Several lines of research demonstrate that the immune system maintains a homeostatic balance of regulatory and effector activity. Loss or inhibition of the activity of regulatory T cells, by deficiency in IL-2, CD25, FoxP3, or aire, or b neonatal thymectomy, may result in widespread catastrophic autoimmunity mediated by T cells whose targets include tissues of the eye. Many tissue-specific antigens enjoy ectopic expression in the thymus, in part due to aire activity, providing the opportunity to generate a diverse repertoire of regulatory T cells to self-antigens, and protection from autoimmunity. These natural regulatory T cells (nTregs) are required for survival of the host. Tregs are also induced in the periphery from mature T cells (iTregs) upon encounter with antigens, both self and foreign, under conditions that promote Treg differentiation, including the presence of TGF and retinoic acid. In many cases these Treg-generating interactions take place in lymphoid tissues, including lymph nodes. There is also evidence that some tissues are populated by apparently """"""""resident"""""""" Tregs;these tissues include skin, adipose tissue, and the gastro-intestinal tract where their local activity appears to contribute to tissue homeostasis. Our preliminary studies suggest that local generation of Tregs may be found during responses to retinal antigens, a process we refer to as """"""""on-demand"""""""" Tregs. We have found a small population of T cells in the parenchyma of the normal retina. A subset of these T cells expresses a transgenic marker for Tregs using the foxp3 promoter. We propose that these Treg cells are generated locally, and are evidence of an on-going contribution to maintenance of immune homeostasis in the retina. We further propose that they are induced and maintained by the presence of local retinal dendritic cells with regulatory antigen presenting cell activity. These hypotheses are explored in the following Aims.
Aim 1 asks if the presence of Tregs in the normal, quiescent retina is promoted by their expression of a T cell receptor with specificity for a retinal antigen.
Aim 2 examines the hypothesis that the function of retinal Tregs is to protect the retina from EAU or other local inflammation and examines their phenotype before and after local injury or retinal inflammation.
Aim 3 will test their origin, and examine our hypothesis that they are made """"""""on-demand"""""""".

Public Health Relevance

Inflammatory diseases of the eye pose a serious threat of blindness or visual impairment if they affect the tissues of the visual axis. The eye, and retina, have developed strategies to maintain essential immune competence, while limiting opportunities for inflammatory damage. This proposal focuses on an important component of this balance, the regulatory T cell. The search for regulatory T cell functions, their origin, and their potential for therapeutic application, is addressed in the proposed experiments.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01EY021996-01A1
Application #
8412152
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BDCN-W (04))
Program Officer
Mckie, George Ann
Project Start
2012-08-01
Project End
2015-07-31
Budget Start
2012-08-01
Budget End
2013-07-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$380,000
Indirect Cost
$130,000
Name
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Department
Ophthalmology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
555917996
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55455
McPherson, Scott W; Heuss, Neal D; Pierson, Mark J et al. (2014) Retinal antigen-specific regulatory T cells protect against spontaneous and induced autoimmunity and require local dendritic cells. J Neuroinflammation 11:205
Maldonado, Marcela; Kapphahn, Rebecca J; Terluk, Marcia R et al. (2013) Immunoproteasome deficiency modifies the alternative pathway of NF?B signaling. PLoS One 8:e56187
Ferrington, Deborah A; Roehrich, Heidi; Chang, Angela A et al. (2013) Corneal wound healing is compromised by immunoproteasome deficiency. PLoS One 8:e54347
McPherson, Scott W; Heuss, Neal D; Gregerson, Dale S (2013) Local ""on-demand"" generation and function of antigen-specific Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. J Immunol 190:4971-81
McPherson, Scott W; Heuss, Neal D; Gregerson, Dale S (2012) Regulation of CD8(+) T Cell Responses to Retinal Antigen by Local FoxP3(+) Regulatory T Cells. Front Immunol 3:166