Quach Christine, Li Xin, Shafiei-Jahani Pedram, Li Meng, Shen Stephen, Helou Doumet Georges, Hurrell Benjamin P, Soroosh Pejman, Akbari Omid
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
University of Southern California, Libraries Bioinformatics Service, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Front Immunol. 2025 Mar 28;16:1552394. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1552394. eCollection 2025.
INTRODUCTION: Steroid-resistant asthma does not respond adequately to corticosteroid treatment. The underlying mechanisms driving corticosteroid resistance remain poorly understood, partly due to the absence of suitable animal models. Identifying the immunomodulatory pathways and mechanisms driving steroid resistance is crucial for developing effective therapies. METHODS: In this study, we screened 58 murine strains exposed to house dust mite and identified that the BXD75 strain exhibited neutrophil-skewed, steroid-resistant asthma and elevated Th17 cells. RNA sequencing of lung CD4 T cells from BXD75 was performed to identify immunomodulatory pathways involved in steroid-resistance. The effects of BTLA agonist treatment were assessed on airway hyperreactivity and lung inflammation. RESULTS: Transcriptomic analysis revealed increased HVEM expression and decreased BTLA expression, both critical immune regulators associated with stimulatory and inhibitory signaling, respectively. These T cells demonstrated enhanced inflammatory signaling through both canonical and non-canonical NF-κB pathways. BTLA agonist treatment reduced airway hyperreactivity and lung inflammation, while treatment of Th17 cells induced inhibitory signaling via SHP-1, suppressed NF-κB signaling, reduced cell numbers, and lowered IL-17 levels. DISCUSSION: Our findings establish BXD75 mice as a model for steroid-resistant asthma and demonstrate that BTLA agonism attenuates airway hyperreactivity and lung inflammation, highlighting it as a potential therapeutic strategy.
引言:激素抵抗性哮喘对皮质类固醇治疗反应不佳。导致皮质类固醇抵抗的潜在机制仍知之甚少,部分原因是缺乏合适的动物模型。确定驱动类固醇抵抗的免疫调节途径和机制对于开发有效的治疗方法至关重要。 方法:在本研究中,我们筛选了58种暴露于屋尘螨的小鼠品系,确定BXD75品系表现出中性粒细胞偏向性、激素抵抗性哮喘且Th17细胞升高。对BXD75品系肺CD4 T细胞进行RNA测序,以确定参与类固醇抵抗的免疫调节途径。评估BTLA激动剂治疗对气道高反应性和肺部炎症的影响。 结果:转录组分析显示,HVEM表达增加而BTLA表达降低,这两种关键免疫调节因子分别与刺激性和抑制性信号传导相关。这些T细胞通过经典和非经典NF-κB途径表现出增强的炎症信号传导。BTLA激动剂治疗降低了气道高反应性和肺部炎症,而对Th17细胞的治疗通过SHP-1诱导抑制性信号传导,抑制NF-κB信号传导,减少细胞数量,并降低IL-17水平。 讨论:我们的研究结果确立了BXD75小鼠作为激素抵抗性哮喘的模型,并证明BTLA激动作用可减轻气道高反应性和肺部炎症,突出了其作为一种潜在治疗策略的地位。
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