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The presence of interleukin-2 (IL-2)-producing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses has been associated with the immunological control of HIV-1 replication; however,the causal relationship between these factors remains unclear. Here we show that IL-2-producing HIV-1-specific CD4(+) T cells can be cloned from acutely HIV-1-infected individuals. Despite the early presence of these cells,each of the individuals in the present study exhibited progressive disease,with one individual showing rapid progression. In this rapid progressor,three IL-2-producing HIV-1 Gag-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses were identified and mapped to the following optimal epitopes: HIVWASRELER,REPRGSDIAGT,and FRDYVDRFYKT. Responses to these epitopes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were monitored longitudinally to textgreater1 year postinfection,and contemporaneous circulating plasma viruses were sequenced. A variant of the FRDYVDRFYKT epitope sequence,FRDYVDQFYKT,was observed in 1/21 plasma viruses sequenced at 5 months postinfection and 1/10 viruses at 7 months postinfection. This variant failed to stimulate the corresponding CD4(+) T-cell clone and thus constitutes an escape mutant. Responses to each of the three Gag epitopes were rapidly lost,and this loss was accompanied by a loss of antigen-specific cells in the periphery as measured by using an FRDYVDRFYKT-presenting major histocompatibility complex class II tetramer. Highly active antiretroviral therapy was associated with the reemergence of FRDYVDRFYKT-specific cells by tetramer. Thus,our data support that IL-2-producing HIV-1-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses can exert immune pressure during early HIV-1 infection but that the inability of these responses to enforce enduring control of viral replication is related to the deletion and/or dysfunction of HIV-1-specific CD4(+) T cells rather than to the fixation of escape mutations at high frequencies. View Publication

Because IL-1beta plays an important role in inflammation in human and murine arthritis,we investigated the contribution of the inflammasome components ASC,NALP-3,IPAF,and caspase-1 to inflammatory arthritis. We first studied the phenotype of ASC-deficient and wild-type mice during Ag-induced arthritis (AIA). ASC(-/-) mice showed reduced severity of AIA,decreased levels of synovial IL-1beta,and diminished serum amyloid A levels. In contrast,mice deficient in NALP-3,IPAF,or caspase-1 did not show any alteration of joint inflammation,thus indicating that ASC associated effects on AIA are independent of the classical NALP-3 or IPAF inflammasomes. Because ASC is a ubiquitous cytoplasmic protein that has been implicated in multiple cellular processes,we explored other pathways through which ASC may modulate inflammation. Ag-specific proliferation of lymph node and spleen cells from ASC-deficient mice was significantly decreased in vitro,as was the production of IFN-gamma,whereas IL-10 production was enhanced. TCR ligation by anti-CD3 Abs in the presence or absence of anti-CD28 Abs induced a reduction in T cell proliferation in ASC(-/-) T cells compared with wild-type ones. In vivo lymph node cell proliferation was also significantly decreased in ASC(-/-) mice,but no effects on apoptosis were observed either in vitro or in vivo in these mice. In conclusion,these results strongly suggest that ASC modulates joint inflammation in AIA through its effects on cell-mediated immune responses but not via its implication in inflammasome formation. View Publication

Small intestinal CD103(+) dendritic cells (DCs) have the selective ability to promote de novo generation of regulatory T cells via the production of retinoic acid (RA). Considering that aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity controls the production of RA,we used a flow cytometry-based assay to measure ALDH activity at the single-cell level and to perform a comprehensive analysis of the RA-producing DC populations present in lymphoid and nonlymphoid mouse tissues. RA-producing DCs were primarily of the tissue-derived,migratory DC subtype and can be readily found in the skin and in the lungs as well as in their corresponding draining lymph nodes. The RA-producing skin-derived DCs were capable of triggering the generation of regulatory T cells,a finding demonstrating that the presence of RA-producing,tolerogenic DCs is not restricted to the intestinal tract as previously thought. Unexpectedly,the production of RA by skin DCs was restricted to CD103(-) DCs,indicating that CD103 expression does not constitute a universal" marker for RA-producing mouse DCs. Finally� View Publication

The development of mature blood cells from hematopoietic stem cells requires coordinated activities of transcriptional networks. Transcriptional repressor growth factor independence 1 (Gfi-1) is required for the development of B cells,T cells,neutrophils,and for the maintenance of hematopoietic stem cell function. However,the mechanisms by which Gfi-1 regulates hematopoiesis and how Gfi-1 integrates into transcriptional networks remain unclear. Here,we provide evidence that Id2 is a transcriptional target of Gfi-1,and repression of Id2 by Gfi-1 is required for B-cell and myeloid development. Gfi-1 binds to 3 conserved regions in the Id2 promoter and represses Id2 promoter activity in transient reporter assays. Increased Id2 expression was observed in multipotent progenitors,myeloid progenitors,T-cell progenitors,and B-cell progenitors in Gfi-1(-/-) mice. Knockdown of Id2 expression or heterozygosity at the Id2 locus partially rescues the B-cell and myeloid development but not the T-cell development in Gfi-1(-/-) mice. These studies demonstrate a role of Id2 in mediating Gfi-1 functions in B-cell and myeloid development and provide a direct link between Gfi-1 and the B-cell transcriptional network by its ability to repress Id2 expression. View Publication

