Rapamycin-conditioned donor dendritic cells differentiate CD4CD25Foxp3 T cells in vitro with TGF-beta1 for islet transplantation

Am J Transplant. 2010 Aug;10(8):1774-84. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2010.03199.x. Epub 2010 Jul 12.

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) conditioned with the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor rapamycin have been previously shown to expand naturally existing regulatory T cells (nTregs). This work addresses whether rapamycin-conditioned donor DCs could effectively induce CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Tregs (iTregs) in cell cultures with alloantigen specificities, and whether such in vitro-differentiated CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) iTregs could effectively control acute rejection in allogeneic islet transplantation. We found that donor BALB/c bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) pharmacologically modified by the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin had significantly enhanced ability to induce CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) iTregs of recipient origin (C57BL/6 (B6)) in vitro under Treg driving conditions compared to unmodified BMDCs. These in vitro-induced CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) iTregs exerted donor-specific suppression in vitro, and prolonged allogeneic islet graft survival in vivo in RAG(-/-) hosts upon coadoptive transfer with T-effector cells. The CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) iTregs expanded and preferentially maintained Foxp3 expression in the graft draining lymph nodes. Finally, the CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) iTregs were further able to induce endogenous naïve T cells to convert to CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T cells. We conclude that rapamycin-conditioned donor BMDCs can be exploited for efficient in vitro differentiation of donor antigen-specific CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) iTregs. Such in vitro-generated donor-specific CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) iTregs are able to effectively control allogeneic islet graft rejection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD4 Antigens / immunology*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / immunology*
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / immunology*
  • Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Sirolimus / pharmacology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / pharmacology

Substances

  • CD4 Antigens
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxp3 protein, mouse
  • Il2ra protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1
  • Sirolimus