Artificial thymic organoid cultures: In vitro human T-cell differentiation from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

Differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells into T lymphocytes generally occurs in the unique environment of the thymus, a feature that has hindered efforts to model this process in the laboratory. We now report that thymic stromal cultures from rhesus macaques can support T-cell differentiation of human or rhesus CD34+ progenitor cells. Culture of rhesus or human CD34+ bone marrow-derived cells depleted of CD34+ lymphocytes on rhesus thymic stromal monolayers yielded CD3+CD4+CD8+, CD3+CD4+CD8-, and CD3+CD4-CD8+ cells after 10 to 14 days. In addition to classical T lymphocytes, a discrete population of CD3+CD8loCD16+CD56+ cells was detected after 14 days in cultures inoculated with rhesus CD34+ cells. CD3+ T cells arising from these cultures were not derived from contaminating T cells present in the CD34+ cells used to inoculate thymic stromal monolayers or from the thymic monolayers, as shown by labeling of cells with the lipophilic membrane dye PKH26. Expression of the recombinase activation gene RAG- 2, which is selectively expressed in developing lymphocytes, was detectable in thymic cultures inoculated with CD34+ cells but not in CD34+ cells before thymic culture or in thymic stromal monolayers alone. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of T cells derived from thymic stromal cultures of rhesus and human CD34+ cells showed a polyclonal T-cell receptor repertoire. T-cell progeny derived from rhesus CD34+ cells cultured on thymic stroma supported vigorous simian immunodeficiency virus replication in the absence of exogenous mitogenic stimuli. Rhesus thymic stromal cultures provide a convenient means to analyze T-cell differentiation in vitro and may be useful as a model of hematopoietic stem cell therapy for diseases of T cells, including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

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Opposing Effects of Toll-Like Receptor Ligands and Ascorbic Acid On T and Natural Killer Cell Development From Lymphoid Progenitor Cells.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v114.22.1491.1491 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (22) ◽

pp. 1491-1491 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Birgitta Mitchell ◽

Maritza Gonzalez ◽

Jared Manning ◽

Gerald J Spangrude

Keyword(s):

