Project description:This experiment was designed to study the functional differences between the Th17-derived Tfh and regular Tfh cells. To achieve these goals, we performed flow sorting and enriched CD4+ T cells from Current-Ex Th17 fate-mapping mice. We then performed scRNA seq analysis to compare the transcriptomic profiles of Tfh cells.
Project description:T helper 17 (TH17) cells are found in the periphery and synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, IL-17–targeted interventions have limited efficacy in established RA. Inflammation can induce TH17 cell transdifferentiation into IL-17–negative exTH17 cells, but the role of exTH17 cells in arthritis is unknown. We performed TH17 cell lineage tracing in the SKG mouse model of RA. In arthritic mice, synovial TH17 cells transdifferentiate into CD44+ exTH17 cells, which are more arthritogenic and sustain inflammation that is IL-17 independent. The exTH17 cell gene signature includes up-regulation of CD44 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 4 (S1PR4) and correlates with the profile of human RA synovial CD4+ T cells. We demonstrate that cross-talk between TH17 cells and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) via S1P promotes TH17-exTH17 cell conversion. CD44 is necessary for exTH17 cell–mediated arthritis. Our study suggests that FLS expansion during RA progression promotes TH17-exTH17 cell conversion. These results could potentially enable RA precision therapy.
Project description:T helper 17 (TH17) cells are found in the periphery and synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, IL-17–targeted interventions have limited efficacy in established RA. Inflammation can induce TH17 cell transdifferentiation into IL-17–negative exTH17 cells, but the role of exTH17 cells in arthritis is unknown. We performed TH17 cell lineage tracing in the SKG mouse model of RA. In arthritic mice, synovial TH17 cells transdifferentiate into CD44+ exTH17 cells, which are more arthritogenic and sustain inflammation that is IL-17 independent. The exTH17 cell gene signature includes up-regulation of CD44 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 4 (S1PR4) and correlates with the profile of human RA synovial CD4+ T cells. We demonstrate that cross-talk between TH17 cells and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) via S1P promotes TH17-exTH17 cell conversion. CD44 is necessary for exTH17 cell–mediated arthritis. Our study suggests that FLS expansion during RA progression promotes TH17-exTH17 cell conversion. These results could potentially enable RA precision therapy.
Project description:T helper 17 (TH17) cells are found in the periphery and synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, IL-17–targeted interventions have limited efficacy in established RA. Inflammation can induce TH17 cell transdifferentiation into IL-17–negative exTH17 cells, but the role of exTH17 cells in arthritis is unknown. We performed TH17 cell lineage tracing in the SKG mouse model of RA. In arthritic mice, synovial TH17 cells transdifferentiate into CD44+ exTH17 cells, which are more arthritogenic and sustain inflammation that is IL-17 independent. The exTH17 cell gene signature includes up-regulation of CD44 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 4 (S1PR4) and correlates with the profile of human RA synovial CD4+ T cells. We demonstrate that cross-talk between TH17 cells and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) via S1P promotes TH17-exTH17 cell conversion. CD44 is necessary for exTH17 cell–mediated arthritis. Our study suggests that FLS expansion during RA progression promotes TH17-exTH17 cell conversion. These results could potentially enable RA precision therapy.
Project description:T helper 17 (Th17) cells are found in peripheral blood and synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, however IL-17-targeted interventions have shown limited efficacy in established RA. While it is known that inflammation can induce Th17 transdifferentiation into Th1- or Tr1-like IL-17-negative exTh17 cells, the role of exTh17 in arthritis is not known. Here, we explore the premise that exTh17 cells promote joint inflammation in autoimmune arthritis. To assess the potential immunophenotypic dynamics and role of exTh17 in inflammatory arthritis, we performed Th17 lineage tracing studies in the SKG mouse model of RA. We show that in arthritic mice, synovial Th17 transdifferentiate into IFNγ- and IL-10- exTh17 which become the most prominent CD4+ population in chronic arthritis. SKG exTh17 cells are more arthritogenic than Th17, and able to sustain synovial inflammation that is IL-17-independent but enriched with IL-6 and TNF, two RA-promoting cytokines. Synovial exTh17 present a unique gene signature, including upregulation of CD44 and S1PR4. This gene signature has correlates in the profile of CD4+ T cells found in human RA synovium. We further demonstrate that crosstalk between Th17 and fibroblast-like synoviocytes via S1P signaling promote Th17-exTh17 conversion. Additionally, CD44 is necessary for the arthritogenic effect of exTh17. Our study suggests that the fibroblast-like synoviocyte expansion, which occurs during RA progression, can drive progressive conversion of Th17 into exTh17 which sustains inflammation with features of human established RA. The results offer new insights that could be potentially useful for future precision therapy approaches to RA.
Project description:Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common systemic autoimmune disease. T helper 17 (Th17) cells are found in the inflamed synovium in RA and believed to play a pathogenic role. However, IL-17 targeted interventions have shown limited efficacy in established RA. Inflammation can induce Th17 transdifferentiation into IL-17 negative Th1 or Tr1 like exTh17. To assess the potential phenotype and role of exTh17 in inflammatory arthritis, we performed Th17 fate mapping studies in the SKG mouse model of RA. We generated triTh17-SKG (IL-17Cre.IfngYFP.Il10eGFP.R26tdTomfl.Zap70SKG) mice and leveraged them to show that in arthritic mice synovial Th17 transdifferentiate into IFNγ- and IL-10- exTh17 which become the most prominent CD4 population in chronic arthritis. These exTh17 cells are more arthritogenic than Th17, and able to sustain arthritis that is IL-17 independent but enriched with IL-6 and TNF, two known RA-promoting cytokines. Synovial exTh17 present a unique gene signature including upregulation of CD44 and S1PR4 that has correlates in the profile of CD4 T cells found in human RA synovium. We further demonstrate that a crosstalk with synoviocytes and S1P signaling promote Th17-exTh17 conversion and that CD44 – another known target for RA- is necessary for the arthritogenic effect of exTh17. Our study suggests that the synoviocyte expansion which occurs during RA progression can drive progressive conversion of Th17 into exTh17, which in turn sustain inflammation that has hallmarks of human established RA.
Project description:This experiment was designed to study the functional differences between the Th17-derived Tfh and regular Tfh cells. We were also interested in studying how B cells might display functional differences upon receiving help from Th17-derived Tfh cells vs. regular Tfh cells. To achieve these goals, we performed flow sorting and enriched T-B cell doublets with either Th17-derived Tfh or regular Tfh cells to catch the T-B cell interaction “in action”. We then broke the doublets apart with ETDA before scRNA seq analysis to compare the transcriptomic profiles from both T cell side and B cells side.
Project description:To determine the clinical relevance of the murine Th17-derived Tfh signatures in RA patients, we generated both splenic and PP murine Th17-derived Tfh cells signatures using bulk RNA-seq data.
Project description:Mice were intraperitoneally injected with LCMV on day 0. Simultaneously, wild-type SMARTA cells were intravenously injected. After 7 days, TFH cells were sorted and used for scRNA-seq analysis.