Department of Biotechnology
inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine)

Vaccination-based immunotherapy to target profibrotic cells in liver and lung.

Publication Type

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Date of Publication

October 6, 2022

Journal

Cell stem cell

Volume/Issue

29/10

ISSN

1875-9777

Fibrosis is the final path of nearly every form of chronic disease, regardless of the pathogenesis. Upon chronic injury, activated, fibrogenic fibroblasts deposit excess extracellular matrix, and severe tissue fibrosis can occur in virtually any organ. However, antifibrotic therapies that target fibrogenic cells, while sparing homeostatic fibroblasts in healthy tissues, are limited. We tested whether specific immunization against endogenous proteins, strongly expressed in fibrogenic cells but highly restricted in quiescent fibroblasts, can elicit an antigen-specific cytotoxic T cell response to ameliorate organ fibrosis. In silico epitope prediction revealed that activation of the genes Adam12 and Gli1 in profibrotic cells and the resulting “self-peptides” can be exploited for T cell vaccines to ablate fibrogenic cells. We demonstrate the efficacy of a vaccination approach to mount CD8 T cell responses that reduce fibroblasts and fibrosis in the liver and lungs in mice. These results provide proof of principle for vaccination-based immunotherapies to treat fibrosis.

Alternate Journal

Cell Stem Cell

PubMed ID

36113462

Authors

Michal Sobecki
Jing Chen
Ewelina Krzywinska
Shunmugam Nagarajan
Zheng Fan
Eric Nelius
Josep M Monné Rodriguez
Frauke Seehusen
Amro Hussein
Greta Moschini
Edries Y Hajam
Ravi Kiran
Dagmar Gotthardt
Julien Debbache
Cécile Badoual
Tatsuyuki Sato
Takayuki Isagawa
Norihiko Takeda
Corinne Tanchot
Eric Tartour
Achim Weber
Sabine Werner
Johannes Loffing
Lukas Sommer
Veronika Sexl
Christian Münz
Carol Feghali-Bostwick
Elena Pachera
Oliver Distler
Jess Snedeker
Colin Jamora
Christian Stockmann

Keywords

Fibroblasts
Fibrosis
Liver
Epitopes
Immunotherapy
Vaccination
Lung
Animals
Zinc Finger Protein GLI1
Mice