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Increasing evidence indicates close interaction between immune cells and the brain, revising the traditional view of the immune privilege of the brain. However, the specific mechanisms by which immune cells promote normal neural function are not entirely understood. Mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAIT cells) are a unique type of innate-like T cell with molecular and functional properties that remain to be better characterized. In the present study, we report that MAIT cells are present in the meninges and express high levels of antioxidant molecules. MAIT cell deficiency in mice results in the accumulation of reactive oxidative species in the meninges, leading to reduced expression of junctional protein and meningeal barrier leakage. The presence of MAIT cells restricts neuroinflammation in the brain and preserves learning and memory. Together, our work reveals a new functional role for MAIT cells in the meninges and suggests that meningeal immune cells can help maintain normal neural function by preserving meningeal barrier homeostasis and integrity.

Neurodegenerative diseases are a major cause of death and disability worldwide and are influenced by many factors including age, genetics, and injuries. While these diseases are often thought to result from the accumulation and spread of aberrant proteins, recent studies have demonstrated that they can be shaped by the innate and adaptive immune system. Resident myeloid cells typically mount a sustained response to the degenerating CNS, but peripheral leukocytes such as T and B cells can also alter disease trajectories. Here, we review the sometimes-dichotomous roles played by immune cells during neurodegenerative diseases and explore how brain trauma can serve as a disease initiator or accelerant. We also offer insights into how failure to properly resolve a CNS injury might promote the development of a neurodegenerative disease.

TCRαβ+ CD8α+ CD8β− intraepithelial lymphocytes (CD8αα IEL) differentiate from thymic IEL precursors (IELp) and contribute to gut homeostasis. However, their development remains poorly understood. Here we show that the zinc finger transcription factor LRF, encoded by Zbtb7a, is highly expressed in both CD8αα+ IELs and in IELp and serves in a cell-intrinsic manner to promote IEL differentiation. Mice genetically deficient for LRF (Cd4-Cre Zbtb7afl/fl) lack CD8αα+ IELs, contrasting with largely conserved numbers of conventional CD8αβ+ T cells in the thymus and the secondary lymphoid organs. Unlike their wild-type counterparts, LRF-deficient IELp failed to prevent colitis caused by adoptive transfer of CD4+ T cells in T cell-deficient mice. LRF disruption affects neither the development of thymic IELp, nor their in vitro expansion or differentiation in response to IL-15. However, Cd4-Cre Zbtb7afl/fl mice accumulate CD8αα+ T cells in the spleen, unlike wild-type controls, suggesting impaired migration of IELp to the gut. Single-cell RNA sequencing found LRF necessary for the expression of genes characteristic of the most mature IELp, including Itgb7, encoding the β7 subunit of α4β7. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and gene regulatory network analyses both defined Itgb7 as an LRF target. Our study identifies LRF as an essential transcriptional regulator of IELp maturation in the thymus and subsequent migration to the intestinal epithelium.

The central nervous system (CNS) has historically been viewed as an immunologically privileged site, but recent studies have uncovered a vast landscape of immune cells that reside primarily along its borders. While microglia are largely responsible for surveying the parenchyma, CNS barrier sites are inhabited by a plethora of different innate and adaptive immune cells that participate in everything from the defense against microbes to the maintenance of neural function. Static and dynamic imaging studies have revolutionized the field of neuroimmunology by providing detailed maps of CNS immune cells as well as information about how these cells move, organize, and interact during steady state and inflammatory conditions. These studies have also redefined our understanding of neural immune interactions at a cellular level and reshaped our conceptual view of immune privilege in this specialized compartment. This review will focus on insights gained using imaging techniques in the field of neuroimmunology, with an emphasis on anatomy and CNS immune dynamics during homeostasis, infectious diseases, injuries, and aging.

