Macrophage calcium reporter mice reveal immune cell communication in vitro and in vivo

ABSTRACTInterconnected cells are responsible for emergent functions ranging from cognition in the brain to cyclic contraction in the heart. In electrically excitable cells, methods for studying cell communication are highly advanced, but in non-excitable cells, generalized methods for studying cell communication are less mature. Immune cells have generally been classified as non-excitable cells with diverse pathophysiologic roles that span every tissue in the body, yet little is known about their interconnectedness because assays are destructive and have low temporal resolution. In this work, we hypothesize that non-excitable immune cells are functionally interconnected in previously unrecognized cell communication networks. To test the hypothesis, we created a hematopoietic calcium reporter mouse (Csf1r-Cre × GCaMP5) and non-destructively quantified the spatiotemporal dynamics of intracellular calcium in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, bone marrow derived macrophages calcium reporters reveal that fatal immune stimulatory DNA-sensing induces rapid intercellular communication to neighboring cells. In vivo, using intravital microscopy through a dorsal window chamber in the context of MC38-H2B-mCherry tumors, Csf1r-GCaMP5 reporters exhibit spatiotemporal dynamics consistent with cell communication. We present a theoretical framework and analysis pipeline for identifying spatiotemporal locations of “excess synchrony” of calcium spiking as a means of inferring previously unrecognized cell communication events. Together, these methods provide a toolkit for investigating known and as-yet-undiscovered cell communication events in vitro and in vivo.

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An integrated framework for quantifying immune-tumour interactions in a 3D co-culture model

Communications Biology ◽

10.1038/s42003-021-02296-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gheed Al-Hity ◽

FengWei Yang ◽

Eduard Campillo-Funollet ◽

Andrew E. Greenstein ◽

Hazel Hunt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Immune Cell ◽

In Vitro Models ◽

Proof Of Concept ◽

Culture Model ◽

Spheroid Growth ◽

Confocal Images ◽

Cancer Spheroids

AbstractInvestigational in vitro models that reflect the complexity of the interaction between the immune system and tumours are limited and difficult to establish. Herein, we present a platform to study the tumour-immune interaction using a co-culture between cancer spheroids and activated immune cells. An algorithm was developed for analysis of confocal images of the co-culture to evaluate the following quantitatively; immune cell infiltration, spheroid roundness and spheroid growth. As a proof of concept, the effect of the glucocorticoid stress hormone, cortisol was tested on 66CL4 co-culture model. Results were comparable to 66CL4 syngeneic in vivo mouse model undergoing psychological stress. Furthermore, administration of glucocorticoid receptor antagonists demonstrated the use of this model to determine the effect of treatments on the immune-tumour interplay. In conclusion, we provide a method of quantifying the interaction between the immune system and cancer, which can become a screening tool in immunotherapy design.

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Halofuginone functions as a therapeutic drug for chronic periodontitis in a mouse model

International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology ◽

10.1177/2058738420974893 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 ◽

pp. 205873842097489

Author(s):

Jiang Wang ◽

Bo Wang ◽

Xin Lv ◽

Yingjie Wang

Keyword(s):

Alveolar Bone ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Critical Role ◽

Therapeutic Drug ◽

Mice Model ◽

T Helper 17 ◽

Th17 Cell Differentiation ◽

Tnf Α

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by host immune response, resulting in a loss of periodontium and alveolar bone. Immune cells, such as T cells and macrophages, play a critical role in the periodontitis onset. Halofuginone, a natural quinazolinone alkaloid, has been shown to possess anti-fibrosis, anti-cancer, and immunomodulatory properties. However, the effect of halofuginone on periodontitis has never been reported. In this study, a ligature-induced mice model of periodontitis was applied to investigate the potential beneficial effect of halofuginone on periodontitis. We demonstrated that the administration of halofuginone significantly reduced the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in vivo, and markedly suppressed immune cell infiltration into the infected sites. Furthermore, we also observed that halofuginone treatment blocked the T-helper 17 (Th17) cell differentiation in vivo and in vitro. We demonstrated for the first time that halofuginone alleviated the onset of periodontitis through reducing immune responses.

