered gel improves animal health in two mouse models of acute colitis. Overall, our temperature-triggered gel may prove beneficial in ameliorating colitis and decreasing adverse effects associated with systemic application of immunosuppressive treatments.

PTPN2 Is a Critical Regulator of Ileal Paneth Cell Viability and Function in Mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Loss-of-function variants in the PTPN2 gene are associated with increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease. We recently showed that Ptpn2 is critical for intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) barrier maintenance, IEC-macrophage communication, and modulation of the gut microbiome in mice, restricting expansion of a small intestinal pathobiont associated with inflammatory bowel disease. Here, we aimed to identify how Ptpn2 loss affects ileal IEC subtypes and their function in vivo. METHODS: Constitutive Ptpn2 wild-type, heterozygous, and knockout (KO) mice, as well as mice with inducible deletion of Ptpn2 in IECs, were used in the study. Investigation was performed using imaging techniques, flow cytometry, enteroid culture, and analysis of gene and protein levels of IEC markers. RESULTS: Partial transcriptome analysis showed that expression of Paneth cell-associated antimicrobial peptides Lyz1, Pla2g2a, and Defa6 was down-regulated markedly in Ptpn2-KO mice compared with wild-type and heterozygous. In parallel, Paneth cell numbers were reduced, their endoplasmic reticulum architecture was disrupted, and the endoplasmic reticulum stress protein, C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP), was increased in Ptpn2-KO mice. Despite reduced Paneth cell number, flow cytometry showed increased expression of the Paneth cell-stimulatory cytokines interleukin 22 and interferon γ+ in CD4+ T cells isolated from Ptpn2-KO ileum. Key findings in constitutive Ptpn2-KO mice were confirmed in epithelium-specific Ptpn2ΔIEC mice, which also showed impaired lysozyme protein levels in Paneth cells compared with Ptpn2fl/fl control mice. CONCLUSIONS: Constitutive Ptpn2 deficiency affects Paneth cell viability and compromises Paneth cell-specific antimicrobial peptide production. The observed effects may contribute to the increased susceptibility to intestinal infection and dysbiosis in these mice.

Spermidine Ameliorates Colitis via Induction of Anti-Inflammatory Macrophages and Prevention of Intestinal Dysbiosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Exacerbated immune activation, intestinal dysbiosis and a disrupted intestinal barrier are common features among inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] patients. The polyamine spermidine, which is naturally present in all living organisms, is an integral component of the human diet, and exerts beneficial effects in human diseases. Here, we investigated whether spermidine treatment ameliorates intestinal inflammation and offers therapeutic potential for IBD treatment. METHODS: We assessed the effect of oral spermidine administration on colitis severity in the T cell transfer colitis model in Rag2-/- mice by endoscopy, histology and analysis of markers of molecular inflammation. The effects on the intestinal microbiome were determined by 16S rDNA sequencing of mouse faeces. The impact on intestinal barrier integrity was evaluated in co-cultures of patient-derived macrophages with intestinal epithelial cells. RESULTS: Spermidine administration protected mice from intestinal inflammation in a dose-dependent manner. While T helper cell subsets remained unaffected, spermidine promoted anti-inflammatory macrophages and prevented the microbiome shift from Firmicutes and Bacteroides to Proteobacteria, maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. Consistent with spermidine as a potent activator of the anti-inflammatory molecule protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 [PTPN2], its colitis-protective effect was dependent on PTPN2 in intestinal epithelial cells and in myeloid cells. The loss of PTPN2 in epithelial and myeloid cells, but not in T cells, abrogated the barrier-protective, anti-inflammatory effect of spermidine and prevented the anti-inflammatory polarization of macrophages. CONCLUSION: Spermidine reduces intestinal inflammation by promoting anti-inflammatory macrophages, maintaining a healthy microbiome and preserving epithelial barrier integrity in a PTPN2-dependent manner.

PTPN2 regulates bacterial clearance in a mouse model of enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic E. coli infection.

