CYP1A1 Enzymatic Activity Influences Skin Inflammation Via Regulation of the AHR Pathway.

The AHR is an environmental sensor and transcription factor activated by a variety of man-made and natural ligands, which has recently emerged as a critical regulator of homeostasis at barrier organs such as the skin. Activation of the AHR pathway downmodulates skin inflammatory responses in animal models and psoriasis clinical samples. In this study, we identify CYP1A1 enzymatic activity as a critical regulator of beneficial AHR signaling in the context of skin inflammation. Mice constitutively expressing Cyp1a1 displayed increased CYP1A1 enzymatic activity in the skin, which resulted in exacerbated immune cell activation and skin pathology, mirroring that observed in Ahr-deficient mice. Inhibition of CYP1A1 enzymatic activity ameliorated the skin immunopathology by restoring beneficial AHR signaling. Importantly, patients with psoriasis displayed reduced activation of the AHR pathway and increased CYP1A1 enzymatic activity compared with healthy donors, suggesting that dysregulation of the AHR/CYP1A1 axis may play a role in inflammatory skin disease. Thus, modulation of CYP1A1 activity may represent a promising alternative strategy to harness the anti-inflammatory effect exerted by activation of the AHR pathway in the skin.

A Multi-Component Prime-Boost Vaccination Regimen with a Consensus MOMP Antigen Enhances Chlamydia trachomatis Clearance.

BACKGROUND: A vaccine for Chlamydia trachomatis is of urgent medical need. We explored bioinformatic approaches to generate an immunogen against C. trachomatis that would induce cross-serovar T-cell responses as (i) CD4(+) T cells have been shown in animal models and human studies to be important in chlamydial protection and (ii) antibody responses may be restrictive and serovar specific. METHODS: A consensus antigen based on over 1,500 major outer membrane protein (MOMP) sequences provided high epitope coverage against the most prevalent C. trachomatis strains in silico. Having designed the T-cell immunogen, we assessed it for immunogenicity in prime-boost regimens. This consensus MOMP transgene was delivered using plasmid DNA, Human Adenovirus 5 (HuAd5) or modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vectors with or without MF59(®) adjuvanted recombinant MOMP protein. RESULTS: Different regimens induced distinct immune profiles. The DNA-HuAd5-MVA-Protein vaccine regimen induced a cellular response with a Th1-biased serum antibody response, alongside high serum and vaginal MOMP-specific antibodies. This regimen significantly enhanced clearance against intravaginal C. trachomatis serovar D infection in both BALB/c and B6C3F1 mouse strains. This enhanced clearance was shown to be CD4(+) T-cell dependent. Future studies will need to confirm the specificity and precise mechanisms of protection. CONCLUSION: A C. trachomatis vaccine needs to induce a robust cellular response with broad cross-serovar coverage and a heterologous prime-boost regimen may be an approach to achieve this.

TLR4 and TLR7/8 Adjuvant Combinations Generate Different Vaccine Antigen-Specific Immune Outcomes in Minipigs when Administered via the ID or IN Routes.

The induction of high levels of systemic and mucosal humoral immunity is a key goal for many prophylactic vaccines. However, adjuvant strategies developed in mice have often performed poorly in the clinic. Due to their closer similarity to humans, minipigs may provide a more accurate picture of adjuvant performance. Based on their complementary signalling pathways, we assessed humoral immune responses to model antigens after co-administration with the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) stimulator glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant (GLA-AF) or the TLR7/8 agonist resiquimod (R848) (alone and in combination) via the intradermal (ID), intranasal (IN) or combined routes in the Gottingen minipig animal model. Surprisingly, we discovered that while GLA-AF additively enhanced the adjuvant effect of R848 when injected ID, it abrogated the adjuvant activity of R848 after IN inoculation. We then performed a route comparison study using a CN54 gp140 HIV Envelope model antigen adjuvanted with R848 + GLA-AF (ID) or R848 alone (IN). Animals receiving priming inoculations via one route were then boosted by the alternate route. Although differences were observed in the priming phase (IN or ID), responses converged upon boosting by the alternative route with no observable impact resultant from the order of administration (ID/IN vs IN/ID). Specific IgG responses were measured at a distal mucosal site (vaginal), although there was no evidence of mucosal linkage as these closely reflected serum antibody levels. These data indicate that the complex in vivo cross-talk between innate pathways are likely tissue specific and cannot be predicted by simple in vitro models.

Integrative biology approach identifies cytokine targeting strategies for psoriasis.

Cytokines are critical checkpoints of inflammation. The treatment of human autoimmune disease has been revolutionized by targeting inflammatory cytokines as key drivers of disease pathogenesis. Despite this, there exist numerous pitfalls when translating preclinical data into the clinic. We developed an integrative biology approach combining human disease transcriptome data sets with clinically relevant in vivo models in an attempt to bridge this translational gap. We chose interleukin-22 (IL-22) as a model cytokine because of its potentially important proinflammatory role in epithelial tissues. Injection of IL-22 into normal human skin grafts produced marked inflammatory skin changes resembling human psoriasis. Injection of anti-IL-22 monoclonal antibody in a human xenotransplant model of psoriasis, developed specifically to test potential therapeutic candidates, efficiently blocked skin inflammation. Bioinformatic analysis integrating both the IL-22 and anti-IL-22 cytokine transcriptomes and mapping them onto a psoriasis disease gene coexpression network identified key cytokine-dependent hub genes. Using knockout mice and small-molecule blockade, we show that one of these hub genes, the so far unexplored serine/threonine kinase PIM1, is a critical checkpoint for human skin inflammation and potential future therapeutic target in psoriasis. Using in silico integration of human data sets and biological models, we were able to identify a new target in the treatment of psoriasis.

Resident CD141 (BDCA3)+ dendritic cells in human skin produce IL-10 and induce regulatory T cells that suppress skin inflammation.

Human skin immune homeostasis, and its regulation by specialized subsets of tissue-residing immune sentinels, is poorly understood. In this study, we identify an immunoregulatory tissue-resident dendritic cell (DC) in the dermis of human skin that is characterized by surface expression of CD141, CD14, and constitutive IL-10 secretion (CD141(+) DDCs). CD141(+) DDCs possess lymph node migratory capacity, induce T cell hyporesponsiveness, cross-present self-antigens to autoreactive T cells, and induce potent regulatory T cells that inhibit skin inflammation. Vitamin D(3) (VitD3) promotes certain phenotypic and functional properties of tissue-resident CD141(+) DDCs from human blood DCs. These CD141(+) DDC-like cells can be generated in vitro and, once transferred in vivo, have the capacity to inhibit xeno-graft versus host disease and tumor alloimmunity. These findings suggest that CD141(+) DDCs play an essential role in the maintenance of skin homeostasis and in the regulation of both systemic and tumor alloimmunity. Finally, VitD3-induced CD141(+) DDC-like cells have potential clinical use for their capacity to induce immune tolerance.