-
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Jun 2024Tuberculosis (TB) is the number one infectious disease cause of death worldwide in part due to an incomplete understanding of immunity. Emerging data highlight antibody...
Tuberculosis (TB) is the number one infectious disease cause of death worldwide in part due to an incomplete understanding of immunity. Emerging data highlight antibody functions as correlates of protection and disease across human TB. However, little is known about how antibody functions impact , the causative agent. Here, we use antigen specificity to understand how antibodies mediate host- interactions. We focus on cell wall and ESAT-6 & CFP-10, critical bacterial structural and secreted virulence proteins. In polyclonal IgG from TB patients, we observe that antigen specificity alters IgG subclass and glycosylation that drives Fc receptor binding and effector functions. Through in vitro models of macrophage infection we find that cell wall IgG3, sialic acid, and fucose increase opsonophagocytosis of extracellular and bacterial burden, suggesting that some polyclonal IgG enhance disease. In contrast, ESAT-6 & CFP-10 IgG1 inhibits intracellular , suggesting that antibodies targeting secreted virulence factors are protective. We test this hypothesis by generating a mAb that reacts to ESAT-6 & CFP-10 and show that it alone inhibits intracellular . Understanding which antigens elicit antibody mediated disease enhancement and or protection will be critical in appreciating the many roles for antibodies in TB.
PubMed: 38895452
DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.03.597169 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Jun 2024Apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE4) is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). A recent case report identified a rare variant in APOE,...
BACKGROUND
Apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE4) is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). A recent case report identified a rare variant in APOE, APOE3-R136S (Christchurch), proposed to confer resistance to autosomal dominant Alzheimer's Disease (AD). However, it remains unclear whether and how this variant exerts its protective effects.
METHODS
We introduced the R136S variant into mouse ( ) and investigated its effect on the development of AD-related pathology using the 5xFAD model of amyloidosis and the PS19 model of tauopathy. We used immunohistochemical and biochemical analysis along with single-cell spatial transcriptomics and proteomics to explore the impact of the variant on AD pathological development and the brain's response to plaques and tau.
RESULTS
In 5xFAD mice, enhances a Disease-Associated Microglia (DAM) phenotype in microglia surrounding plaques, and reduces plaque load, dystrophic neurites, and plasma neurofilament light chain. By contrast, in PS19 mice, suppresses the microglial and astrocytic responses to tau-laden neurons and does not reduce tau accumulation or phosphorylation, but partially rescues tau-induced synaptic and myelin loss. We compared how microglia responses differ between the two mouse models to elucidate the distinct DAM signatures induced by . We identified upregulation of antigen presentation-related genes in the DAM response in a PS19 compared to a 5xFAD background, suggesting a differential response to amyloid versus tau pathology that is modulated by the presence of .
CONCLUSIONS
These findings highlight the ability of the variant to modulate microglial responses based on the type of pathology, enhancing DAM reactivity in amyloid models and dampening neuroinflammation to promote protection in tau models. This suggests that the Christchurch variant's protective effects likely involve multiple mechanisms, including changes in receptor binding and microglial programming.
PubMed: 38895362
DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.03.597211 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Jun 2024The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is the main target of neutralizing antibodies. Although they are infrequently elicited during infection...
The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is the main target of neutralizing antibodies. Although they are infrequently elicited during infection or vaccination, antibodies that bind to the conformation-specific cryptic face of the RBD display remarkable breadth of binding and neutralization across . Here, we employed the immunofocusing technique PMD (protect, modify, deprotect) to create RBD immunogens (PMD-RBD) specifically designed to focus the antibody response towards the cryptic-face epitope recognized by the broadly neutralizing antibody S2X259. Immunization with PMD-RBD antigens induced robust binding titers and broad neutralizing activity against homologous and heterologous strains. A serum-depletion assay provided direct evidence that PMD successfully skewed the polyclonal antibody response towards the cryptic face of the RBD. Our work demonstrates the ability of PMD to overcome immunodominance and refocus humoral immunity, with implications for the development of broader and more resilient vaccines against current and emerging viruses with pandemic potential.
PubMed: 38895327
DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.05.597541 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024Anti-SSA antibodies target two unrelated proteins, Ro52 (E3 ligase) and Ro60 (RNA binding protein). Previous studies indicate that anti-Ro52 antibodies are frequently...