Macrophages intimately interact with intestinal epithelial cells, but the consequences of defective macrophage-epithelial cell interactions for protection against enteric pathogens are poorly understood. Here, we show that in mice with a deletion in protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 2 (PTPN2) in macrophages, infection with Citrobacter rodentium, a model of enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic E. coli infection in humans, promoted a strong type 1/IL-22-driven immune response, culminating in accelerated disease but also faster clearance of the pathogen. In contrast, deletion of PTPN2 specifically in epithelial cells rendered the epithelium unable to upregulate antimicrobial peptides and consequently resulted in a failure to eliminate the infection. The ability of PTPN2-deficient macrophages to induce faster recovery from C. rodentium was dependent on macrophage-intrinsic IL-22 production, which was highly increased in macrophages deficient in PTPN2. Our findings demonstrate the importance of macrophage-mediated factors, and especially macrophage-derived IL-22, for the induction of protective immune responses in the intestinal epithelium, and show that normal PTPN2 expression in the epithelium is crucial to allow for protection against enterohemorrhagic E. coli and other intestinal pathogens.

Glycoprotein (GP)96 Is Essential for Maintaining Intestinal Epithelial Architecture by Supporting Its Self-Renewal Capacity.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Glycoprotein (GP)96 is an endoplasmic reticulum-resident master chaperone for cell surface receptors including the Wnt co-receptors low-density lipoprotein-receptor-related protein 5/6. Intestinal epithelial cell (IEC)-specific deletion of Gp96 is embryonically lethal. However, the role of GP96 in adult intestinal tissue and especially within the intestinal stem cell (ISC) niche is unknown. Here, we investigated how GP96 loss interferes with intestinal homeostasis by compromising viability, proliferation, and differentiation of IECs. METHODS: Tamoxifen was used to induce Cre-mediated deletion of Gp96 in GP96-VillincreERT2 (Cre recombinase-Estrogen-Receptor Transgene 2) mice and intestinal organoids. With H&E and immunofluorescence staining we assessed alterations in intestinal morphology and the presence and localization of IEC types. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were performed to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the severe phenotype of Gp96 KO mice and organoids. RESULTS: IEC-specific deletion of Gp96 in adult mice resulted in a rapid degeneration of the stem cell niche, followed by complete eradication of the epithelial layer and death within a few days. These effects were owing to severe defects in ISC renewal and premature ISC differentiation, which resulted from defective Wnt and Notch signaling. Furthermore, depletion of GP96 led to massive induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Although effects on ISC renewal and adequate differentiation were partly reversed upon activation of Wnt/Notch signaling, viability could not be restored, indicating that reduced viability was mediated by other mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Our work shows that GP96 plays a fundamental role in regulating ISC fate and epithelial regeneration and therefore is indispensable for maintaining intestinal epithelial homeostasis.

TiO2 nanoparticles abrogate the protective effect of the Crohn's disease-associated variation within the PTPN22 gene locus.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial condition driven by genetic and environmental risk factors. A genetic variation in the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene has been associated with autoimmune disorders while protecting from the IBD subtype Crohn's disease. Mice expressing the murine orthologous PTPN22-R619W variant are protected from intestinal inflammation in the model of acute dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. We previously identified food-grade titanium dioxide (TiO2, E171) as a neglected IBD risk factor. Here, we investigate the interplay of the PTPN22 variant and TiO2-mediated effects during IBD pathogenesis. DESIGN: Acute DSS colitis was induced in wild-type and PTPN22 variant mice (PTPN22-R619W) and animals were treated with TiO2 nanoparticles during colitis induction. Disease-triggering mechanisms were investigated using bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing. RESULTS: In mice, administration of TiO2 nanoparticles abrogated the protective effect of the variant, rendering PTPN22-R619W mice susceptible to DSS colitis. In early disease, cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells were found to be reduced in the lamina propria of PTPN22-R619W mice, an effect reversed by TiO2 administration. Normalisation of T-cell populations correlated with increased Ifng expression and, at a later stage of disease, the promoted prevalence of proinflammatory macrophages that triggered severe intestinal inflammation. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the consumption of TiO2 nanoparticles might have adverse effects on the gastrointestinal health of individuals carrying the PTPN22 variant. This demonstrates that environmental factors interact with genetic risk variants and can reverse a protective mechanism into a disease-promoting effect.

Ingested nano- and microsized polystyrene particles surpass the intestinal barrier and accumulate in the body.

Plastic pollution is a major global challenge of our times, baring a potential threat for the environment and the human health. The increasing abundance of nanoplastic (NP) and microplastic (MP) particles in the human diet might negatively affect human health since they - particularly in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - might surpass the intestinal barrier. To investigate whether ingested plastic particles cross the intestinal epithelium and promote bowel inflammation, mice were supplemented with NP or MP polystyrene (PS) particles for 24 or 12 weeks before inducing acute or chronic dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) colitis with continuous plastic administration. Although ingested PS particles accumulated in the small intestine and organs distant from the gastrointestinal tract, PS ingestion did not affect intestinal health nor did it promote colitis severity. Although the lack of colitis-promoting effects of small PS particles might be a relief for IBD patients, potential accumulative effects of ingested plastic particles on the gastrointestinal health cannot be excluded.

