Graft-Specific Regulatory T Cells for Long-Lasting, Local Tolerance Induction.

Background: Solid organ transplantation is hindered by immune-mediated chronic graft dysfunction and the side effects of immunosuppressive therapy. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are crucial for modulating immune responses post-transplantation; however, the transfer of polyspecific Tregs alone is insufficient to induce allotolerance in rodent models.

Methods: To enhance the efficacy of adoptive Treg therapy, we investigated different immune interventions in the recipients.

Development of Beta-Amyloid-Specific CAR-Tregs for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that remains uncured. Its pathogenesis is characterized by the formation of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques. The use of antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs) through adoptive transfer has shown promise for the treatment of many inflammatory diseases, although the effectiveness of polyspecific Tregs is limited.

Generation of Chimeric Antigen Receptors against Tetraspanin 7.

Adoptive transfer of antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs) has shown promising results in the treatment of autoimmune diseases; however, the use of polyspecific Tregs has limited effects. However, obtaining a sufficient number of antigen-specific Tregs from patients with autoimmune disorders remains challenging. Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) provide an alternative source of T cells for novel immunotherapies that redirect T cells independently of the MHC.

Splenectomy induces biochemical remission and regeneration in experimental murine autoimmune hepatitis.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory liver disease. It is known that AIH originates not from the spleen but from the liver itself. Nonetheless, most details of the etiology and pathophysiology are unknown.

The Detrimental Role of Regulatory T Cells in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is induced by steatosis and metabolic inflammation. While involvement of the innate immune response has been shown, the role of the adaptive immune response in NASH remains controversial. Likewise, the role of regulatory T cells (Treg) in NASH remains unclear although initial clinical trials aim to target these regulatory responses.

Anti-CD20 Therapy Alters the Protein Signature in Experimental Murine AIH, but Not Exclusively towards Regeneration.

Background: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that usually requires lifelong immunosuppression. Frequent recurrences after the discontinuation of therapy indicate that intrahepatic immune regulation is not restored by current treatments. Studies of other autoimmune diseases suggest that temporary depletion of B cells can improve disease progression in the long term.

p53-Independent Induction of p21 Fails to Control Regeneration and Hepatocarcinogenesis in a Murine Liver Injury Model.

Background & Aims: A coordinated stress and regenerative response is important after hepatocyte damage. Here, we investigate the phenotypes that result from genetic abrogation of individual components of the checkpoint kinase 2/transformation-related protein 53 (p53)/cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21) pathway in a murine model of metabolic liver injury.

Methods: Nitisinone was reduced or withdrawn in Fah mice lacking Chk2, p53, or p21, and survival, tumor development, liver injury, and regeneration were analyzed.

Splenectomy Prior to Experimental Induction of Autoimmune Hepatitis Promotes More Severe Hepatic Inflammation, Production of IL-17 and Apoptosis.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is detected at a late stage in the course of the disease. Therefore, induction and etiology are largely unclear. It is controversial if the induction of autoimmunity occurs in the liver or in the spleen.

Treg-specific IL-2 therapy can reestablish intrahepatic immune regulation in autoimmune hepatitis.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that usually requires life-long immunosuppression. Frequent relapses after discontinuation of therapy indicate that intrahepatic immune regulation is not restored by current therapies. As steroid therapy preferentially depletes intrahepatic regulatory T cell (Tregs), immune regulation might be re-established by increasing and functionally strengthening intrahepatic Tregs.

9-PAHSA Prevents Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Increases the Viability of Steatotic Hepatocytes.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is quickly becoming the most common liver disease worldwide. Within the NAFLD spectrum, patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are at the highest risk of developing cirrhosis and disease progression to hepatocellular carcinoma. To date, therapeutic options for NASH patients have been ineffective, and therefore, new options are urgently needed.

Absence of Atg7 in the liver disturbed hepatic regeneration after liver injury.

Background And Aims: Autophagy is a critical process in cell survival and the maintenance of homeostasis. However, the implementation of therapeutic approaches based on autophagy mechanisms after liver damage is still challenging.

Methods: We used a hepatospecific Atg7-deficient murine model to address this question.

Autoimmune hepatitis induction can occur in the liver.

The priming of T cells in the liver is widely accepted. Nonetheless, it is controversial whether immune activation in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) occurs in the liver or in the spleen. To address this issue, we splenectomized mice and induced experimental murine AIH (emAIH) with an adenovirus (Ad)-expressing formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase (FTCD).

