Project description:Background: Arteriosclerosis (AS) involves arterial inflammation. Using macrophage-based drug delivery system, we aim to enhance local drug concentration, especially for short-lived anti-inflammatory molecules like interleukin-10. Our study intervenes in plaque progression by boosting IL-10 expression in macrophages lentiviral transfection and introducing these anti-inflammatory cells into Apoe-/- mice. Methods: We engineered RAW264.7 cells to overexpress IL-10 (referred to as IL-10M) using lentivirus vectors. Subsequent in vitro experiments were conducted to validate the effects and cellular functions of IL-10M. Fluorescence imaging allowed us to track the localization of IL-10M at atherosclerotic plaque sites after intravenous (IV) injection in Apoe-/- mice. We administered periodic injections of IL-10M at different stages of plaque progression in AS mice to assess its therapeutic impact on plaque advancement. Following the intervention, we collected samples from major organs and serum to evaluate the safety of IL-10M treatment. Results: Our engineered IL-10M exhibits robust IL-10 secretion, maintaining macrophage phagocytic function, and showing a tendency toward an M2 phenotype when exposed to inflammatory stimuli. Upon intravenous IL-10M administration, fluorescence imaging highlights precise plaque localization in both global and cross-sectional aortic regions. Regardless of whether intervention is initiated early or late in plaque progression, we observe significant reductions in plaque area and necrotic core. Importantly, IL-10M intervention does not impact the histological characteristics of the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, nor does it influence systemic inflammation levels. Conclusion: Our team has devised a novel anti-inflammatory protein delivery system utilizing modified macrophages, which exhibit a remarkable ability to target atherosclerotic plaques, resulting in the reduction of both plaque area and necrotic core. This innovative approach demonstrates favorable safety profiles and holds significant potential as a therapeutic strategy for managing atherosclerosis.
Project description:Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a pleiotropic anti-inflammatory cytokine produced and sensed by most hematopoietic cells. Genome wide association studies and experimental animal models point at a central role of the IL-10 axis in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Here we investigated the importance of intestinal macrophage production of IL-10 and their IL-10 exposure, as well as the existence of an IL-10-based autocrine regulatory loop in the gut. Specifically, we generated mice harboring IL-10 or IL-10 receptor (IL-10R?) mutations in intestinal lamina propria-resident chemokine receptor CX3CR1hi-expressingmacrophages. We found macrophage-derived IL-10 dispensable for gut homeostasis and maintenance of colonic T regulatory cells. In contrast, loss of IL-10 receptor expression impaired the critical conditioning of these monocyte-derived macrophages, but resulted in spontaneous development of severe colitis. Collectively, our results highlight IL-10 as a critical homeostatic macrophage-conditioning factor in the colon and define intestinal CX3CR1hi macrophages as a decisive factor that determines gut health or inflammation. Microarray of resident macrophages sorted from colons of Interleukin-10 deficeint mice and macrophage-restricted interleukin-10 receptor deficient mice versus colonic resident macrophages of wild type mice
Project description:Background: It is recognized that atherosclerosis can regresses at least in animal models. However, little is known about the mechanisms. We induced regression of advanced atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E deficient (APOE/) mice and studied underlying mechanisms. Unexpectedly, our study led to the role of interleukin-7 (IL-7) in atherogenesis. Methods and Results: We treated APOE/ mice fed a high cholesterol diet for 30 weeks to induce advanced lesions with a helper-dependent adenoviral vector expressing human apoE3 (HDAd-gE3), and analyzed the regression of atherosclerosis after 41 weeks. Using microarray analysis, we identified IL-7 as one of most significantly affected genes by lowering cholesterol. To answer why IL-7 is downregulated by reduced cholesterol, we studied effects of IL-7 on endothelial cells (ECs). Our major findings were (1) long-term lowering cholesterol induced regression of advanced atherosclerosis. (2) Microarray analysis identified multiple signaling pathways affected by lowering cholesterol. (3) Correction for multiple testing revealed that IL-7 expression was downregulated, whereas gamma-sarcoglycan and α-actin were upregulated. (4) Oxidized LDL upregulated IL-7 expression in macrophages but not in aorta ECs or smooth muscle cells. (5) IL-7 increased the expression of cell adhesion molecules and chemokine in ECs and promoted monocyte adhesion to ECs. (6) Systemic elevation of IL-7 induced inflammatory response and recruited monocyte/macrophage to the lesions without increasing plasma cholesterol. Conclusion: Our finding suggest that IL-7 inflames endothelium and triggers the adhesion/recruitment of monocyte/macrophages to the atherosclerotic lesions and thus plays a direct role in development of atherosclerosis. Key Words: arteriosclerosis, gene therapy, hypercholesterolemia, interleukins, cell adhesion molecules Female APOE-/- mice (8 weeks of age) on a C57BL/6 background were purchased from Jackson Laboratory and were fed a diet containing 0.2% (w/w) cholesterol and 10% (v/w) coconut oil to induce atherosclerosis for 30 weeks. Mice were then divided into 3 groups, (n=15/group), treated with a tail vein injection of helper-dependent adenovirus expressing human apolipoprotein E3 (HDAd-gE3, 5 x 1012 viral particles/kg, n=11, vector), empty vector (HDAd-0, 5 x 1012 VP/kg, n=11, vector control) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS, vehicle) and sacrificed 10 days after. Three aortas extending sinus to arch were pooled for RNA extraction with an RNeasy kit (Qiagen). Sample ID 12031: E4: vector control (HDAd-0) 12043: E5: vector control 12046: V2: vector 12047: V3: vector 12048: V4: vector 12051: B1: vehicle (PBS) 12053: B3: vehicle 12054: B4: vehicle 12039: E3: vector control