Loss of protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 reduces IL-4-driven alternative macrophage activation.

Macrophages are a heterogeneous population of innate immune cells that are often divided into two major subsets: classically activated, typically pro-inflammatory (M1) macrophages that mediate host defense, and alternatively activated, tolerance-inducing (M2) macrophages that exert homeostatic and tissue-regenerative functions. Disturbed macrophage function/differentiation results either in inadequate, excessive immune activation or in a failure to induce efficient protective immune responses against pathogens. Loss-of-function variants in protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) are associated with chronic inflammatory disorders, but the effect of macrophage-intrinsic PTPN2 loss is still poorly understood. Here we report that PTPN2-deficient macrophages fail to acquire an alternatively activated/M2 phenotype. This was the consequence of reduced IL-6 receptor expression and a failure to induce IL-4 receptor in response to IL-6, resulting in an inability to respond to the key M2-inducing cytokine IL-4. Ultimately, failure to adequately respond to IL-6 and IL-4 resulted in increased levels of M1 macrophage marker expression in vitro and exacerbated lung inflammation upon infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in vivo. These results demonstrate that PTPN2 loss interferes with the ability of macrophages to adequately respond to inflammatory stimuli and might explain the increased susceptibility of PTPN2 loss-of-function carriers to developing inflammatory diseases.

Protection against autoimmunity is driven by thymic epithelial cell-mediated regulation of Treg development.

Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) are key antigen-presenting cells mediating T cell tolerance to prevent harmful autoimmunity. mTECs both negatively select self-reactive T cells and promote the development of thymic regulatory T cells (tTregs) that mediate peripheral tolerance. The relative importance of these two mechanisms of thymic education to prevent autoimmunity is unclear. We generated a mouse model to specifically target the development and function of mTECs by conditional ablation of the NF-κB­inducing kinase (NIK) in the TEC compartment. In contrast to germline-deficient NIK−/− mice, Foxn1CreNIKfl/fl mice rapidly developed fatal T cell­dependent multiorgan autoimmunity shortly after birth. Thymic transplantation and adoptive transfer experiments demonstrated that autoimmunity arises specifically from the emergence of dysfunctional tTregs. Thus, Treg function, rather than negative selection, enforces the protection of peripheral tissues from autoimmune attack.

A Novel OGR1 (GPR68) Inhibitor Attenuates Inflammation in Murine Models of Colitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Local extracellular acidification is associated with several conditions, such as ischemia, cancer, metabolic disease, respiratory diseases, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Several recent studies reported a link between IBD and a family of pH-sensing G protein-coupled receptors. Our previous studies point to an essential role for OGR1 (GPR68) in the modulation of intestinal inflammation and fibrosis. In the current study, we evaluated the effects of a novel OGR1 inhibitor in murine models of colitis. METHODS: The effects of a novel small-molecule OGR1 inhibitor were assessed in the acute and chronic dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) murine models of colitis. Macroscopic disease indicators of intestinal inflammation were evaluated, and epithelial damage and immune cell infiltration and proliferation were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The OGR1 inhibitor ameliorated clinical parameters in acute and chronic DSS-induced colitis. In mice treated with the OGR1 inhibitor, endoscopy showed no thickening and normal vascularity, while fibrin was not detected. Histopathological findings revealed a decrease in severity of colonic inflammation in the OGR1 inhibitor group when compared to vehicle-DSS controls. In OGR1 inhibitor-treated mice, staining for the macrophage marker F4/80 and cellular proliferation marker Ki-67 revealed a reduction of infiltrating macrophages and slightly enhanced cell proliferation, respectively. This was accompanied by a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF and IL-6, and the fibrosis marker TGF-ß1. CONCLUSION: This is the first report providing evidence that a pharmacological inhibition of OGR1 has a therapeutic effect in murine colitis models. Our data suggest that targeting proton-sensing OGR1 using specific small-molecule inhibitors may be a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of IBD.

T cell protein tyrosine phosphatase protects intestinal barrier function by restricting epithelial tight junction remodeling.

