Exosomes derived from microRNA-540-3p overexpressing mesenchymal stem cells promote immune tolerance via the CD74/nuclear factor-kappaB pathway in cardiac allograft

BACKGROUND Heart transplantation is a crucial intervention for severe heart failure,yet the challenge of organ rejection is significant.Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)and their exosomes have demonstrated potential in modulating T cells,dendtitic cells(DCs),and cytokines to achieve immunomodulatory effects.DCs,as key antigen-presenting cells,play a critical role in shaping immune responses by influencing T-cell activation and cytokine production.Through this modulation,BMSCs and their exosomes enhance graft tolerance and prolonging survival.AIM To explore the immunomodulatory effects of exosomes derived from BMSCs overexpressing microRNA-540-3p(miR-540-3p)on cardiac allograft tolerance,focusing on how these exosomes modulating DCs and T cells activity through the CD74/nuclear factor-kappaB(NF-κB)pathway.METHODS Rat models were used to assess the impact of miR-540-3p-enhanced exosomes on immune tolerance in cardiac allografts.MiR-540-3p expression was manipulated in BMSCs,and derived exosomes were collected and administered to the rat models post-heart transplantation.The study monitored expression levels of major histocompatibility complex II,CD80,CD86,and CD274 in DCs,and quantified CD4^(+)and CD8^(+)T cells,T regulatory cells,and cytokine profiles.RESULTS Exosomes from miR-540-3p-overexpressing BMSCs lead to reduced expression of immune activation markers CD74 and NF-κB p65 in DCs and T cells.Rats treated with these exosomes showed decreased inflammation and improved cardiac function,indicated by lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines(interleukin-1β,interferon-γ)and higher levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines(interleukin-10,transforming growth factorβ1).Additionally,miR-540-3p skewed the profiles of DCs and T cells towards immune tolerance,increasing the ratio of T regulatory cells and shifting cytokine secretion to favor graft acceptance.CONCLUSION Exosomes derived from BMSCs overexpressing miR-540-3p significantly enhance immune tolerance and prolong cardiac allograft survival by modulating the CD74/NF-κB pathway,which regulates activities of DCs and T cells.These findings highlight a promising therapeutic strategy to improve heart transplantation outcomes and potentially reduce the need for prolonged immunosuppression.

Tumor-infiltrating T-Lymphocyte immunity-related immune tolerance and anti–programmed cell death protein 1/ligand of programmed cell death protein 1 therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Systemic therapy has become the standard treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)whose treatment options are limited.However,the long-term patient response to drugs and the survival outcomes remain a concern.With increasing exploration of the HCC microenvironment,particularly in terms of T lymphocyte immunity,a new era of immunomolecular targeted therapy,based on molecular signaling,has arrived for advanced HCC.In the study of immune tolerance of the intrinsic HCC microenvironment,we found that multiple immunosuppressive mechanisms and immune checkpoint inhibitors,such as anti–programmed cell death protein 1/ligand of programmed cell death protein 1 therapy,have improved clinical outcomes in some patients with advanced HCC.Furthermore,various combination therapies have been investigated,and HCC types have been categorized into different types based on anti–programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)/ligand of programmed cell death protein 1(PD-L1)treatment.In this paper,we first discuss the tumor-infiltrating T lymphocyte immunity and immune tolerance of HCC.We then clarify the basic mechanism of anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy and discuss the types of HCC based on anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.Thereafter,we explain the relevant studies and mechanisms of combination therapy of anti–PD-1/PD-L1 with antiangiogenesis drugs or multikinase kinase inhibitors,anti–T lymphocyte–related signaling pathways in HCC,and other anti-CD8+T cell immune checkpoints.In this way,this review offers a deeper understanding of anti–PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy for advanced HCC,in order to provide better individualized treatments for patients with advanced HCC.

