Eur J Immunol
Department of Surgery, The University of British Columbia, Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Published: September 2020
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic conditions that result from uncontrolled intestinal inflammation. Pathogenic Th17 cells, characterized by production of IL-17A in the absence of IL-10, are thought to contribute to this inflammation, but in humans, antibody-mediated blockade of IL-17A is an ineffective IBD therapy whereas IL-23 blockade is effective. Here, we investigated the effects of pharmacological inhibition of RORC2, the Th17 cell lineage-defining transcription factor, on in vivo-differentiated human Th17 cells and Th17-like Tregs (Th17-Tregs). BMS-336, a small molecule RORC2 inverse agonist, inhibited expression of RORC2-regulated genes in peripheral Th17 cells (CD4 CD25 CD127 CXCR3 CCR4 CCR6 ) in a dose-dependent manner, with similar inhibitory effects on laminar propria mononuclear cells from IBD and non-IBD subjects. Exposure of peripheral Th17-Tregs (CD4 CD25 CD127 CXCR3 CCR4 CCR6 ) to BMS-336 also inhibited IL-17A production and prevented inflammatory cytokine-induced destabilization, as evidenced by preserved FOXP3 expression and epigenetic status of the Treg-specific demethylation region. In parallel, RORC2 inhibition increased the production of IL-10 in Th17-Tregs, resulting in enhanced suppression of inflammatory cytokines from myeloid cells. Thus, via its ability to simultaneously inhibit Th17 cells and enhance the stability and function of Th17-Tregs, pharmacological inhibition of RORC2 is a promising approach to suppress inflammation and promote immune regulation in IBD.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eji.201948435 | DOI Listing |
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