Supplementary Methods

Supplementary Table 1

Purpose:Breast cancer diagnosed in young patients is often aggressive. Because primary breast tumors from young and older patients have similar mutational patterns, we hypothesized that the young host microenvironment promotes more aggressive metastatic disease.Experimental Design:Triple-negative or luminal B breast cancer cell lines were injected into young and older mice side-by-side to quantify lung, liver, and brain metastases. Young and older mouse brains, metastatic and naïve, were analyzed by flow cytometry. Immune populations were depleted using antibodies or a colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) inhibitor, and brain metastasis assays were conducted. Effects on myeloid populations, astrogliosis, and the neuroinflammatory response were determined.Results:Brain metastases were 2- to 4-fold higher in young as compared with older mouse hosts in four models of triple-negative or luminal B breast cancer; no age effect was observed on liver or lung metastases. Aged brains, naïve or metastatic, contained fewer resident CNS myeloid cells. Use of a CSF-1R inhibitor to deplete myeloid cells, including both microglia and infiltrating macrophages, preferentially reduced brain metastasis burden in young mice. Downstream effects of CSF-1R inhibition in young mice resembled that of an aged brain in terms of myeloid numbers, induction of astrogliosis, and Semaphorin 3A secretion within the neuroinflammatory response.Conclusions:Host microenvironmental factors contribute to the aggressiveness of triple-negative and luminal B breast cancer brain metastasis. CSF-1R inhibitors may hold promise for young brain metastasis patients.

Supplementary Figures

Inhibition of tumor angiogenesis is a promising approach for cancer therapy. As an endothelial cell–specific receptor kinase expressed almost exclusively on the surface of vascular endothelium, Tie-2 has an important role in tumor angiogenesis. To explore the therapeutic potential of blocking Tie-2 receptor-interaction pathway, an adenoviral vector was used to deliver a recombinant single-chain antibody fragment rabbit intrabody (pAd-2S03) capable of inhibition of both mouse and human Tie-2 surface expression. pAd-2S03 was given to mice with well-established primary tumors, either a human Kaposi's sarcoma (SLK) or a human colon carcinoma (SW1222). The intrabody significantly inhibited growth of both tumors (75% and 63%, respectively) when compared with pAd-GFP control-treated tumors (P < 0.01). Histopathologic analysis of cryosections taken from mice treated with pAd-2S03 revealed a marked decrease in vessel density, which was reduced by >87% in both tumor models when compared with control-treated tumors (P < 0.01). In contrast, human Tie-2-monospecific pAd-1S05 intrabody did not affect the growth of tumors, indicating that the antitumor effect of pAd-2S03 was due to the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis in these murine models. Our results show that the Tie-2 receptor pathway is essential for both SLK sarcoma and SW1222 colon carcinoma xenograft growth. The present study shows the potential utility of antiangiogenic agents that target the endothelium-specific receptor Tie-2 for down-regulation or genetic deletion.

Supplementary Video 2 from Targeting Tumor Angiogenesis with Adenovirus-Delivered Anti-Tie-2 Intrabody

Supplementary Video 3 from Targeting Tumor Angiogenesis with Adenovirus-Delivered Anti-Tie-2 Intrabody

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, but there are limited therapeutic options and no current cure. While the involvement of microglia in AD has been highly appreciated, the role of other innate and adaptive immune cells remains largely unknown, partly due to their scarcity and heterogeneity. This study aimed to study non-microglial immune cells in wild type and AD-transgenic mouse brains across different ages. Our results uncovered the presence of a unique CD8+ T cell population that were selectively increased in aging AD mouse brains, here referred to as “disease-associated T cells (DATs)”. These DATs were found to express an elevated tissue-resident memory and Type I interferon-responsive gene signature. Further analysis of aged AD mouse brains showed that these CD8+ T cells were not present in peripheral or meningeal tissues. Preventing CD8+ T cell development in AD-transgenic mice via genetic deletion of beta-2 microglobulin (B2m) led to a reduction of amyloid-β plaque formation in aged mice, and improved memory in AD-transgenic mice as early as four months of age. The integration of transcriptomic and epigenomic profiles at the single-cell level revealed potential transcription factors that reshape the regulomes of CD8+ T cells. These findings highlight a critical role for DATs in the progression of AD and provide a new avenue for treatment.