Ascorbic Acid ◽

Cell Differentiation ◽

T Cell ◽

Progenitor Cells ◽

Nk Cell ◽

Cell Receptor ◽

Cell Development ◽

T Cell Differentiation ◽

Nk Cell Differentiation

Abstract Abstract 1491 Poster Board I-514 Introduction: A complete understanding of lymphocyte development, particularly factors driving T and natural killer (NK) cell differentiation from progenitor cells, remains an elusive goal in medicine. T and NK cells are key regulators in the defense against infections and malignancies and play a direct causative role in autoimmune diseases and graft-versus-host disease. The OP9-DL1 stromal line is an important tool in the in vitro study of lymphocyte development. Lymphocyte progenitors (KLS,Thy1.1-) harvested from adult murine bone marrow and seeded on this stromal line can be followed through stages of maturation by immunophenotyping. We observed that addition of stem cell factor (SCF), contaminated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through its production in E. coli, was particularly effective at promoting NK cell development in the OP9-DL1 culture system. Toll-like receptors, an important component of anti-microbial defense by the innate immune response, recognize LPS and other microbial products. Toll-like receptor ligands (TLR-L) have been shown to enhance NK cell proliferation, however an effect on NK cell differentiation from progenitor cells has not been established. A separate set of experiments led us to hypothesize that ascorbic acid (vitamin C) promotes T cell differentiation. We therefore designed experiments to evaluate the differential effects of TLR-L and ascorbic acid on NK and T cell development from lymphoid progenitors co-cultured with OP9-DL1 stromal cells. Methods: Lymphocyte progenitor cells (KLS,Thy1.1-) were sorted from adult mouse bone marrow and 1000-2000 progenitor cells were seeded per well in a 24 well plate coated with OP9-DL1 stroma. Cultures were supplemented with IL-7 (5 ng/ml), Flt3 ligand (5 ng/ml), and SCF (100 ng/ml) plus one of 5 different TLR-L (TLR1/2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, and a crude LPS preparation that likely contains a number of TLR-L), with or without addition of a stabilized form of ascorbic acid. Cells were passaged, counted and re-seeded with fresh media and supplements twice a week over a 30-day period. Immunophenotype and viability were evaluated by flow cytometry. Markers for T cell development included CD44, CD25, CD3, CD4, CD8, T cell receptor beta chain and T cell receptor gamma-delta chains. NK cells were evaluated for the presence of NKp46, NK1.1, and DX5. Results: We observed robust cell expansion, inhibited somewhat by addition of ascorbic acid. The inhibitory effect of ascorbate on expansion was most pronounced in the culture condition lacking TLR-L. T cell differentiation was markedly advanced by the addition of ascorbic acid in the absence of TLR-L, with the majority of cells co-expressing CD4/CD8 and TCRB/CD3. The addition of different TLR-Ls inhibited T cell differentiation, and this inhibition was partially rescued by addition of ascorbic acid. NK cell differentiation, defined as co-expression of NKp46 and NK1.1, was two to three-fold greater with the addition of TLR1/2, TLR4, TLR5, and crude LPS compared to cultures lacking TLR-L addition. In each of these conditions, NK cell differentiation was markedly inhibited by addition of ascorbic acid. Conclusions: Our data supports the hypothesis that both T and NK cell progenitors require Notch signaling for differentiation. In our in vitro model, differentiation of one lineage at the expense of the other can be manipulated with addition of TLR-L or ascorbic acid. Addition of bacterial TLR-L promotes NK cell differentiation at the expense of T cell differentiation; an effect that is partially overcome with the addition of ascorbic acid. The addition of ascorbic acid promotes robust T cell differentiation, and inhibits significant NK cell differentiation in all conditions. The ability of ascorbic acid to promote T cell differentiation appears to dominate over TLR-L promotion of NK lineage differentiation. Further work will include microarray to evaluate these effects at a genetic level. These findings will contribute to our understanding of the immune response under normal and pathologic conditions, and further a model both for study and ex vivo expansion of immune cells for therapeutic use. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Enhanced differentiation of functional human T cells in NSGW41 mice with tissue-specific expression of human interleukin-7

10.1101/2020.04.24.060319 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Emilie Coppin ◽

Bala Sai Sundarasetty ◽

Susann Rahmig ◽

Jonas Blume ◽

Nikita A. Verheyden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Cell Differentiation ◽

T Cell ◽

Regulatory Elements ◽

T Cell Differentiation ◽

Human Immune System ◽

Specific Expression ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Human T Cell ◽

Human T Cells

AbstractHumanized mouse models have become increasingly valuable tools to study human hematopoiesis and infectious diseases. However, human T cell differentiation remains inefficient. We generated mice expressing human interleukin (IL-7), a critical growth and survival factor for T cells, under the control of murine IL-7 regulatory elements. After transfer of human cord blood-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, transgenic mice on the NSGW41 background, termed NSGW41hIL7, showed elevated and prolonged human cellularity in the thymus while maintaining physiological ratios of thymocyte subsets. As a consequence, numbers of functional human T cells in the periphery were increased without evidence for pathological lymphoproliferation or aberrant expansion of effector or memory-like T cells. We conclude that the novel NSGW41hIL7 strain represents an optimized mouse model for humanization to better understand human T cell differentiation in vivo and to generate a human immune system with a better approximation of human lymphocyte ratios.