Cellular strategies to induce immune tolerance after liver transplantation:Clinical perspectives

Liver transplantation(LT)has become the most efficient treatment for pediatric and adult end-stage liver disease and the survival time after transplantation is becoming longer due to the development of surgical techniques and perioperative management.However,long-term side-effects of immunosuppressants,like infection,metabolic disorders and malignant tumor are gaining more attention.Immune tolerance is the status in which LT recipients no longer need to take any immunosuppressants,but the liver function and intrahepatic histology maintain normal.The approaches to achieve immune tolerance after transplantation include spontaneous,operational and induced tolerance.The first two means require no specific intervention but withdrawing immunosuppressant gradually during follow-up.No clinical factors or biomarkers so far could accurately predict who are suitable for immunosuppressant withdraw after transplantation.With the understanding to the underlying mechanisms of immune tolerance,many strategies have been developed to induce tolerance in LT recipients.Cellular strategy is one of the most promising methods for immune tolerance induction,including chimerism induced by hematopoietic stem cells and adoptive transfer of regulatory immune cells.The safety and efficacy of various cell products have been evaluated by prospective preclinical and clinical trials,while obstacles still exist before translating into clinical practice.Here,we will summarize the latest perspectives and concerns on the clinical application of cellular strategies in LT recipients.

Research progress of tumor-associated macrophages in immune checkpoint inhibitor tolerance in colorectal cancer

The relevant mechanism of tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs)in the treatment of colorectal cancer patients with immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)is discussed,and the application prospects of TAMs in reversing the treatment tolerance of ICIs are discussed to provide a reference for related studies.As a class of drugs widely used in clinical tumor immunotherapy,ICIs can act on regulatory molecules on cells that play an inhibitory role-immune checkpoints-and kill tumors in the form of an immune response by activating a variety of immune cells in the immune system.The sensitivity of patients with different types of colorectal cancer to ICI treatment varies greatly.The phenotype and function of TAMs in the colorectal cancer microenvironment are closely related to the efficacy of ICIs.ICIs can regulate the phenotypic function of TAMs,and TAMs can also affect the tolerance of colorectal cancer to ICI therapy.TAMs play an important role in ICI resistance,and making full use of this target as a therapeutic strategy is expected to improve the immunotherapy efficacy and prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer.

Tumor-derived DEFB1 induces immune tolerance by inhibiting maturation of dendritic cell and impairing CD8+T cell function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Objective:CD8+T cells are the key effector cells in the anti-tumor immune response.The mechanism underlying the infiltration of CD8+T cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)has not been clearly elucidated.Methods:Fresh ESCC tissues were collected and grouped according to the infiltration density of CD8+T cells.After the transcriptome sequencing on these samples and the combined analyses with The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)ESCC data,a secreted protein DEFB1 was selected to explore its potential role in the infiltration of CD8+T cells.Bioinformatics analyses,histological verification and in vitro experiments were then performed.Results:DEFB1 was highly expressed in ESCC,and the high expression of DEFB1 was an independent risk factor for overall survival.Since the up-regulation or down-regulation of DEFB1 did not affect the proliferation,migration and apoptosis of ESCC cells,we speculated that the oncogenic effect of DEFB1 was achieved by regulating microenvironmental characteristics.Bioinformatics analyses suggested that DEFB1 might play a major role in the inflammatory response and anti-tumor immune response,and correlate to the infiltration of immature dendritic cell(imDC)in ESCC.Histological analyses further confirmed that there were less CD8+T cells infiltrated,less CD83+mature DC(mDC)infiltrated and more CD1a+imDC infiltrated in those ESCC samples with high expression of DEFB1.After the treatment with recombinant DEFB1 protein,the maturation of DC was hindered significantly,followed by the impairment of the killing effects of T cells in both 2D and 3D culture in vitro.Conclusions:Tumor-derived DEFB1 can inhibit the maturation of DC and weaken the function of CD8+T cells,accounting for the immune tolerance in ESCC.The role of DEFB1 in ESCC deserves further exploration.

Loss-of-function mutations of microRNA-142-3p promote ASH1L expression to induce immune evasion and hepatocellular carcinoma progression