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a serious complication of transfusion and has been ranked as one of the leading causes of transfusion-related fatalities. Nonetheless,many details of the immunopathogenesis of TRALI,particularly with respect to recipient factors are unknown. We used a murine model of antibody-mediated TRALI in an attempt to understand the role that recipient lymphocytes might play in TRALI reactions. Intravenous injection of an IgG2a antimurine major histocompatibility complex class I antibody (34-1-2s) into BALB/c mice induced moderate hypothermia and pulmonary granulocyte accumulation but no pulmonary edema nor mortality. In contrast,34-1-2s injections into mice with severe combined immunodeficiency caused severe hypothermia,severe pulmonary edema,and approximately 40% mortality indicating a critical role for T and B lymphocytes in suppressing TRALI reactions. Adoptive transfer of purified CD8(+) T lymphocytes or CD4(+) T cells but not CD19(+) B cells into the severe combined immunodeficiency mice alleviated the antibody-induced hypothermia,lung damage,and mortality,suggesting that T lymphocytes were responsible for the protective effect. Taken together,these results suggest that recipient T lymphocytes play a significant role in suppressing antibody-mediated TRALI reactions. They identify a potentially new recipient mechanism that controls the severity of TRALI reactions. View Publication

RATIONALE: Chitin is a ubiquitous polysaccharide in fungi,insects,allergens,and parasites that is released at sites of infection. Its role in the generation of tissue inflammation,however,is not fully understood. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that chitin is an important adjuvant for adaptive immunity. METHODS: Mice were injected with a solution of ovalbumin and chitin. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We used in vivo and ex vivo/in vitro approaches to characterize the ability of chitin fragments to foster adaptive immune responses against ovalbumin and compared these responses to those induced by aluminum hydroxide (alum). In vivo,ovalbumin challenge caused an eosinophil-rich pulmonary inflammatory response,Th2 cytokine elaboration,IgE induction,and mucus metaplasia in mice that had been sensitized with ovalbumin plus chitin or ovalbumin plus alum. Toll-like receptor-2,MyD88,and IL-17A played critical roles in the chitin-induced responses,and MyD88 and IL-17A played critical roles in the alum-induced responses. In vitro,CD4(+) T cells from mice sensitized with ovalbumin plus chitin were incubated with ovalbumin-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. In these experiments,CD4(+) T-cell proliferation,IL-5,IL-13,IFN-γ,and IL-17A production were appreciated. Toll-like receptor-2,MyD88,and IL-17A played critical roles in these in vitro adjuvant properties of chitin. TLR-2 was required for cell proliferation,whereas IL-17 and TLR-2 were required for cytokine elaboration. IL-17A also inhibited the generation of adaptive Th1 responses. CONCLUSIONS: These studies demonstrate that chitin is a potent multifaceted adjuvant that induces adaptive Th2,Th1,and Th17 immune responses. They also demonstrate that the adjuvant properties of chitin are mediated by a pathway(s) that involves and is regulated by TLR-2,MyD88,and IL-17A. View Publication

BACKGROUND: Therapies directed at augmenting regulatory T cell (Treg) activities in vivo as a systemic treatment for autoimmune disorders and transplantation may be associated with significant off-target effects,including a generalized immunosuppression that may compromise beneficial immune responses to infections and cancer cells. Adoptive cellular therapies using purified expanded Tregs represents an attractive alternative to systemic treatments,with results from animal studies noting increased therapeutic potency of antigen-specific Tregs over polyclonal populations. However,current methodologies are limited in terms of the capacity to isolate and expand a sufficient quantity of endogenous antigen-specific Tregs for therapeutic intervention. Moreover,FOXP3+ Tregs fall largely within the CD4+ T cell subset and are thus routinely MHC class II-specific,whereas class I-specific Tregs may function optimally in vivo by facilitating direct tissue recognition. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To overcome these limitations,we have developed a novel means for generating large numbers of antigen-specific Tregs involving lentiviral T cell receptor (TCR) gene transfer into in vitro expanded polyclonal natural Treg populations. Tregs redirected with a high-avidity class I-specific TCR were capable of recognizing the melanoma antigen tyrosinase in the context of HLA-A*0201 and could be further enriched during the expansion process by antigen-specific reactivation with peptide loaded artificial antigen presenting cells. These in vitro expanded Tregs continued to express FOXP3 and functional TCRs,and maintained the capacity to suppress conventional T cell responses directed against tyrosinase,as well as bystander T cell responses. Using this methodology in a model tumor system,murine Tregs designed to express the tyrosinase TCR effectively blocked antigen-specific effector T cell (Teff) activity as determined by tumor cell growth and luciferase reporter-based imaging. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results support the feasibility of class I-restricted TCR transfer as a promising strategy to redirect the functional properties of Tregs and provide for a more efficacious adoptive cell therapy. View Publication

