Respiratory viral infections, including seasonal epidemics of influenza A viral infections, remain a significant global public health challenge. Successful recovery from influenza virus infection requires clearance of the virus, resolution of infection-induced inflammation and effective repair of damaged lung epithelium. While multiple studies have demonstrated an essential role for adaptive immunity in controlling viral replication, the processes that promote repair and remodeling of lung epithelial cells following infection-induced damage remain poorly characterized. This proposal will interrogate the influence of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) on promoting lung epithelial repair following influenza A virus infection. In preliminary studies, we identified a population of ILCs that is found constitutively n the healthy lung of mice and humans. Lung ILCs in mice constitutively express IL-25R, IL-33R and TSLPR and exhibited a significant population expansion following exposure to IL-25, IL-33 or TSLP or following influenza virus infection. Depletion of lung ILCs following influenza virus infection resulted in severely decreased lung function, impaired airway epithelial repair and increased host mortality, indicating a previously unrecognized role for ILCs as regulators of lung tissue homeostasis. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling of murine lung ILCs revealed a transcriptional signature strongly enriched for genes involved in wound healing and tissue repair including the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family member amphiregulin. Critically, delivery of amphiregulin to ILC-depleted mice restored epithelial repair in influenza virus-infected mice. These data provoke the hypothesis that targeting lung ILC responses could be used therapeutically to promote repair and reduce recovery time in multiple lung diseases including influenza virus infection. Employing bone marrow chimeras, selective in vivo cell depletions and manipulation of the IL-25-IL-25R, IL-33-IL-33R, TSLP-TSLPR or EGFR-dependent signaling pathways, two specific aims of this project will determine (i) how the epithelial cell-derived cytokines IL-25, IL-33 and TSLP regulate lung ILC responses;(ii) how ILC-derived amphiregulin and the EGFR pathway contributes to lung epithelial repair following influenza infection. Collectively, these studies will systematically interrogate the role and regulation of ILCs, amphiregulin and EGFR signaling in promoting lung epithelial repair. We anticipate that defining the contribution of lung ILC and the amphiregulin-EGFR pathway to lung epithelial repair will direct future clinical efforts to promote epithelial barrier function and tissue homeostasis in the context of multiple chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract.

Public Health Relevance

Respiratory viral infections continue to be a significant global public health and economic challenge. Seasonal epidemics of influenza viral infections alone account for over three million cases of severe illness and 250,000 deaths annually worldwide. While multiple studies have demonstrated an essential role for adaptive immunity in controlling viral replication, the processes that promote repair and remodeling of lung epithelial cells following infection-induced damage remain poorly characterized. This proposal will interrogate the role of innate lymphoid cells in regulating lung tissue repair following influenza virus infection.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI102942-02
Application #
8593227
Study Section
Immunity and Host Defense Study Section (IHD)
Program Officer
Hauguel, Teresa M
Project Start
2012-12-08
Project End
2017-11-30
Budget Start
2013-12-01
Budget End
2014-11-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
$360,000
Indirect Cost
$135,000
Name
University of Pennsylvania
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
042250712
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
Moriyama, Saya; Brestoff, Jonathan R; Flamar, Anne-Laure et al. (2018) ?2-adrenergic receptor-mediated negative regulation of group 2 innate lymphoid cell responses. Science 359:1056-1061
Veiga-Fernandes, Henrique; Artis, David (2018) Neuronal-immune system cross-talk in homeostasis. Science 359:1465-1466
Meisel, Jacquelyn S; Sfyroera, Georgia; Bartow-McKenney, Casey et al. (2018) Commensal microbiota modulate gene expression in the skin. Microbiome 6:20
Chu, Coco; Moriyama, Saya; Li, Zhi et al. (2018) Anti-microbial Functions of Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells in Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissues Are Regulated by G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 183. Cell Rep 23:3750-3758
Klose, Christoph S N; Mahlakõiv, Tanel; Moeller, Jesper B et al. (2017) The neuropeptide neuromedin U stimulates innate lymphoid cells and type 2 inflammation. Nature 549:282-286
Blander, J Magarian; Longman, Randy S; Iliev, Iliyan D et al. (2017) Regulation of inflammation by microbiota interactions with the host. Nat Immunol 18:851-860
Wallrapp, Antonia; Riesenfeld, Samantha J; Burkett, Patrick R et al. (2017) The neuropeptide NMU amplifies ILC2-driven allergic lung inflammation. Nature 549:351-356
Monticelli, Laurel A; Buck, Michael D; Flamar, Anne-Laure et al. (2016) Arginase 1 is an innate lymphoid-cell-intrinsic metabolic checkpoint controlling type 2 inflammation. Nat Immunol 17:656-65
Alex, Aneesh; Tait Wojno, Elia D; Artis, David et al. (2016) Label-Free Imaging of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Mouse Models Using Optical Coherence Tomography. Methods Mol Biol 1422:127-36
Rak, Gregory D; Osborne, Lisa C; Siracusa, Mark C et al. (2016) IL-33-Dependent Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells Promote Cutaneous Wound Healing. J Invest Dermatol 136:487-496

Showing the most recent 10 out of 49 publications