Dendritic cells provide a therapeutic target for synthetic small molecule analogues of the parasitic worm product, ES-62

Sci Rep. 2017 May 10;7(1):1704. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-01651-1.

Abstract

ES-62, a glycoprotein secreted by the parasitic filarial nematode Acanthocheilonema viteae, subverts host immune responses towards anti-inflammatory phenotypes by virtue of covalently attached phosphorylcholine (PC). The PC dictates that ES-62 exhibits protection in murine models of inflammatory disease and hence a library of drug-like PC-based small molecule analogues (SMAs) was synthesised. Four sulfone-containing SMAs termed 11a, 11e, 11i and 12b were found to reduce mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cell (DC) pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production, inhibit NF-κB p65 activation, and suppress LPS-induced up-regulation of CD40 and CD86. Active SMAs also resulted in a DC phenotype that exhibited reduced capacity to prime antigen (Ag)-specific IFN-γ production during co-culture with naïve transgenic TCR DO.11.10 T cells in vitro and reduced their ability, following adoptive transfer, to prime the expansion of Ag-specific T lymphocytes, specifically TH17 cells, in vivo. Consistent with this, mice receiving DCs treated with SMAs exhibited significantly reduced severity of collagen-induced arthritis and this was accompanied by a significant reduction in IL-17+ cells in the draining lymph nodes. Collectively, these studies indicate that drug-like compounds that target DCs can be designed from parasitic worm products and demonstrate the potential for ES-62 SMA-based DC therapy in inflammatory disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / chemistry
  • Anthelmintics / pharmacology*
  • Arthritis, Experimental / immunology
  • Arthritis, Experimental / pathology
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism*
  • Helminth Proteins / chemistry*
  • Helminths / drug effects*
  • Interleukin-17 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-1beta / metabolism
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacology*
  • Th1 Cells / drug effects
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th17 Cells / drug effects
  • Th17 Cells / immunology

Substances

  • Anthelmintics
  • Cytokines
  • ES-62 protein, Acanthocheilonema viteae
  • Helminth Proteins
  • Interleukin-17
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Small Molecule Libraries