Bernhard Ryffel

Collective nitric oxide production provides tissue-wide immunity during Leishmania infection

Nitric oxide (NO) production is critical for the host defense against intracellular pathogens; however, it is unclear whether NO-dependent control of intracellular organisms depends on cell-intrinsic or cell-extrinsic activity of NO. For example, NO production by infected phagocytes may enable these cells to individually control their pathogen burden. Alternatively, the ability of NO to diffuse across cell membranes might be critical for infection control. Here, using a murine ear infection model, we found that, during infection with the intracellular parasite Leishmania major, expression of inducible NO synthase does not confer a cell-intrinsic ability to lower parasite content. We demonstrated that the diffusion of NO promotes equally effective parasite killing in NO-producing and bystander cells. Importantly, the collective production of NO by numerous phagocytes was necessary to reach an effective antimicrobial activity. We propose that, in contrast to a cell-autonomous mode of pathogen control, this cooperative mechanism generates an antimicrobial milieu that provides the basis for pathogen containment at the tissue level.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa type-3 secretion system dampens host defense by exploiting the NLRC4-coupled inflammasome.

RATIONALE Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major problem pathogen responsible for severe infections in critically ill patients, triggers, through a functional type-3 secretion system (T3SS), the activation of an intracellular cytosolic sensor of innate immunity, NLRC4. Although the NLRC4-inflammasome-dependent response contributes to increased clearance of intracellular pathogens, it seems that NLRC4 inflammasome activation decreases the clearance of P. aeruginosa, a mainly extracellular pathogen. OBJECTIVES We sought to determine the underlying mechanisms of this effect of the activation of NLRC4 by P. aeruginosa. METHODS We established acute lung injury in wild-type and Nlrc4(-/-) mice using sublethal intranasal inocula of P. aeruginosa strain CHA expressing or not a functional T3SS. We studied 96-hour survival, lung injury, bacterial clearance from the lungs, cytokine secretion in bronchoalveolar lavage, lung antimicrobial peptide expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and flow cytometry analysis of lung cells. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Nlrc4(-/-) mice showed enhanced bacterial clearance and decreased lung injury contributing to increased survival against extracellular P. aeruginosa strain expressing a functional T3SS. The mechanism involved decreased NLRC4-inflammasome-driven IL-18 secretion attenuating lung injury caused by excessive neutrophil recruitment. Additionally, in the lungs of Nlrc4(-/-) mice secretion of IL-17 by innate immune cells was increased and responsible for increased expression of lung epithelial antimicrobial peptides. Furthermore, IL-18 secretion was found to repress IL-17 and IL-17-driven lung antimicrobial peptide expression. CONCLUSIONS We report a new role of the T3SS apparatus itself, independently of exotoxin translocation. Through NLRC4 inflammasome activation, the T3SS promotes IL-18 secretion, which dampens a beneficial IL-17-mediated antimicrobial host response.

Interleukin-33 Increases Antibacterial Defense by Activation of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in Skin

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is associated with multiple diseases, including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, tissue injuries and infections. Although IL-33 has been indicated to be involved in Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) wound infection, little is known about how IL-33 is regulated as a mechanism to increase host defense against skin bacterial infections. To explore the underlying intricate mechanism we first evaluated the expression of IL-33 in skin from S. aureus-infected human patients. Compared to normal controls, IL-33 was abundantly increased in skin of S. aureus-infected patients. We next developed a S. aureus cutaneous infection mouse model and found that IL-33 was significantly increased in dermal macrophages of infected mouse skin. The expression of IL-33 by macrophages was induced by staphylococcal peptidoglycan (PGN) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) via activation of toll-like receptor 2(TLR2) –mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-AKT-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) signaling pathway as PGN and LTA failed to induce IL-33 in Tlr2-deficient peritoneal macrophages, and MAPK,AKT, STAT3 inhibitors significantly decreased PGN- or LTA-induced IL-33. IL-33, in turn, acted on macrophages to induce microbicidal nitric oxygen (NO) release. This induction was dependent on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activation, as treatment of macrophages with an inhibitor of iNOS, aminoguanidine, significantly decreased IL-33-induced NO release. Moreover, aminoguanidine significantly blocked the capacity of IL-33 to inhibit the growth of S. aureus, and IL-33 silencing in macrophages significantly increased the survival of S. aureus in macrophages. Furthermore, the administration of IL-33-neutralizing antibody into mouse skin decreased iNOS production but increased the survival of S. aureus in skin. These findings reveal that IL-33 can promote antimicrobial capacity of dermal macrophages, thus enhancing antimicrobial defense against skin bacterial infections.

