A small-molecule SUMOylation inhibitor activates antitumor immune responses and potentiates immune therapies in preclinical models.

SUMOylation, the covalent conjugation of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins to protein substrates, has been reported to suppress type I interferon (IFN1) responses. TAK-981, a selective small-molecule inhibitor of SUMOylation, pharmacologically reactivates IFN1 signaling and immune responses against cancers. In vivo treatment of wild-type mice with TAK-981 up-regulated IFN1 gene expression in blood cells and splenocytes. Ex vivo treatment of mouse and human dendritic cells promoted their IFN1-dependent activation, and vaccination studies in mice demonstrated stimulation of antigen cross-presentation and T cell priming in vivo. TAK-981 also directly stimulated T cell activation, driving enhanced T cell sensitivity and response to antigen ex vivo. Consistent with these observations, TAK-981 inhibited growth of syngeneic A20 and MC38 tumors in mice, dependent upon IFN1 signaling and CD8+ T cells, and associated with increased intratumoral T and natural killer cell number and activation. Combination of TAK-981 with anti-PD1 or anti-CTLA4 antibodies improved the survival of mice bearing syngeneic CT26 and MC38 tumors. In conclusion, TAK-981 is a first-in-class SUMOylation inhibitor that promotes antitumor immune responses through activation of IFN1 signaling. TAK-981 is currently being studied in phase 1 clinical trials (NCT03648372, NCT04074330, NCT04776018, and NCT04381650) for the treatment of patients with solid tumors and lymphomas.

Interleukin 21 (IL-21) regulates chronic allograft vasculopathy (CAV) in murine heart allograft rejection.

IL-21 is the most recently discovered common gamma-chain cytokine that promotes persistent T-cell responses in chronic infections, autoimmunity and cancer. However, the therapeutic potential of inhibiting the IL-21-BATF signaling axis, particularly in transplant rejection, remains unclear. We used heart transplant models to examine the effects of IL-21 blockade in prevention of chronic cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) using genetic knock-out and therapeutic approaches. Both wild-type C57BL/6 and IL-21-/- strains acutely rejected Balb/c skin grafts and once immunized with this skin graft, rejected Balb/c heart allografts in an accelerated fashion. However, when transplanted with heart grafts from the class-II major histocompatibility complex mutant, B6bm12 mice; wild-type recipients developed CAV, while IL-21-/- recipients were protected, even at day 100 post-transplant. Similarly, BATF-/- recipients, lacking the transcription factor BATF responsible for IL-21 production, did not develop CAV in B6-bm12 heart allografts. Strikingly, in a transient treatment protocol, the development of CAV in wild-type recipients of B6-bm12 hearts allografts was blocked by the administration of IL-21 receptor fusion protein (R-Fc). Thus, we demonstrate that CAV is regulated at least in part by IL-21 signaling and its blockade by genetic approaches or therapy with IL-21R-Fc prevents CAV in mice.

PD-1-dependent restoration of self-tolerance in the NOD mouse model of diabetes after transient anti-TCRß mAb therapy.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: T cells play a major role in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes, and there is great interest in developing curative immunotherapies targeting these cells. In this study, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting the T cell receptor ß-chain (TCRß) was investigated for its ability to prevent and reverse disease in mouse models of diabetes. METHODS: RIP-OVA(hi) (C57BL/6-Tg(Ins2-OVA)59Wehi/WehiJ) mice adoptively transferred with ovalbumin-specific T cells (an induced model of diabetes) and NOD mice (a spontaneous model of diabetes) were used to test anti-TCRß mAb therapy as a means of preventing and reversing type 1 diabetes. RESULTS: A single dose of anti-TCRß completely prevented disease in RIP-OVA(hi) mice without inducing the release of inflammatory cytokines. Transient anti-TCRß therapy prevented diabetes in 90% of NOD mice and reversed the disease after its onset in 73% of NOD mice. Long after the remission of type 1 diabetes, the anti-TCRß treated mice were able to reject BALB/c skin allografts with normal kinetics while maintaining normoglycaemia. Treatment did not cause significant reductions in lymphocyte numbers in the spleen or pancreatic lymph nodes, but did result in a decreased percentage of chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) positive, CD8(+) T cells. Notably, anti-TCRß therapy increased the expression of programmed death 1 (PD-1) on the surface of the T cells; PD-1 expression is important for maintaining anti-TCRß-induced self-tolerance, as type 1 diabetes recurs in mice following a blockade of PD-1 signalling. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Anti-TCRß mAb is a safe and effective immunotherapy that results in reduced numbers of CCR9(+) T cells, an increased expression of PD-1 on T cells and the restoration of self-tolerance in NOD mice.

