Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by T cell-mediated destruction of the pancreatic islet beta cells. Our knowledge of at least some of the beta cell antigens targeted by T cells in both the NOD mouse model and T1D patients can now be used practically to develop antigen-based strategies to interfere with pathogenic T cell populations and augment natural tolerance induction pathways. We hypothesize that an effective immunotherapeutic strategy for T1D would be one that eliminates pathogenic CD8+ and CD4+ T cells specific for an important beta cell antigen, while at the same time fostering the expansion of regulatory T cells (Treg) capable of controlling the remaining pathogenic T cells that target a variety of beta cell antigens. We will develop such an approach by taking advantage of our experience in the targeting of antigens to dendritic cells (DC) using antigen-linked antibodies to the DC endocytic receptor DEC- 205. When antigens are delivered in this way in the absence of an adjuvant, DC present them in a tolerogenic manner and cause naive T cells to be deleted, rendered unresponsive, or endowed with regulatory characteristics. Using a reagent that we have recently produced, we propose to deliver the beta cell antigen proinsulin to DC and determine the effect of this treatment on pathogenic CD8+ and CD4+ T cells and on the induction of Treg. These studies will employ an NOD-based mouse model that we have developed (designated NOD.22mnull.HHD.Ins2+/-) that transgenically expresses T1D-associated human HLA-A*0201 and is also heterozygous for an Ins2 knockout allele which leads to diminished thymic insulin expression, hence mimicking the situation in the majority of T1D patients. State-of-the-art mouse models incorporating human cells will also be employed. Finally, our experimental systems will be ideal to determine the pathways by which targeting of antigens to DC can lead to induction of T cell tolerance.
Three Specific Aims are proposed: (1) To target proinsulin to DC via DEC-205 and monitor its effects on T cells and the development of T1D in NOD.22mnull.HHD.Ins2+/- mice; (2) To determine whether human islet-reactive T cells can be tolerized in response to DEC-205-mediated delivery of beta cell antigens to DC; (3) To determine the pathways important for the T cell tolerance observed in response to DEC-205-mediated delivery of beta cell antigens to DC. Our proposed studies will have important implications for the development of antigen-specific therapeutics for T1D and will provide information that will help to guide the future development of immunomodulatory therapies for this disease.

Public Health Relevance

Our work will lay a foundation for the development of antigen-specific therapies for type 1 diabetes, which is a growing health problem that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The proposed work seeks to induce immunological tolerance in response to presentation of beta cell antigens by steady-state dendritic cells and to investigate the pathways responsible for this tolerance induction.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
6R01DK094327-05
Application #
8913153
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IMM-N (03))
Program Officer
Spain, Lisa M
Project Start
2011-09-20
Project End
2016-08-31
Budget Start
2015-09-01
Budget End
2016-08-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
$364,146
Indirect Cost
$138,013
Name
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
110521739
City
Bronx
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10461
Racine, Jeremy J; Stewart, Isabel; Ratiu, Jeremy et al. (2018) Improved Murine MHC-Deficient HLA Transgenic NOD Mouse Models for Type 1 Diabetes Therapy Development. Diabetes 67:923-935
Schloss, Jennifer; Ali, Riyasat; Racine, Jeremy J et al. (2018) HLA-B*39:06 Efficiently Mediates Type 1 Diabetes in a Mouse Model Incorporating Reduced Thymic Insulin Expression. J Immunol 200:3353-3363
Sidney, John; Schloss, Jennifer; Moore, Carrie et al. (2016) Characterization of the peptide binding specificity of the HLA class I alleles B*38:01 and B*39:06. Immunogenetics 68:231-6
Babad, Jeffrey; Ali, Riyasat; Schloss, Jennifer et al. (2016) An HLA-Transgenic Mouse Model of Type 1 Diabetes That Incorporates the Reduced but Not Abolished Thymic Insulin Expression Seen in Patients. J Diabetes Res 2016:7959060
Katakowski, Joseph A; Mukherjee, Gayatri; Wilner, Samantha E et al. (2016) Delivery of siRNAs to Dendritic Cells Using DEC205-Targeted Lipid Nanoparticles to Inhibit Immune Responses. Mol Ther 24:146-55
Ali, Riyasat; Babad, Jeffrey; Follenzi, Antonia et al. (2016) Genetically modified human CD4(+) T cells can be evaluated in vivo without lethal graft-versus-host disease. Immunology 148:339-51
Mukherjee, Gayatri; Chaparro, Rodolfo J; Schloss, Jennifer et al. (2015) Glucagon-reactive islet-infiltrating CD8 T cells in NOD mice. Immunology 144:631-40
Babad, J; Mukherjee, G; Follenzi, A et al. (2015) Generation of ? cell-specific human cytotoxic T cells by lentiviral transduction and their survival in immunodeficient human leucocyte antigen-transgenic mice. Clin Exp Immunol 179:398-413
Lamont, Deanna; Mukherjee, Gayatri; Kumar, P Rajesh et al. (2014) Compensatory mechanisms allow undersized anchor-deficient class I MHC ligands to mediate pathogenic autoreactive T cell responses. J Immunol 193:2135-46
Mukherjee, Gayatri; Geliebter, Ari; Babad, Jeffrey et al. (2013) DEC-205-mediated antigen targeting to steady-state dendritic cells induces deletion of diabetogenic CD8? T cells independently of PD-1 and PD-L1. Int Immunol 25:651-60

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