scholarly journals Plant microRNAs from Moringa oleifera Regulate Immune Response and HIV Infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Minutolo ◽  
Marina Potestà ◽  
Valentina Roglia ◽  
Marco Cirilli ◽  
Federico Iacovelli ◽  
...  

Traditional medicine is often chosen due to its affordability, its familiarity with patient’s cultural practices, and its wider access to the local community. Plants play an important role in providing indispensable nutrients, while specific small RNAs can regulate human gene expression in a cross-kingdom manner. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of plant-enriched purified extract microRNAs from Moringa oleifera seeds (MO) on the immune response and on HIV infection. Bioinformatic analysis shows that plant microRNAs (p-miRs) from MO belonging to 18 conserved families, including p-miR160h, p-miR166, p-miR482b, p-miR159c, p-miR395d, p-miR2118a, p-miR393a, p-miR167f-3p, and p-miR858b are predicted to target with high affinity BCL2, IL2RA, TNF, and VAV1, all these being involved in the cell cycle, apoptosis, immune response and also in the regulation of HIV pathogenesis. The effects of MO p-miRs transfected into HIV+ PBMCs were analyzed and revealed a decrease in viability associated with an increase of apoptosis; an increase of T helper cells expressing Fas and a decrease of intracellular Bcl2 protein expression. Meanwhile no effects were detected in PBMCs from healthy donors. In CD4+ T cells, transfection significantly reduced cell activation and modified the T cell differentiation, thereby decreasing both central and effector memory cells while increasing terminal effector memory cells. Interestingly, the p-miRs transfection induces a reduction of intracellular HIV p24 protein and a reduction of viral DNA integration. Finally, we evaluated the effect of synthetic (mimic) p-miR858b whose sequence is present in the MO p-miR pool and predicted to target VAV1, a protein involved in HIV-Nef binding. This protein plays a pivotal role in T cell antigen receptor (TCR) signaling, so triggering the activation of various pathways. The transfection of HIV+ PBMCs with the synthetic p-miR858b showed a reduced expression of VAV1 and HIV p24 proteins. Overall, our evidence defines putative mechanisms underlying a supplementary benefit of traditional medicine, alongside current antiretroviral therapy, in managing HIV infection in resource-limited settings where MO remains widely available.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anno Saris ◽  
Tom D.Y. Reijnders ◽  
Esther J. Nossent ◽  
Alex R. Schuurman ◽  
Jan Verhoeff ◽  
...  

AbstractOur understanding of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) immune response is almost exclusively derived from studies that examined blood. To gain insight in the pulmonary immune response we analysed BALF samples and paired blood samples from 17 severe COVID-19 patients. Macrophages and T cells were the most abundant cells in BALF. In the lungs, both CD4 and CD8 T cells were predominantly effector memory cells and expressed higher levels of the exhaustion marker PD-1 than in peripheral blood. Prolonged ICU stay associated with a reduced proportion of activated T cells in peripheral blood and even more so in BALF. T cell activation in blood, but not in BALF, was higher in fatal COVID-19 cases. Increased levels of inflammatory mediators were more pronounced in BALF than in plasma. In conclusion, the bronchoalveolar immune response in COVID-19 has a unique local profile that strongly differs from the immune profile in peripheral blood.SummaryThe bronchoalveolar immune response in severe COVID-19 strongly differs from the peripheral blood immune profile. Fatal COVID-19 associated with T cell activation blood, but not in BALF.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pingsen Zhao ◽  
Jiahua Zou ◽  
Fan Zhou ◽  
Yanyan Zhu ◽  
Qibin Song ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is critical in both controlling primary infection and preventing re-infection. However, it remains unclear whether immune responses following natural infection can be sustained or potentially prove critical for long-term immune protection against SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. Here, we systematically mapped the phenotypic landscape of SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses in peripheral blood samples of 4 healthy donors and 13 convalescent patients with COVID-19, including moderate and severe cases, by single-cell RNA sequencing. Results: The relative percentage of the CD8+ effector memory subset was increased in both convalescent moderate and severe cases, but NKT-CD160 and maginal zone B clusters were decreased. Innate immune responses were attenuated reflected by decreased expression of genes involved in interferon-gamma, leukocyte migration and neutrophil mediated immune response in convalescent COVID-19 patients. Functions of T cell were strengthened in convalescent COVID-19 patients by clear endorsement of increased expression of genes involved in biological processes of regulation of T cell activation, differentiation and cell-cell adhesion. In addition, T cell mediated immune responses were enhanced with remarkable clonal expansions of TCR and increased transition of CD4+ effector memory and CD8+ effector-GNLY in severe subjects. B cell immune responses displayed sophisticated and dual functions during convalescence of COVID-19, providing a novel mechanism that B cell activation was observed especially in moderate while humoral immune response was weakened. Interestingly, HLA class I genes displayed downregulation while HLA class II genes upregulation in both T and B cell subsets in convalescent individuals. Notably, some unique IGV genes in severe patients may facilitate the design of vaccines. Conclusions: Our collective dataset showed that innate immunity was declined but SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses were retained even strengthened whereas sophisticated and dual functions of B cells, including declined humoral immunity were presented at several months following infections, which provided insights into evaluation of possibility of reinfection of exposed individuals with COVID-19 and facilitation to design of effective therapeutics and vaccines.