Project description:Background: It is recognized that atherosclerosis can regresses at least in animal models. However, little is known about the mechanisms. We induced regression of advanced atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E deficient (APOE/) mice and studied underlying mechanisms. Unexpectedly, our study led to the role of interleukin-7 (IL-7) in atherogenesis. Methods and Results: We treated APOE/ mice fed a high cholesterol diet for 30 weeks to induce advanced lesions with a helper-dependent adenoviral vector expressing human apoE3 (HDAd-gE3), and analyzed the regression of atherosclerosis after 41 weeks. Using microarray analysis, we identified IL-7 as one of most significantly affected genes by lowering cholesterol. To answer why IL-7 is downregulated by reduced cholesterol, we studied effects of IL-7 on endothelial cells (ECs). Our major findings were (1) long-term lowering cholesterol induced regression of advanced atherosclerosis. (2) Microarray analysis identified multiple signaling pathways affected by lowering cholesterol. (3) Correction for multiple testing revealed that IL-7 expression was downregulated, whereas gamma-sarcoglycan and α-actin were upregulated. (4) Oxidized LDL upregulated IL-7 expression in macrophages but not in aorta ECs or smooth muscle cells. (5) IL-7 increased the expression of cell adhesion molecules and chemokine in ECs and promoted monocyte adhesion to ECs. (6) Systemic elevation of IL-7 induced inflammatory response and recruited monocyte/macrophage to the lesions without increasing plasma cholesterol. Conclusion: Our finding suggest that IL-7 inflames endothelium and triggers the adhesion/recruitment of monocyte/macrophages to the atherosclerotic lesions and thus plays a direct role in development of atherosclerosis. Key Words: arteriosclerosis, gene therapy, hypercholesterolemia, interleukins, cell adhesion molecules
Project description:The ability of immune-modulating biologics to prevent and reverse pathology has transformed recent clinical practice. Full utility in the neuroinflammation space, however, requires identification of both effective targets for local immune-modulation and a delivery system capable of crossing the blood-brain-barrier. The recent identification and characterization of a small population of regulatory T (Treg) cells resident in the brain presents one such potential therapeutic target. Here we identified brain interleukin 2 (IL-2) levels as a limiting factor for brain-resident Treg cells. We developed a gene-delivery approach for astrocytes, with a small-molecule on-switch to allow temporal control, and enhanced production in reactive astrocytes to spatially direct delivery to inflammatory sites. Mice with brain-specific IL-2 delivery were protected from traumatic brain injury, stroke and multiple sclerosis models, without impacting the peripheral immune system. These results validate brain-specific IL-2 gene delivery as effective protection against neuroinflammation, and provide a versatile platform for delivery of diverse biologics to neuroinflammatory patients.
Project description:The ability of immune-modulating biologics to prevent and reverse pathology has transformed recent clinical practice. Full utility in the neuroinflammation space, however, requires identification of both effective targets for local immune-modulation and a delivery system capable of crossing the blood-brain-barrier. The recent identification and characterization of a small population of regulatory T (Treg) cells resident in the brain presents one such potential therapeutic target. Here we identified brain interleukin 2 (IL-2) levels as a limiting factor for brain-resident Treg cells. We developed a gene-delivery approach for astrocytes, with a small-molecule on-switch to allow temporal control, and enhanced production in reactive astrocytes to spatially direct delivery to inflammatory sites. Mice with brain-specific IL-2 delivery were protected from traumatic brain injury, stroke and multiple sclerosis models, without impacting the peripheral immune system. These results validate brain-specific IL-2 gene delivery as effective protection against neuroinflammation, and provide a versatile platform for delivery of diverse biologics to neuroinflammatory patients.
Project description:Developing strategies that promote the resolution of vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis remains a major therapeutic challenge. Here, we show that exosomes produced by naive bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM-exo) contain anti-inflammatory microRNA-99a/146b/378a that are further increased in exosomes produced by BMDM polarized with IL-4 (BMDM-IL-4-exo). These exosomal microRNAs suppress inflammation by targeting NF-kB and TNF-a signaling and foster M2 polarization in recipient macrophages. Repeated infusions of BMDM-IL-4-exo into Apoe_x0001_/_x0001_ mice fed a Western diet reduce excessive hematopoiesis in the bone marrow and thereby the number of myeloid cells in the circulation and macrophages in aortic root lesions. This also leads to a reduction in necrotic lesion areas that collectively stabilize atheroma. Thus, BMDM-IL-4-exo may represent a useful therapeutic approach for atherosclerosis and other inflammatory disorders by targeting NF-kB and TNF-a via microRNA cargo delivery.
Project description:Identification of the difference in responsiveness to interleukin-1alpha between M1 and M2 macrophage phenotypes. To identify the difference in responsiveness to interleukin-1alpha between M1 and M2 macrophage phenotypes, we performed micorarray analysis of gene expression in two phenotypes with or without the treatment of interleukin-1alpha.