Dengue virus infection: current concepts in immune mechanisms and lessons from murine models

Dengue viruses (DENV), a group of four serologically distinct but related flaviviruses, are responsible for one of the most important emerging viral diseases. This mosquito‐borne disease has a great impact in tropical and subtropical areas of the world in terms of illness, mortality and economic costs, mainly due to the lack of approved vaccine or antiviral drugs. Infections with one of the four serotypes of DENV (DENV‐1–4) result in symptoms ranging from an acute, self‐limiting febrile illness, dengue fever, to severe dengue haemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. We reviewed the existing mouse models of infection, including the DENV‐2‐adapted strain P23085. The role of CC chemokines, interleukin‐17 (IL‐17), IL‐22 and invariant natural killer T cells in mediating the exacerbation of disease in immune‐competent mice is highlighted. Investigations in both immune‐deficient and immune‐competent mouse models of DENV infection may help to identify key host–pathogen factors and devise novel therapies to restrain the systemic and local inflammatory responses associated with severe DENV infection.

Humoral Immunity and CD4+ Th1 Cells Are Both Necessary for a Fully Protective Immune Response upon Secondary Infection with Brucella melitensis

Brucella spp are intracellular bacteria that cause brucellosis, one of the most common zoonoses in the world. Given the serious medical consequences of this disease, a safe and effective human vaccine is urgently needed. Efforts to develop this vaccine have been hampered by our lack of understanding of what constitutes a protective memory response against Brucella. In this study, we characterize the cells and signaling pathways implicated in the generation of a protective immune memory response following priming by the injection of heat-killed or live Brucella melitensis 16M. Using a panel of gene-deficient mice, we demonstrated that during a secondary recall response, both the Brucella-specific humoral response and CD4+ Th1 cells must act together to confer protective immunity in the spleen to B. melitensis infection. Humoral protective immunity is induced by the inoculation of both heat-killed and live bacteria, and its development does not require T cells, MyD88/IL-12p35 signaling pathways, or an activation-induced deaminase–mediated isotype switch. In striking contrast, the presence of memory IFN-γ–producing CD4+ Th1 cells requires the administration of live bacteria and functional MyD88/IL-12p35 pathways. In summary, our work identifies several immune markers closely associated with protective immune memory and could help to define a rational strategy to obtain an effective human vaccine against brucellosis.

The function of BAFF on T helper cells in autoimmunity

B cell-activating factor belonging to the TNF family (BAFF) exerts its pathogenic role in supporting the survival and proliferation of B cells, regulating class switch recombination as well as the selection of autoreactive B cells. Overexpression of BAFF induces a dramatic expansion of activated B cells, particularly marginal zone B cells, as well as hypergammaglobulinemia, autoantibody production and immune complex deposition. However, in addition to its effect on B cells, recent work has also demonstrated that BAFF can promote T cell activation, proliferation and differentiation. In this review, we have discussed the recent progress on the function and role of BAFF on T cells and T cell-mediated diseases.

