Biology subjects

Sancho, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Sancho, D..

9 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Age-dependent disease tolerance to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Disease tolerance limits infectious disease severity through tissue damage control mechanisms that do not target pathogens directly. Here we demonstrate that age-dependent decline in adipose tissue lipolysis compromises disease tolerance to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Young adult mice exhibited robust adipocyte lipolysis and 80% survival, whereas old mice showed impaired adipocyte lipolysis and only 20% survival. Genetic repression of adipocyte lipolysis eliminated this age-dependent survival advantage without affecting viral titers, revealing that adipocyte lipolysis is essential for disease tolerance to SARS-CoV-2 in young adults. Impaired adipocyte lipolysis in aged mice was associated with a plasma lipidomic signature that predicts COVID-19 severity and mortality in three independent human cohorts. Mechanistically, adipocyte lipolysis provides free fatty acids (FFA) to support bone marrow emergency myelopoiesis, through CD36- and CPT1-dependent FFA cellular uptake and mitochondrial import, respectively. Bone marrow derived monocytes migrate to the lung via CCL2/CCR2-dependent mechanism where they enforce an immune-metabolic communication network with parenchymal cells to sustain lung structure and function. This circuit is not required to confer protection against influenza infection, revealing pathogen-specific disease tolerance mechanisms. These findings reveal adipose tissue catabolism as a central age-dependent factor responsible for exacerbated COVID-19 mortality in aged populations. One-Sentence SummarySARS-CoV-2 infection induces adipose tissue lipolysis to release fatty acids that drive myelopoiesis and monocyte production for lung protection and COVID-19 disease tolerance, but this protective circuit declines with age, increasing disease severity in the elderly.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

BATF3 controls the homeostatic maintenance and function of innate-like γδ T cells

{gamma}{delta} T cells compose an evolutionarily conserved lineage of lymphocytes, with both adaptive- and innate-like characteristics, contributing to tissue homeostasis, immune surveillance, and rapid responses to stress and infection. While their functional diversity and tissue-specific roles are tightly regulated by transcriptional networks, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. The transcription factor basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor 3 (BATF3) plays a central role in the development of conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s). Here, we unveil BATF3 as a critical cell-intrinsic regulator of the homeostasis, functional specialization, and tissue distribution of {gamma}{delta} T cells. Batf3-deficient mice display an altered composition of {gamma}{delta} T cell subsets, with a marked decrease in the numbers of innate-like {gamma}{delta} T cells across multiple organs when compared to their wild-type counterparts, independently of cDC1s. Loss of BATF3 impacts not only cell survival but also IL-17 production after {gamma}{delta} T cells complete their thymic development. Mechanistically, Batf3-deficient innate-like {gamma}{delta} T cells exhibit transcriptional changes that disrupt pathways governing actin cytoskeleton remodelling, immunological synapse organization and cellular identity. Notably, Batf3-deficient mice present decreased survival in a viral infection model highly dependent on innate-like {gamma}{delta} T cells. Together, our findings uncover a previously unrecognized BATF3-dependent pathway that controls {gamma}{delta} T cell morphology and function, profoundly impacting their biology.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

Mitochondrial genetics defines anti-tumour immunity through mitochondrial ROS and PD-1 signalling

As central players in cell metabolism, mitochondria influence numerous aspects of health and disease, including the initiation and progression of cancer. Although mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have been extensively documented in human cancers for decades, the functional impact of mitochondrial haplogroups on tumour biology remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigate the role of mitochondrial variability in tumour biology using conplastic mouse strains, which are animal models with identical nuclear genomes but different mtDNA haplotypes. We showed that the physiologically relevant variation in mitochondrial ROS (mROS) generation, associated with specific clusters of mtDNA single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), modulated immune responses within the tumour microenvironment and altered tumour growth. We observed strain-dependent differences in the abundance of multiple immune subsets and in PD-1 expression in tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). In addition, mtDNA haplotypes influenced cancer progression by modulating tumour angiogenesis through an mROS-independent mechanism. These findings connect nucleo-mitochondrial genetic variability to tumour progression, de novo vessel formation and anti-tumour immunity. Tumour immunotherapies should incorporate the spatial and temporal dynamics of cancer evolution and consider mitochondrial genetics as a targetable layer influencing treatment efficacy.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2025

HIF-1α and HIF-2α transcription factors differentially regulate lung alveolar macrophage function

Alveolar Macrophages (AMs) reside in the alveoli, where oxygen pressure is high, therefore maintaining an active degradation of hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIF) mediated by the Von Hippel-Lindau protein (pVHL) ubiquitin ligase complex. We previously found that Vhl-deficient AMs not sensing high oxygen pressure are immature and functionally impaired. Here we investigated the specific roles of HIF-1 and HIF-2 isoforms in the regulation of AM functions. With this aim, we combined deletion of Vhl with single or double deletion of Hif1a and/or Hif2a in AMs under the control of the CD11c promoter using a Cre-Lox system. Our work demonstrates that in Vhl-deficient macrophages, both HIF-1 and HIF-2 contribute to AM defective self-renewal, while HIF-2 plays a central role in regulating the impaired AM maturation associated with pVHL loss. HIF-1 promotes a glycolytic shift in alveolar macrophages, while HIF-2 hinders lipid oxidation and surfactant clearance. Thus, HIF-2 raises as a selective critical factor restraining the therapeutic potential of AMs to degrade surfactant excess in mice that have developed pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP). Overall, regulation of both HIF-1 and HIF-2 isoforms is required for an optimal AM function, highlighting HIF-2 as a potential pharmacological target for secondary PAP.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Hiltonol and Protamine-RNA stimulation induce an immune-activating transcriptome profile in cDC1s