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114 Preclinical development of a novel iPSC-derived CAR-MICA/B NK cell immunotherapy to overcome solid tumor escape from NKG2D-mediated mechanisms of recognition and killing

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer ◽

10.1136/jitc-2020-sitc2020.0114 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽

pp. A126-A126

Author(s):

John Goulding ◽

Mochtar Pribadi ◽

Robert Blum ◽

Wen-I Yeh ◽

Yijia Pan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Cancer Immunotherapy ◽

Tumor Immunity ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Nk Cell ◽

Tumor Escape ◽

Car T Cells ◽

Car T

BackgroundMHC class I related proteins A (MICA) and B (MICB) are induced by cellular stress and transformation, and their expression has been reported for many cancer types. NKG2D, an activating receptor expressed on natural killer (NK) and T cells, targets the membrane-distal domains of MICA/B, activating a potent cytotoxic response. However, advanced cancer cells frequently evade immune cell recognition by proteolytic shedding of the α1 and α2 domains of MICA/B, which can significantly reduce NKG2D function and the cytolytic activity.MethodsRecent publications have shown that therapeutic antibodies targeting the membrane-proximal α3 domain inhibited MICA/B shedding, resulting in a substantial increase in the cell surface density of MICA/B and restoration of immune cell-mediated tumor immunity.1 We have developed a novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting the conserved α3 domain of MICA/B (CAR-MICA/B). Additionally, utilizing our proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) product platform, we have developed multiplexed engineered, iPSC-derived CAR-MICA/B NK (iNK) cells for off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy.ResultsA screen of CAR spacer and ScFv orientations in primary T cells delineated MICA-specific in vitro activation and cytotoxicity as well as in vivo tumor control against MICA+ cancer cells. The novel CAR-MICA/B design was used to compare efficacy against NKG2D CAR T cells, an alternative MICA/B targeting strategy. CAR-MICA/B T cells showed superior cytotoxicity against melanoma, breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and lung cancer lines in vitro compared to primary NKG2D CAR T cells (p<0.01). Additionally, using an in vivo xenograft metastasis model, CAR-MICA/B T cells eliminated A2058 human melanoma metastases in the majority of the mice treated. In contrast, NKG2D CAR T cells were unable to control tumor growth or metastases. To translate CAR-MICA/B functionality into an off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy, CAR-MICA/B was introduced into a clonal master engineered iPSC line to derive a multiplexed engineered, CAR-MICA/B iNK cell product candidate. Using a panel of tumor cell lines expressing MICA/B, CAR-MICA/B iNK cells displayed MICA specificity, resulting in enhanced cytokine production, degranulation, and cytotoxicity. Furthermore, in vivo NK cell cytotoxicity was evaluated using the B16-F10 melanoma cell line, engineered to express MICA. In this model, CAR-MICA/B iNK cells significantly reduced liver and lung metastases, compared to untreated controls, by 93% and 87% respectively.ConclusionsOngoing work is focused on extending these preclinical studies to further support the clinical translation of an off-the-shelf, CAR-MICA/B iNK cell cancer immunotherapy with the potential to overcome solid tumor escape from NKG2D-mediated mechanisms of recognition and killing.ReferenceFerrari de Andrade L, Tay RE, Pan D, Luoma AM, Ito Y, Badrinath S, Tsoucas D, Franz B, May KF Jr, Harvey CJ, Kobold S, Pyrdol JW, Yoon C, Yuan GC, Hodi FS, Dranoff G, Wucherpfennig KW. Antibody-mediated inhibition of MICA and MICB shedding promotes NK cell-driven tumor immunity. Science 2018 Mar 30;359(6383):1537–1542.

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Cd40-Independent Pathways of T Cell Help for Priming of Cd8+ Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.191.3.541 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 191 (3) ◽

pp. 541-550 ◽

Cited By ~ 144

Author(s):

Zhengbin Lu ◽

Lingxian Yuan ◽

Xianzheng Zhou ◽

Eduardo Sotomayor ◽

Hyam I. Levitsky ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

T Cell ◽

Cd4 T Cells ◽

Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Cd8 T Cell ◽

Cd4 Help ◽

T Cell Help

In many cases, induction of CD8+ CTL responses requires CD4+ T cell help. Recently, it has been shown that a dominant pathway of CD4+ help is via antigen-presenting cell (APC) activation through engagement of CD40 by CD40 ligand on CD4+ T cells. To further study this three cell interaction, we established an in vitro system using dendritic cells (DCs) as APCs and influenza hemagglutinin (HA) class I and II peptide–specific T cell antigen receptor transgenic T cells as cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors and CD4+ T helper cells, respectively. We found that CD4+ T cells can provide potent help for DCs to activate CD8+ T cells when antigen is provided in the form of either cell lysate, recombinant protein, or synthetic peptides. Surprisingly, this help is completely independent of CD40. Moreover, CD40-independent CD4+ help can be documented in vivo. Finally, we show that CD40-independent T cell help is delivered through both sensitization of DCs and direct CD4+–CD8+ T cell communication via lymphokines. Therefore, we conclude that CD4+ help comprises at least three components: CD40-dependent DC sensitization, CD40-independent DC sensitization, and direct lymphokine-dependent CD4+–CD8+ T cell communication.

