Immunological Properties of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells.

Age-related macular degeneration is caused by dysfunction and loss of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, and their transplantation may rescue visual functions and delay disease progression. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) may be an unlimited source of RPE cells for allotransplantation. We analyzed the immunomodulatory properties of hESC-derived RPE (hESC-RPE) cells, and showed that they inhibited T cell responses. Co-culture experiments showed that RPE cells inhibited interfon-γ secretion and proliferation of activated T cells. Furthermore, hESC-RPE cells enhanced T cell apoptosis and secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10). In addition, RPE cells altered the expression of T cell activation markers, CD69 and CD25. RPE cells transplanted into RCS rats without immunosuppression survived, provided retinal rescue, and enhanced IL-10 blood levels. Our data suggest that hESC-RPE cells have immunosuppressive properties. Further studies will determine if these properties are sufficient to alleviate the need for immunosuppression therapy after their clinical allotransplantation.

Human embryonic stem cells suppress T cell responses via arginase I-dependent mechanism.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can proliferate extensively in culture and give rise to progeny of the three germ layers. Several reports suggested that mouse and hESCs may attenuate immune responses. In this study, we focused on the mechanism by which hESCs inhibit T cell responses. Using coculture experiments, we demonstrate that hESCs inhibit cytokine secretion and T cell proliferation in response to potent T cell activators. Furthermore, we show that hESCs downmodulate the TCR-associated CD3-zeta chain. These effects are maintained when hESCs are replaced by their conditioned media and can be restored by the addition of L-arginine to hESC-conditioned media or by treatment of hESCs with a specific arginase inhibitor. Moreover, we show arginase-I expression and activity in hESCs. We further demonstrate that mouse ESCs (mESCs) similarly inhibit T cell activation via arginase I, suggesting an evolutionary conserved mechanism of T cell suppression by ESCs. In addition, we demonstrate that arginase I expression is not limited to ESCs in culture, but can also be detected in the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm of preimplantation mouse embryos and hESC-derived trophectoderm cells. Finally, T cells infiltrating ESC-derived teratomas have significantly lower levels of CD3-zeta chain. Collectively, the data indicate a role for ESC-arginase I activity in the attenuation of T cell activation.

Directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into functional retinal pigment epithelium cells.

Dysfunction and loss of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) leads to degeneration of photoreceptors in age-related macular degeneration and subtypes of retinitis pigmentosa. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) may serve as an unlimited source of RPE cells for transplantation in these blinding conditions. Here we show the directed differentiation of hESCs toward an RPE fate under defined culture conditions. We demonstrate that nicotinamide promotes the differentiation of hESCs to neural and subsequently to RPE fate. In the presence of nicotinamide, factors from the TGF-beta superfamily, which presumably pattern RPE development during embryogenesis, further direct RPE differentiation. The hESC-derived pigmented cells exhibit the morphology, marker expression, and function of authentic RPE and rescue retinal structure and function after transplantation to an animal model of retinal degeneration caused by RPE dysfunction. These results are an important step toward the future use of hESCs to replenish RPE in blinding diseases.

Peripheral B cell receptor editing may promote the production of high-affinity autoantibodies in CD22-deficient mice.

CD22-deficient mice are characterized by B cell hyperactivity and autoimmunity. We have constructed knock-in CD22-/- mice, expressing an anti-DNA heavy (H) chain (D42), alone or combined with Vkappa1-Jkappa1 or Vkappa8-Jkappa5 light (L) chains. The Ig-targeted mice produced a lupus-like serology that was age- and sex-dependent. High-affinity IgG autoantibodies were largely dependent on the selection of B cells with a particular H/L combination, in which a non-transgenic, endogenous L chain was assembled by secondary rearrangements through the mechanism of receptor editing. Moreover, we present evidence that these secondary rearrangements are very prominent in splenic peripheral B cells. Since CD22 is primarily expressed on the surface of peripheral B cells, we propose a model for the development of a lupus-like autoimmune disease by a combination of peripheral receptor editing and abnormal B cell activation.

Autoimmune NZB/NZW F1 mice utilize B cell receptor editing for generating high-affinity anti-dsDNA autoantibodies from low-affinity precursors.

We have previously constructed knock-in (C57BL/6xBALB/c) F1 mice, each expressing an anti-DNA heavy (H) chain (D42), combined with one of three different light (L) chains, namely Vkappa1-Jkappa1, Vkappa4-Jkappa4 or Vkappa8-Jkappa5. All of these H/L chain combinations bind DNA with similar affinity and fine specificity. However, while mice carrying Vkappa1-Jkappa1-transgenic L chain were tolerized almost exclusively by L chain receptor editing, the mice expressing Vkappa8-Jkappa5 L chains utilized clonal anergy as their principal mechanism of B cell tolerance. Vkappa4-Jkappa4 targeted mice exhibited an intermediate phenotype. In the present study, these three H/L chain combinations were backcrossed onto the autoimmune NZB/NZW F1 mice. We find that the mechanism of clonal anergy is abrogated in these mice, but that receptor editing is maintained. Moreover, diseased NZB/NZW mice utilize L chain secondary rearrangements for the generation of high-affinity, anti-dsDNA-producing B cells from low-affinity precursors. The edited B cell clones are not deleted or anergized in the autoimmune animal; rather they are selected for activation, class-switching and affinity maturation by somatic mutation. These results suggest that B cell receptor editing plays an important role not only in tolerance induction, but also in generating high-affinity autoreactive B cells in autoimmune diseases.