INTRODUCTION
Anti-SSA antibodies target two unrelated proteins, Ro52 (E3 ligase) and Ro60 (RNA binding protein). Previous studies indicate that anti-Ro52 antibodies are frequently associated with various myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs)-including anti-tRNA synthetase antibodies-and that the coexistence of MSAs and anti-Ro52 antibodies may portend worse clinical outcomes. Although not well-described in the setting of myositis, work from our animal model of HRS (histidyl-tRNA synthetase)-induced myositis suggests that anti-Ro60 antibodies may also be linked to specific MSAs such as anti-HRS/Jo-1. We therefore aimed to demonstrate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of Ro52 and Ro60 antibody positivity in patients possessing Jo-1 antibodies.
METHODS
To establish the immunological link between anti-synthetase, anti-Ro52, and anti-Ro60 antibodies, we evaluated the relative titers of these antibodies in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of mice following immunization with HRS/Jo-1. In parallel, we used ELISA-based approaches to assess sera from 177 anti-Jo1 antibody-positive patients for the presence of anti-Ro52 and/or anti-Ro60 antibodies. We then determined statistical associations between co-existing anti-Jo-1, anti-Ro52, and/or anti-Ro60 antibodies and clinical manifestations associated with the anti-synthetase syndrome.
RESULTS
Mice immunized with HRS had higher levels of anti-Ro52 and anti-Ro60 antibodies in serum and BALF than PBS-immunized mice. In 177 anti-Jo-1 antibody-positive patients, the prevalence of anti-Ro52 and anti-Ro60 antibodies was 36% and 15%, respectively. The frequency of dry eye/dry mouth, interstitial pneumonia, and pulmonary events over time differed between patients with various combinations of anti-Ro52 and anti-Ro60 antibodies. While anti-Ro52 antibodies generally correlated with statistically significant increases in each of these clinical manifestations, the presence of Ro60 antibodies alone was associated with decreased frequency of ILD.
DISCUSSION
Anti-Ro52 and/or anti-Ro60 antibodies are often co-expressed with anti-Jo1 antibodies, defining clinical subsets with different disease course/outcomes.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Ribonucleoproteins; Myositis; Female; Mice; Male; Middle Aged; Antibodies, Antinuclear; Autoantibodies; Aged; Adult; Histidine-tRNA Ligase; Disease Models, Animal; Autoantigens; RNA, Small Cytoplasmic
PubMed: 38895121
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1399451 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory skin disease with skin barrier defects and a misdirected type 2 immune response against harmless antigens....
BACKGROUND
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory skin disease with skin barrier defects and a misdirected type 2 immune response against harmless antigens. The skin microbiome in AD is characterized by a reduction in microbial diversity with a dominance of staphylococci, including ().
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether antigens play a role in AD, we screened for candidate allergens and studied the T cell and humoral immune response against the extracellular serine protease (Esp).
METHODS
To identify candidate allergens, we analyzed the binding of human serum IgG4, as a surrogate of IgE, to extracellular proteins using 2-dimensional immunoblotting and mass spectrometry. We then measured serum IgE and IgG1 binding to recombinant Esp by ELISA in healthy and AD individuals. We also stimulated T cells from AD patients and control subjects with Esp and measured the secreted cytokines. Finally, we analyzed the proteolytic activity of Esp against IL-33 and determined the cleavage sites by mass spectrometry.
RESULTS
We identified Esp as the dominant candidate allergen of . Esp-specific IgE was present in human serum; AD patients had higher concentrations than controls. T cells reacting to Esp were detectable in both AD patients and healthy controls. The T cell response in healthy adults was characterized by IL-17, IL-22, IFN-γ, and IL-10, whereas the AD patients' T cells lacked IL-17 production and released only low amounts of IL-22, IFN-γ, and IL-10. In contrast, Th2 cytokine release was higher in T cells from AD patients than from healthy controls. Mature Esp cleaved and activated the alarmin IL-33.
CONCLUSION
The extracellular serine protease Esp of can activate IL-33. As an antigen, Esp elicits a type 2-biased antibody and T cell response in AD patients. This suggests that can aggravate AD through the allergenic properties of Esp.