The surface of the central nervous system (CNS) is protected by the meninges, which contain a dense network of meningeal macrophages (MMs). Here, we examined the role of tissue-resident MM in viral infection. MHC-II� MM were abundant neonatally, whereas MHC-II+ MM appeared over time. These barrier macrophages differentially responded to in vivo peripheral challenges such as LPS, SARS-CoV-2, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Peripheral LCMV infection, which was asymptomatic, led to a transient infection and activation of the meninges. Mice lacking macrophages but conserving brain microglia, or mice bearing macrophage-specific deletion of Stat1 or Ifnar, exhibited extensive viral spread into the CNS. Transcranial pharmacological depletion strategies targeting MM locally resulted in several areas of the meninges becoming infected and fatal meningitis. Low numbers of MHC-II+ MM, which is seen upon LPS challenge or in neonates, corelated with higher viral load upon infection. Thus, MMs protect against viral infection and may present targets for therapeutic manipulation., Authors affiliations: (1) Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université, Inserm, CNRS, Marseille, France (2) Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard – Lyon I, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France (3)Centre d'Immunophénomique, Aix Marseille Université , Inserm, CNRS, Marseille, France (4) TERI (Tumor Escape, Resistance and Immunity) Department, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Centre Léon Bérard, Université Claude Bernard – Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Inserm, CNRS, Lyon, France (5) Viral Immunology and Intravital Imaging Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA (6) Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China (7) University Paris-Saclay, Inserm U1015, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, Villejuif, France (8) Singapore Immunology Network, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore (9) Centre for Inflammation Biology and Cancer Immunology, Cancer Research UK King's Health Partners Centre, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK (10) Lead contact

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cerebrovascular injury are leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. Systemic infections often accompany these disorders and can worsen outcomes. Recovery after brain injury depends on innate immunity, but the effect of infections on this process is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that systemically introduced microorganisms and microbial products interfered with meningeal vascular repair after TBI in a type I interferon (IFN-I)-dependent manner, with sequential infections promoting chronic disrepair. Mechanistically, we discovered that MDA5-dependent detection of an arenavirus encountered after TBI disrupted pro-angiogenic myeloid cell programming via induction of IFN-I signaling. Systemic viral infection similarly blocked restorative angiogenesis in the brain parenchyma after intracranial hemorrhage, leading to chronic IFN-I signaling, blood–brain barrier leakage and a failure to restore cognitive–motor function. Our findings reveal a common immunological mechanism by which systemic infections deviate reparative programming after central nervous system injury and offer a new therapeutic target to improve recovery. Traumatic brain injury and stroke are commonly complicated by systemic infections, which impede recovery and lead to poor clinical outcomes. Using a mouse model, McGavern and colleagues show systemic microbial infections impair central nervous system revascularization and repair by a mechanism involving type I interferon signaling.

The blood–tumor barrier (BTB) limits the entry of effective chemotherapeutic agents into the brain for treatment of malignant tumors like glioblastoma. Poor drug entry across the BTB allows infiltrative glioma stem cells to evade therapy and develop treatment resistance. Regadenoson, an FDA-approved adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) agonist, has been shown to increase drug delivery across the blood–brain barrier in non–tumor-bearing rodents without a defined mechanism of enhancing BTB permeability. Here, we characterize the time-dependent impact of regadenoson on brain endothelial cell interactions and paracellular transport, using mouse and rat brain endothelial cells and tumor models. In vitro, A2AR activation leads to disorganization of cytoskeletal actin filaments by 30 minutes, downregulation of junctional protein expression by 4 hours, and reestablishment of endothelial cell integrity by 8 hours. In rats bearing intracranial gliomas, regadenoson treatment results in increase of intratumoral temozolomide concentrations, yet no increased survival noted with combined temozolomide therapy. These findings demonstrate regadenoson's ability to induce brain endothelial structural changes among glioma to increase BTB permeability. The use of vasoactive mediators, like regadenoson, which transiently influences paracellular transport, should further be explored to evaluate their potential to enhance central nervous system treatment delivery to aggressive brain tumors. Implications: This study provides insight on the use of a vasoactive agent to increase exposure of the BTB to chemotherapy with intention to improve glioma treatment efficacy.

In the peritoneal cavity, the omentum contains fat-associated lymphoid clusters (FALCs) whose role in response to infection is poorly understood. After intraperitoneal immunization with Toxoplasma gondii , conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) were critical to induce innate sources of IFN-γ and cellular changes in the FALCs. Unexpectedly, infected peritoneal macrophages that migrated into the FALCs primed CD8 + T cells. Although T cell priming was cDC1 independent, these DCs were required for maximal CD8 + T cell expansion. An agent-based computational model and experimental data highlighted that cDC1s affected the magnitude of the proliferative burst and promoted CD8 + T cell expression of nutrient uptake receptors and cell survival. Thus, although FALCs lack the organization of secondary lymphoid organs, cDC1s resident in this tissue coordinate innate responses to microbial challenge and provide secondary signals required for T cell expansion and memory formation.

