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Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a major autoimmune disease that causes synovitis and joint damage. Although clinical trials have been performed using interleukin-10 (IL-10), an antiinflammatory cytokine, as a potential treatment of RA, the therapeutic effects of IL-10 have been limited, potentially due to insufficient residence in lymphoid organs, where antigen recognition primarily occurs. This study was undertaken to engineer an IL-10-serum albumin (SA) fusion protein and evaluate its effects in 2 murine models of RA., Methods: SA-fused IL-10 (SA-IL-10) was recombinantly expressed. Mice with collagen antibody-induced arthritis (n = 4-7 per group) or collagen-induced arthritis (n = 9-15 per group) were injected intravenously with wild-type IL-10 or SA-IL-10, and the retention of SA-IL-10 in the lymph nodes (LNs), immune cell composition in the paws, and therapeutic effect of SA-IL-10 on mice with arthritis were assessed., Results: SA fusion to IL-10 led to enhanced accumulation in the mouse LNs compared with unmodified IL-10. Intravenous SA-IL-10 treatment restored immune cell composition in the paws to a normal status, elevated the frequency of suppressive alternatively activated macrophages, reduced IL-17A levels in the paw-draining LN, and protected joint morphology. Intravenous SA-IL-10 treatment showed similar efficacy as treatment with an anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody. SA-IL-10 was equally effective when administered intravenously, locally, or subcutaneously, which is a benefit for clinical translation of this molecule., Conclusion: SA fusion to IL-10 is a simple but effective engineering strategy for RA therapy and has potential for clinical translation., (© 2020, American College of Rheumatology.)

Objective: Treg cells modulate immune responses and can suppress the development of autoimmune diseases. Tumor necrosis factor receptor II (TNFRII) has been recognized as a key receptor on these cells that facilitates expansion and stabilization of CD4+ Treg cells. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic activity of a novel TNFRII agonist in experimental arthritis as well as the role of different Treg cell subsets., Methods: A novel mouse TNFRII-selective fusion protein (EHD2-sc-mTNF R 2 ) was generated by genetic engineering. Mouse T cells were incubated together with interleukin-2 and/or EHD2-sc-mTNF R 2 , and the effects on Treg cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were treated with EHD2-sc-mTNF R 2 or saline, and the therapeutic effects were monitored and characterized., Results: Selective activation of TNFRII was found to expand both CD4+ and CD8+ Treg cells. Moreover, TNFRII activation elevated the number of CD4+CD25+ and CD8+CD25+ Treg cells and increased the number of FoxP3-expressing cells in CD8+, but not CD4+, Treg cells, indicating different mechanisms of TNFRII-induced expansion of diverse T cell subsets with suppressive activity. In the CIA model, we demonstrated that administration of the TNFRII agonist EHD2-sc-mTNF R 2 led to the expansion of both CD4+ and CD8+ Treg cells in vivo and induced antiinflammatory responses that alleviated arthritis., Conclusion: Our findings support the use of TNFRII-selective therapeutics as an effective approach to the treatment of arthritic disease and possibly other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases., (© 2018, American College of Rheumatology.)