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Induction of T-cell development from human cord blood hematopoietic stem cells by Delta-like 1 in vitro

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2004-04-1293 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 105 (4) ◽

pp. 1431-1439 ◽

Cited By ~ 195

Author(s):

Ross N. La Motte-Mohs ◽

Elaine Herer ◽

Juan Carlos Zúñiga-Pflücker

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

T Cells ◽

Cell Differentiation ◽

T Cell ◽

Cord Blood ◽

T Cell Development ◽

T Cell Differentiation ◽

Human Cord Blood ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

AbstractThe Notch signaling pathway plays a key role at several stages of T-lymphocyte differentiation. However, it remained unclear whether signals induced by the Notch ligand Delta-like 1 could support full T-cell differentiation from a defined source of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in vitro. Here, we show that human cord blood–derived HSCs cultured on Delta-like 1–expressing OP9 stromal cells undergo efficient T-cell lineage commitment and sustained T-cell differentiation. A normal stage-specific program of T-cell development was observed, including the generation of CD4 and CD8 αβ–T-cell receptor (TCR)–bearing cells. Induction of T-cell differentiation was dependent on the expression of Delta-like 1 by the OP9 cells. Stimulation of the in vitro–differentiated T cells by TCR engagement induced the expression of T-cell activation markers and costimulatory receptors. These results establish an efficient in vitro coculture system for the generation of T cells from human HSCs, providing a new avenue for the study of early T-cell differentiation and function.

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Effects of LMO2 on Human T-Cell Development Are Modulated by Notch Signaling

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v118.21.2470.2470 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 118 (21) ◽

pp. 2470-2470

Author(s):

James A Kennedy ◽

Renata Teixeira ◽

Sara Berthiaume ◽

Frederic Barabe

Keyword(s):

Gene Therapy ◽

T Cells ◽

Cell Differentiation ◽

T Cell ◽

Notch Signaling ◽

T Cell Differentiation ◽

Human T Cell ◽

T Cell Leukemogenesis

Abstract Abstract 2470 LMO2 is overexpressed in a significant percentage of human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and its locus has been the target of insertional mutagenesis in gene therapy trials. In the past years, 4 X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-linked SCID) and one Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) patients who were treated by retrovirus-mediated gene therapy developed T-ALL as a result of retroviral integration in the LMO2 locus. In these patients, leukemia developed 2 to 3 years after gene therapy without prior significant haematological abnormalities. However, both the latency of disease and the finding of additional somatic mutations and/or translocations in these leukemias suggest that the overexpression of LMO2 alone is insufficient to generate leukemia, a notion that has been supported by studies in mouse. Though LMO2 is typically recognized as a T-cell oncogene, reports have shown that it is also aberrantly expressed in acute myeloid leukemias (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), B-ALL and some non-hodgkin B cell lymphomas. In order to study the impact of LMO2 overexpression on human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, a lentiviral vector was used to express this oncogene together with EGFP in lineage-depleted umbilical cord blood. In myeloid-promoting cultures, LMO2 had no effect on either differentiation or proliferation. Moreover, the expression of LMO2 did not modify the frequency or lineage distribution of colony forming progenitors compared to controls. However, significant differences were noted when transduced cells were assayed on OP9-Delta-Like 1 (DL1) stroma, an in vitro system that promotes T cell proliferation and differentiation. Cells overexpressing LMO2 were blocked at the double negative stage (CD4-CD8-) of differentiation and proliferated 50 to 100 times more than control cells. However, these cells were not immortalized as they proliferated for a median of 75 days, versus 50 days for controls. Immunodeficient mice transplanted with primitive human hematopoietic cells expressing LMO2 (hereafter referred as LMO2 mice) had bone marrow engraftment levels comparable to controls at 20–24 weeks post-transplant. Neither B-lymphoid nor myeloid development were affected by LMO2 overexpression. Strikingly, in the thymus, the percentage of EGFP+ cells was significantly increased in LMO2 mice compared to controls (mean of 47.7% versus 8.8%, p=0.0001), clearly indicating that expression of this oncogene enhances thymic T-cell engraftment. We next analyzed the phenotype of LMO2-expressing T cells in the thymus and peripheral blood of these mice. Surprisingly, unlike our in vitro studies, there was no evidence of a block at the DN-stage of differentiation. Instead, there were significantly less EGFP+ DN cells in the thymi of LMO2 mice compared to controls (mean of 7.5% vs 14.5%, p=0.035). These results clearly demonstrate that unlike what was observed in OP9-DL1 co-cultures, LMO2 overexpression does not induce a block in T-cell differentiation in our in vivo system. One possible explanation for this difference is the constitutive NOTCH signaling provided via DL1 on stroma compared to the in vivo setting where LMO2-expressing cells would encounter different levels and forms of NOTCH signaling throughout development. To test this hypothesis, LMO2 cells were cultured on OP9-DL1 stroma for 50 days then switched onto OP9 stroma lacking NOTCH ligand. Upon transfer, the DN cells promptly stopped proliferating and differentiated into DP (CD4+CD8+) cells expressing CD3 and TCRαβ. Thus, our results suggest that in the in vivo setting, as cells migrate through the thymus and face a decrease in NOTCH signaling, LMO2 overexpression alone can promote proliferation, but is not sufficient to maintain a differentiation block. However, constitutive NOTCH signaling can cooperate with LMO2 overexpression to block T cell differentiation at a proliferative DN stage. Thus, one can postulate that LMO2 exerts a proliferative effect on developing T-cells in thymic regions with high levels of NOTCH signaling, potentially providing a setting for the development of secondary leukemogenic events. NOTCH mutations are common in human T-ALL and can therefore allow for LMO2 overexpressing cells to become independent of the stromal niche. Taken together, our results suggest cooperation between LMO2 overexpression and NOTCH signaling in human T-cell leukemogenesis. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Treatment of Post- HSCT Immunodeficiency By Infusion of Ex Vivo- Generated T Cell Precursors from Adult and Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v126.23.1887.1887 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 126 (23) ◽