During chronic infection and cancer, a self-renewing CD8+ T cell subset maintains long-term immunity and is critical to the effectiveness of immunotherapy. These stem-like CD8+ T cells diverge from other CD8+ subsets early after chronic viral infection. However, pathways guarding stem-like CD8+ T cells against terminal exhaustion remain unclear. Here, we show that the gene encoding transcriptional repressor BACH2 is transcriptionally and epigenetically active in stem-like CD8+ T cells but not terminally exhausted cells early after infection. BACH2 overexpression enforced stem-like cell fate, whereas BACH2 deficiency impaired stem-like CD8+ T cell differentiation. Single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic approaches revealed that BACH2 established the transcriptional and epigenetic programs of stem-like CD8+ T cells. In addition, BACH2 suppressed the molecular program driving terminal exhaustion through transcriptional repression and epigenetic silencing. Thus, our study reveals a new pathway that enforces commitment to stem-like CD8+ lineage and prevents an alternative terminally exhausted cell fate.

Cerebrovascular injuries can cause severe edema and inflammation that adversely affect human health. Here, we observed that recanalization after successful endovascular thrombectomy for acute large vessel occlusion was associated with cerebral edema and poor clinical outcomes in patients who experienced hemorrhagic transformation. To understand this process, we developed a cerebrovascular injury model using transcranial ultrasound that enabled spatiotemporal evaluation of resident and peripheral myeloid cells. We discovered that injurious and reparative responses diverged based on time and cellular origin. Resident microglia initially stabilized damaged vessels in a purinergic receptor-dependent manner, which was followed by an influx of myelomonocytic cells that caused severe edema. Prolonged blockade of myeloid cell recruitment with anti-adhesion molecule therapy prevented severe edema but also promoted neuronal destruction and fibrosis by interfering with vascular repair subsequently orchestrated by proinflammatory monocytes and proangiogenic repair-associated microglia (RAM). These data demonstrate how temporally distinct myeloid cell responses can contain, exacerbate and ultimately repair a cerebrovascular injury.

Costimulatory CD40 plays an essential role in autoimmune diseases, including experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of human multiple sclerosis (MS). However, how CD40 drives autoimmune disease pathogenesis is not well defined. Here, we used a conditional knockout approach to determine how CD40 orchestrates a CNS autoimmune disease induced by recombinant human myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (rhMOG). We found that deletion of CD40 in either dendritic cells (DCs) or B cells profoundly reduced EAE disease pathogenesis. Mechanistically, CD40 expression on DCs was required for priming pathogenic Th cells in peripheral draining lymph nodes and promoting their appearance in the CNS. By contrast, B cell CD40 was essential for class-switched MOG-specific Ab production, which played a crucial role in disease pathogenesis. In fact, passive transfer of MOG-immune serum or IgG into mice lacking CD40 on B cells but not DCs reconstituted autoimmune disease, which was associated with inundation of the spinal cord parenchyma by Ig and complement. These data demonstrate that CD40 supports distinct effector programs in B cells and DCs that converge to drive a CNS autoimmune disease and identify targets for intervention.

Understanding physiologic and pathologic central nervous system function depends on our ability to map the entire

A role for microglia in neuropsychiatric diseases, including major depressive disorder (MDD), has been postulated. Regulation of microglial phenotype by immune receptors has become a central topic in many neurological conditions. We explored preclinical and clinical evidence for the role of the CD300f immune receptor in the fine regulation of microglial phenotype and its contribution to MDD. We found that a prevalent nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (C/T, rs2034310) of the human CD300f receptor cytoplasmic tail inhibits the protein kinase C phosphorylation of a threonine and is associated with protection against MDD, mainly in women. Interestingly, CD300f −/− mice displayed several characteristic MDD traits such as augmented microglial numbers, increased interleukin 6 and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist messenger RNA, alterations in synaptic strength, and noradrenaline-dependent and persistent depressive-like and anhedonic behaviors in females. This behavioral phenotype could be potentiated inducing the lipopolysaccharide depression model. RNA sequencing and biochemical studies revealed an association with impaired microglial metabolic fitness. In conclusion, we report a clear association that links the function of the CD300f immune receptor with MDD in humans, depressive-like and anhedonic behaviors in female mice, and altered microglial metabolic reprogramming.