Genome-wide association studies revealed that loss-of-function mutations in protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) increase the risk of developing chronic immune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and celiac disease. These conditions are associated with increased intestinal permeability as an early etiological event. The aim of this study was to examine the consequences of deficient activity of the PTPN2 gene product, T cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP), on intestinal barrier function and tight junction organization in vivo and in vitro. Here, we demonstrate that TCPTP protected against intestinal barrier dysfunction induced by the inflammatory cytokine IFN-γ by 2 mechanisms: it maintained localization of zonula occludens 1 and occludin at apical tight junctions and restricted both expression and insertion of the cation pore-forming transmembrane protein, claudin-2, at tight junctions through upregulation of the inhibitory cysteine protease, matriptase. We also confirmed that the loss-of-function PTPN2 rs1893217 SNP was associated with increased intestinal claudin-2 expression in patients with IBD. Moreover, elevated claudin-2 levels and paracellular electrolyte flux in TCPTP-deficient intestinal epithelial cells were normalized by recombinant matriptase. Our findings uncover distinct and critical roles for epithelial TCPTP in preserving intestinal barrier integrity, thereby proposing a mechanism by which PTPN2 mutations contribute to IBD.

Commensal Clostridiales strains mediate effective anti-cancer immune response against solid tumors.

Despite overall success, T cell checkpoint inhibitors for cancer treatment are still only efficient in a minority of patients. Recently, intestinal microbiota was found to critically modulate anti-cancer immunity and therapy response. Here, we identify Clostridiales members of the gut microbiota associated with a lower tumor burden in mouse models of colorectal cancer (CRC). Interestingly, these commensal species are also significantly reduced in CRC patients compared with healthy controls. Oral application of a mix of four Clostridiales strains (CC4) in mice prevented and even successfully treated CRC as stand-alone therapy. This effect depended on intratumoral infiltration and activation of CD8+ T cells. Single application of Roseburia intestinalis or Anaerostipes caccae was even more effective than CC4. In a direct comparison, the CC4 mix supplementation outperformed anti-PD-1 therapy in mouse models of CRC and melanoma. Our findings provide a strong preclinical foundation for exploring gut bacteria as novel stand-alone therapy against solid tumors.

Macrophages Compensate for Loss of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase N2 in Dendritic Cells to Protect from Elevated Colitis.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 2 (PTPN2) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Mice lacking PTPN2 in dendritic cells (DCs) develop skin and liver inflammation by the age of 22 weeks due to a generalized loss of tolerance leading to uncontrolled immune responses. The effect of DC-specific PTPN2 loss on intestinal health, however, is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the DC-specific role of PTPN2 in the intestine during colitis development. PTPN2fl/flxCD11cCre mice were subjected to acute and chronic DSS colitis as well as T cell transfer colitis. Lamina propria immune cell populations were analyzed using flow cytometry. DC-specific PTPN2 deletion promoted infiltration of B and T lymphocytes, macrophages, and DCs into the lamina propria of unchallenged mice and elevated Th1 abundance during acute DSS colitis, suggesting an important role for PTPN2 in DCs in maintaining intestinal immune cell homeostasis. Surprisingly, those immune cell alterations did not translate into increased colitis susceptibility in acute and chronic DSS-induced colitis or T cell transfer colitis models. However, macrophage depletion by clodronate caused enhanced colitis severity in mice with a DC-specific loss of PTPN2. Loss of PTPN2 in DCs affects the composition of lamina propria lymphocytes, resulting in increased infiltration of innate and adaptive immune cells. However, this did not result in an elevated colitis phenotype, likely because increased infiltration of macrophages in the intestine upon loss of PTPN2 loss in DCs can compensate for the inflammatory effect of PTPN2-deficient DCs.