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has been a pervasive malignancy throughout the world with elevated mortality.Efficient therapeutic targets are beneficial to treat and predict the disease.Currently,the exact molecular mechanisms leading to the progression of HCC are still unclear.Research has shown that the microRNA-142-3p level decreases in HCC,whereas bioinformatics analysis of the cancer genome atlas database shows the ASH1L expression increased among liver tumor tissues.In this paper,we will explore the effects and mechanisms of microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L affect the prognosis of HCC patients and HCC cell bioactivity,and the association between them.AIM To investigate the effects and mechanisms of microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L on the HCC cell bioactivity and prognosis of HCC patients.METHODS In this study,we grouped HCC patients according to their immunohistochemistry results of ASH1L with pathological tissues,and retrospectively analyzed the prognosis of HCC patients.Furthermore,explored the roles and mechanisms of microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L by cellular and animal experiments,which involved the following experimental methods:Immunohistochemical staining,western blot,quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction,flow cytometric analysis,tumor xenografts in nude mice,etc.The statistical methods involved in this study contained t-test,one-way analysis of variance,theχ^(2)test,the Kaplan-Meier approach and the log-rank test.RESULTS In this study,we found that HCC patients with high expression of ASH1L possess a more recurrence rate as well as a decreased overall survival rate.ASH1L promotes the tumorigenicity of HCC and microRNA-142-3p exhibits reduced expression in HCC tissues and interacts with ASH1L through targeting the ASH1L 3′untranslated region.Furthermore,microRNA-142-3p promotes apoptosis and inhibits proliferation,invasion,and migration of HCC cell lines in vitro via ASH1L.For the exploration mechanism,we found ASH1L may promote an immunosuppressive microenvironment in HCC and ASH1L affects the expression of the cell junction protein zonula occludens-1,which is potentially relevant to the immune system.CONCLUSION Loss function of microRNA-142-3p induces cancer progression and immune evasion through upregulation of ASH1L in HCC.Both microRNA-142-3p and ASH1L can feature as new biomarker for HCC in the future.

Meningeal lymphatic vessel crosstalk with central nervous system immune cells in aging and neurodegenerative diseases

Meningeal lymphatic vessels form a relationship between the nervous system and periphery, which is relevant in both health and disease. Meningeal lymphatic vessels not only play a key role in the drainage of brain metabolites but also contribute to antigen delivery and immune cell activation. The advent of novel genomic technologies has enabled rapid progress in the characterization of myeloid and lymphoid cells and their interactions with meningeal lymphatic vessels within the central nervous system. In this review, we provide an overview of the multifaceted roles of meningeal lymphatic vessels within the context of the central nervous system immune network, highlighting recent discoveries on the immunological niche provided by meningeal lymphatic vessels. Furthermore, we delve into the mechanisms of crosstalk between meningeal lymphatic vessels and immune cells in the central nervous system under both homeostatic conditions and neurodegenerative diseases, discussing how these interactions shape the pathological outcomes. Regulation of meningeal lymphatic vessel function and structure can influence lymphatic drainage, cerebrospinal fluid-borne immune modulators, and immune cell populations in aging and neurodegenerative disorders, thereby playing a key role in shaping meningeal and brain parenchyma immunity.

T cell interactions with microglia in immune-inflammatory processes of ischemic stroke

The primary mechanism of secondary injury after cerebral ischemia may be the brain inflammation that emerges after an ischemic stroke,which promotes neuronal death and inhibits nerve tissue regeneration.As the first immune cells to be activated after an ischemic stroke,microglia play an important immunomodulatory role in the progression of the condition.After an ischemic stroke,peripheral blood immune cells(mainly T cells)are recruited to the central nervous system by chemokines secreted by immune cells in the brain,where they interact with central nervous system cells(mainly microglia)to trigger a secondary neuroimmune response.This review summarizes the interactions between T cells and microglia in the immune-inflammatory processes of ischemic stroke.We found that,during ischemic stroke,T cells and microglia demonstrate a more pronounced synergistic effect.Th1,Th17,and M1 microglia can co-secrete proinflammatory factors,such as interferon-γ,tumor necrosis factor-α,and interleukin-1β,to promote neuroinflammation and exacerbate brain injury.Th2,Treg,and M2 microglia jointly secrete anti-inflammatory factors,such as interleukin-4,interleukin-10,and transforming growth factor-β,to inhibit the progression of neuroinflammation,as well as growth factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor to promote nerve regeneration and repair brain injury.Immune interactions between microglia and T cells influence the direction of the subsequent neuroinflammation,which in turn determines the prognosis of ischemic stroke patients.Clinical trials have been conducted on the ways to modulate the interactions between T cells and microglia toward anti-inflammatory communication using the immunosuppressant fingolimod or overdosing with Treg cells to promote neural tissue repair and reduce the damage caused by ischemic stroke.However,such studies have been relatively infrequent,and clinical experience is still insufficient.In summary,in ischemic stroke,T cell subsets and activated microglia act synergistically to regulate inflammatory progression,mainly by secreting inflammatory factors.In the future,a key research direction for ischemic stroke treatment could be rooted in the enhancement of anti-inflammatory factor secretion by promoting the generation of Th2 and Treg cells,along with the activation of M2-type microglia.These approaches may alleviate neuroinflammation and facilitate the repair of neural tissues.