Chronic infection provokes alterations in inflammatory and suppressive pathways that potentially affect the function and integrity of multiple tissues, impacting both ongoing immune control and restorative immune therapies. Here we demonstrate that chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection rapidly triggers severe thymic depletion, mediated by CD8 T cell-intrinsic type I interferon (IFN) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (Stat2) signaling. Occurring temporal to T cell exhaustion, thymic cellularity reconstituted despite ongoing viral replication, with a rapid secondary thymic depletion following immune restoration by anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PDL1) blockade. Therapeutic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) during chronic infection generated new antiviral CD8 T cells, despite sustained virus replication in the thymus, indicating an impairment in negative selection. Consequently, low amounts of high-affinity self-reactive T cells also escaped the thymus following HSCT during chronic infection. Thus, by altering the stringency and partially impairing negative selection, the host generates new virus-specific T cells to replenish the fight against the chronic infection, but also has the potentially dangerous effect of enabling the escape of self-reactive T cells.

Neuroanatomical barriers with physical, chemical, and immunological properties play an essential role in preventing the spread of peripheral infections into the CNS. A failure to contain pathogens within these barriers can result in very serious CNS diseases. CNS barriers are inhabited by an elaborate conglomerate of innate and adaptive immune cells that are highly responsive to environmental challenges. The CNS and its barriers can also be protected by memory T and B cells elicited by prior infection or vaccination. Here, we discuss the different CNS barriers from a developmental, anatomical, and immunological standpoint and summarize our current understanding of how memory cells protect the CNS compartment. We then discuss a contemporary challenge to CNS-barrier system (SARS-CoV-2 infection) and highlight approaches to promote immunological protection of the CNS via vaccination.

T cell specificity and function are linked during development, as MHC-II-specific TCR signals generate CD4 helper T cells and MHC-I-specific TCR signals generate CD8 cytotoxic T cells, but the basis remains uncertain. We now report that switching coreceptor proteins encoded byCd4andCd8gene loci functionally reverses the T cell immune system, generating CD4 cytotoxic and CD8 helper T cells. Such functional reversal reveals that coreceptor proteins promote the helper-lineage fate when encoded byCd4, but promote the cytotoxic-lineage fate when encoded inCd8—regardless of the coreceptor proteins each locus encodes. Thus, T cell lineage fate is determined bycis-regulatory elements in coreceptor gene loci and is not determined by the coreceptor proteins they encode, invalidating coreceptor signal strength as the basis of lineage fate determination. Moreover, we consider that evolution selected the particular coreceptor proteins thatCd4andCd8gene loci encode to avoid generating functionally reversed T cells because they fail to promote protective immunity against environmental pathogens.

Central nervous system (CNS) infections are a major cause of human morbidity and mortality worldwide. Even patients that survive CNS infections can have lasting neurological dysfunction resulting from immune and pathogen induced pathology. Developing approaches to noninvasively track pathology and immunity in the infected CNS is crucial for patient management and development of new therapeutics. Here, we develop novel MRI-based approaches to monitor virus-specific CD8+ T cells and their relationship to cerebrovascular pathology in the living brain. We studied a relevant murine model in which a neurotropic virus (vesicular stomatitis virus) was introduced intranasally and then entered the brain via olfactory sensory neurons – a route exploited by many pathogens in humans. Using T2*-weighted high-resolution MRI, we identified small cerebral microbleeds as the earliest form of pathology associated with viral entry into the brain. Mechanistically, these microbleeds occurred in the absence of peripheral immune cells and were associated with infection of vascular endothelial cells. We monitored the adaptive response to this infection by developing methods to iron label and track individual virus specific CD8+ T cells by MRI. Transferred antiviral T cells were detected in the brain within a day of infection and were able to reduce cerebral microbleeds. These data demonstrate the utility of MRI in detecting the earliest pathological events in the virally infected CNS as well as the therapeutic potential of antiviral T cells in mitigating this pathology.

Repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) disrupt central nervous system (CNS) barriers, the erosion of which has been linked to long-term neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions. Although much attention has been devoted to CNS vasculature following mTBI, little is known about the glia limitans superficialis - a barrier of surface-associated astrocytes that helps protect the CNS parenchyma and maintain homeostasis. Here, we identify the glia limitans superficialis as a crucial barrier surface whose breakdown after acute repeat mTBI facilitates increased cell death and recruitment of peripheral myelomonocytic cells. Using intravital microscopy, we show that brain resident microglia fortify this structure after a single mTBI yet fail to do so following secondary injury, which triggers massive recruitment of myelomonocytic cells from the periphery that contribute to further destruction of the glia limitans superficialis but not cortical cell death. We demonstrate instead that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in response to repeat head injury are largely responsible for enhanced cortical cell death, and therapeutic administration of the antioxidant, glutathione, markedly reduces this cell death, preserves the glia limitans, and prevents myelomonocytic cells from entering the brain parenchyma. Collectively, our findings underscore the importance of preserving the glia limitans superficialis after brain injury and offer a therapeutic means to protect this structure and the underlying cortex.

Summary CD8 T cells are essential for adaptive immunity against viral infections. Protease activated receptor 1 (PAR1) is expressed by CD8 T cells; however, its role in T cell effector function is not well defined. Here we show that in human CD8 T cells, PAR1 stimulation accelerates calcium mobilization. Furthermore, PAR1 is involved in cytotoxic T cell function by facilitating granule trafficking via actin polymerization and repositioning of the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) toward the immunological synapse. In vivo, PAR1−/− mice have reduced cytokine-producing T cells in response to a lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection and fail to efficiently control the virus. Specific deletion of PAR1 in LCMV GP33-specific CD8 T cells results in reduced expansion and diminished effector function. These data demonstrate that PAR1 plays a role in T cell activation and function, and this pathway could represent a new therapeutic strategy to modulate CD8 T cell effector function., Graphical abstract, Highlights • PAR1 signaling in human CD8 T cells accelerates TCR-induced calcium mobilization • PAR1 participates in the repositioning of the MTOC at the immunological synapse • PAR1 facilitates polarized secretion of cytotoxic granules at the immunological synapse • PAR1−/− Gp33-specific CD8 T cells show reduced expansion and effector function, Molecular biology; Immunology; Immune response

Multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions that do not resolve in the months after they form harbour ongoing demyelination and axon degeneration, and are identifiable in vivo by their paramagnetic rims on MRI scans1-3. Here, to define mechanisms underlying this disabling, progressive neurodegenerative state4-6 and foster development of new therapeutic agents, we used MRI-informed single-nucleus RNA sequencing to profile the edge of demyelinated white matter lesions at various stages of inflammation. We uncovered notable glial and immune cell diversity, especially at the chronically inflamed lesion edge. We define 'microglia inflamed in MS' (MIMS) and 'astrocytes inflamed in MS', glial phenotypes that demonstrate neurodegenerative programming. The MIMS transcriptional profile overlaps with that of microglia in other neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting that primary and secondary neurodegeneration share common mechanisms and could benefit from similar therapeutic approaches. We identify complement component 1q (C1q) as a critical mediator of MIMS activation, validated immunohistochemically in MS tissue, genetically by microglia-specific C1q ablation in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, and therapeutically by treating chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis with C1q blockade. C1q inhibition is a potential therapeutic avenue to address chronic white matter inflammation, which could be monitored by longitudinal assessment of its dynamic biomarker, paramagnetic rim lesions, using advanced MRI methods.

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells provide signals to initiate and maintain the germinal center (GC) reaction and are crucial for the generation of robust, long-lived antibody responses, but how the GC microenvironment affects Tfh cells is not well understood. Here we develop an in vivo T cell-intrinsic CRISPR-knockout screen to evaluate Tfh and Th1 cells in an acute viral infection model to identify regulators of Tfh cells in their physiological setting. Using a screen of druggable-targets, alongside genetic, transcriptomic and cellular analyses, we identify a function of HIF-1α in suppressing mTORC1-mediated and Myc-related pathways, and provide evidence that VHL-mediated degradation of HIF-1α is required for Tfh development; an expanded in vivo CRISPR screen reveals multiple components of these pathways that regulate Tfh versus Th1 cells, including signaling molecules, cell-cycle regulators, nutrient transporters, metabolic enzymes and autophagy mediators. Collectively, our data serve as a resource for studying Tfh versus Th1 decisions, and implicate the VHL-HIF-1α axis in fine-tuning Tfh generation.