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The Transcriptional Regulator CpsY Is Important for Innate Immune Evasion in Streptococcus pyogenes

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.00925-16 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 85 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Luis A. Vega ◽

Kayla M. Valdes ◽

Ganesh S. Sundar ◽

Ashton T. Belew ◽

Emrul Islam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Streptococcus Pyogenes ◽

Immune Evasion ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Group A Streptococcus ◽

Transcriptional Regulator ◽

Innate Immune ◽

Content Type ◽

Human Host

ABSTRACTAs an exclusively human pathogen,Streptococcus pyogenes(the group A streptococcus [GAS]) has specifically adapted to evade host innate immunity and survive in multiple tissue niches, including blood. GAS can overcome the metabolic constraints of the blood environment and expresses various immunomodulatory factors necessary for survival and immune cell resistance. Here we present our investigation of one such factor, the predicted LysR family transcriptional regulator CpsY. The encoding gene,cpsY, was initially identified as being required for GAS survival in a transposon-site hybridization (TraSH) screen in whole human blood. CpsY is homologous with transcriptional regulators ofStreptococcus mutans(MetR),Streptococcus iniae(CpsY), andStreptococcus agalactiae(MtaR) that regulate methionine transport, amino acid metabolism, resistance to neutrophil-mediated killing, and survivalin vivo. Our investigation indicated that CpsY is involved in GAS resistance to innate immune cells of its human host. However, GAS CpsY does not manifest thein vitrophenotypes of its homologs in other streptococcal species. GAS CpsY appears to regulate a small set of genes that is markedly different from the regulons of its homologs. The differential expression of these genes depends on the growth medium, and CpsY modestly influences their expression. The GAS CpsY regulon includes known virulence factors (mntE,speB,spd,nga[spn],prtS[SpyCEP], andsse) and cell surface-associated factors of GAS (emm1,mur1.2,sibA[cdhA], andM5005_Spy0500). Intriguingly, the loss of CpsY in GAS does not result in virulence defects in murine models of infection, suggesting that CpsY function in immune evasion is specific to the human host.

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Abstract 17071: Cell Communication Inference in Macrophages

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.17071 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Nika Taghdiri ◽

Kevin R King ◽

David Calcagno ◽

Zhenxing Fu ◽

Kenneth Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Image Analysis ◽

Analytical Methods ◽

Cell Injury ◽

Diffusion Mechanism ◽

Cell Communication ◽

In Vivo Studies ◽

Cell Dynamics ◽

Calcium Indicator

Introduction: Tissue macrophages play diverse roles in the cardiovascular system during health and disease. They have diverse functions within tissues, but our understanding of their dynamics is limited because most macrophage characterization assays are destructive and have low temporal resolution. We asked whether these cells are dynamic and interconnected. Methods: Here, we describe experimental and analytical methods for measuring cell dynamics and inferring communication between cells in vitro and in vivo. We created a mouse (Csf1r-Cre x GCaMP5) expressing the Cre-inducible genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP5 under the regulation of the innate immune promoter, Csf1r, to non-destructively quantify high-frequency cell dynamics and differentiated them in culture using m-CSF. We developed custom image analysis routines and parameterization strategies for classifying calcium responses. Results: Our studies revealed that calcium reporter BMDMs display minimal fluctuations at baseline but exhibit a dynamic response to immunogenic DNA sensing. DNA-induced isolated cell injury and death, which precipitated cell communication that spread with a velocity of [9μm/s], consistent with an extracellular diffusion mechanism. We developed quantitative image analysis methods that corrected for random calcium fluctuations and identified statistically significant areas of correlated calcium changes suggestive of communication. An analytical pipeline enabled quantification of calcium spike dynamics and correlations of dynamic calcium profiles of single cell sharing a local microenvironment. This resulted in an “improbable synchrony” metric that allowed localization of communication in time and space. We adapted the pipeline for in vivo studies and tested them in a dorsal window chamber model using intravital microscopy. At 2Hz sampling frequency, we identified 27 potential communication events as they responded to complex microenvironmental cues in vivo. Conclusion: The experimental and analytical methods for inferring cell communication provide a new quantitative toolkit for investigating known as-yet undiscovered cell communication pathways.