Ex-vivo stimulation of dendritic cells (DCs) is a critical step in DC-based cancer immunotherapies. In humans, conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) are a rare myeloid dendritic cell (mDC) subset that express BDCA-3 (CD141). cDC1s promote CD8+ T cell cross-priming against tumor antigens and are therefore being explored for use in immunotherapy. We evaluated the impact of ex-vivo stimulation on human peripheral blood cDC1s. In contrast to routine evaluation, which focuses on pre-defined surface maturation markers or soluble factors released from the activated cells, we investigated the impact of stimulation on the transcriptome using both RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and microarrays. Specifically, we analyzed the mRNA of cDC1s upon activation with two clinical-grade adjuvants, Hiltonol (poly IC, a TLR3 ligand) and protamine-stabilized RNA (pRNA, a TLR7/8 ligand) compared to unstimulated controls. Both RNA-seq and microarray analysis showed profound and similar effects of both Hiltonol and pRNA on the transcriptome of cDC1s. A gene ontology (GO) analysis suggested that these changes were mainly related to activation and maturation pathways, including induction of type-I interferon (IFN) and interleukin (IL)-12 transcription, while pathways related to adverse effects or cell damage did not appear to be affected. Combination of both reagents did not appear to have a synergistic effect, as the transcriptome changes were similar to those induced by each stimulus alone. Together, our results indicate that both adjuvants have comparable effects on cDC1 maturation within an immunogenic short-term culture as performed in immunotherapy.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

Monocyte control of organismal energy homeostasis

Multicellular organisms rely on inter-organ communication networks to maintain vital parameters within a dynamic physiological range. Macrophages are central to this homeostatic control system, sensing deviations of those parameters and responding accordingly to support tissue function and organismal homeostasis. Here we demonstrate that dysregulation of iron metabolism in parenchyma cells, imposed by the deletion of ferritin H chain, is sensed by monocyte-derived macrophages. In response, macrophages derived from circulating monocytes support tissue function, energy metabolism and thermoregulation, as demonstrated in bone marrow chimeric and parabiotic mice. This salutary effect is contingent on a transcriptional program, controlled in macrophages by the transcription factor A mitochondria. This transcriptional response acts in a non-cell autonomous manner to support the mitochondria of parenchyma cells, irrespectively of mitochondrial transfer. In conclusion, monocyte-derived macrophages cross-regulate Fe and energy metabolism to support tissue function and organismal homeostasis.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

Translocation of gut Enterococcus faecalis trains myeloid bone marrow progenitors via the C-type lectin receptor Mincle

Impairment of the intestinal barrier allows the systemic translocation of commensal bacteria, inducing a pro-inflammatory state in the host. To address potential mechanisms underlying this link, we explored innate immune responses following increased gut permeability upon administration of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to mice. Microbiota translocation induced trained immunity (TI) in mouse myeloid bone marrow progenitors (BMPs). Enterococcus faecalis was the predominant bacteria detected in the bone marrow (BM) following DSS treatment. Notably, live or heat-killed E. faecalis induced reprogramming of mouse BMPs in vitro and in vivo and enhanced macrophage inflammatory activity, also training human monocytes. E. faecalis sensing by the C-type lectin receptor Mincle (Clec4e-/-) is essential for TI induction in BMPs. Consequently, Clec4e-/- mice showed impaired TI upon E. faecalis or reduced pathology following DSS treatment. Our results identify E. faecalis as inducer of TI-related inflammation that may contribute to pathologies associated with increased gut permeability.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2023

SpatialDDLS: An R package to deconvolute spatial transcriptomics data using neural networks

SummarySpatial transcriptomics has changed our way to study tissue structure and cellular organization. However, there are still limitations in its resolution, and most available plaXorms do not reach a single cell resolution. To address this issue, we introduce SpatialDDLS, a fast neural network-based algorithm for cell type deconvolution of spatial transcriptomics data. SpatialDDLS leverages single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data to simulate mixed transcriptional profiles with predefined cellular composition, which are subsequently used to train a fully-connected neural network to uncover cell type diversity within each spot. By comparing it with two state-of-the-art spatial deconvolution methods, we demonstrate that SpatialDDLS is an accurate and faster alternative to the available state-of-the art tools. Availability and implementationThe R package SpatialDDLS is available via CRAN-The Comprehensive R Archive Network: https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=SpatialDDLS. A detailed manual of the main functionalities implemented in the package can be found at https://diegommcc.github.io/SpatialDDLS. Contactfscabo@cnic.es Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2022

Specific targeting of inflammatory osteoclastogenesis by the probiotic yeast S. boulardii CNCM I-745 reduces bone loss in osteoporosis

Bone destruction is a hallmark of chronic inflammation, and bone-resorbing osteoclasts arising under such a condition differ from steady-state ones. However, osteoclast diversity remains poorly explored. Here, we combined transcriptomic profiling, differentiation assays and in vivo analysis in mouse to decipher specific traits for inflammatory and steady state osteoclasts. We identified and validated the pattern-recognition receptors (PRR) TLR2, Dectin-1 and Mincle, all involved in yeast recognition as major regulators of inflammatory osteoclasts. We showed that administration of the yeast probiotic Saccharomyces boulardi CNCM I-745 (Sb) in vivo reduced bone loss in OVX but not sham mice by reducing inflammatory osteoclasts. This beneficial impact of Sb is mediated by the regulation of the inflammatory environment required for the generation of inflammatory osteoclasts. We also showed that Sb derivatives as well as agonists of TLR2, Dectin-1 and Mincle specifically inhibited directly the differentiation of inflammatory but not steady state osteoclasts in vitro. These findings demonstrate a preferential use of the PRR-associated costimulatory differentiation pathway by inflammatory osteoclasts, thus enabling their specific inhibition, which opens new therapeutic perspectives for inflammatory bone loss.

physiology↗