pp. 1887-1887

Author(s):

Laura Simons ◽

Corinne De La Chappedelaine ◽

Christian Reimann ◽

Elodie Elkaim ◽

Sandrine Susini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Differentiation ◽

T Cell ◽

Cord Blood ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

T Cell Differentiation ◽

Cell Compartment ◽

Differentiation Potential ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

T Cell Progenitors

Abstract Non-HLA identical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) provides a corrective therapy for most life-threatening primary immunodeficiencies (PID) and some malignant hemopathies. Despite advances made, severe complications following the treatment such as the prolonged persistence of T cell immunodeficiency still limit the use of this partially incompatible HSCT. After HSCT, the reconstitution of a functional T cell compartment relies on the availability of T cell precursors to rapidly seed the thymus and differentiate into mature T cells. We have previously demonstrated that an in vitro culture system based on the use of a modified Delta-like-4 (DLL4) Notch ligand and T cell cytokines allows for the effective generation of human T cell precursors from cord blood within 7 days. Moreover, once injected into NOD/SCID/gcko mice, T cell precursors generated in this system were able to colonize the thymus and generate a diversified and functional T-cell compartment. Here, we aimed at testing the capacity of adult HSPCs in this reconstitution system. We found that, like their CB- derived counterparts, T cell precursors generated from adult HPSCs phenotypically resembled thymic CD34+CD7+ cells with high in vitro T-cell differentiation potential. Interestingly, the peak of T cell progenitors for adult HSPCs occurred around day 3, compared to day 7 in CB. At this timepoint, T cell precursors derived from adult HSPC already expressed all critical genes for T cell lineage development, as well as the major chemokine receptors implicated in thymus homing. The introduction of retronectin further improved differentiation and proliferation of T cell progenitors from both HPSC sources in our in vitro system. Comparative molecular analysis of adult- and CB- derived progenitors suggested, that differential requirements for Notch receptor/ligand interactions may explain the differences in kinetics observed during the culture of the two types of HSPC. It remains to be further evaluated, whether targeted modifications of the Notch signaling pathway can improve the outcome of this in vitro T cell differentiation system for adult HPSCs. Overall our results suggest that adult HSPCs, like their CB- derived counterparts, provide an effective source of in vitro cultured T cell progenitors harboring all the necessary requirements for the in vivo -reconstitution of a functional T cell compartment. This is particularly important in the context of future clinical applications in HSCT where adult HSPCs are more available and more frequently used than CB HSPCs. Based on our results, we propose that upon injection into a patient, DLL4- cultured T cell precursors from both HSPC sources could significantly accelerate the reconstitution of the adaptive immune system after a partially HLA-incompatible HSCT. Currently, we are translating these results into a phase I clinical trial including adult and pediatric patients transplanted for malignant hemopathies or PIDs requiring an allogeneic HSCT from a HLA-partially mismatched donors. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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The spleen as a sanctuary site for residual leukemic cells following ABT-199 monotherapy in ETP-ALL

