Project description:Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been used in the development of novel therapies as a way of delivery of both stimulatory and tolerogenic peptide cargoes. Here we report that intradermal injection of GNPs loaded with the proinsulin peptide C19-A3, in patients with type 1 diabetes, results in recruitment and retention of immune cells in the skin. These include large numbers of clonally expanded T-cells sharing the same paired T-cell receptors (TCRs) with activated phenotypes, half of which, when the TCRs were re-expressed in a cell-based system, were confirmed to be specific for either GNP or proinsulin. All the identified gold-specific clones were CD8+, whilst proinsulin-specific clones were both CD8+ and CD4+. Proinsulin-specific CD8+ clones had a distinctive cytotoxic phenotype with overexpression of granulysin (GNLY) and KIR receptors. Clonally expanded antigen-specific T cells remained in situ for months to years, with a spectrum of tissue resident memory and effector memory phenotypes. As the T-cell response is divided between targeting the gold core and the antigenic cargo, this offers a route to improving resident memory T-cells formation in response to vaccines. In addition, our scRNAseq data indicate that focusing on clonally expanded skin infiltrating T-cells recruited to intradermally injected antigen is a highly efficient method to enrich and identify antigen-specific cells. This approach has the potential to be used to monitor the intradermal delivery of antigens and nanoparticles for immune modulation in humans the Enhanced Epidermal Antigen Specific Immunotherapy Trial -1 (EEASI) study was a two-centre, open-label, uncontrolled, single-group first-in-human Phase 1A safety study of C19-A3 GNP peptide in individuals with T1D (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02837094). The investigational medicinal product (IMP) was C19-A3 GNP (Midacore™), which comprises Midacore™ GNPs (Midatech Pharma Plc, Cardiff, UK)(1, 20) of a size of less than 5 nm, covalently coupled to an 18-amino acid human peptide, the sequence of which is identical to the residues from position 19 in the C-peptide of proinsulin through to position 3 on the A-chain of the same molecule (GSLQPLALEGSLQKRGIV). The peptide is synthesised with a linker to facilitate binding to the GNPs: 3-mercaptopropionyl-SLQPLALEGSLQKRGIV 2 acetate salt (disulfide bond). The chemical composition of the IMP contained a ratio of 4 C19-A3 peptides: 11 glucose C2: 29 glutathione ligands as determined by 1H-NMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance). A typical batch contained: [C19-A3 peptide] = 1.33 mg/ml; [gold] = 5.5 mg/ml; [glucose linker] = 0.6 mg/ml; [glutathione linker] = 1.79 mg/ml. As the drug substance was diluted 1:7 to 1:10, depending on the content of C19-A3 peptide per particle, and as 50 μl of the diluted solution was administered to the study participants, this corresponded to C19-A3 peptide: 10 μg; gold: 39 μg; glucose linker: 4.3 μg; glutathione: 12.7 μg. Participants diagnosed with T1D and confirmed to possess the HLA-DRB1∗0401 genotype, were given three doses of C19-A3 GNP at 4-weekly intervals (weeks 0, 4, and 8) in the deltoid region of alternate arms (2 doses in one arm and 1 dose in the other arm) via CE-marked 600 μm length MicronJet600™ hollow microneedles (NanoPass Technologies Ltd. Israel) attached to a standard Luer-lock syringe. The single-dose given in 50 μl volume was equivalent to 10 μg of C19-A3 peptide Skin suction blisters were raised: Briefly, suction cups were applied to the deltoid region of participants’ arms, at the site of previous injection. Skin suction blisters were performed by gradually applying negative pressure (up to 60 kPa) from a suction pump machine VP25 (Eschmann, Lancing, UK) through a suction blister cup with a 15-mm hole in the base (UHBristol NHS Foundation Trust Medical Engineering Department, Bristol, UK) for 2–4 hr until a unilocular blister had formed within the cup. The cup was left in place for a further 30-60 minutes to encourage migration of lymphocytes into the blister fluid. The cup was then removed, and the blister fluid aspirated using a needle and syringe. Blister fluid was immediately suspended in 10ml heparinised RPMI (Gibco)+ 5% foetal calf serum Cells were counted then washed once and resuspended in an appropriate volume for scRNAseq. Samples were used fresh on the day of the collection. Samples were processed using a 10xGenomics V1 human 5’GEX kit and libraries were constructed following standard 10xGenomics protocols. Samples were pooled and sequenced on Illumina NextSeq and MiSeq scRNAseq libraries were sequenced aiming for 20,000 reads per cell for GEX and 5,000 reads/cell for VDJ.