TCR stimulation without co-stimulatory signals induces expression of "tolerogenic" genes in memory CD4 T cells but does not compromise cell proliferation.

Memory T cells resist co-stimulatory blockade and present a unique therapeutic challenge in transplantation and autoimmune diseases. Herein, we determined whether memory T cells express less "tolerogenic" genes than naïve T cells to reinforce a proliferative response under the deprivation of co-stimulatory signals. The expression of ∼40 tolerogenic genes in memory and naïve CD4(+) T cells was thus assessed during an in vitro TCR stimulation without co-stimulation. Briefly, upon TCR stimulation with an anti-CD3 mAb alone, memory CD4(+) T cells exhibited more proliferation than naïve CD4(+) T cells. To our surprise, at 24h upon anti-CD3 mAb stimulation, memory CD4(+) T cells expressed more than a 5-fold higher level of the transcription factor Egr2 and a 20-fold higher level of the transmembrane E3 ubiquitin ligase GRAIL than those in naïve T cells. Hence, the high-level expression of tolerogenic genes, Egr2 and GRAIL, in memory CD4(+) T cells does not prevent cell proliferation. Importantly, anti-CD3 mAb-stimulated memory CD4(+) T cells expressed high protein/gene levels of phosphorylated STAT5, Nedd4, Bcl-2, and Bcl-XL. Therefore, co-stimulation-independent proliferation of memory CD4(+) T cells may be due to elevated expression of molecules that support cell proliferation and survival, but not lack of tolerogenic molecules.

Anti-TCR mAb induces peripheral tolerance to alloantigens and delays islet allograft rejection in autoimmune diabetic NOD mice.

BACKGROUND: Clinical application of islet transplantation to treat type 1 diabetes has been limited by islet allograft destruction by both allogeneic and autoimmune diabetogenic T-cell responses. The current study aims at determining whether an anti-T-cell receptor (TCR) monoclonal antibody (mAb) has potential as a novel and potent induction immunotherapy for islet transplantation. METHODS: We have investigated the therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms of action of anti-TCR therapy in four different murine models, which comprise either allo- or autoimmune responses alone or both together. RESULTS: T-cell response to islet allografts was potently abrogated by a brief treatment with an anti-TCRß mAb (clone H57-597), resulting in long-term survival of BALB/c islet allografts in streptozotocin-induced diabetic B6 mice. Moreover, transient anti-TCR treatment permanently prevented BALB/c skin allograft rejection on Rag1 B6 recipients that were reconstituted with Foxp3 cell-depleted B6 splenocytes, but did not impair the reconstituted cells' ability to reject the later transplanted C3H skin allografts (transplanted at 120 days after BALB/c skin grafting). Transient anti-TCR treatment was also able to completely prevent diabetes onset in NOD.SCID.γc mice that were transferred with lymphocytes from diabetic NOD mice. Next, transient anti-TCR treatment significantly prolonged the survival of transplanted BALB/c islets in overtly diabetic NOD mice, which comprise both allogeneic and autoimmune diabetogenic T-cell responses to the transplanted islets. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, anti-TCR mAb induced peripheral tolerance to specific alloantigens even in the absence of Foxp3-expressing natural regulatory T cells. These findings reveal the potential for using TCR-targeting mAbs as induction immunotherapy for islet transplantation.

Interleukin-21 is a critical regulator of CD4 and CD8 T cell survival during priming under Interleukin-2 deprivation conditions.

