@article{BoivinBeyersdorfPalmetal.2015, author = {Boivin, Val{\´e}rie and Beyersdorf, Niklas and Palm, Dieter and Nikolaev, Viacheslav O. and Schlipp, Angela and M{\"u}ller, Justus and Schmidt, Doris and Kocoski, Vladimir and Kerkau, Thomas and H{\"u}nig, Thomas and Ertl, Georg and Lohse, Martin J. and Jahns, Roland}, title = {Novel Receptor-Derived Cyclopeptides to Treat Heart Failure Caused by \(Anti-β_1-Adrenoceptor\) Antibodies in a Human-Analogous Rat Model}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0117589}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-126028}, pages = {e0117589}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Despite recent therapeutic advances the prognosis of heart failure remains poor. Recent research suggests that heart failure is a heterogeneous syndrome and that many patients have stimulating auto-antibodies directed against the second extracellular loop of the \(β_1\) adrenergic receptor \((β_1EC2)\). In a human-analogous rat model such antibodies cause myocyte damage and heart failure. Here we used this model to test a novel antibody-directed strategy aiming to prevent and/or treat antibody-induced cardiomyopathy. To generate heart failure, we immunised n = 76/114 rats with a fusion protein containing the human β1EC2 (amino-acids 195-225) every 4 weeks; n = 38/114 rats were control-injected with 0.9\% NaCl. Intravenous application of a novel cyclic peptide mimicking \(β_1EC2\) (\(β_1EC2-CP\), 1.0 mg/kg every 4 weeks) or administration of the \(β_1-blocker\) bisoprolol (15 mg/kg/day orally) was initiated either 6 weeks (cardiac function still normal, prevention-study, n = 24 (16 treated vs. 8 untreated)) or 8.5 months after the 1st immunisation (onset of cardiomyopathy, therapy-study, n = 52 (40 treated vs. 12 untreated)); n = 8/52 rats from the therapy-study received \(β_1EC2-CP/bisoprolol\) co-treatment. We found that \(β_1EC2-CP\) prevented and (alone or as add-on drug) treated antibody-induced cardiac damage in the rat, and that its efficacy was superior to mono-treatment with bisoprolol, a standard drug in heart failure. While bisoprolol mono-therapy was able to stop disease-progression, \(β_1EC2-CP\) mono-therapy -or as an add-on to bisoprolol- almost fully reversed antibody-induced cardiac damage. The cyclo¬peptide acted both by scavenging free \(anti-β_1EC2-antibodies\) and by targeting \(β_1EC2\)-specific memory B-cells involved in antibody-production. Our model provides the basis for the clinical translation of a novel double-acting therapeutic strategy that scavenges harmful \(anti-β_1EC2-antibodies\) and also selectively depletes memory B-cells involved in the production of such antibodies. Treatment with immuno-modulating cyclopeptides alone or as an add-on to \(β_1\)-blockade represents a promising new therapeutic option in immune-mediated heart failure.}, language = {en} } @article{UriWernerLuehderetal.2017, author = {Uri, Anna and Werner, Sandra and L{\"u}hder, Fred and H{\"u}nig, Thomas and Kerkau, Thomas and Beyersdorf, Niklas}, title = {Protection of mice from acute graft-versus-host disease requires CD28 co-stimulation on donor CD4\(^{+}\) Foxp3\(^{+}\) regulatory T Cells}, series = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {8}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, number = {721}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2017.00721}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-158469}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell plus T cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). In this study, we investigated the requirement for CD28 co-stimulation of donor CD4\(^{+}\) conventional (CD4\(^{+}\)CD25\(^{-}\)Foxp3\(^{-}\), Tconv) and regulatory (CD4\(^{+}\)CD25\(^{+}\)Foxp3\(^{+}\), Treg) T cells in aGvHD using tamoxifen-inducible CD28 knockout (iCD28KO) or wild-type (wt) littermates as donors of CD4\(^{+}\) Tconv and Treg. In the highly inflammatory C57BL/6 into BALB/c allo-HSCT transplantation model, CD28 depletion on donor CD4\(^{+}\) Tconv reduced clinical signs of aGvHD, but did not significantly prolong survival of the recipient mice. Selective depletion of CD28 on donor Treg did not abrogate protection of recipient mice from aGvHD until about day 20 after allo-HSCT. Later, however, the pool of CD28-depleted Treg drastically declined as compared to wt Treg. Consequently, only wt, but not CD28-deficient, Treg were able to continuously suppress aGvHD and induce long-term survival of the recipient mice. To our knowledge, this is the first study that specifically evaluates the impact of CD28 expression on donor Treg in aGvHD. Moreover, the delayed kinetics of aGvHD lethality after transplantation of iCD28KO Treg provides a novel animal model for similar disease courses found in patients after allo-HSCT.}, 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} } @article{LangenhorstHaackGoebetal.2018, author = {Langenhorst, Daniela and Haack, Stephanie and G{\"o}b, Selina and Uri, Anna and L{\"u}hder, Fred and Vanhove, Bernhard and H{\"u}nig, Thomas and Beyersdorf, Niklas}, title = {CD28 costimulation of T helper 1 cells enhances cytokine release in vivo}, series = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {9}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, number = {1060}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2018.01060}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-176726}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Compared to naive T cells, differentiated T cells are thought to be less dependent on CD28 costimulation for full activation. To revisit the role of CD28 costimulation in mouse T cell recall responses, we adoptively transferred in vitro generated OT-II T helper (Th) 1 cells into C57BL/6 mice (Thy1.2\(^{+}\)) and then either blocked CD28-ligand interactions with Fab fragments of the anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody (mAb) E18 or deleted CD28 expression using inducible CD28 knock-out OT-II mice as T cell donors. After injection of ovalbumin protein in adjuvant into the recipient mice we observed that systemic interferon (IFN)γ release strongly depended on CD28 costimulation of the Th1 cells, while secondary clonal expansion was not reduced in the absence of CD28 costimulation. For human memory CD4\(^{+}\) T cell responses we also noted that cytokine release was reduced upon inhibition of CD28 costimulation. Together, our data highlight the so far underestimated role of CD28 costimulation for the reactivation of fully differentiated CD4\(^{+}\) T cells.}, language = {en} } @article{BergfeldDasariWerneretal.2017, author = {Bergfeld, Arne and Dasari, Prasad and Werner, Sandra and Hughes, Timothy R. and Song, Wen-Chao and Hortschansky, Peter and Brakhage, Axel A. and H{\"u}nig, Thomas and Zipfel, Peter F. and Beyersdorf, Niklas}, title = {Direct binding of the pH-regulated Protein 1 (Pra1) from Candida albicans inhibits cytokine secretion by mouse CD4\(^{+}\) T cells}, series = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {8}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, number = {844}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2017.00844}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-158274}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Opportunistic infections with the saprophytic yeast Candida albicans are a major cause of morbidity in immunocompromised patients. While the interaction of cells and molecules of innate immunity with C. albicans has been studied to great depth, comparatively little is known about the modulation of adaptive immunity by C. albicans. In particular, direct interaction of proteins secreted by C. albicans with CD4\(^{+}\) T cells has not been studied in detail. In a first screening approach, we identified the pH-regulated antigen 1 (Pra1) as a molecule capable of directly binding to mouse CD4\(^{+}\) T cells in vitro. Binding of Pra1 to the T cell surface was enhanced by extracellular Zn\(^{2+}\) ions which Pra1 is known to scavenge from the host in order to supply the fungus with Zn\(^{2+}\). In vitro stimulation assays using highly purified mouse CD4\(^{+}\) T cells showed that Pra1 increased proliferation of CD4\(^{+}\) T cells in the presence of plate-bound anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody. In contrast, secretion of effector cytokines such as IFNγ and TNF by CD4\(^{+}\) T cells upon anti-CD3/ anti-CD28 mAb as well as cognate antigen stimulation was reduced in the presence of Pra1. By secreting Pra1 C. albicans, thus, directly modulates and partially controls CD4\(^{+}\) T cell responses as shown in our in vitro assays.}, language = {en} } @article{LangenhorstTabaresGuldeetal.2018, author = {Langenhorst, Daniela and Tabares, Paula and Gulde, Tobias and Becklund, Bryan R. and Berr, Susanne and Surh, Charles D. and Beyersdorf, Niklas and H{\"u}nig, Thomas}, title = {Self-recognition sensitizes mouse and human regulatory T cells to low-dose CD28 superagonist stimulation}, series = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {8}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, number = {1985}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2017.01985}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-159387}, year = {2018}, abstract = {In rodents, low doses of CD28-specific superagonistic monoclonal antibodies (CD28 superagonists, CD28SA) selectively activate regulatory T cells (Treg). This observation has recently been extended to humans, suggesting an option for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. However, a mechanistic explanation for this phenomenon is still lacking. Given that CD28SA amplify T cell receptor (TCR) signals, we tested the hypothesis that the weak tonic TCR signals received by conventional CD4\(^{+}\) T cells (Tconv) in the absence of cognate antigen require more CD28 signaling input for full activation than the stronger TCR signals received by self-reactive Treg. We report that in vitro, the response of mouse Treg and Tconv to CD28SA strongly depends on MHC class II expression by antigen-presenting cells. To separate the effect of tonic TCR signals from self-peptide recognition, we compared the response of wild-type Treg and Tconv to low and high CD28SA doses upon transfer into wild-type or H-2M knockout mice, which lack a self-peptide repertoire. We found that the superior response of Treg to low CD28SA doses was lost in the absence of self-peptide presentation. We also tested if potentially pathogenic autoreactive Tconv would benefit from self-recognition-induced sensitivity to CD28SA stimulation by transferring TCR transgenic OVA-specific Tconv into OVA-expressing mice and found that low-dose CD28SA application inhibited, rather than supported, their expansion, presumably due to the massive concomitant activation of Treg. Finally, we report that also in the in vitro response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to CD28SA, HLA II blockade interferes with the expansion of Treg by low-dose CD28SA stimulation. These results provide a rational basis for the further development of low-dose CD28SA therapy for the improvement of Treg activity.}, language = {en} }