title: Pan-CC chemokine neutralization restricts splenocyte egress and reduces inflammation in a model of arthritis.
abstract: Chemokines are key regulators of leukocyte trafficking and play a crucial role under homeostatic and inflammatory conditions. Because chemokines are involved in multiple pathologies, they represent an attractive class of therapeutic targets. However, because of the redundancy of this system, neutralizing a single chemokine may be insufficient to achieve therapeutic benefit. Our strategy was to use a Fc-fusion recombinant protein form of the poxvirus-derived viral CC chemokine inhibitor protein (vCCI-Fc) that has the ability to specifically bind to multiple CC chemokines and neutralize their activity. In this study, we demonstrate first that, in vivo, vCCI-Fc prevents CC chemokine-dependent migration of macrophages into inflamed tissue of carageenan-challenged mice. We next studied this effect of inhibiting CC chemokine activity in a model more relevant to human disease, collagen-induced arthritis. Mice receiving vCCI-Fc revealed a striking retention of splenocytes, including activated and IFN-gamma-secreting CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, that was associated with a concomitant decrease of cells in the draining lymph nodes. These phenomena resulted in a significant decrease in the incidence of disease and a reduction in clinical score, joint inflammation, and cartilage destruction as compared with mice receiving isotype control. Taken together, these results define a role for CC chemokines in the control of disease, as interfering with their function leads to a previously unappreciated role of controlling inflammatory cell trafficking in and out of secondary lymphoid organs.
authors.affiliation: NovImmune SA, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Buatois
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fagète
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Magistrelli
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chatel
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Marie H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kosco-Vilbois
authors.forename: Walter G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Ferlin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D011485:Protein Binding; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019742:Chemokines, CC; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma