| First Author | Elinav E | Year | 2008 |
| Journal | Gastroenterology | Volume | 134 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | 2014-24 |
| PubMed ID | 18424268 | Mgi Jnum | J:136800 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3797146 | Doi | 10.1053/j.gastro.2008.02.060 |
| Citation | Elinav E, et al. (2008) Redirection of regulatory T cells with predetermined specificity for the treatment of experimental colitis in mice. Gastroenterology 134(7):2014-24 |
| abstractText | BACKGROUND & AIMS: Treatment with ex vivo expanded regulatory T cells (Tregs) is regarded as a promising therapeutic approach in inflammatory bowel disease but is hampered by impaired Treg accumulation and function at inflammatory sites. We aim to study whether antigen-specific redirected Tregs can overcome these limitations. METHODS: We developed transgenic mice whose T cells, including Tregs, express chimeric receptor (CR) made of antibody variable region as recognition unit and T-cell stimulatory and costimulatory domains to activate specifically in response to the predetermined model antigen 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP). RESULTS: TNP-specific CR-bearing Tregs were potently and specifically activated by exogenous TNP and suppressed effector T cells in the absence of costimulatory B7-CD28 interaction. TNP-specific transgenic (Tg) mice were resistant to 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) colitis but not to other hapten-mediated colitis. Adoptive transfer of CR-bearing Tregs to wild-type mice with TNBS colitis was associated with significant amelioration of colitis and improved survival. Although TNP-specific CR-bearing Tregs did not suppress oxazolone colitis, they cured it after addition of traces of TNBS to oxazolone-inflamed colons, demonstrating a 'bystander' effect. In vivo imaging of adoptively transferred CR-bearing Tregs demonstrated that they preferentially migrate to TNBS-induced colonic mucosal lesions within hours of induction of colitis. CONCLUSIONS: Tregs can be redirected with specificity distinct from that of pathogenic lymphocytes, accumulate at colonic inflammatory lesions, and suppress effector T cells in a specific, nonmajor histocompatibility complex-restricted, and noncostimulatory-dependent manner, resulting in significant amelioration of colitis. Hopefully, this approach will lead to a novel therapy for inflammatory bowel disease, as well as other inflammatory diseases. |
