Differential expression, function and response to inflammatory stimuli of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 in human fibroblasts: a mechanism for tissue-specific regulation of inflammation

Stromal cells such as fibroblasts play an important role in defining tissue-specific responses during the resolution of inflammation. We hypothesized that this involves tissue-specific regulation of glucocorticoids, mediated via differential regulation of the enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1). Expression, activity and function of 11β-HSD1 was assessed in matched fibroblasts derived from various tissues (synovium, bone marrow and skin) obtained from patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. 11β-HSD1 was expressed in fibroblasts from all tissues but mRNA levels and enzyme activity were higher in synovial fibroblasts (2-fold and 13-fold higher mRNA levels in dermal and synovial fibroblasts, respectively, relative to bone marrow). Expression and activity of the enzyme increased in all fibroblasts following treatment with tumour necrosis factor-α or IL-1β (bone marrow: 8-fold and 37-fold, respectively, compared to vehicle; dermal fibroblasts: 4-fold and 14-fold; synovial fibroblasts: 7-fold and 31-fold; all P < 0.01 compared with vehicle). Treatment with IL-4 or interferon-γ was without effect, and there was no difference in 11β-HSD1 expression between fibroblasts (from any site) obtained from patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. In the presence of 100 nmol/l cortisone, IL-6 production – a characteristic feature of synovial derived fibroblasts – was significantly reduced in synovial but not dermal or bone marrow fibroblasts. This was prevented by co-treatment with an 11β-HSD inhibitor, emphasizing the potential for autocrine activation of glucocorticoids in synovial fibroblasts. These data indicate that differences in fibroblast-derived glucocorticoid production (via the enzyme 11β-HSD1) between cells from distinct anatomical locations may play a key role in the predeliction of certain tissues to develop persistent inflammation

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) A*1101-restricted Epstein-Barr virus-specific T-cell receptor gene transfer to target Nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Infusing virus-specific T-cells is effective treatment for rare Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated post-transplant lymphomas and more limited success has been reported using this approach to treat a far more common EBV-associated malignancy, Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, current approaches using EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines to reactivate EBV-specific T-cells for infusion take 2-3 months of in vitro culture and favour outgrowth of T-cells targeting viral antigens expressed within EBV+ lymphomas but not NPC. Here we explore T-cell receptor (TCR) gene transfer to rapidly and reliably generate T-cells specific for the NPC-associated viral protein LMP2. We cloned a HLA A*1101-restricted TCR, which would be widely applicable since 40% of NPC patients carry this HLA allele. Studying both wild-type and modified forms we have optimised expression of the TCR and demonstrated high avidity antigen-specific function (proliferation, cytotoxicity, cytokine release) in both CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells. The engineered T-cells also inhibited LMP2+ epithelial tumour growth in a mouse model. Furthermore, transduced T-cells from patients with advanced NPC lysed LMP2-expressing NPC cell lines. Therefore, using this approach, within a few days large numbers of high avidity LMP2-specific T-cells can be reliably generated to treat NPC, providing an ideal clinical setting to test TCR gene transfer without the risk of autoimmunity through targeting self-antigens

Stromal transcriptional profiles reveal hierarchies of anatomical site, serum response and disease and identify disease specific pathways

Synovial fibroblasts in persistent inflammatory arthritis have been suggested to have parallels with cancer growth and wound healing, both of which involve a stereotypical serum response programme. We tested the hypothesis that a serum response programme can be used to classify diseased tissues, and investigated the serum response programme in fibroblasts from multiple anatomical sites and two diseases. To test our hypothesis we utilized a bioinformatics approach to explore a publicly available microarray dataset including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA) and normal synovial tissue, then extended those findings in a new microarray dataset representing matched synovial, bone marrow and skin fibroblasts cultured from RA and OA patients undergoing arthroplasty. The classical fibroblast serum response programme discretely classified RA, OA and normal synovial tissues. Analysis of low and high serum treated fibroblast microarray data revealed a hierarchy of control, with anatomical site the most powerful classifier followed by response to serum and then disease. In contrast to skin and bone marrow fibroblasts, exposure of synovial fibroblasts to serum led to convergence of RA and OA expression profiles. Pathway analysis revealed three inter-linked gene networks characterising OA synovial fibroblasts: Cell remodelling through insulin-like growth factors, differentiation and angiogenesis through -3 integrin, and regulation of apoptosis through CD44. We have demonstrated that Fibroblast serum response signatures define disease at the tissue level, and that an OA specific, serum dependent repression of genes involved in cell adhesion, extracellular matrix remodelling and apoptosis is a critical discriminator between cultured OA and RA synovial fibroblasts