Correlation between gut microbiota and tumor immune microenvironment:A bibliometric and visualized study

BACKGROUND In recent years,numerous reports have been published regarding the relationship between the gut microbiota and the tumor immune microenvironment(TIME).However,to date,no systematic study has been conducted on the relationship between gut microbiota and the TIME using bibliometric methods.AIM To describe the current global research status on the correlation between gut microbiota and the TIME,and to identify the most influential countries,research institutions,researchers,and research hotspots related to this topic.METHODS We searched for all literature related to gut microbiota and TIME published from January 1,2014,to May 28,2024,in the Web of Science Core Collection database.We then conducted a bibliometric analysis and created visual maps of the published literature on countries,institutions,authors,keywords,references,etc.,using CiteSpace(6.2R6),VOSviewer(1.6.20),and bibliometrics(based on R 4.3.2).RESULTS In total,491 documents were included,with a rapid increase in the number of publications starting in 2019.The country with the highest number of publications was China,followed by the United States.Germany has the highest number of citations in literature.From a centrality perspective,the United States has the highest influence in this field.The institutions with the highest number of publications were Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Zhejiang University.However,the institution with the most citations was the United States National Cancer Institute.Among authors,Professor Giorgio Trinchieri from the National Institutes of Health has the most local impact in this field.The most cited author was Fan XZ.The results of journal publications showed that the top three journals with the highest number of published papers were Frontiers in Immunology,Cancers,and Frontiers in Oncology.The three most frequently used keywords were gut microbiota,tumor microenvironment,and immunotherapy.CONCLUSION This study systematically elaborates on the research progress related to gut microbiota and TIME over the past decade.Research results indicate that the number of publications has rapidly increased since 2019,with research hotspots including“gut microbiota”,“tumor microenvironment”and“immunotherapy”.Exploring the effects of specific gut microbiota or derived metabolites on the behavior of immune cells in the TIME,regulating the secretion of immune molecules,and influencing immunotherapy are research hotspots and future research directions.

Efficacy and safety of Tripterygium wilfordii glycosides tablets combined with Western medicine for patients with rheumatic immune diseases

BACKGROUND Rheumatic immune diseases are a group of chronic inflammatory diseases charac-terized by joint and systemic multi-organ involvement,including rheumatoid arthritis,systemic lupus erythematosus,and Sjogren’s syndrome,among others.The pathogenesis of these diseases is related to the abnormal activation and regulatory imbalance of the immune system.The prevalence and morbidity of rheumatic immune diseases are high,imposing a significant burden on patients'quality of life and socio-economic costs.Currently,the treatment of rheumatic immune diseases mainly relies on Western medicine,such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,glucocorticoids,disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs,and biologics.However,the therapeutic effects of Western medicine are not ideal,some patients poorly respond or are resistant to Western medicine,and long-term use often causes various adverse reactions.AIM To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tripterygium wilfordii gly-cosides tablets combined with Western medicine in the treatment of patients with rheumatic immune diseases.METHODS This study conducted a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tripterygium wilfordii glycosides tablets combined with Western medicine for patients with rheumatic immune diseases.Chinese and English databases were searched for randomized controlled trials(RCTs)on the treatment of rheumatic immune diseases with Tripterygium wilfordii glycosides tablets combined with Western medicine.The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool.Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software.RESULTS The meta-analysis included 11 RCTs involving 1026 patients with rheumatic immune diseases.The combined treatment significantly reduced the risk of disease recurrence(relative risk=1.07,95%confidence interval:1.01-1.15,P<0.05)and showed no significant heterogeneity(I2=0%,P=0.53),indicating that Tripterygium wilfordii glycosides tablets combined with Western medicine is an effective method to reduce the possibility of postoperative recurrence in patients with rheumatic immune diseases.However,due to the limited number and quality of the studies included,these results should be interpreted with caution.CONCLUSION Tripterygium wilfordii glycosides tablets combined with Western medicine is an effective and safe treatment option for patients with rheumatic immune diseases and can be considered a clinical choice.However,more high-quality research is needed to validate this conclusion and provide more solid evidence for clinical practice.