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Indigo Pulverata Levis (Chung-Dae, Persicaria tinctoria) Alleviates Atopic Dermatitis-like Inflammatory Responses In Vivo and In Vitro

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms23010553 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 553

Author(s):

Ga-Yul Min ◽

Ji-Hye Kim ◽

Tae-In Kim ◽

Won-Kyung Cho ◽

Ju-Hye Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atopic Dermatitis ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Cell Infiltration ◽

Immune Cell Infiltration ◽

Hacat Cells ◽

Serum Ige ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Inflammatory Chemokines

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with a type 2 T helper cell (Th2) immune response. The IndigoPulverata Levis extract (CHD) is used in traditional Southeast Asian medicine; however, its beneficial effects on AD remain uninvestigated. Therefore, we investigated the therapeutic effects of CHD in 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced BALB/c mice and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α- and interferon gamma (IFN)-γ-stimulated HaCaT cells. We evaluated immune cell infiltration, skin thickness, and the serum IgE and TNF-α levels in DNCB-induced AD mice. Moreover, we measured the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in the mice dorsal skin. We also studied the effect of CHD on the translocation of NF-κB p65 and inflammatory chemokines in HaCaT cells. Our in vivo results revealed that CHD reduced the dermis and epidermis thicknesses and inhibited immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, it suppressed the proinflammatory cytokine expression and MAPK and NF-κB phosphorylations in the skin tissue and decreased serum IgE and TNF-α levels. In vitro results indicated that CHD downregulated inflammatory chemokines and blocked NF-κB p65 translocation. Thus, we deduced that CHD is a potential drug candidate for AD treatment.

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Exacerbation of Influenza A Virus Disease Severity by Respiratory Syncytial Virus Co-Infection in a Mouse Model

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v13081630 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 1630 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Junu A. George ◽

Shaikha H. AlShamsi ◽

Maryam H. Alhammadi ◽

Ahmed R. Alsuwaidi

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽

Influenza A Virus ◽

Influenza A ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Viral Loads ◽

Syncytial Virus

Influenza A virus (IAV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are leading causes of childhood infections. RSV and influenza are competitive in vitro. In this study, the in vivo effects of RSV and IAV co-infection were investigated. Mice were intranasally inoculated with RSV, with IAV, or with both viruses (RSV+IAV and IAV+RSV) administered sequentially, 24 h apart. On days 3 and 7 post-infection, lung tissues were processed for viral loads and immune cell populations. Lung functions were also evaluated. Mortality was observed only in the IAV+RSV group (50% of mice did not survive beyond 7 days). On day 3, the viral loads in single-infected and co-infected mice were not significantly different. However, on day 7, the IAV titer was much higher in the IAV+RSV group, and the RSV viral load was reduced. CD4 T cells were reduced in all groups on day 7 except in single-infected mice. CD8 T cells were higher in all experimental groups except the RSV-alone group. Increased airway resistance and reduced thoracic compliance were demonstrated in both co-infected groups. This model indicates that, among all the infection types we studied, infection with IAV followed by RSV is associated with the highest IAV viral loads and the most morbidity and mortality.

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Microfluidic and Lab-on-a-Chip Systems for Cutaneous Wound Healing Studies

10.20944/preprints202104.0703.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ghazal Shabestani Monfared ◽

Peter Ertl ◽

Mario Rothbauer

Keyword(s):

Wound Healing ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Chronic Wounds ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Lab On A Chip ◽

Tissue Level ◽

Cutaneous Wound Healing ◽

Cutaneous Wound

Cutaneous wound healing is a complex multi-stage process involving direct and indirect cell communication events with the aim of efficiently restoring the barrier function of the skin. One key aspect in cutaneous wound healing is associated with cell movement and migration into the physically, chemically and biologically injured area resulting in wound closure. Understanding the conditions under which cell migration is impaired and elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that improve healing dynamics is therefore crucial in devising novel therapeutic strategies to elevate patient suffering, reduce scaring and eliminate chronic wounds. Following the global trend towards automation, miniaturization and integration of cell-based assays into microphysiological systems, conventional wound healing assays such as the scratch assay or cell exclusion assay have recently been translated and improved using microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip technologies. These miniaturized cell analysis systems allow precise spatial and temporal control over a range of dynamic microenvironmental factors including shear stress, biochemical and oxygen gradients to create more reliable in vitro models that resemble the in vivo microenvironment of a wound more closely on a molecular, cellular, and tissue level. The current review provides (a) an overview on the main molecular and cellular processes that take place during wound healing, (b) a brief introduction into conventional in vitro wound healing assays, and (c) a perspective on future cutaneous and vascular wound healing research using microfluidic technology.

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