Optimal T cell activation and expansion require binding of the common gamma-chain (γc) cytokine Interleukin-2 (IL-2) to its cognate receptor that in turn engages a γc/Janus tyrosine kinase (Jak)3 signaling pathway. Because of its restricted expression by antigen-activated T cells and its obligatory role in promoting their survival and proliferation, IL-2 has been considered as a selective therapeutic target for preventing T cell mediated diseases. However, in order to further explore IL-2 targeted therapy, it is critical to precisely understand its role during early events of T cell activation. In this study, we delineate the role of IL-2 and other γc cytokines in promoting the survival of CD4 and CD8 T cells during early phases of priming. Under IL-2 inhibitory conditions (by neutralizing anti-IL-2 mAbs), the survival of activated CD8⁺ T cells was reduced, whereas CD4⁺ T cells remained much more resistant. These results correlated with reduced Bcl-2 expression, and mitochondrial membrane potential in CD8⁺ T cells in comparison to CD4⁺ T cells. However, using transwell co-culture assays we have found that CD4⁺ T cells could rescue the survival of CD8⁺ T cells even under IL-2 deprived conditions via secretion of soluble factors. A cytokine screen performed on CD8⁺ T cells cultured alone revealed that IL-21, another γc cytokine, was capable of rescuing their survival under IL-2 deprivation. Indeed, blocking the IL-21 signaling pathway along with IL-2 neutralization resulted in significantly reduced survival of both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. Taken together, we have shown that under IL-2 deprivation conditions, IL-21 may act as the major survival factor promoting T cell immune responses. Thus, investigation of IL-2 targeted therapies may need to be revisited to consider blockade of the IL-21 signaling pathways as an adjunct to provide more effective control of T cell immune responses.

Optimizing the use of regulatory T cells in allotransplantation: recent advances and future perspectives.

Apart from clonal deletion of self-reactive T cells in the thymus, Tregs are the major regulators of immune responses in the periphery and maintain a state of self-tolerance free from autoimmune diseases. Due to their inherent suppressive function, Tregs are being explored for their therapeutic potential in preventing autoimmunity and improving survival of allografts. This review provides recent updates on Treg biology and their use in animal as well as clinical models of transplantation. We discuss potential problems that limit the widespread clinical application of Tregs and provide future perspectives on how to optimize their medical use. Special consideration is given to methods by which Tregs should be isolated and expanded in order to facilitate clinical therapies. We also focus on recent discussions of Treg stability and plasticity, with specific insights into preventing the loss of Treg suppression by allotransplant-mediated inflammation.

Transient combination therapy targeting the immune synapse abrogates T cell responses and prolongs allograft survival in mice.

T cells play a major role in allograft rejection, which occurs after T cell activation by the engagement of several functional molecules to form an immune synapse with alloantigen presenting cells. In this study, the immune synapse was targeted using mAbs directed to the TCR beta-chain (TCRß) and lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA1) to induce long-term allograft survival. Evaluation of antigen-specific T cell responses was performed by adoptively transferring CFSE labeled transgenic OT-II cells into wild-type mice and providing OVA peptide by intravenous injection. Graft survival studies were performed in mice by transplanting BALB/c ear skins onto the flanks of C57BL/6 recipients. The anti-TCRß plus anti-LFA1 mAb combination (but not either mAb alone) abrogated antigen-specific T cell responses invitro and invivo. Transient combination therapy with these agents resulted in significantly prolonged skin allograft survival in mice (51±10 days; p<0.01) when compared to treatment with either anti-TCRß mAb (24±5 days) or anti-LFA1 mAb (19±3 days) alone or no treatment (10±1 days). When lymphoid tissues from these mice were analyzed at different times post-transplant, only those receiving the combination of anti-TCRß and anti-LFA1 mAbs demonstrated long-lasting reductions in total T cell numbers, cellular and humoral anti-donor responses, and expression of CD3 on the surface of T cells. These results demonstrate that transient anti-TCRß and anti-LFA1 mAb combination therapy abrogates antigen-reactive T cell responses with long-lasting effects that significantly prolong allograft survival.

Novel sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator KRP203 combined with locally delivered regulatory T cells induces permanent acceptance of pancreatic islet allografts.