Daratumumab is an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody with lytic activity against multiple myeloma (MM) cells,including ADCC (antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity) and CDC (complement-dependent cytotoxicity). Owing to a marked heterogeneity of response to daratumumab therapy in MM,we investigated determinants of the sensitivity of MM cells toward daratumumab-mediated ADCC and CDC. In bone marrow samples from 144 MM patients,we observed no difference in daratumumab-mediated lysis between newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory patients. However,we discovered,next to an expected effect of effector (natural killer cells/monocytes) to target (MM cells) ratio on ADCC,a significant association between CD38 expression and daratumumab-mediated ADCC (127 patients),as well as CDC (56 patients). Similarly,experiments with isogenic MM cell lines expressing different levels of CD38 revealed that the level of CD38 expression is an important determinant of daratumumab-mediated ADCC and CDC. Importantly,all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) increased CD38 expression levels but also reduced expression of the complement-inhibitory proteins CD55 and CD59 in both cell lines and primary MM samples. This resulted in a significant enhancement of the activity of daratumumab in vitro and in a humanized MM mouse model as well. Our results provide the preclinical rationale for further evaluation of daratumumab combined with ATRA in MM patients. View Publication

Adoptive cell therapy is an emerging treatment strategy for a number of serious diseases. Regulatory T (Treg) cells represent 1 cell type of particular interest for therapy of inflammatory conditions,as they are responsible for controlling unwanted immune responses. Initial clinical trials of adoptive transfer of Treg cells in patients with graft-versus-host disease were shown to be safe. However,obtaining sufficient numbers of highly pure and functional Treg cells with minimal contamination remains a challenge. We developed a novel approach to isolate untouched" human Treg cells from healthy donors on the basis of negative selection using the surface markers CD49d and CD127. This procedure� View Publication

Immunotherapy treatments for cancer are becoming increasingly successful,however to further improve our understanding of the T-cell recognition involved in effective responses and to encourage moves towards the development of personalised treatments for leukaemia immunotherapy,precise antigenic targets in individual patients have been identified. Cellular arrays using peptide-MHC (pMHC) tetramers allow the simultaneous detection of different antigen specific T-cell populations naturally circulating in patients and normal donors. We have developed the pMHC array to detect CD8+ T-cell populations in leukaemia patients that recognise epitopes within viral antigens (cytomegalovirus (CMV) and influenza (Flu)) and leukaemia antigens (including Per Arnt Sim domain 1 (PASD1),MelanA,Wilms' Tumour (WT1) and tyrosinase). We show that the pMHC array is at least as sensitive as flow cytometry and has the potential to rapidly identify more than 40 specific T-cell populations in a small sample of T-cells (0.8-1.4 x 10(6)). Fourteen of the twenty-six acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients analysed had T cells that recognised tumour antigen epitopes,and eight of these recognised PASD1 epitopes. Other tumour epitopes recognised were MelanA (n = 3),tyrosinase (n = 3) and WT1(126-134) (n = 1). One of the seven acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) patients analysed had T cells that recognised the MUC1(950-958) epitope. In the future the pMHC array may be used provide point of care T-cell analyses,predict patient response to conventional therapy and direct personalised immunotherapy for patients. View Publication

Upon infection,antigen-specific naive CD8 T cells are activated and differentiate into short-lived effector cells (SLECs) and memory precursor cells (MPECs). The underlying signaling pathways remain largely unresolved. We show that Rictor,the core component of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2),regulates SLEC and MPEC commitment. Rictor deficiency favors memory formation and increases IL-2 secretion capacity without dampening effector functions. Moreover,mTORC2-deficient memory T cells mount more potent recall responses. Enhanced memory formation in the absence of mTORC2 was associated with Eomes and Tcf-1 upregulation,repression of T-bet,enhanced mitochondrial spare respiratory capacity,and fatty acid oxidation. This transcriptional and metabolic reprogramming is mainly driven by nuclear stabilization of Foxo1. Silencing of Foxo1 reversed the increased MPEC differentiation and IL-2 production and led to an impaired recall response of Rictor KO memory T cells. Therefore,mTORC2 is a critical regulator of CD8 T cell differentiation and may be an important target for immunotherapy interventions. View Publication

HIV-infected slow progressors (SP) represent a heterogeneous group of subjects who spontaneously control HIV infection without treatment for several years while showing moderate signs of disease progression. Under conditions that remain poorly understood,a subgroup of these subjects experience failure of spontaneous immunological and virological control. Here we determined the frequency of SP subjects who showed loss of HIV control within our Canadian Cohort of HIV(+) Slow Progressors and identified the proinflammatory cytokine IL-32 as a robust biomarker for control failure. Plasmatic levels of the proinflammatory isoforms of IL-32 (mainly β and γ) at earlier clinic visits positively correlated with the decline of CD4 T-cell counts,increased viral load,lower CD4/CD8 ratio and levels of inflammatory markers (sCD14 and IL-6) at later clinic visits. We present here a proof-of-concept for the use of IL-32 as a predictive biomarker for disease progression in SP subjects and identify IL-32 as a potential therapeutic target. View Publication