The role of leukocyte-stromal interactions in chronic inflammatory joint disease

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a debilitating, chronic, persistent inflammatory disease that is characterised by painful and swollen joints. The aetiology of RA is unknown, however whereas past research has concentrated on the role of immune or inflammatory infiltrating cells in inflammation, it is becoming clear that stromal cells play a critical part in regulating the quality and duration of an inflammatory response. In this review we assess the role of fibroblasts within the inflamed synovium in modulating immune responses; in particular we examine the role of stromal cells in the switch from resolving to persistent inflammation as is found in the rheumatoid synovium

EBV-specific T cell receptor gene transfer to target nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Infusing EBV-specific T cells is an effective prophylactic and therapeutic treatment for EBV post transplant lymphoproliferative disease. However, extending this approach to treat NPC necessitates targeting viral antigens that are subdominant targets for T cells. Therefore we have explored the use of T cell receptor (TCR) gene transfer to rapidly and reliably generate such T cell responses from all patients. To ensure a widely applicable treatment we cloned the genes encoding the TCR from an LMP2- specific T cell that is restricted through HLA A*1101, an allele carried by >50% of the Chinese population. Genes encoding the TCR α and β chains were cloned into a single retroviral vector, separated by a self-cleaving 2A peptide to ensure equal expression. T cells were transduced with this retrovirus and within 3-5 days HLA:peptide pentamer staining detected the transferred TCR in 12-17% of CD8+ T cells and 7-12% of CD4+ T cells. TCR-transduced T cells expanded rapidly in vitro in response to antigen and showed high avidity for the target peptide (10-10M) in assays of interferon-γ release. To improve safety and efficacy, the TCR was modified by codon optimization and introduction of an additional disulphide-bond. This increased almost two-fold the proportion of T cells expressing the receptor. TCR-transduced CD4+ T cells produced multiple cytokines (including IL2) in response to LMP2 suggesting they could provide a helper function in vivo to aid persistence of CD8+ effectors. Both CD8+ and CD4+ transduced T cells lysed an A11+ NPC cell line expressing LMP2

T cell receptor gene transfer to target the Epstein-Barr virus-associated malignancy nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) can be successfully treated by infusing T cells reactivated in vitro with EBV-transformed B lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). T cell lines generated in this way are dominated by reactivities to the EBNA 3 viral proteins. However, such an approach may not be appropriate to treat other more common EBV-associated malignancies since, unlike PTLD, these tumours do not express the immunodominant EBNA 3 proteins; instead viral protein expression is restricted to relatively weak antigens. Furthermore, generating such T cell lines can take many weeks of in vitro culture. T cell receptor (TCR) gene transfer offers an alternative approach whereby T cells of defined specificity can be generated rapidly and reliably from all patients. We are exploring this method to treat undifferentiated Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a tumour that occurs at high frequency in Southeast Asia (incidence >20/100,000 population) and where >50% of cases express the EBV protein LMP2. To ensure TCR gene transfer could be widely applicable to treat this cancer we have focussed on the T cell response to an LMP2 epitope that is restricted through HLA A*1101, an allele carried by >50% of the Chinese population. Furthermore the target epitope sequence is conserved in EBV strains present in NPC tumours. Having generated a high avidity T cell clone specific for this epitope the genes encoding the TCR a and b chain were cloned into the same MP71 retroviral vector, separated by a self-cleaving 2A peptide to ensure equal expression. Retrovirus was generated using Phoenix A packaging cells and following stimulation with anti-CD3 antibody, T cells from five A*1101+ donors (including an NPC patient) were transduced with this virus. Three days later, HLA:peptide pentamer staining detected the transferred TCR in 12-17% of CD8+ T cells. Staining for the b chain indicated that mispairing with endogenous a chains can occur in 0-8% of T cells. The TCR-transduced T cells expanded rapidly in vitro in response to antigen, showed high avidity for the target peptide (10-10M), and lysed autologous fibroblasts expressing LMP2. Significantly, they also recognised EBV-transformed LCLs which express physiological levels of LMP2 in an HLA A*1101-restricted manner. Preliminary data indicate that some CD4+ T cells transduced with this TCR also recognised A11.01+ LCLs suggesting they might provide a helper function in vivo to aid persistence of LMP2-specific CD8+ effectors