Effect of Kupffer cells on immune tolerance in liver transplantation

Objective:To observe the effect of Kupfler cells on immune tolerance in liver transplantation. Methods:The rats were randomly divided into A,B and C groups.A group was sham operation group.The donor rats of group B had intraperitoneal injection of 1 nmol Kuppffer cells every other day for three days before liver transplantation.Rats of group C were injected with equal saline.The rat liver transplantation models were established by modified Kamada’s two-cuff technique.The rats were sacrificed after 24 hours.The concentrations of ALT and AST in serum were measured with the biochemical analyzer.The level of IL-2 and TNF- a in serum were measured by ELISA method.The apoptotic indexes were detected by immunohistochemical assay. Results:The concentration of ALT,AST,IL-1 and TNF- a in A,B and C groups were increased successively.The levels of group C were significantly higher than that of group B and A(P【0.05), and the levels of group B were significantly higher than that of group A(P【0.05).The apoptotic indexes of three groups were 3.40±0.37,14.70±2.54 and 26.33±3.65,respectively,with significant difference among three groups(P【0.05).Conclusions:Pretreatment with Kupfler cells can reduce liver injury and raise liver transplantation immune tolerance.

Ragweed pollen induces allergic conjunctivitis immune tolerance in mice via regulation of the NF-κB signal pathway

AIM:To investigate the feasibility and mechanism of immune tolerance in allergic conjunctivitis.METHODS:The allergic conjunctivitis immune tolerance mice model was established by ragweed pollen(RW)and the related cytokines were detected.The mice were divided into 9 groups and the maslinic acid(MA)or PBS were given for different group after modeling.The expression levels of chemokine ligand 5(CCL5)and P-65 in the conjunctival tissue were analyzed by immunohistochemistry,quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(q RT-PCR)and Western blot.The percentage of interleukin-17(IL-17)and CD4+CD25+in the splenocyte supernatant was analyzed by flow cytometry.Fur thermore,the serum and splenocyte supernatant concentration of total-IgE,interleukin-10(IL-10),and IL-17 was analyzed by enzyme linked immune response(ELISA).RESULTS:After the model was established,symptoms of conjunctivitis were alleviated,the level of P-65,CCL5,IL-17,and total-IgE was raised,while the expression of IL-10,CD4+CD25+was decreased.This result fully demonstrated that a typical IL-17/regulatory-T-cells(Treg cells)imbalance and NF-κB activation.When the NF-κB signal pathway was suppressed,it showed that there was a further relief of conjunctivitis in mice.At the same time,the expression of total-IgE,IL-17,and CCL5 was decreased and the expression of anti-inflammatory factor(IL-10,CD4+CD25+)was increased.CONCLUSION:In the state of immune tolerance,symptoms of conjunctivitis in mice are alleviated,the Th-17 cells of allergic conjunctivitis mice are inhibited,and Treg cells activity is enhanced.

Diverse Roles of Immune Cells in Transplant Rejection and Immune Tolerance

Organ transplant rejection(OTR)is a complex immune reaction involving multiple cells,and it determines graft survival and patient prognosis.At present,most transplant recipients are administered a combination of immunosuppressive and biological agents to protect them from OTR.However,immunosuppressive agents negatively impact the immune system of the patients,causing them to suffer from serious complications,such as chronic infection and malignant tumors.Therefore,a thorough understanding of the mechanisms involved in immune tolerance and immune rejection with regard to organ transplant(OT)is essential for developing better treatment options and improving patient outcomes.This article reviews the role of immune cells in OTR and organ transplant tolerance(OTT),including the novel cell therapies that are currently under clinical trials for transplant recipients.

Role of T cell death in maintaining immune tolerance during persistent viral hepatitis

Virus-specific T cells play an important role in the resolution of hepatic infection. However, during chronic hepatitis infection these cells lack their effector functions and fail to control the virus. Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus have developed several mechanisms to generate immune tolerance. One of these strategies is the depletion of virus-specific T cells by apoptosis. The immunotolerogenic liver has unique property to retain and activate na ve T cell to avoid the over reactivation of immune response against antigens which is exploited by hepatotropic viruses to persist. The deletion of the virus-specific T cells occurs by intrinsic (passive) apoptotic mechanism. The pro-apoptotic molecule Bcl-2 interacting mediator (Bim) has attracted increasing attention as a pivotal involvement in apoptosis, as a regulator of tissue homeostasis and an enhancer for the viral persistence. Here, we reviewed our current knowledge on the evidence showing critical role of Bim in viral-specific T cell death by apoptotic pathways and helps in the immune tolerance.