Project description:Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been used to promote wound healing in a variety of settings, including as an adjunct to silver-impregnated dressings in the acute management of paediatric burns. Fluid aspirated by the NPWT system represents a potentially insightful research matrix for understanding the burn wound microenvironment and the biochemical mechanisms of action of NPWT. The aim of this study was to characterise the proteome of wound fluid collected using NPWT from children with small-area thermal burns. Samples were obtained as part of a randomised controlled trial investigating the clinical efficacy of adjunctive NPWT. They were compared with blister fluid specimens from paediatric burn patients matched according to demographic and injury characteristics. Protein identification and quantification were performed via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra (SWATH) data-independent acquisition. Proteins and biological pathways which were unique or enriched in negative pressure fluid samples were evaluated using principal components, partial least squares-discriminant, and gene ontology enrichment analyses. Eight viable samples of NPWT fluid were collected and analysed with eight matched blister fluid samples. A total of 502 proteins were quantitatively profiled in the NPWT fluid, of which 444 (88.4%) were shared with blister fluid. Several proteins exhibited significant abundance differences between fluid types, with NPWT fluid showing a higher abundance of proteases matrix metalloprotease-9 and arginase-1, immune cell surface molecule low affinity immunoglobulin gamma Fc region receptor III-A, actin-binding protein filamin-A, plasma protein alpha-2-macroglobulin, and haemoglobin subunit alpha. The results lend support to the hypothesis that NPWT augments wound healing through the modulation of factors involved in the inflammatory response, granulation tissue synthesis, and extracellular matrix maintenance.

Project description:Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a disease in which local circulation is affected due to increased pressure within the compartment. We previously found in patients with calf fractures, the pressure of fascial compartment could be sharply reduced upon the appearance of tension blisters. Deep fascia, as the important structure for compartment, might play key role in this process. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the differences in gene profile in deep fascia tissue in fracture patients of the calf with or without tension blisters, and to explore the role of fascia in pressure improvement in ACS. Patients with lower leg fracture were enrolled and divided into without tension blister control group (CON group, n=10), and with tension blister group (TB group, n=10). Deep fascia tissues were collected and LC-MS/MS label-free quantitative proteomics were performed. Genes involved in fascia structure and fibroblast function were further validated by Western blot. The differentially expressed proteins were found to be mainly enriched in pathways related to protein synthesis and processing, stress fiber assembly, cell-substrate adhesion, leukocyte mediated cytotoxicity, and cellular response to stress. Compared with the CON group, the expression of Peroxidasin homolog (PXDN), which promotes the function of fibroblasts, and Leukocyte differentiation antigen 74 (CD74), which enhances the proliferation of fibroblasts, were significantly upregulated, while the expression of Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), which is involved in collagen hydrolysis, and Neutrophil elastase (ELANE), which is involved in elastin hydrolysis, were significantly reduced in the TB group (p all <0.05), indicating fascia tissue underwent microenvironment reconstruction during ACS.In summary, the ACS accompanied by blisters is associated with the enhanced function and proliferation of fibroblasts and reduced hydrolysis of collagen and elastin. The adaptive alterations in the stiffness and elasticity of the deep fascia might be crucial for pressure release of ACS.

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Single-cell RNAseq and scTCRseq of human CD8 T cells from blood and skin compartments in Dengue patients

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