Topics: Humans; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Dermatitis, Atopic; Serine Proteases; Adult; Male; Female; Immunoglobulin E; Bacterial Proteins; Immunoglobulin G; Cytokines; T-Lymphocytes; Allergens; Interleukin-33; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38895118
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1352704 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The PD-1/PD-L1 complex is an immune checkpoint responsible for regulating the natural immune response, but also allows tumors to escape immune surveillance. Inhibition...
The PD-1/PD-L1 complex is an immune checkpoint responsible for regulating the natural immune response, but also allows tumors to escape immune surveillance. Inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis positively contributes to the efficacy of cancer treatment. The only available therapeutics targeting PD-1/PD-L1 are monoclonal antibody-based drugs, which have several limitations. Therefore, small molecule compounds are emerging as an attractive alternative that can potentially overcome the drawbacks of mAb-based therapy. In this article, we present a novel class of small molecule compounds based on the terphenyl scaffold that bind to PD-L1. The general architecture of the presented structures is characterized by axial symmetry and consists of three elements: an m-terphenyl core, an additional aromatic ring, and a solubilizing agent. Using molecular docking, we designed a series of final compounds, which were subsequently synthesized and tested in HTRF assay and NMR binding assay to evaluate their activity. In addition, we performed an in-depth analysis of the mutual arrangement of the phenyl rings of the terphenyl core within the binding pocket of PD-L1 and found several correlations between the plane angle values and the affinity of the compounds towards the protein.
Topics: B7-H1 Antigen; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; Humans; Molecular Docking Simulation; Protein Binding; Terphenyl Compounds; Small Molecule Libraries; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Molecular Structure; Structure-Activity Relationship; Binding Sites
PubMed: 38893521
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112646 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Chronic inflammation contributes to a number of diseases. Therefore, control of the inflammatory response is an important therapeutic goal. To identify novel...
Chronic inflammation contributes to a number of diseases. Therefore, control of the inflammatory response is an important therapeutic goal. To identify novel anti-inflammatory compounds, we synthesized and screened a library of 80 pyrazolo[1,5-]quinazoline compounds and related derivatives. Screening of these compounds for their ability to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) transcriptional activity in human THP-1Blue monocytic cells identified 13 compounds with anti-inflammatory activity (IC < 50 µM) in a cell-based test system, with two of the most potent being compounds (5-[(4-sulfamoylbenzyl)oxy]pyrazolo[1,5-]quinazoline-3-carboxamide) and (5-[(4-(methylsulfinyl)benzyloxy]pyrazolo[1,5-]quinazoline-3-carboxamide). Pharmacophore mapping of potential targets predicted that and may be ligands for three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2), p38α, and -Jun -terminal kinase 3 (JNK3). Indeed, molecular modeling supported that these compounds could effectively bind to ERK2, p38α, and JNK3, with the highest complementarity to JNK3. The key residues of JNK3 important for this binding were identified. Moreover, compounds and exhibited micromolar binding affinities for JNK1, JNK2, and JNK3. Thus, our results demonstrate the potential for developing lead anti-inflammatory drugs based on the pyrazolo[1,5-]quinazoline and related scaffolds that are targeted toward MAPKs.
Topics: Humans; Quinazolines; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; NF-kappa B; Lipopolysaccharides; Molecular Docking Simulation; Pyrazoles; Structure-Activity Relationship; THP-1 Cells
PubMed: 38893295
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112421 -
Cancers May 2024In breast cancer, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is positively associated with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and immune escape, and TWIST1...