SUMMARY Most current tumor immunotherapy strategies leverage cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Despite evidence for clinical potential of CD4+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), their functional diversity limits our ability to harness their activity. Here, we use single-cell mRNA sequencing to analyze the response of tumor-specific CD4+ TILs and draining lymph node (dLN) T cells. Computational approaches to characterize subpopulations identify TIL transcriptomic patterns strikingly distinct from acute and chronic anti-viral responses and dominated by diversity among T-bet-expressing T helper type 1 (Th1)-like cells. In contrast, the dLN response includes T follicular helper (Tfh) cells but lacks Th1 cells. We identify a type I interferon-driven signature in Th1-like TILs and show that it is found in human cancers, in which it is negatively associated with response to checkpoint therapy. Our study provides a proof-of-concept methodology to characterize tumor-specific CD4+ T cell effector programs. Targeting these programs should help improve immunotherapy strategies., In Brief CD4+ T cells contribute to immune responses to tumors, but their functional diversity has hampered their utilization in clinical settings. Magen et al. use single-cell RNA sequencing to dissect the heterogeneity of CD4+ T cell responses to tumor antigens and reveal molecular divergences between anti-tumor and anti-viral responses., Graphical Abstract

Host response to viral infection is a highly regulated process involving engagement of various host factors, cytokines, chemokines, and stimulatory signals that pave the way for an antiviral immune response. The response is manifested in terms of viral sequestration, phagocytosis, and inhibition of genome replication, and, finally, if required, lymphocyte-mediated clearance of virally infected cells. During this process, cross-talk between viral and host factors can shape disease outcomes and immunopathology. Bone marrow stromal antigen 2 (BST-2), also know as tetherin, is induced by type I interferon produced in response to viral infections, as well as in certain cancers. BST-2 has been shown to be a host restriction factor of virus multiplication through its ability to physically tether budding virions and restrict viral spread. However, BST-2 has other roles in the host antiviral response. This review focuses on the diverse functions of BST-2 and its downstream signaling pathways in regulating host immune responses.

Progenitor-like CD8+ T cells mediate long-term immunity to chronic infection and cancer and respond potently to immune checkpoint blockade. These cells share transcriptional regulators with memory precursor cells, including T cell-specific transcription factor 1 (TCF1), but it is unclear whether they adopt distinct programs to adapt to the immunosuppressive environment. By comparing the single-cell transcriptomes and epigenetic profiles of CD8+ T cells responding to acute and chronic viral infections, we found that progenitor-like CD8+ T cells became distinct from memory precursor cells before the peak of the T cell response. We discovered a coexpression gene module containing Tox that exhibited higher transcriptional activity associated with more abundant active histone marks in progenitor-like cells than memory precursor cells. Moreover, thymocyte selection-associated high mobility group box protein TOX (TOX) promoted the persistence of antiviral CD8+ T cells and was required for the programming of progenitor-like CD8+ T cells. Thus, long-term CD8+ T cell immunity to chronic viral infection requires unique transcriptional and epigenetic programs associated with the transcription factor TOX.

During chronic viral infections, CD8 T cells rapidly lose antiviral and immune-stimulatory functions in a sustained program termed exhaustion. In addition to this loss of function, CD8 T cells with the highest affinity for viral antigen can be physically deleted. Consequently, treatments designed to restore function to exhausted cells and control chronic viral replication are limited from the onset by the decreased breadth of the antiviral T cell response. Yet, it remains unclear why certain populations of CD8 T cells are deleted while others are preserved in an exhausted state. We report that CD8 T cell deletion during chronic viral infection can be prevented by therapeutically lowering viral replication early after infection. The initial resistance to deletion enabled long-term maintenance of antiviral cytolytic activity of the otherwise deleted high-affinity CD8 T cells. In combination with decreased virus titers, CD4 T cell help and prolonged interactions with costimulatory molecules B7-1/B7-2 were required to prevent CD8 T cell deletion. Thus, therapeutic strategies to decrease early virus replication could enhance virus-specific CD8 T cell diversity and function during chronic infection.

