Selective targeting of pro-inflammatory Th1 cells by microRNA-148a-specific antagomirs in vivo. (May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maschmeyer, Patrick; Petkau, Georg; Siracusa, Francesco; Zimmermann, Jakob; Zügel, Franziska; Kühl, Anja Andrea; Lehmann, Katrin; Schimmelpfennig, Sarah; Weber, Melanie; Haftmann, Claudia; Riedel, René; Bardua, Markus; Heinz, Gitta Anne; Tran, Cam Loan; Hoyer, Bimba Franziska; Hiepe, Falk; Herzog, Sebastian; Wittmann, Jürgen; Rajewsky, Nikolaus; Melchers, Fritz Georg; Chang, Hyun-Dong; Radbruch, Andreas; Mashreghi, Mir-Farzin
• Is Part Of: Journal of autoimmunity. Volume 89(2018)
• Page Start: 41
• Page End: 52
• Publication Date: 2018-05
• Subjects: Inflammatory bowel disease -- Pro-inflammatory Th1 cells -- Chronic inflammation -- miRNA-148a -- Oligonucleotide therapy -- Pre-clinical study -- Antagomirs; Autoimmunity -- Periodicals; Autoimmune diseases -- Periodicals; Autoantibodies -- Periodicals; Autoimmune Diseases -- Periodicals; Auto-immunité -- Périodiques; Maladies auto-immunes -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.978005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2017.11.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0896-8411

Abstract

Abstract: In T lymphocytes, expression of miR-148a is induced by T-bet and Twist1, and is specific for pro-inflammatory Th1 cells. In these cells, miR-148a inhibits the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bim and promotes their survival. Here we use sequence-specific cholesterol-modified oligonucleotides against miR-148a (antagomir-148a) for the selective elimination of pro-inflammatory Th1 cells in vivo . In the murine model of transfer colitis, antagomir-148a treatment reduced the number of pro-inflammatory Th1 cells in the colon of colitic mice by 50% and inhibited miR-148a expression by 71% in the remaining Th1 cells. Expression of Bim protein in colonic Th1 cells was increased. Antagomir-148a-mediated reduction of Th1 cells resulted in a significant amelioration of colitis. The effect of antagomir-148a was selective for chronic inflammation. Antigen-specific memory Th cells that were generated by an acute immune reaction to nitrophenylacetyl-coupled chicken gamma globulin (NP-CGG) were not affected by treatment with antagomir-148a, both during the effector and the memory phase. In addition, antibody titers to NP-CGG were not altered. Thus, antagomir-148a might qualify as an effective drug to selectively deplete pro-inflammatory Th1 cells of chronic inflammation without affecting the protective immunological memory. Highlights: Th1 cells expressing miR-148a mediate colitis in a murine model of IBD. Antagomir-148a inhibits colitis by selectively depleting Th1 cells from the colon. Antagomir-148a does not affect the protective immunological memory.