Low-dose rapamycin treatment increases the ability of human regulatory T cells to inhibit transplant arteriosclerosis in vivo.

Regulatory T cells (T(reg)) are currently being tested in clinical trials as a potential therapy in cell and solid organ transplantation. The immunosuppressive drug rapamycin has been shown to preferentially promote T(reg) expansion. Here, we hypothesized that adjunctive rapamycin therapy might pote...

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Main Authors: Hester, J, Schiopu, A, Nadig, SN, Wood, K
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2012
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author Hester, J
Schiopu, A
Nadig, SN
Wood, K
author_facet Hester, J
Schiopu, A
Nadig, SN
Wood, K
author_sort Hester, J
collection OXFORD
description Regulatory T cells (T(reg)) are currently being tested in clinical trials as a potential therapy in cell and solid organ transplantation. The immunosuppressive drug rapamycin has been shown to preferentially promote T(reg) expansion. Here, we hypothesized that adjunctive rapamycin therapy might potentiate the ability of ex vivo expanded human T(reg) to inhibit vascular allograft rejection in a humanized mouse model of arterial transplantation. We studied the influence of combined treatment with low-dose rapamycin and subtherapeutic T(reg) numbers on the development of transplant arteriosclerosis (TA) in human arterial grafts transplanted into immunodeficient BALB/cRag2(-/-) Il2rg(-/-) mice reconstituted with allogeneic human peripheral blood mononuclear cell. In addition, we assessed the effects of the treatment on the proliferation and apoptosis of naïve/effector T cells. The combined therapy efficiently suppressed T-cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro. Neointima formation in the human arterial allografts was potently inhibited compared with each treatment alone. Interestingly, CD4(+) but not CD8(+) T lymphocytes were sensitive to T(reg) and rapamycin-induced apoptosis in vitro. Our data support the concept that rapamycin can be used as an adjunctive therapy to improve efficacy of T(reg)-based immunosuppressive protocols in clinical practice. By inhibiting TA, T(reg) and rapamycin may prevent chronic transplant dysfunction and improve long-term allograft survival.
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spelling oxford-uuid:69e3188b-eee5-4033-b897-9e47af765ea82022-03-26T18:53:54ZLow-dose rapamycin treatment increases the ability of human regulatory T cells to inhibit transplant arteriosclerosis in vivo.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:69e3188b-eee5-4033-b897-9e47af765ea8EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2012Hester, JSchiopu, ANadig, SNWood, KRegulatory T cells (T(reg)) are currently being tested in clinical trials as a potential therapy in cell and solid organ transplantation. The immunosuppressive drug rapamycin has been shown to preferentially promote T(reg) expansion. Here, we hypothesized that adjunctive rapamycin therapy might potentiate the ability of ex vivo expanded human T(reg) to inhibit vascular allograft rejection in a humanized mouse model of arterial transplantation. We studied the influence of combined treatment with low-dose rapamycin and subtherapeutic T(reg) numbers on the development of transplant arteriosclerosis (TA) in human arterial grafts transplanted into immunodeficient BALB/cRag2(-/-) Il2rg(-/-) mice reconstituted with allogeneic human peripheral blood mononuclear cell. In addition, we assessed the effects of the treatment on the proliferation and apoptosis of naïve/effector T cells. The combined therapy efficiently suppressed T-cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro. Neointima formation in the human arterial allografts was potently inhibited compared with each treatment alone. Interestingly, CD4(+) but not CD8(+) T lymphocytes were sensitive to T(reg) and rapamycin-induced apoptosis in vitro. Our data support the concept that rapamycin can be used as an adjunctive therapy to improve efficacy of T(reg)-based immunosuppressive protocols in clinical practice. By inhibiting TA, T(reg) and rapamycin may prevent chronic transplant dysfunction and improve long-term allograft survival.
spellingShingle Hester, J
Schiopu, A
Nadig, SN
Wood, K
Low-dose rapamycin treatment increases the ability of human regulatory T cells to inhibit transplant arteriosclerosis in vivo.
title Low-dose rapamycin treatment increases the ability of human regulatory T cells to inhibit transplant arteriosclerosis in vivo.
title_full Low-dose rapamycin treatment increases the ability of human regulatory T cells to inhibit transplant arteriosclerosis in vivo.
title_fullStr Low-dose rapamycin treatment increases the ability of human regulatory T cells to inhibit transplant arteriosclerosis in vivo.
title_full_unstemmed Low-dose rapamycin treatment increases the ability of human regulatory T cells to inhibit transplant arteriosclerosis in vivo.
title_short Low-dose rapamycin treatment increases the ability of human regulatory T cells to inhibit transplant arteriosclerosis in vivo.
title_sort low dose rapamycin treatment increases the ability of human regulatory t cells to inhibit transplant arteriosclerosis in vivo
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AT nadigsn lowdoserapamycintreatmentincreasestheabilityofhumanregulatorytcellstoinhibittransplantarteriosclerosisinvivo
AT woodk lowdoserapamycintreatmentincreasestheabilityofhumanregulatorytcellstoinhibittransplantarteriosclerosisinvivo