Blood Advances ◽

10.1182/bloodadvances.2021004177 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (7) ◽

pp. 1963-1976

Author(s):

Alessandra Di Grande ◽

Sofie Peirs ◽

Paul D. Donovan ◽

Maaike Van Trimpont ◽

Julie Morscio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Differentiation ◽

T Cell ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

B Cell Lymphoma ◽

T Cell Differentiation ◽

Leukemic Cells ◽

Human T Cell

Abstract B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) has recently emerged as a therapeutic target for early T-cell progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL), a high-risk subtype of human T-cell ALL. The major clinical challenge with targeted therapeutics, such as the BCL-2 inhibitor ABT-199, is the development of acquired resistance. We assessed the in vivo response of luciferase-positive LOUCY cells to ABT-199 monotherapy and observed specific residual disease in the splenic microenvironment. Of note, these results were confirmed by using a primary ETP-ALL patient-derived xenograft. Splenomegaly has previously been associated with poor prognosis in diverse types of leukemia. However, the exact mechanism by which the splenic microenvironment alters responses to specific targeted therapies remains largely unexplored. We show that residual LOUCY cells isolated from the spleen microenvironment displayed reduced BCL-2 dependence, which was accompanied by decreased BCL-2 expression levels. Notably, this phenotype of reduced BCL-2 dependence could be recapitulated by using human splenic fibroblast coculture experiments and was confirmed in an in vitro chronic ABT-199 resistance model of LOUCY. Finally, single-cell RNA-sequencing was used to show that ABT-199 triggers transcriptional changes in T-cell differentiation genes in leukemic cells obtained from the spleen microenvironment. Of note, increased expression of CD1a and sCD3 was also observed in ABT199-resistant LOUCY clones, further reinforcing the idea that a more differentiated leukemic population might display decreased sensitivity toward BCL-2 inhibition. Overall, our data reveal the spleen as a site of residual disease for ABT-199 treatment in ETP-ALL and provide evidence for plasticity in T-cell differentiation as a mechanism of therapy resistance.

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Enhanced differentiation of functional human T cells in NSGW41 mice with tissue-specific expression of human interleukin-7

Leukemia ◽

10.1038/s41375-021-01259-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emilie Coppin ◽

Bala Sai Sundarasetty ◽

Susann Rahmig ◽

Jonas Blume ◽

Nikita A. Verheyden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Cell Differentiation ◽

T Cell ◽

Regulatory Elements ◽

T Cell Differentiation ◽

Human Immune System ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Interleukin 7 ◽

Human T Cell ◽

Human T Cells

AbstractHumanized mouse models have become increasingly valuable tools to study human hematopoiesis and infectious diseases. However, human T-cell differentiation remains inefficient. We generated mice expressing human interleukin-7 (IL-7), a critical growth and survival factor for T cells, under the control of murine IL-7 regulatory elements. After transfer of human cord blood-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, transgenic mice on the NSGW41 background, termed NSGW41hIL7, showed elevated and prolonged human cellularity in the thymus while maintaining physiological ratios of thymocyte subsets. As a consequence, numbers of functional human T cells in the periphery were increased without evidence for pathological lymphoproliferation or aberrant expansion of effector or memory-like T cells. We conclude that the novel NSGW41hIL7 strain represents an optimized mouse model for humanization to better understand human T-cell differentiation in vivo and to generate a human immune system with a better approximation of human lymphocyte ratios.

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