Journal of Clinical Investigation最新文献

Immature innate and adaptive immunity and vulnerability of narrower airways to obstruction increase the susceptibility of infants to severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease. In this issue of the JCI, Zhao et al. illustrated greater intrinsic susceptibility of pediatric versus adult airway epithelial cells to RSV-induced cytopathology. Using precision cut lung slices (PCLS) and air-liquid interface (ALI) airway epithelial cell cultures, the authors showed that impaired STAT3 activation in RSV-infected pediatric multiciliated cells increased cell apoptosis and viral shedding, which enhanced the spread of infection. Bolstering STAT3 activation and treatment of neonatal mice with apoptosis inhibitors suppressed virus spread, suggesting that enhancing STAT3 activation may provide therapeutic benefit.

Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer commonly disseminates to bone marrow, where interactions with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) shape disease trajectory. We modeled these interactions with tumor-MSC co-cultures and used an integrated transcriptome-proteome-network-analyses workflow to identify a comprehensive catalog of contact-induced changes. Conditioned media from MSCs failed to recapitulate genes and proteins, some borrowed and others tumor-intrinsic, induced in cancer cells by direct contact. Protein-protein interaction networks revealed the rich connectome between 'borrowed' and 'intrinsic' components. Bioinformatics prioritized one of the 'borrowed' components, CCDC88A/GIV, a multi-modular metastasis-related protein that has recently been implicated in driving a hallmark of cancer, growth signaling autonomy. MSCs transferred GIV protein to ER+ breast cancer cells (that lack GIV) through tunnelling nanotubes via connexin (Cx)43-facilitated intercellular transport. Reinstating GIV alone in GIV-negative breast cancer cells reproduced approximately 20% of both the 'borrowed' and the 'intrinsic' gene induction patterns from contact co-cultures; conferred resistance to anti-estrogen drugs; and enhanced tumor dissemination. Findings provide a multiomic insight into MSC→tumor cell intercellular transport and validate how transport of one such candidate, GIV, from the haves (MSCs) to have-nots (ER+ breast cancer) orchestrates aggressive disease states.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) plays crucial roles in maintaining regulatory T cells (Treg) stability and function, yet the underlying mechanism remains largely unexplored. Here we demonstrate that ERS-related protein transmembrane p24 trafficking protein 4 (TMED4) Treg-specific knockout (Tmed4ΔTreg) mice contain more Treg cells with impaired Foxp3 stability, Treg signature and suppressive activity, which leads to T cell hyperactivation, exacerbated inflammatory phenotype and boosted anti-tumor immunity in mice. Mechanistically, loss of Tmed4 causes defects in ERS and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-related antioxidant response, which results in excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) that reduces Foxp3 stability and suppressive function of Treg cells in an IRE1α-XBP1 axis-dependent manner. The abnormalities can be effectively rescued by ROS scavenger, NRF2 inducer or forcible expression of IRE1α. Moreover, TMED4 suppresses IRE1α proteosome degradation via the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) system including BIP. Our study reveals that TMED4 maintains Treg cell stability and suppressive function through IRE1α-dependent ROS and the NRF2-related antioxidant response.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is characterized by massive cardiomyocytes death and cardiac dysfunction, and effective therapies to achieve cardioprotection are sorely needed. Here we reported that flavin containing monooxygenase 2 (FMO2) level was markedly increased in cardiomyocytes both in ex vivo and in vivo models of ischemia injury. Genetic deletion of FMO2 resulted in reduced cardiomyocyte survival and enhanced cardiac dysfunction, whereas cardiomyocyte-specific FMO2 overexpression exerted a protective effect in infarcted rat hearts. Mechanistically, FMO2 inhibited the activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptotic proteins, including caspase 12 and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), by down-regulating unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway. Furthermore, we identified FMO2 as a chaperone that catalyzed disulfide-bond formation in unfolded/misfolded proteins through its GVSG motif. GVSG-mutated FMO2 failed to catalyze disulfide-bond formation and lost its protection against ER stress and cardiomyocyte death. Finally, we demonstrated the protective effect of FMO2 in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM) model. Collectively, this study highlights FMO2 as a key modulator of oxidative protein folding in cardiomyocytes and underscores its therapeutic potential for treating ischemic heart disease.

mRNA vaccines have demonstrated efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic and are now being investigated for multiple diseases. However, concerns linger about the durability of immune responses, and the high incidence of breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals highlights the need for improved mRNA vaccines. In this study, we investigated the effects of reinforcing costimulation via 4-1BB, a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, on immune responses elicited by mRNA vaccines. We first immunized mice with mRNA vaccines, followed by treatment with 4-1BB costimulatory antibodies to reinforce the 4-1BB pathway at different timepoints post-vaccination. Consistent with prior studies, reinforcing 4-1BB costimulation on the day of vaccination did not result in a substantial improvement of vaccine responses. However, reinforcing 4-1BB costimulation at day 4 post-vaccination, when 4-1BB expression levels were highest, resulted in a profound improvement of CD8 T cell responses associated with enhanced protection against pathogen challenges. A similar clinical benefit was observed in a therapeutic cancer vaccine model. We also report time-dependent effects with OX40, another costimulatory molecule of the TNF receptor superfamily. These findings demonstrate that delayed reinforcement of costimulation may exert an immunologic benefit, providing insights for the development of more effective mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer.

Expression of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) within the thymus is critical for the establishment of self-tolerance; however, exact mechanisms regulating the expression of TRAs has proven more complex than previously appreciated. In this issue of the JCI, Muro et al. identify a central role for protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) in posttranscriptional regulation of TRAs and thereby central tolerance. Using conditional KO mice, the authors showed that thymic deficiency of Prmt5 predisposed mice to developing autoimmune diseases while enhancing antitumor efficacy. These studies provide insight into the role of PRMT5 in shaping the T cell repertoire with implications for the development of therapies.

BACKGROUNDMost humans have been infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) by midlife without clinical signs of disease. However, in settings in which the immune system is undeveloped or compromised, the virus is not adequately controlled and consequently presents a major infectious cause of both congenital disease during pregnancy as well as opportunistic infection in children and adults. With clear evidence that risk to the fetus varies with gestational age at the time of primary maternal infection, further research on humoral responses to primary CMV infection during pregnancy is needed.METHODSHere, systems serology tools were applied to characterize antibody responses to CMV infection in pregnant and nonpregnant women experiencing either primary or chronic infection.RESULTSWhereas strikingly different antibody profiles were observed depending on infection status, limited differences were associated with pregnancy status. Beyond known differences in IgM responses used clinically for identification of primary infection, distinctions observed in IgA and FcγR-binding antibodies and among antigen specificities accurately predicted infection status. Machine learning was used to define the transition from primary to chronic states and predict time since infection with high accuracy. Humoral responses diverged over time in an antigen-specific manner, with IgG3 responses toward tegument decreasing over time as typical of viral infections, while those directed to pentamer and glycoprotein B were lower during acute and greatest during chronic infection.CONCLUSIONIn sum, this work provides insights into the antibody response associated with CMV infection status in the context of pregnancy, revealing aspects of humoral immunity that have the potential to improve CMV diagnostics.FUNDINGCYMAF consortium and NIH NIAID.