Purpose: Breast cancer diagnosed in young patients is often aggressive. Because primary breast tumors from young and older patients have similar mutational patterns, we hypothesized that the young host microenvironment promotes more aggressive metastatic disease. Experimental Design: Triple-negative or luminal B breast cancer cell lines were injected into young and older mice side-by-side to quantify lung, liver, and brain metastases. Young and older mouse brains, metastatic and naïve, were analyzed by flow cytometry. Immune populations were depleted using antibodies or a colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) inhibitor, and brain metastasis assays were conducted. Effects on myeloid populations, astrogliosis, and the neuroinflammatory response were determined. Results: Brain metastases were 2- to 4-fold higher in young as compared with older mouse hosts in four models of triple-negative or luminal B breast cancer; no age effect was observed on liver or lung metastases. Aged brains, naïve or metastatic, contained fewer resident CNS myeloid cells. Use of a CSF-1R inhibitor to deplete myeloid cells, including both microglia and infiltrating macrophages, preferentially reduced brain metastasis burden in young mice. Downstream effects of CSF-1R inhibition in young mice resembled that of an aged brain in terms of myeloid numbers, induction of astrogliosis, and Semaphorin 3A secretion within the neuroinflammatory response. Conclusions: Host microenvironmental factors contribute to the aggressiveness of triple-negative and luminal B breast cancer brain metastasis. CSF-1R inhibitors may hold promise for young brain metastasis patients.

Mutations in EPAS1, encoding hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α), were previously identified in a syndrome of multiple paragangliomas, somatostatinoma, and polycythemia. HIF-2α, when dimerized with HIF-1β, acts as an angiogenic transcription factor. Patients referred to the NIH for new, recurrent, and/or metastatic paraganglioma or pheochromocytoma were confirmed for EPAS1 gain-of-function mutation; imaging was evaluated for vascular malformations. We evaluated the Epas1A529V transgenic syndrome mouse model, corresponding to the mutation initially detected in the patients (EPAS1A530V), for vascular malformations via intravital 2-photon microscopy of meningeal vessels, terminal vascular perfusion with Microfil silicate polymer and subsequent intact ex vivo 14T MRI and micro-CT, and histologic sectioning and staining of the brain and identified pathologies. Further, we evaluated retinas from corresponding developmental time points (P7, P14, and P21) and the adult dura via immunofluorescent labeling of vessels and confocal imaging. We identified a spectrum of vascular malformations in all 9 syndromic patients and in all our tested mutant mice. Patient vessels had higher variant allele frequency than adjacent normal tissue. Veins of the murine retina and intracranial dura failed to regress normally at the expected developmental time points. These findings add vascular malformation as a new clinical feature of EPAS1 gain-of-function syndrome., We discovered vascular malformations due to failure of developmental vascular regression in patients with EPAS1 gain-of-function mutation syndrome and the corresponding transgenic mouse model.

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine that acts directly on CD4+ T cells and dendritic cells to promote progression of asthma, atopic dermatitis, and allergic inflammation. However, a direct role for TSLP in CD8+ T-cell primary responses remains controversial and its role in memory CD8+ T cell responses to secondary viral infection is unknown. Here, we investigate the role of TSLP in both primary and recall responses in mice using two different viral systems. Interestingly, TSLP limited the primary CD8+ T-cell response to influenza but did not affect T cell function nor significantly alter the number of memory CD8+ T cells generated after influenza infection. However, TSLP inhibited memory CD8+ T-cell responses to secondary viral infection with influenza or acute systemic LCMV infection. These data reveal a previously unappreciated role for TSLP on recall CD8+ T-cell responses in response to viral infection, findings with potential translational implications.

Infiltration of the central nervous system (CNS) parenchyma by peripheral B cells provides an important defense against neurotropic infections but also contributes to different neuroinflammatory diseases. While the periphery is known to support CNS humoral immune responses, recent studies have demonstrated that the meninges receive a steady influx of B cells from the skull bone marrow and provide an important niche for B-cell development and tolerance. Meningeal vascular barriers like the dural venous sinuses are also inhabited by plasma cells that secrete antibodies locally and sequester pathogens, preventing their entry into the CNS. However, these beneficial aspects of CNS humoral immunity are sometimes offset by pathological responses such as the development of meningeal ectopic lymphoid structures that promote autoimmune damage in the underlying parenchyma. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of CNS humoral immunity, with an emphasis on anatomy, infections, and autoimmune disease.