Role of IL-1β in Experimental Cystic Fibrosis upon P. aeruginosa Infection

Cystic fibrosis is associated with increased inflammatory responses to pathogen challenge. Here we revisited the role of IL-1β in lung pathology using the experimental F508del-CFTR murine model on C57BL/6 genetic background (Cftr tm1eur or d/d), on double deficient for d/d and type 1 interleukin-1 receptor (d/d X IL-1R1−/−), and antibody neutralization. At steady state, young adult d/d mice did not show any signs of spontaneous lung inflammation. However, IL-1R1 deficiency conferred partial protection to repeated P. aeruginosa endotoxins/LPS lung instillation in d/d mice, as 50% of d/d mice succumbed to inflammation, whereas all d/d x IL-1R1−/− double mutants survived with lower initial weight loss and less pulmonary collagen and mucus production, suggesting that the absence of IL-1R1 signaling is protective in d/d mice in LPS-induced lung damage. Using P. aeruginosa acute lung infection we found heightened neutrophil recruitment in d/d mice with higher epithelial damage, increased bacterial load in BALF, and augmented IL-1β and TNF-α in parenchyma as compared to WT mice. Thus, F508del-CFTR mice show enhanced IL-1β signaling in response to P. aeruginosa. IL-1β antibody neutralization had no effect on lung homeostasis in either d/d or WT mice, however P. aeruginosa induced lung inflammation and bacterial load were diminished by IL-1β antibody neutralization. In conclusion, enhanced susceptibility to P. aeruginosa in d/d mice correlates with an excessive inflammation and with increased IL-1β production and reduced bacterial clearance. Further, we show that neutralization of IL-1β in d/d mice through the double mutation d/d x IL-1R1−/− and in WT via antibody neutralization attenuates inflammation. This supports the notion that intervention in the IL-1R1/IL-1β pathway may be detrimental in CF patients.

Neurons Are Host Cells for Mycobacterium tuberculosis

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of the central nervous system is thought to be initiated once the bacilli have breached the blood brain barrier and are phagocytosed, primarily by microglial cells. In this study, the interactions of M. tuberculosis with neurons in vitro and in vivo were investigated. The data obtained demonstrate that neurons can act as host cells for M. tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis bacilli were internalized by murine neuronal cultured cells in a time-dependent manner after exposure, with superior uptake by HT22 cells compared to Neuro-2a cells (17.7% versus 9.8%). Internalization of M. tuberculosis bacilli by human SK-N-SH cultured neurons suggested the clinical relevance of the findings. Moreover, primary murine hippocampus-derived neuronal cultures could similarly internalize M. tuberculosis. Internalized M. tuberculosis bacilli represented a productive infection with retention of bacterial viability and replicative potential, increasing 2- to 4-fold within 48 h. M. tuberculosis bacillus infection of neurons was confirmed in vivo in the brains of C57BL/6 mice after intracerebral challenge. This study, therefore, demonstrates neurons as potential new target cells for M. tuberculosis within the central nervous system.

Nilotinib combined with interleukin-2 mediates antitumor and immunological effects in a B16 melanoma model.

The immune system contributes to tumor cell killing which can be enhanced by cancer chemotherapeutics and immune modulatory pharmaceuticals such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Recently, the beneficial effect of natural killer (NK) cells was demonstrated when combining interleukin-2 (IL-2) with the TKI imatinib. The aim of the present study was to address the antitumor and immunological effects of recently approved TKIs. Therefore, we focused on the comparison of the efficacy between imatinib and nilotinib in combination with IL-2 in a murine B16F10 melanoma model. Both TKIs possessed antitumor activity in vivo. However, the combination of nilotinib and IL-2 showed a superior outcome. Importantly, both the use of immunodeficient Rag2γc-/- mice, which lack T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes and NK cells, as well as NK cell-depletion in C57Bl/6 mice reduced the therapeutic effect of nilotinib. Flow cytometry revealed a significant increase in the IFN-γ-producing CD27+ NK cell subpopulation following treatment with nilotinib and IL-2. Furthermore, the therapeutic antitumor effect of nilotinib/IL-2 was completely lost in IFN-γ-/- mice. In summary, we suggest that nilotinib combined with IL-2 confers high antitumor activity involving the subset of IFN-γ-producing CD27+ NK cells. These new insights are of high importance for the understanding and development of immunotherapeutic protocols using TKIs.