Engineered antigen-specific human regulatory T cells: immunosuppression of FVIII-specific T- and B-cell responses

Blood. 2015 Feb 12;125(7):1107-15. doi: 10.1182/blood-2014-04-566786. Epub 2014 Dec 10.

Abstract

Expansion of human regulatory T cells (Tregs) for clinical applications offers great promise for the treatment of undesirable immune responses in autoimmunity, transplantation, allergy, and antidrug antibody responses, including inhibitor responses in hemophilia A patients. However, polyclonal Tregs are nonspecific and therefore could potentially cause global immunosuppression. To avoid this undesirable outcome, the generation of antigen-specific Tregs would be advantageous. Herein, we report the production and properties of engineered antigen-specific Tregs, created by transduction of a recombinant T-cell receptor obtained from a hemophilia A subject's T-cell clone, into expanded human FoxP3(+) Tregs. Such engineered factor VIII (FVIII)-specific Tregs efficiently suppressed the proliferation and cytokine production of FVIII-specific T-effector cells. Moreover, studies with an HLA-transgenic, FVIII-deficient mouse model demonstrated that antibody production from FVIII-primed spleen cells in vitro were profoundly inhibited in the presence of these FVIII-specific Tregs, suggesting potential utility to treat anti-FVIII inhibitory antibody formation in hemophilia A patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • Cell Engineering* / methods
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Factor VIII / genetics
  • Factor VIII / immunology*
  • Factor VIII / metabolism
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Hemophilia A / genetics
  • Hemophilia A / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance* / genetics
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Middle Aged
  • T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity* / genetics
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • F8 protein, human
  • Factor VIII