Early termination of immune tolerance state of hepatitis B virus infection explains liver damage

AIM: To assess an early termination of immune toler-ance state of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in Ban-gladesh and its clinical significance. METHODS: From a series of 167 treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B patients aged between 12 to 20 years(mean ± SD; 17.5 ± 2.8 years), percutaneous liver biopsies of 89 patients who were all hepatitis B e antigen negative at presentation were done. Of them, 81 were included in the study. They had persistently normal or raised serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT) values. A precore mutation(PCM) study was accom-plished in 8 patients who were randomly selected. RESULTS: Forty-four(53.7%) patients had significant necroinflammation(HAI-NI > 7), while significant fi-brosis(HAI-F ≥ 3) was seen in 15(18.5%) patients. Serum ALT(cut off 42 U/L) was raised in 29(35.8%) patients, while low HBV DNA load(< 105 copies/mL)was observed in 57(70.4%) patients. PCM was nega-tive in all 8 patients. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the current concept of age-related immune tolerance state of HBV infection deserves further analyses in different popula-tion groups.

IMMUNE TOLERANCE INDUCED BY GAMMA-RAY IRRADIATION

Objective: To detect the existence of immune tolerance induced by gamma-ray irradiation. Methods: Peritoneal cells were harvested from mice subjected to 5 Gy 60Co gamma-ray total body irradiation at 3d, 7d, 15d and 30d, then their counts, morphological changes and IL-12 gene expression were investigated. Results: After irradiation, the peritoneal cells were sharply reduced, the cell morphology shifted from round-like to polymorphic and fusiform with some processes, expression of IL-12 p35 was seriously suppressed, while that of IL-12 p40 greatly enhanced. Conclusion: Our data highly suggest that the gamma-ray irradiation could potentially induce dendritic cell (DC) commitment and immune tolerance.

Sinomenine promotes differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into immature dendritic cells with high induction of immune tolerance

BACKGROUND Immature dendritic cells(imDCs)play an important role in the induction of donor-specific transplant immunotolerance.However,these cells have limitations,such as rapid maturation and a short lifespan in vivo.In previous studies,induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs)differentiated into imDCs,and sinomenine(SN)was used to inhibit the maturation of imDCs.AIM To study the capacity of SN to maintain iPSC-derived imDCs(SN-iPSCs-imDCs)in an immature state and the mechanism by which SN-iPSCs-imDCs induce immunotolerance.METHODS In this study,mouse iPSCs were induced to differentiate into imDCs in culture medium without or with SN(iPSCs-imDCs and SN-iPSCs-imDCs).The imDCrelated surface markers,endocytotic capacity of fluorescein isothiocyanate Dextran and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry.The effects of iPSCs-imDCs and SNiPSCs-imDCs on T-cell stimulatory function,and regulatory T(Treg)cell proliferative function in vitro were analyzed by mixed lymphocyte reaction.Cytokine expression was detected by ELISA.The apoptosis-related proteins of iPSCs-DCs and SN-iPSCs-DCs were analyzed by western blotting.The induced immunotolerance of SN-iPSCs-DCs was evaluated by treating recipient Balb/c skin graft mice.Statistical evaluation of graft survival was performed using Kaplan–Meier curves.RESULTS Both iPSCs-imDCs and SN-iPSCs-imDCs were successfully obtained,and their biological characteristics and ability to induce immunotolerance were compared.SN-iPSCs-imDCs exhibited higher CD11c levels and lower CD80 and CD86 levels compared with iPSCs-imDCs.Reduced major histocompatibility complex II expression,worse T-cell stimulatory function,higher Treg cell proliferative function and stronger endocytotic capacity were observed with SN-iPSCs-imDCs(P<0.05).The levels of interleukin(IL)-2,IL-12,interferon-γin SN-iPSCs-imDCs were lower than those in iPSCs-imDCs,whereas IL-10 and transforming growth factor-βlevels were higher(P<0.05).The apoptosis rate of these cells was significantly higher(P<0.05),and the expression levels of cleaved caspase3,Bax and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase were higher after treatment with lipopolysaccharides,but Bcl-2 was reduced.In Balb/c mice recipients immunized with iPSCsimDCs or SN-iPSCs-imDCs 7 d before skin grafting,the SN-iPSCs-imDCs group showed lower ability to inhibit donor-specific CD4+T-cell proliferation(P<0.05)and a higher capacity to induce CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Treg cell proliferation in the spleen(P<0.05).The survival span of C57bl/6 skin grafts was significantly prolonged in immunized Balb/c recipients with a donor-specific pattern.CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that SN-iPSCs-imDCs have potential applications in vitro and in vivo for induction of immunotolerance following organ transplantation.