In breast cancer, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is positively associated with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and immune escape, and TWIST1 silences ERα expression and induces EMT and cancer metastasis. However, how TWIST1 regulates PD-L1 and immune evasion is unknown. This study analyzed TWIST1 and PD-L1 expression in breast cancers, investigated the mechanism for TWIST1 to regulate PD-L1 transcription, and assessed the effects of TWIST1 and PD-L1 in cancer cells on cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Interestingly, TWIST1 expression is correlated with high-level PD-L1 expression in ERα-negative breast cancer cells. The overexpression and knockdown of TWIST1 robustly upregulate and downregulate PD-L1 expression, respectively. TWIST1 binds to the PD-L1 promoter and recruits the TIP60 acetyltransferase complex in a BRD8-dependent manner to transcriptionally activate PD-L1 expression, which significantly accelerates the exhaustion and death of the cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Accordingly, knockdown of TWIST1 or BRD8 or inhibition of PD-L1 significantly enhances the tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells to suppress the growth of breast cancer cells. These results demonstrate that TWIST1 directly induces PD-L1 expression in ERα-negative breast cancer cells to promote immune evasion. Targeting TWIST1, BRD8, and/or PD-L1 in ERα-negative breast cancer cells with TWIST1 expression may sensitize CD8+ T-cell-mediated immunotherapy.
PubMed: 38893094
DOI: 10.3390/cancers16111973 -
Cancers May 2024Recent studies highlight the integral role of the interferon gamma receptor (IFNγR) pathway in T cell-mediated cytotoxicity against solid but not liquid tumors. IFNγ...
Recent studies highlight the integral role of the interferon gamma receptor (IFNγR) pathway in T cell-mediated cytotoxicity against solid but not liquid tumors. IFNγ not only directly facilitates tumor cell death by T cells but also indirectly promotes cytotoxicity via myeloid phagocytosis in the tumor microenvironment. Meanwhile, full human ex vivo immune checkpoint drug screening remains challenging. We hypothesized that an engineered gamma interferon activation site response element luciferase reporter (GAS-Luc2) can be utilized for immune checkpoint drug screening in diverse ex vivo T cell-solid tumor cell co-culture systems. We comprehensively profiled cell surface proteins in ATCC's extensive collection of human tumor and immune cell lines, identifying those with endogenously high expression of established and novel immune checkpoint molecules and binding ligands. We then engineered three GAS-Luc2 reporter tumor cell lines expressing immune checkpoints PD-L1, CD155, or B7-H3/CD276. Luciferase expression was suppressed upon relevant immune checkpoint-ligand engagement. In the presence of an immune checkpoint inhibitor, T cells released IFNγ, activating the JAK-STAT pathway in GAS-Luc2 cells, and generating a quantifiable bioluminescent signal for inhibitor evaluation. These reporter lines also detected paracrine IFNγ signaling for immune checkpoint-targeted ADCC drug screening. Further development into an artificial antigen-presenting cell line (aAPC) significantly enhanced T cell signaling for superior performance in these ex vivo immune checkpoint drug screening platforms.
PubMed: 38893085
DOI: 10.3390/cancers16111965 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited myocardial disease at risk of sudden death. Genetic testing impacts greatly in ACM diagnosis, but gene-disease...
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited myocardial disease at risk of sudden death. Genetic testing impacts greatly in ACM diagnosis, but gene-disease associations have yet to be determined for the increasing number of genes included in clinical panels. Genetic variants evaluation was undertaken for the most relevant non-desmosomal disease genes. We retrospectively studied 320 unrelated Italian ACM patients, including 243 cases with predominant right-ventricular (ARVC) and 77 cases with predominant left-ventricular (ALVC) involvement, who did not carry pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in desmosome-coding genes. The aim was to assess rare genetic variants in transmembrane protein 43 (), desmin (), phospholamban (), filamin c (), cadherin 2 (), and tight junction protein 1 (), based on current adjudication guidelines and reappraisal on reported literature data. Thirty-five rare genetic variants, including 23 (64%) P/LP, were identified in 39 patients (16/243 ARVC; 23/77 ALVC): 22 , 9 , 2 , and 2 . No P/LP variants were found in and genes. Gene-based burden analysis, including P/LP variants reported in literature, showed significant enrichment for (3.79-fold), (10.31-fold), (117.8-fold) and (107-fold). A non-desmosomal rare genetic variant is found in a minority of ARVC patients but in about one third of ALVC patients; as such, clinical decision-making should be driven by genes with robust evidence. More than two thirds of non-desmosomal P/LP variants occur in FLNC.
Topics: Humans; Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia; Female; Male; Adult; Middle Aged; Membrane Proteins; Cadherins; Desmosomes; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetic Variation; Filamins; Retrospective Studies; Italy; Calcium-Binding Proteins; Antigens, CD
PubMed: 38892455
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116267