Rhesus monocyte-derived dendritic cells modified to over-express TGF-beta1 exhibit potent veto activity.
BACKGROUND
The tolerogenic activity of allogeneic bone marrow cells (BMCs) associates with functional inactivation of alloreactive T cells and has been attributed to a veto effect. Studies in mice and rhesus monkeys indicated that the CD8alpha molecule expressed on a subpopulation of allogeneic BMCs is necessary to induce signal transduction within the BMCs to increase veto effector molecules such as transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1. In vitro activation of alloreactive cytotoxic T-lymphocyte precursor enhances their susceptibility to veto-mediated functional inactivation by specific alloantigen-bearing BMCs. Accordingly, we examined a hypothesis that mature rhesus monkey (Rh) monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs) modified by gene transfer to over-express active TGF-beta1 might mediate veto activity without the need to express CD8alpha.


METHODS
Rh MDDCs were modified by recombinant adenovirus (Ad) transduction and characterized by phenotype and functional studies.


RESULTS
Rh MDDC transduction with Ad vectors using conventional methods was remarkably inefficient. However, a single-chain anti-CD40/soluble Coxsackie and adenovirus receptor-fusion protein (G28/sCAR) permitted high-efficiency transduction of Rh MDDCs by retargeting Ad to Rh MDDC CD40. Mature Rh MDDCs that were transduced to overexpress active TGF-beta1 (AdTGF-beta1 Rh MDDC) significantly suppressed alloimmune responses in [ H]thymidine uptake mixed leukocyte reaction assays. We showed by the carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester dilution method that allogeneic mature AdTGF-beta1 Rh MDDCs inhibited proliferation of CD4 and CD8 responder T cells. Notably, AdTGF-beta1 Rh MDDC abrogated alloimmune responses induced by control AdGFP Rh MDDC in an antigen-specific manner.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that nonhuman primate mature MDDCs can be genetically engineered to function as alloantigen-specific cellular immunosuppressants, an approach that has potential to facilitate induction of allograft tolerance in vivo.
D000256:Adenoviridae; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D018122:B7-1 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000276:immunology; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D018122:B7-1 Antigen; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D001616:beta-Galactosidase