BACKGROUND: KRP203, a structural FTY720 analogue, has 5-fold greater selectivity for binding to sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) 1 (S1PR(1)) versus S1PR3 and 100-fold greater selectivity over S1PR(2) and S1PR(5). Although the immunoregulatory effects of FTY720 have been tested in clinical and experimental research, the therapeutic efficacy of KRP203 in allograft models remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the potential of KRP203 alone and in combination with intragraft injection of CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) to induce islet allograft tolerance. METHODS: BALB/c (H-2(d)) mice received transplants of fresh C57BL/10 (H-2(b)) islet allografts under the kidney capsule and were treated for 7 days with 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg KRP203 alone or in combination with intragraft-infused Tregs. RESULTS: Untreated BALB/c mice acutely rejected C57BL/10 islet allografts at a mean survival time of 13.8 ± 2.7 days (n=5). A 7-day dosing of 0.3 or 1.0 mg/kg KRP203 produced long-term islet allograft survival (9200 days) in one of five and two of seven recipients, respectively. A 3 mg/kg KRP203 dose resulted in islet graft survival for more than 200 days in 5 of 12 recipients. Whereas recipients that received 500 allogeneic islets admixed with 5 x 10(5) - 7 x 10(5) Tregssurvived 83.6 ± 67.2 days, addition of transient 3 mg/kg KRP203 therapy induced prolonged drug-free graft survival (9200 days) in all recipients. CONCLUSIONS: A brief treatment with KRP203 significantly prolonged islet allograft survival, whereas additional intragraft delivery of Tregs induced tolerogenic effects selective to islet alloantigens.

A dynamic dual role of IL-2 signaling in the two-step differentiation process of adaptive regulatory T cells.

The molecular mechanism of the extrathymic generation of adaptive, or inducible, CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (iTregs) remains incompletely defined. We show that exposure of splenic CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(-) cells to IL-2, but not other common γ-chain cytokines, resulted in Stat5 phosphorylation and induced Foxp3 expression in ∼10% of the cells. Thus, IL-2/Stat5 signaling may be critical for Foxp3 induction in peripheral CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(-) iTreg precursors. In this study, to further define the role of IL-2 in the formation of iTreg precursors as well as their subsequent Foxp3 expression, we designed a two-step iTreg differentiation model. During the initial "conditioning" step, CD4(+)CD25(-)Foxp3(-) naive T cells were activated by TCR stimulation. Inhibition of IL-2 signaling via Jak3-Stat5 was required during this step to generate CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(-) cells containing iTreg precursors. During the subsequent Foxp3-induction step driven by cytokines, IL-2 was the most potent cytokine to induce Foxp3 expression in these iTreg precursors. This two-step method generated a large number of iTregs with relatively stable expression of Foxp3, which were able to prevent CD4(+)CD45RB(high) cell-mediated colitis in Rag1(-/-) mice. In consideration of this information, whereas initial inhibition of IL-2 signaling upon T cell priming generates iTreg precursors, subsequent activation of IL-2 signaling in these precursors induces the expression of Foxp3. These findings advance the understanding of iTreg differentiation and may facilitate the therapeutic use of iTregs in immune disorders.

IL-2-deprivation and TGF-beta are two non-redundant suppressor mechanisms of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell which jointly restrain CD4+CD25- cell activation.

The benefits of immunotherapy by regulatory T (Treg) cells are unpredictable partially due to the uncertainty of their suppressive mechanism. In fact, various suppressive mechanisms have been proposed but each remains controversial. To better understand Treg-mediated suppression, we have investigated factors which may influence the suppressive effects. In an in vitro suppression assay, over-expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl2 enhancing survival of conventional T responder cells (Tconvs) did not subvert Treg-mediated suppression. In contrast, enhancing activation of Tconvs by increasing the potency of calcium signals completely abrogated Treg-mediated suppression. While Tregs were incapable of suppressing already activated Tconvs, they prevented expression of activation markers on naïve Tconvs during activation, thereby indicating that Tregs mediate suppression through controlling early activation stage. Interestingly, IL-2 deprivation or TGF-beta, two suppressive mechanisms, did not effectively inhibit Tconv activation and proliferation when applied alone. In contrast, IL-2 deprivation combined with TGF-beta suppressed Tconv activation as potently as Tregs. More importantly, in the transwell system, that separates Tregs from Tconvs, TGF-beta contributed to Treg suppression under IL-2 depriving condition. In conclusion, these two suppressive mechanisms acting in concert may be necessary to effectively restrain the early activation of Tconvs.

"Default" generation of neonatal regulatory T cells.

CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells were shown to control all aspects of immune responses. How these Treg cells develop is not fully defined, especially in neonates during development of the immune system. We studied the induction of Treg cells from neonatal T cells with various TCR stimulatory conditions, because TCR stimulation is required for Treg cell generation. Independent of the types of TCR stimulus and without the addition of exogenous TGF-beta, up to 70% of neonatal CD4(+)Foxp3(-) T cells became CD4(+)Foxp3(+) Treg cells, whereas generally <10% of adult CD4(+)Foxp3(-) T cells became CD4(+)Foxp3(+) Treg cells under the same conditions. These neonatal Treg cells exert suppressive function and display relatively stable Foxp3 expression. Importantly, this ability of Treg cell generation gradually diminishes within 2 wk of birth. Consistent with in vitro findings, the in vivo i.p. injection of anti-CD3 mAb to stimulate T cells also resulted in a >3-fold increase in Treg cells in neonates but not in adults. Furthermore, neonatal or adult Foxp3(-) T cells were adoptively transferred into Rag1(-/-) mice. Twelve days later, the frequency of CD4(+)Foxp3(+) T cells converted from neonatal cells was 6-fold higher than that converted from adult cells. Taken together, neonatal CD4(+) T cells have an intrinsic "default" mechanism to become Treg cells in response to TCR stimulations. This finding provides intriguing implications about neonatal immunity, Treg cell generation, and tolerance establishment early in life.

IL-7, but not thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), during priming enhances the generation of memory CD4+ T cells.

Multiple activation signals (including antigen, co-stimulation, and cytokines) during T-cell priming affect the subsequent generation of memory T cells, whose survival is maintained by IL-7 and IL-15. Since the IL-7 receptor is highly expressed not only on the surface of memory T cells but also on naïve T cells, we propose that early exposure to IL-7 during priming of naïve T cells may promote their survival, and thus enhances the generation of memory cells. To test this hypothesis, TCR transgenic OT-II CD4(+) T cells were stimulated in vitro with OVA(323-339) peptide presented by syngeneic antigen-presenting cells (APCs). IL-7 or an IL-7 like cytokine, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), was added at the initial 2-day cultivation stage. We found that a short exposure to IL-7 or TSLP during priming did not affect activation, proliferation, and glucose uptake by CD4(+) T cells compared to controls when examined on culture day 6. However, the same 6-day cultures showed that IL-7 (but not TSLP) significantly decreased the frequency of apoptotic CD4(+) T cells compared to controls. More importantly, an adoptive transfer of the 6-day primed OT-II T cells into CD45.1(+) congenic mice demonstrated that IL-7 (but not TSLP) elevated by 3- and 4-fold the number of transferred CD4(+) T cells in spleen (p<0.05) and lymph nodes (p<0.05), respectively, compared to controls. Almost all transferred CD4(+) T populations displayed phenotypes of effector (CD44(+)CD62L(-)) or central (CD44(+)CD62L(+)) memory T cells. We thus conclude that exposure of CD4(+) T cells to IL-7 during priming results in an increased frequency of CD4(+) memory T cells.

Expanding and converting regulatory T cells: a horizon for immunotherapy.

The human immune system is a myriad of diverse cellular populations, each contributing to maintaining an effective and optimal immune response against infectious agents. It is important to maintain a "self-check" in the immune system so that responses do not go haywire, leading to the development of autoimmune diseases. Regulatory/suppressor T (Treg) cells are a specialized subpopulation of T cells that suppress the activation, expansion, and function of other T cells, thereby maintaining homeostasis through a fine balance between reactivity to foreign and self antigens. Tregs are characterized by surface expression of interleukin (IL)-2 receptor alpha chain (CD25) and intracellular expression of forkhead box protein P3 (FoxP3). There are at least two important functional populations of Treg cells, namely natural Treg (nTreg), which are continuously derived from the thymus, and induced Treg (iTreg), which are converted from naive T cells. The development and function of both nTreg and iTreg cells are regulated by several factors, such as antigen T-cell receptor, co-stimulatory receptors (i.e., cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen, or CTLA-4), and cytokines (IL-2, IL-10, and tumor growth factor-beta, or TGF-beta). In addition, the TGF-beta inhibitor ALK5, retinoid acid, and rapamycin influence the expansion of nTreg cells and the conversion of iTreg cells in vitro and in vivo. The heightening of Treg expansion may be harnessed to therapeutic methods for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and the induction of transplantation tolerance.