@article{LauruschkatMuchsinReinetal.2023, author = {Lauruschkat, Chris David and Muchsin, Ihsan and Rein, Alice and Erhard, Florian and Grathwohl, Denise and D{\"o}lken, Lars and K{\"o}chel, Carolin and Falk, Christine Susanne and Einsele, Hermann and Wurster, Sebastian and Grigoleit, G{\"o}tz Ulrich and Kraus, Sabrina}, title = {CD4+ T cells are the major predictor of HCMV control in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients on letermovir prophylaxis}, series = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {14}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2023.1148841}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-316982}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Introduction Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) causes significant morbidity and mortality in allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT) recipients. Recently, antiviral letermovir prophylaxis during the first 100 days after alloSCT replaced PCR-guided preemptive therapy as the primary standard of care for HCMV reactivations. Here, we compared NK-cell and T-cell reconstitution in alloSCT recipients receiving preemptive therapy or letermovir prophylaxis in order to identify potential biomarkers predicting prolonged and symptomatic HCMV reactivation. Methods To that end, the NK-cell and T-cell repertoire of alloSCT recipients managed with preemptive therapy (n=32) or letermovir prophylaxis (n=24) was characterized by flow cytometry on days +30, +60, +90 and +120 after alloSCT. Additionally, background-corrected HCMV-specific T-helper (CD4+IFNγ+) and cytotoxic (CD8+IFNγ+CD107a+) T cells were quantified after pp65 stimulation. Results Compared to preemptive therapy, letermovir prophylaxis prevented HCMV reactivation and decreased HCMV peak viral loads until days +120 and +365. Letermovir prophylaxis resulted in decreased T-cell numbers but increased NK-cell numbers. Interestingly, despite the inhibition of HCMV, we found high numbers of "memory-like" (CD56dimFcεRIγ- and/or CD159c+) NK cells and an expansion of HCMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in letermovir recipients. We further compared immunological readouts in patients on letermovir prophylaxis with non/short-term HCMV reactivation (NSTR) and prolonged/symptomatic HCMV reactivation (long-term HCMV reactivation, LTR). Median HCMV-specific CD4+ T-cell frequencies were significantly higher in NSTR patients (day +60, 0.35 \% vs. 0.00 \% CD4+IFNγ+/CD4+ cells, p=0.018) than in patients with LTR, whereas patients with LTR had significantly higher median regulatory T-cell (Treg) frequencies (day +90, 2.2 \% vs. 6.2 \% CD4+CD25+CD127dim/CD4+ cells, p=0.019). ROC analysis confirmed low HCMV specific CD4+ (AUC on day +60: 0.813, p=0.019) and high Treg frequencies (AUC on day +90: 0.847, p=0.021) as significant predictors of prolonged and symptomatic HCMV reactivation. Discussion Taken together, letermovir prophylaxis delays HCMV reactivation and alters NK- and T-cell reconstitution. High numbers of HCMV-specific CD4+ T cells and low numbers of Tregs seem to be pivotal to suppress post-alloSCT HCMV reactivation during letermovir prophylaxis. Administration of more advanced immunoassays that include Treg signature cytokines might contribute to the identification of patients at high-risk for long-term and symptomatic HCMV reactivation who might benefit from prolonged administration of letermovir.}, language = {en} } @article{DahlhoffManzSteinfattetal.2022, author = {Dahlhoff, Julia and Manz, Hannah and Steinfatt, Tim and Delgado-Tascon, Julia and Seebacher, Elena and Schneider, Theresa and Wilnit, Amy and Mokhtari, Zeinab and Tabares, Paula and B{\"o}ckle, David and Rasche, Leo and Martin Kort{\"u}m, K. and Lutz, Manfred B. and Einsele, Hermann and Brandl, Andreas and Beilhack, Andreas}, title = {Transient regulatory T-cell targeting triggers immune control of multiple myeloma and prevents disease progression}, series = {Leukemia}, volume = {36}, journal = {Leukemia}, number = {3}, issn = {1476-5551}, doi = {10.1038/s41375-021-01422-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-271787}, pages = {790-800}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Multiple myeloma remains a largely incurable disease of clonally expanding malignant plasma cells. The bone marrow microenvironment harbors treatment-resistant myeloma cells, which eventually lead to disease relapse in patients. In the bone marrow, CD4\(^{+}\)FoxP3\(^{+}\) regulatory T cells (Tregs) are highly abundant amongst CD4\(^{+}\) T cells providing an immune protective niche for different long-living cell populations, e.g., hematopoietic stem cells. Here, we addressed the functional role of Tregs in multiple myeloma dissemination to bone marrow compartments and disease progression. To investigate the immune regulation of multiple myeloma, we utilized syngeneic immunocompetent murine multiple myeloma models in two different genetic backgrounds. Analyzing the spatial immune architecture of multiple myeloma revealed that the bone marrow Tregs accumulated in the vicinity of malignant plasma cells and displayed an activated phenotype. In vivo Treg depletion prevented multiple myeloma dissemination in both models. Importantly, short-term in vivo depletion of Tregs in mice with established multiple myeloma evoked a potent CD8 T cell- and NK cell-mediated immune response resulting in complete and stable remission. Conclusively, this preclinical in-vivo study suggests that Tregs are an attractive target for the treatment of multiple myeloma.