Loss of PTPN22 Promotes Intestinal Inflammation by Compromising Granulocyte-mediated Antibacterial Defence.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A single nucleotide polymorphism in protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 [PTPN22] has been associated with the onset of autoimmune disorders, but protects from Crohn's disease. PTPN22 deficiency in mice promotes intestinal inflammation by modulating lymphocyte function. However, the impact of myeloid PTPN22 in colitis development remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of PTPN2 in the IL-10 and the T cell transfer colitis models. METHODS: PTPN22-deficient mice were crossed with IL-10-/- and RAG2-/- mice. Naïve T cells were injected in RAG-/- mice to induce T-cell transfer colitis. Spontaneous colitis in IL-10-/- mice was monitored for up to 200 days. RESULTS: Here, we demonstrate that PTPN22 in non-lymphoid immune cells is required to protect against T cell transfer-mediated and IL-10 knock-out colitis. Analysis of the intestinal immune landscape demonstrated a marked reduction of granulocyte influx into the inflamed colon in PTPN22-deficient mice. On a molecular level, granulocytes were not only reduced by numbers, but also revealed a defective function. In particular, granulocyte activation and granulocyte-mediated bacteria killing was impaired upon loss of PTPN22, resulting in elevated bacterial burden and translocation beyond the intestinal epithelial barrier in PTPN22-deficient mice. Consistently, antibiotic-induced depletion of bacteria reverted the increased colitis susceptibility in PTPN22-deficient mice, whereas granulocyte depletion induced acolitis phenotype in wild-type mice similar to that observed in PTPN22-deficient mice. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our data demonstrate that PTPN22 is essential for adequate granulocyte activation and antimicrobial defence to protect the inflamed intestine from bacterial invasion and exacerbated colitis.

Combination of Vedolizumab With Tacrolimus Is More Efficient Than Vedolizumab Alone in the Treatment of Experimental Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Vedolizumab is a widely used and safe therapy in inflammatory bowel disease, particularly in ulcerative colitis (UC), making it a promising candidate for enhanced efficacy by combining it with additional immunomodulatory medications. In this study, we studied the impact of vedolizumab monotreatment vs vedolizumab coadministration with other immunomodulatory drugs on intestinal inflammation and intestinal immune cells in vivo. METHODS: Colon tissue from human patients with UC with active disease or in remission with or without vedolizumab treatment was stained by immunohistochemistry. We reconstituted NOD-SCID-SGM3 mice with human CD34+ cells and treated them with dextran sodium sulfate to induce acute colitis. Mice were treated with vedolizumab alone, or in combination with tacrolimus, ozanimid, or tofacitinib. RESULTS: Vedolizumab reduced the number of CD3+ T cells and CD68+ monocytes/macrophages in the colon of patients with UC with active disease. Vedolizumab moderately decreased immune cell numbers in acute dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis. The combination of vedolizumab with tacrolimus further reduced the number of infiltrating CD3+ T cells and CD68+ monocytes/macrophages and was superior in ameliorating intestinal inflammation when compared to vedolizumab monotreatment. In contrast, cotreatment using vedolizumab with ozanimod or tofacitinib had no additive effect. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that vedolizumab reduces the number of innate and adaptive immune cells in the mucosa of patients with UC. Further, the combination of vedolizumab with tacrolimus was more efficient to reduce immune cell numbers and to increase therapeutic efficacy than vedolizumab monotreatment. This finding indicates that combination treatment using these two drugs may be beneficial for patients who do not respond to vedolizumab monotherapy.

Energy Drink Administration Ameliorates Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Defects and Reduces Acute DSS Colitis.

BACKGROUND: The rise in the prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases in the past decades coincides with changes in nutritional habits, such as adaptation of a Western diet. However, it is largely unknown how certain nutritional habits, such as energy drink consumption, affect intestinal inflammation. Here, we assessed the effect of energy drink supplementation on the development of intestinal inflammation in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: HT-29 and T84 intestinal epithelial cells and THP-1 monocytic cells were treated with IFNγ in presence or absence of different concentrations of an energy drink. Colitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice by addition of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to drinking water with or without supplementation of the energy drink. RESULTS: Energy drink supplementation caused a dose-dependent decrease in IFNγ-induced epithelial barrier permeability, which was accompanied by upregulation of the pore-forming protein claudin-2. Administration of the energy drink reduced secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α from HT-29, T84, and THP-1 cells. In vivo, energy drink administration reduced clinical symptoms of DSS-induced colitis and epithelial barrier permeability. Endoscopic and histologic colitis scores and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly reduced by energy drink co-administration. CONCLUSION: Energy drink consumption seems to exert an unexpected anti-inflammatory effect in vitro and in vivo in our experimental setting. However, our experimental approach focuses on intestinal inflammation and neglects additional effects of energy drink consumption on the body (eg, on metabolism or sleep). Therefore, the translation of our findings into the human situation must be taken with caution.