2019 ◽  
Vol 221 (7) ◽  
pp. 1135-1145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve E Martin ◽  
Matthew Pace ◽  
Freya M Shearer ◽  
Eva Zilber ◽  
Jacob Hurst ◽  
...  

Abstract Initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in early compared with chronic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with a smaller HIV reservoir. This longitudinal analysis of 60 individuals who began ART during primary HIV infection (PHI) investigates which pre- and posttherapy factors best predict HIV DNA levels (a correlate of reservoir size) after treatment initiation during PHI. The best predictor of HIV DNA at 1 year was pre-ART HIV DNA, which was in turn significantly associated with CD8 memory T-cell differentiation (effector memory, naive, and T-bet−Eomes− subsets), CD8 T-cell activation (CD38 expression) and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (Tim-3) expression on memory T cells. No associations were found for any immunological variables after 1 year of ART. Levels of HIV DNA are determined around the time of ART initiation in individuals treated during PHI. CD8 T-cell activation and memory expansion are linked to HIV DNA levels, suggesting the importance of the initial host-viral interplay in eventual reservoir size.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 119 (15) ◽  
pp. 3440-3449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefani Spranger ◽  
Irmela Jeremias ◽  
Susanne Wilde ◽  
Matthias Leisegang ◽  
Lilian Stärck ◽  
...  

Abstract The hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (HMMR/Rhamm) is overexpressed in numerous tumor types, including acute lymphoid leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Several studies have reported the existence of T-cell responses directed against HMMR in AML patients that are linked to better clinical outcome. Therefore, we explored the use of HMMR-specific TCRs for transgenic expression in lymphocytes and their in vivo impact on HMMR+ solid tumors and disseminated leukemia. We obtained TCRs via an in vitro priming approach in combination with CD137-mediated enrichment. Recipient lymphocytes expressing transgenic TCR revealed the specific tumor recognition pattern seen with the original T cells. Adoptive transfer experiments using a humanized xenograft mouse model resulted in significantly retarded solid tumor outgrowth, which was enhanced using IL-15–conditioned, TCR-transgenic effector memory cells. These cells also showed an increased potency to retard the outgrowth of disseminated AML, and this was further improved using CD8-enriched effector memory cells. To define a safe clinical setting for HMMR-TCR gene therapy, we analyzed transgenic T-cell recognition of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and found on-target killing of HLA-A2+ HSCs. Our findings clearly limit the use of HMMR-TCR therapy to MHC- mismatched HSC transplantation, in which HLA-A2 differences can be used to restrict recognition to patient HSCs and leukemia.


Thorax ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. thoraxjnl-2020-216256
Author(s):  
Anno Saris ◽  
Tom DY Reijnders ◽  
Esther J Nossent ◽  
Alex R Schuurman ◽  
Jan Verhoeff ◽  
...  

BackgroundKnowledge of the pathophysiology of COVID-19 is almost exclusively derived from studies that examined the immune response in blood. We here aimed to analyse the pulmonary immune response during severe COVID-19 and to compare this with blood responses.MethodsThis was an observational study in patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Mononuclear cells were purified from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and blood, and analysed by spectral flow cytometry; inflammatory mediators were measured in BALF and plasma.FindingsPaired blood and BALF samples were obtained from 17 patients, four of whom died in the ICU. Macrophages and T cells were the most abundant cells in BALF, with a high percentage of T cells expressing the ƴδ T cell receptor. In the lungs, both CD4 and CD8 T cells were predominantly effector memory cells (87·3% and 83·8%, respectively), and these cells expressed higher levels of the exhaustion marker programmad death-1 than in peripheral blood. Prolonged ICU stay (>14 days) was associated with a reduced proportion of activated T cells in peripheral blood and even more so in BALF. T cell activation in blood, but not in BALF, was higher in fatal COVID-19 cases. Increased levels of inflammatory mediators were more pronounced in BALF than in plasma.InterpretationThe bronchoalveolar immune response in COVID-19 has a unique local profile that strongly differs from the immune profile in peripheral blood. Fully elucidating COVID-19 pathophysiology will require investigation of the pulmonary immune response.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 561-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lia de Rond ◽  
Rose-Minke Schure ◽  
Kemal Öztürk ◽  
Guy Berbers ◽  
Elisabeth Sanders ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTWhooping cough remains a problem despite vaccination, and worldwide resurgence of pertussis is evident. Since cellular immunity plays a role in long-term protection against pertussis, we studied pertussis-specific T-cell responses. Around the time of the preschool acellular pertussis (aP) booster dose at 4 years of age, T-cell memory responses were compared in children who were primed during infancy with either a whole-cell pertussis (wP) or an aP vaccine. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated and stimulated with pertussis vaccine antigens for 5 days. T cells were characterized by flow-based analysis of carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) dilution and CD4, CD3, CD45RA, CCR7, gamma interferon (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) expression. Before the aP preschool booster vaccination, both the proliferated pertussis toxin (PT)-specific CD4+and CD8+T-cell fractions (CFSEdim) were higher in aP- than in wP-primed children. Post-booster vaccination, more pertussis-specific CD4+effector memory cells (CD45RA−CCR7−) were induced in aP-primed children than in those primed with wP. The booster vaccination did not appear to significantly affect the T-cell memory subsets and functionality in aP-primed or wP-primed children. Although the percentages of Th1 cytokine-producing cells were alike in aP- and wP-primed children pre-booster vaccination, aP-primed children produced more Th1 cytokines due to higher numbers of proliferated pertussis-specific effector memory cells. At present, infant vaccinations with four aP vaccines in the first year of life result in pertussis-specific CD4+and CD8+effector memory T-cell responses that persist in children until 4 years of age and are higher than those in wP-primed children. The booster at 4 years of age is therefore questionable; this may be postponed to 6 years of age.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve E Martin ◽  
Matthew Pace ◽  
Freya Shearer ◽  
Eva Zilber ◽  
Jacob Hurst ◽  
...  

AbstractInitiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in early compared with chronic HIV infection is associated with a smaller HIV reservoir. This longitudinal analysis of 63 individuals who commenced ART during primary HIV infection (PHI) investigates which pre-and post-therapy factors associate most closely with reservoir size (HIV DNA) following treatment initiation during PHI. The best predictor of reservoir size at one-year was pre-ART HIV DNA which was in turn significantly associated with CD8 memory differentiation (effector memory, naïve and T-betnegEomesnegsubsets), CD8 T cell activation (CD38 expression) and PD-1 and Tim-3 expression on memory CD4 T cells. No associations were found for any immunological variables following one-year of ART. HIV reservoir size is determined around the time of ART initiation in individuals treated during PHI. CD8 T cell activation and memory expansion are linked to HIV reservoir size, suggesting the importance of the initial host-viral interplay in eventual reservoir size.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-516
Author(s):  
M. Sh. Barkovskaya ◽  
E. A. Blinova ◽  
L. V. Grishina ◽  
M. I. Leonova ◽  
V. M. Nepomniashchikch ◽  
...  

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract. T-lymphocytes play a key role in pathogenesis of this allergic disease. The reduction in number of naïve T cells and the accumulation of memory T cells in bronchial asthma are accompanied by dysregulation of T lymphocyte function. In present study, we have investigated the contents of different T lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood as well as in resting and PHA-stimulated cultures, along with their proliferative capacity in patients with bronchial asthma and healthy donors. The study included 10 patients with bronchial asthma (age 45.4±11.8 years). One-half of patients was in remission state, the others having been at the stage of clinical exacerbation. The group of donors was formed by healthy individuals matched by gender and age to the patients. Based on expression of cell surface markers CD45R0, CD62L and CD197 (CCR7), the CD4+ and CD8+T lymphocytes were divided into central (Tcm) and effector memory cells (Tem), naïve T lymphocytes (Tnaïve) and terminally differentiated effector cells (Temra) using flow cytometry technique. The proliferative activity of Tcm, Tem and Tnaïve was evaluated in response to PHA as a functional marker of T cells. We have found that the percentage of peripheral CD4+TemCD62L+ and CD8+TemCD62L+ cells in the patients with asthma exacerbation was significantly reduced, if compared to the donors. Following PHA stimulation, these differences in T cell subsets between the groups of patients and donors were not detectable. We performed a correlation analysis between the memory T cell contents and age of the subjects studied. It was shown that the relative amounts of CD4+ and CD8+ memory cells increased with age in asthmatics, but not in healthy donors. Analysis of mitogen-induced proliferation showed that Tcm and Tnaïve cells proliferated more actively than other subpopulations in both groups. Meanwhile, the proliferative activity of CD4+T lymphocytes and subsets of CD8+Tcm, CD4+Tcm and CD4+Tem62L was higher in the group of asthma patients in remission state than in the patients with exacerbating disease, and healthy donors. The revealed increase in the relative number of memory T cells with age suggests that these cells participate in development of bronchial asthma. Proliferative response of the studied subpopulations, which was comparable to the donor values, suggests a functional maintenance of memory T cells and naïve T lymphocytes in bronchial asthma. The increased proliferation of some T-cell subpopulations in asthmatics in remission suggests an activated state of memory T cells. The observed decrease in the number of CD4+TemCD62L+ and CD8+TemCD62L+ in patients with asthma exacerbation may be, by our opinion, associated with an active inflammatory process in the airways.


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