}, language = {en} } @article{WeissbachHerediaGuerreroBarnsteineretal.2020, author = {Weißbach, Susann and Heredia-Guerrero, Sofia Catalina and Barnsteiner, Stefanie and Großhans, Lukas and Bodem, Jochen and Starz, Hanna and Langer, Christian and Appenzeller, Silke and Knop, Stefan and Steinbrunn, Torsten and Rost, Simone and Einsele, Hermann and Bargou, Ralf Christian and Rosenwald, Andreas and St{\"u}hmer, Thorsten and Leich, Ellen}, title = {Exon-4 Mutations in KRAS Affect MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT Signaling in Human Multiple Myeloma Cell Lines}, series = {Cancers}, volume = {12}, journal = {Cancers}, number = {2}, issn = {2072-6694}, doi = {10.3390/cancers12020455}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-200617}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Approximately 20\% of multiple myeloma (MM) cases harbor a point mutation in KRAS. However, there is still no final consent on whether KRAS-mutations are associated with disease outcome. Specifically, no data exist on whether KRAS-mutations have an impact on survival of MM patients at diagnosis in the era of novel agents. Direct blockade of KRAS for therapeutic purposes is mostly impossible, but recently a mutation-specific covalent inhibitor targeting KRAS\(^{p.G12C}\) entered into clinical trials. However, other KRAS hotspot-mutations exist in MM patients, including the less common exon-4 mutations. For the current study, the coding regions of KRAS were deep-sequenced in 80 newly diagnosed MM patients, uniformely treated with three cycles of bortezomib plus dexamethasone and cyclophosphamide (VCD)-induction, followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. Moreover, the functional impact of KRAS\(^{p.G12A}\) and the exon-4 mutations p.A146T and p.A146V on different survival pathways was investigated. Specifically, KRAS\(^{WT}\), KRAS\(^{p.G12A}\), KRAS\(^{p.A146T}\), and KRAS\(^{p.A146V}\) were overexpressed in HEK293 cells and the KRAS\(^{WT}\) MM cell lines JJN3 and OPM2 using lentiviral transduction and the Sleeping Beauty vector system. Even though KRAS-mutations were not correlated with survival, all KRAS-mutants were found capable of potentially activating MEK/ERK- and sustaining PI3K/AKT-signaling in MM cells.}, language = {en} } @article{ChopraBiehlSteinfattetal.2016, author = {Chopra, Martin and Biehl, Marlene and Steinfatt, Tim and Brandl, Andreas and Kums, Juliane and Amich, Jorge and Vaeth, Martin and Kuen, Janina and Holtappels, Rafaela and Podlech, J{\"u}rgen and Mottok, Anja and Kraus, Sabrina and Jord{\´a}n-Garotte, Ana-Laura and B{\"a}uerlein, Carina A. and Brede, Christian and Ribechini, Eliana and Fick, Andrea and Seher, Axel and Polz, Johannes and Ottmueller, Katja J. and Baker, Jeannette and Nishikii, Hidekazu and Ritz, Miriam and Mattenheimer, Katharina and Schwinn, Stefanie and Winter, Thorsten and Sch{\"a}fer, Viktoria and Krappmann, Sven and Einsele, Hermann and M{\"u}ller, Thomas D. and Reddehase, Matthias J. and Lutz, Manfred B. and M{\"a}nnel, Daniela N. and Berberich-Siebelt, Friederike and Wajant, Harald and Beilhack, Andreas}, title = {Exogenous TNFR2 activation protects from acute GvHD via host T reg cell expansion}, series = {Journal of Experimental Medicine}, volume = {213}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Medicine}, number = {9}, doi = {10.1084/jem.20151563}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-187640}, pages = {1881-1900}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Donor CD4\(^+\)Foxp3\(^+\) regulatory T cells (T reg cells) suppress graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT allo-HCT]). Current clinical study protocols rely on the ex vivo expansion of donor T reg cells and their infusion in high numbers. In this study, we present a novel strategy for inhibiting GvHD that is based on the in vivo expansion of recipient T reg cells before allo-HCT, exploiting the crucial role of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) in T reg cell biology. Expanding radiation-resistant host T reg cells in recipient mice using a mouse TNFR2-selective agonist before allo-HCT significantly prolonged survival and reduced GvHD severity in a TNFR2-and T reg cell-dependent manner. The beneficial effects of transplanted T cells against leukemia cells and infectious pathogens remained unaffected. A corresponding human TNFR2-specific agonist expanded human T reg cells in vitro. These observations indicate the potential of our strategy to protect allo-HCT patients from acute GvHD by expanding T reg cells via selective TNFR2 activation in vivo.