The JAK Inhibitor Tofacitinib Rescues Intestinal Barrier Defects Caused by Disrupted Epithelial-macrophage Interactions.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Loss-of-function variants in protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type-2 [PTPN2] promote susceptibility to inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD]. PTPN2 regulates Janus-kinase [JAK] and signal transducer and activator of transcription [STAT] signalling, while protecting the intestinal epithelium from inflammation-induced barrier disruption. The pan-JAK inhibitor tofacitinib is approved to treat ulcerative colitis, but its effects on intestinal epithelial cell-macrophage interactions and on barrier properties are unknown. We aimed to determine if tofacitinib can rescue disrupted epithelial-macrophage interaction and barrier function upon loss of PTPN2. METHODS: Human Caco-2BBe intestinal epithelial cells [IECs] and THP-1 macrophages expressing control or PTPN2-specific shRNA were co-cultured with tofacitinib or vehicle. Transepithelial electrical resistance and 4 kDa fluorescein-dextran flux were measured to assess barrier function. Ptpn2fl/fl and Ptpn2-LysMCre mice, which lack Ptpn2 in myeloid cells, were treated orally with tofacitinib citrate twice daily to assess the in vivo effect on the intestinal epithelial barrier. Colitis was induced via administration of 1.5% dextran sulphate sodium [DSS] in drinking water. RESULTS: Tofacitinib corrected compromised barrier function upon PTPN2 loss in macrophages and/or IECs via normalisation of: [i] tight junction protein expression; [ii] excessive STAT3 signalling; and [iii] IL-6 and IL-22 secretion. In Ptpn2-LysMCre mice, tofacitinib reduced colonic pro-inflammatory macrophages, corrected underlying permeability defects, and prevented the increased susceptibility to DSS colitis. CONCLUSIONS: PTPN2 loss in IECs or macrophages compromises IEC-macrophage interactions and reduces epithelial barrier integrity. Both of these events were corrected by tofacitinib in vitro and in vivo. Tofacitinib may have greater therapeutic efficacy in IBD patients harbouring PTPN2 loss-of-function mutations.

Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Nonreceptor Type 2 Expression Does Not Correlate with Viral Load or Response to Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy in Hepatitis C Virus Infections-Infected Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The hepatitis C virus nonstructural 3/4A protease has been shown to cleave protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 2 (PTPN2, also known as T cell protein tyrosine phosphatase), thereby inducing a shift from a Th1 toward a nonantiviral Th2 immunity. Ribavirin therapy reverses these effects and supports direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy as an immunomodulatory compound and ultimately improves the response to DAA therapy. Here we aimed to assess whether intrahepatic levels of PTPN2 might be used as a clinical prognostic marker for the response to DAA therapy. METHODS: Liver biopsies from hepatitis C virus-infected patients with and without cirrhosis were immunohistochemically stained for PTPN2 and scored for staining intensity as well as percentage of hepatocytes positive for nuclear PTPN2 localization. PTPN2 scores were correlated to sustained virologic response after DAA therapy, viral load, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score at the time of liver biopsy. RESULTS: We did not detect a difference in intrahepatic PTPN2 levels between responders with cirrhosis, responders without cirrhosis, and nonresponders to DAA therapy. There was no correlation between intrahepatic PTPN2 levels and viral load or clinical markers such as liver transaminases, GGT, or the MELD score. CONCLUSION: Intrahepatic PTPN2 levels assessed via IHC staining do not represent a clinical prognostic marker for the response to DAA therapy.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 2 controls colorectal cancer development.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 2 (PTPN2) recently emerged as a promising cancer immunotherapy target. We set out to investigate the functional role of PTPN2 in the pathogenesis of human colorectal carcinoma (CRC), as its role in immune-silent solid tumors is poorly understood. We demonstrate that in human CRC, increased PTPN2 expression and activity correlated with disease progression and decreased immune responses in tumor tissues. In particular, stage II and III tumors displayed enhanced PTPN2 protein expression in tumor-infiltrating T cells, and increased PTPN2 levels negatively correlated with expression of PD-1, CTLA4, STAT1, and granzyme A. In vivo, T cell- and DC-specific PTPN2 deletion reduced tumor burden in several CRC models by promoting CD44+ effector/memory T cells, as well as CD8+ T cell infiltration and cytotoxicity in the tumor. In direct relevance to CRC treatment, T cell-specific PTPN2 deletion potentiated anti-PD-1 efficacy and induced antitumor memory formation upon tumor rechallenge in vivo. Our data suggest a role for PTPN2 in suppressing antitumor immunity and promoting tumor development in patients with CRC. Our in vivo results identify PTPN2 as a key player in controlling the immunogenicity of CRC, with the strong potential to be exploited for cancer immunotherapy.