Biology subjects

Pavel-Dinu, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Pavel-Dinu, M..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Epigenetic signature and key transcriptional regulators of human antigen-specific type 1 regulatory T cells

Human adaptive immunity is orchestrated by effector and regulatory T (Treg) cells. Natural Tregs arise in the thymus where they are shaped to recognize self-antigens, while type 1 Tregs or Tr1 cells are induced from conventional peripheral CD4+ T cells in response to peripheral antigens, such as alloantigens and allergens. Tr1 cells have been developed as a potential therapy for inducing antigen-specific tolerance, because they can be rapidly differentiated in vitro in response to a target antigen. However, the epigenetic landscape and the identity of transcription factors (TFs) that regulate differentiation, phenotype, and functions of human antigen-specific Tr1 cells is largely unknown, hindering Tr1 research and broader clinical development. Here, we reveal the unique epigenetic signature of antigen-specific Tr1 cells, and TFs that regulate their differentiation, phenotype and function. We showed that in vitro induced antigen-specific Tr1 cells are distinct both clonally and transcriptionally from natural Tregs and other conventional CD4+ T cells on a single-cell level. An integrative analysis of Tr1 cell epigenome and transcriptome identified a TF signature unique to antigen-specific Tr1 cells, and predicted that IRF4, BATF, and MAF act as their transcriptional regulators. Using functional genomics, we showed that each of these TFs play a non-redundant role in regulating Tr1 cell differentiation, suppressive function, and expression of co-inhibitory and cytotoxic proteins. By using the Tr1-specific TF signature as a molecular fingerprint, we tracked Tr1 cells in peripheral blood of recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation treated with adoptive Tr1 cell therapy. Furthermore, the same signature identified Tr1 cells in resident CD4+ T cells in solid tumors. Altogether, these results reveal the epigenetic signature and the key transcriptional regulators of human Tr1 cells. These data will guide mechanistic studies of human Tr1 cell biology and the development and optimization of adoptive Tr1 cell therapies.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2022

Genetically Corrected RAG2-SCID Human Hematopoietic Stem CellsRestore V(D)J-Recombinase and Rescue Lymphoid Deficiency

Recombination-activating genes (RAG1 and RAG2) are critical in lymphoid cell development and function for initiating the V(D)J-recombination process to generate polyclonal lymphocytes with broad antigen-specificity. Clinical manifestations of defective RAG1/2 genes range from immune dysregulation to severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID), causing life-threatening infections and death early in life in the absence of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Haploidentical HCT without myeloablative conditioning carries a high risk of graft failure and incomplete immune reconstitution. The RAG complex is only expressed during the G0-G1 phases of the cell cycle at the early stages of T and B cell development, underscoring that a direct gene correction would capture the precise temporal expression of the endogenous gene, is a promising therapeutic approach for RAG1/2-deficiencies. Here, we report a feasibility study using the CRISPR/Cas9-based "universal gene-correction" approach for the RAG2 locus in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) in healthy donors and one RAG2-SCID patient. V(D)J recombinase activity was restored following gene correction of RAG2-SCID-derived HSPCs, resulting in the development of TCR {beta} and {gamma}{delta} CD3+ cells and single-positive CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes. TCR repertoire analysis indicated a normal distribution of the CDR3 length and preserved usage of distal TRAV genes. We confirmed in vivo rescue of B-cell development, with normal IgM surface expression and a significant decrease in CD56bright NK cells. Together, we provide specificity, toxicity, and efficacy data supporting the development of a gene-correction therapy to benefit all RAG2-deficient patients. KEY POINTSO_LIHuman hematopoietic stem cells can be corrected to restore endogenous RAG2 gene expression while preserving durable engraftment potential. C_LIO_LIGene-corrected RAG2 locus restores V(D)J recombination in RAG2-SCID patient stem cells, promoting T and B-cells receptor formation. C_LI

immunology↗

bioRxiv2018

Gene Correction for SCID-X1 in Long-Term Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Gene correction in human long-term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) could be an effective therapy for monogenic diseases of the blood and immune system. High frequencies of reproducible targeted integration of a wild-type cDNA into the endogenous start codon of a gene in LT-HSCs could provide a robust genome editing approach to cure genetic diseases in which patients have different mutations throughout the gene. We describe a clinically relevant method for correcting X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-X1). By using a highly specific and active CRISPR/Cas9-AAV6 based strategy and selection-free approach, we achieve up to 20% genome integration frequencies in LT-HSCs of a full-length IL2RG cDNA at the endogenous start site as demonstrated by serial transplantation and analysis of genome edited human cells eight months following initial transplantation. In addition to high frequencies of functional gene correction in LT-HSCs we observed no evidence of abnormal hematopoiesis following transplantation, a functional measure of the lack of genotoxicity. Deep analysis of potential off-target activity detected two sites with low frequency (<0.3%) of off-target mutations. The level of off-target mutations was reduced to below the limit of detection using a high fidelity Cas9. Moreover, karyotype evaluation identified no genomic instability events. We achieved high levels of genome targeting frequencies (median 45%) in CD34+ HSPCs from six SCID-X1 patients and demonstrate rescue of lymphopoietic defect of patient derived cells both in vitro and in vivo. In sum, our study provides specificity, toxicity and efficacy data supportive of clinical development of genome editing to treat SCID-Xl.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2018

Identification of Pre-Existing Adaptive Immunity to Cas9 Proteins in Humans

The CRISPR-Cas9 system has proven to be a powerful tool for genome editing, allowing for the precise modification of specific DNA sequences within a cell. Many efforts are currently underway to use the CRISPR-Cas9 system for the therapeutic correction of human genetic diseases. The most widely used homologs of the Cas9 protein are derived from the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes). Based on the fact that these two bacterial species cause infections in the human population at high frequencies, we looked for the presence of pre-existing adaptive immune responses to their respective Cas9 homologs, SaCas9 (S. aureus homolog of Cas9) and SpCas9 (S. pyogenes homolog of Cas9). To determine the presence of anti-Cas9 antibodies, we probed for the two homologs using human serum and were able to detect antibodies against both, with 79% of donors staining against SaCas9 and 65% of donors staining against SpCas9. Upon investigating the presence of antigen-specific T-cells against the two homologs in human peripheral blood, we found anti-SaCas9 T-cells in 46% of donors. Upon isolating, expanding, and conducting antigen re-stimulation experiments on several of these donors anti-SaCas9 T-cells, we observed an SaCas9-specific response confirming that these T-cells were antigen-specific. We were unable to detect antigen-specific T-cells against SpCas9, although the sensitivity of the assay precludes us from concluding that such T-cells do not exist. Together, this data demonstrates that there are pre-existing humoral and cell-mediated adaptive immune responses to Cas9 in humans, a factor which must be taken into account as the CRISPR-Cas9 system moves forward into clinical trials.

immunology↗