}, language = {en} } @article{HellmannLotherWursteretal.2017, author = {Hellmann, Anna-Maria and Lother, Jasmin and Wurster, Sebastian and Lutz, Manfred B. and Schmitt, Anna Lena and Morton, Charles Oliver and Eyrich, Matthias and Czakai, Kristin and Einsele, Hermann and Loeffler, Juergen}, title = {Human and Murine Innate Immune Cell Populations Display Common and Distinct Response Patterns during Their In Vitro Interaction with the Pathogenic Mold Aspergillus fumigatus}, series = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {8}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, number = {1716}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2017.01716}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-169926}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Aspergillus fumigatus is the main cause of invasive fungal infections occurring almost exclusively in immunocompromised patients. An improved understanding of the initial innate immune response is key to the development of better diagnostic tools and new treatment options. Mice are commonly used to study immune defense mechanisms during the infection of the mammalian host with A. fumigatus. However, little is known about functional differences between the human and murine immune response against this fungal pathogen. Thus, we performed a comparative functional analysis of human and murine dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) using standardized and reproducible working conditions, laboratory protocols, and readout assays. A. fumigatus did not provoke identical responses in murine and human immune cells but rather initiated relatively specific responses. While human DCs showed a significantly stronger upregulation of their maturation markers and major histocompatibility complex molecules and phagocytosed A. fumigatus more efficiently compared to their murine counterparts, murine PMNs and macrophages exhibited a significantly stronger release of reactive oxygen species after exposure to A. fumigatus. For all studied cell types, human and murine samples differed in their cytokine response to conidia or germ tubes of A. fumigatus. Furthermore, Dectin-1 showed inverse expression patterns on human and murine DCs after fungal stimulation. These specific differences should be carefully considered and highlight potential limitations in the transferability of murine host-pathogen interaction studies.}, language = {en} } @article{BergesKerkauWerneretal.2016, author = {Berges, Carsten and Kerkau, Thomas and Werner, Sandra and Wolf, Nelli and Winter, Nadine and H{\"u}nig, Thomas and Einsele, Hermann and Topp, Max S. and Beyersdorf, Niklas}, title = {Hsp90 inhibition ameliorates CD4\(^{+}\) T cell-mediated acute Graft versus Host disease in mice}, series = {Immunity, Inflammation and Disease}, volume = {4}, journal = {Immunity, Inflammation and Disease}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1002/iid3.127}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-168318}, pages = {463-473}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Introduction: For many patients with leukemia only allogeneic bone marrow transplantion provides a chance of cure. Co-transplanted mature donor T cells mediate the desired Graft versus Tumor (GvT) effect required to destroy residual leukemic cells. The donor T cells very often, however, also attack healthy tissue of the patient inducing acute Graft versus Host Disease (aGvHD)—a potentially life-threatening complication. Methods: Therefore, we used the well established C57BL/6 into BALB/c mouse aGvHD model to evaluate whether pharmacological inhibition of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) would protect the mice from aGvHD. Results: Treatment of the BALB/c recipient mice from day 0 to +2 after allogeneic CD4\(^{+}\) T cell transplantation with the Hsp90 inhibitor 17-(dimethylaminoethylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (DMAG) partially protected the mice from aGvHD. DMAG treatment was, however, insufficient to prolong overall survival of leukemia-bearing mice after transplantation of allogeneic CD4\(^{+}\) and CD8\(^{+}\) T cells. Ex vivo analyses and in vitro experiments revealed that DMAG primarily inhibits conventional CD4\(^{+}\) T cells with a relative resistance of CD4\(^{+}\) regulatory and CD8\(^{+}\) T cells toward Hsp90 inhibition. Conclusions: Our data, thus, suggest that Hsp90 inhibition might constitute a novel approach to reduce aGvHD in patients without abrogating the desired GvT effect.}, language = {en} }