Regulatory T cells engineered with a novel insulin-specific chimeric antigen receptor as a candidate immunotherapy for type 1 diabetes.

Adoptive immunotherapy with ex vivo expanded, polyspecific regulatory T cells (Tregs) is a promising treatment for graft-versus-host disease. Animal transplantation models used by us and others have demonstrated that the adoptive transfer of allospecific Tregs offers greater protection from graft rejection than that of polyclonal Tregs. This finding is in contrast to those of autoimmune models, where adoptive transfer of polyspecific Tregs had very limited effects, while antigen-specific Tregs were promising.

Dual Role of the Adaptive Immune System in Liver Injury and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a classic example of inflammation-linked cancer. To characterize the role of the immune system in hepatic injury and tumor development, we comparatively studied the extent of liver disease and hepatocarcinogenesis in immunocompromised versus immunocompetent Fah-deficient mice. Strikingly, chronic liver injury and tumor development were markedly suppressed in alymphoid Fah(-/-) mice despite an overall increased mortality.

The BH3-only protein BID impairs the p38-mediated stress response and promotes hepatocarcinogenesis during chronic liver injury in mice.

Unlabelled: Apoptosis is critical for maintaining tissue homeostasis, and apoptosis evasion is considered as a hallmark of cancer. However, increasing evidence also suggests that proapoptotic molecules can contribute to the development of cancer, including liver cancer. The aim of this study was to further clarify the role of the proapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 homology domain 3 (BH3)-only protein BH3 interacting-domain death agonist (BID) for chronic liver injury (CLI) and hepatocarcinogenesis (HCG).

p21 promotes sustained liver regeneration and hepatocarcinogenesis in chronic cholestatic liver injury.

Background And Aims: The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 has been implicated as a tumour suppressor. Moreover, recent genetic studies suggest that p21 might be a potential therapeutic target to improve regeneration in chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to delineate the role of p21 in chronic liver injury and to specify its role in hepatocarcinogenesis in a mouse model of chronic cholestatic liver injury.

The degree of liver injury determines the role of p21 in liver regeneration and hepatocarcinogenesis in mice.

Unlabelled: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently arises in the context of chronic injury that promotes DNA damage and chromosomal aberrations. The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 is an important transcriptional target of several tumor suppressors, which promotes cell cycle arrest in response to many stimuli. The aim of this study was to further delineate the role of p21 in the liver during moderate and severe injury and to specify its role in the initiation and progression of HCC.

Activity of the mTOR inhibitor RAD001, the dual mTOR and PI3-kinase inhibitor BEZ235 and the PI3-kinase inhibitor BKM120 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most deadly cancers worldwide with only few therapeutic options for patients with advanced disease. There is growing evidence indicating that activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway plays an important role in HCC and therefore represents a promising target for novel therapeutic approaches. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the antitumour activity of the mTOR inhibitor RAD001, the dual mTOR and PI3-kinase inhibitor BEZ235 and the PI3-kinase inhibitor BKM120 in vitro and in vivo.

mTor as a potential target for the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global health problem and responsible for up to 500.000 deaths annually. It usually occurs secondary to infections with hepatitis B or C viruses, alcohol consumption, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or hereditary liver diseases.

The strength of the Fas ligand signal determines whether hepatocytes act as type 1 or type 2 cells in murine livers.

Unlabelled: The BH3-interacting domain death agonist Bid has been shown to be critical for Fas-induced hepatocellular apoptosis. Furthermore, some studies have suggested that phosphorylation of Bid may determine its apoptotic function and may act as a switch to nonapoptotic functions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Bid and phosphorylated Bid for Fas ligand (FasL)-induced apoptosis in murine livers.

Rapamycin delays tumor development in murine livers by inhibiting proliferation of hepatocytes with DNA damage.

Unlabelled: In this study, everolimus (RAD001) was used to determine the role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in hepatocarcinogenesis. We show that RAD001 effectively inhibits proliferation of hepatocytes during chronic liver injury. Remarkably, the ability of RAD001 to impair cell cycle progression requires activation of the DNA damage response; loss of p53 significantly attenuates the antiproliferative effects of mTOR inhibition.

Activation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 in hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 and its role in survival and tumor development.

In tyrosinemia type 1 (HT1), accumulation of toxic metabolites results in oxidative stress and DNA damage, leading to a high incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas. Nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key transcription factor important for cellular protection against oxidative stress and chemical induced liver damage. To specifically address the role of Nrf2 in HT1, fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (Fah)/Nrf2(-/-) mice were generated.