Research progress of ICOSL/ICOS pathway in maternal-fetal immune tolerance

Co-signaling molecules are molecules whose ligands on the surface of cells interact with receptors on the surface of T cells to convey stimulatory or inhibitory signals to regulate immune responses.Co-signaling molecules play an important role in tumor and autoimmune diseases.Lately,studies have shown that co-signaling molecules are also involved in the regulation of maternal-fetal immune tolerance,and abnormalities of co-signaling molecules may lead to the imbalance of maternal-fetal immune tolerance,resulting in recurrent abortion,eclampsia and other pregnancy complications.ICOSL/ICOS is a ligand and receptor of costimulatory signals,which regulates maternal and fetal immune tolerance by participating in T cell differentiation and Th1 and Th2 cytokine secretion.Therefore,this article reviews the structure of ICOSL/ICOS,the distribution of ICOSL/ICOS at the maternal-fetal interface and its immune regulation during pregnancy,in order to provide new ideas for the future study of immunotherapy of pregnancy complications caused by abnormal co-signaling molecules.

Adenoviral-mediated localized CTLA-4Ig gene expression induces long-term allograft pancreas survival and donor-specific immune tolerance in rats

T cell activation following alloantigen recognition plays a critical role in the development of the rejection in all solid organ, tissue and cell transplantation. A recombinant molecule, cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 antibody （CTLA-4Ig）, is known to induce to T-cell into ＂anergy＂ by blocking the costimulatory B7-CD28 interaction. Either systemic or localized administration of CTLA-Ig has been shown to prolong allograft survival and induce donor-specific tolerance in some transplant models. In this study, we characterized the expression and immunosuppressive effectiveness of adenoviral-mediated CTLA-4Ig gene transfer. We demonstrated transduction of the allografts with AdCTLA-4Ig resulted in localized expression, permanent graft survival and stable donor-specific tolerance. In addition, by performing simultaneous dual-organ through a local expression of CTLA-4Ig via adenoviral-mediated transplantation, we targeted on immunosuppression gene transfer into pancreatic allografts.

Induction of Oral Tolerance in Neonatal Mice by Transfer of Food Allergens as IgA-Immune Complexes in Breast Milk

Various opinions have been presented on the merits and demerits that breastfeeding gives for the allergic onset of the babies. In this report, we focused on whether food proteins eaten by mother mice and secreted into breast milk as IgA-immune complexes contribute to the allergy prevention through oral tolerance in infants who ingest the milk. BALB/c mice were divided into two groups;E-group fed only egg white proteins and M-group fed only cow’s milk proteins as a dietary protein source. After immunizing M-group infants fed their own mother’s milk with ovalbumin/alum, diarrhea associated with experimental Th2 intestinal inflammation was induced by oral administration of ovalbumin. The diarrhea was dramatically suppressed in E-group infants. Concomitantly, low level of serum anti-ovalbumin- and ovomucoid-IgG1 and IgE, suppression of IL-4 synthesis by spleen cells, and low incidence of anaphylactic death after intravenous injection of ovalbumin were observed preferentially in E-infants. Immune complexes of respective dietary proteins and IgA were found in the breast milk obtained from each group of mother. Oral administration of pseudo immune complex chemically synthesized with ovalbumin and monoclonal mouse IgA in advance effectively suppressed anti-ovalbumin-IgG1 synthesis in adult mice after immunization with ovalbumin. The tolerance induced by the pseudo immune complex of ovalbumin diminished spontaneously while mice did not take egg white proteins. Thus, immune tolerance and then prevention of allergic disorder against dietary proteins were acquired via breastfeeding by mothers feeding the relevant proteins, probably through the immune complexes of dietary proteins and sIgAs secreted into breast milk.