Long-term tolerance of islet allografts in nonhuman primates induced by apoptotic donor leukocytes

Nat Commun. 2019 Aug 2;10(1):3495. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-11338-y.

Abstract

Immune tolerance to allografts has been pursued for decades as an important goal in transplantation. Administration of apoptotic donor splenocytes effectively induces antigen-specific tolerance to allografts in murine studies. Here we show that two peritransplant infusions of apoptotic donor leukocytes under short-term immunotherapy with antagonistic anti-CD40 antibody 2C10R4, rapamycin, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor and anti-interleukin 6 receptor antibody induce long-term (≥1 year) tolerance to islet allografts in 5 of 5 nonsensitized, MHC class I-disparate, and one MHC class II DRB allele-matched rhesus macaques. Tolerance in our preclinical model is associated with a regulatory network, involving antigen-specific Tr1 cells exhibiting a distinct transcriptome and indirect specificity for matched MHC class II and mismatched class I peptides. Apoptotic donor leukocyte infusions warrant continued investigation as a cellular, nonchimeric and translatable method for inducing antigen-specific tolerance in transplantation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Allografts / immunology
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / immunology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Graft Rejection / prevention & control*
  • Graft Survival / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance*
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Islets of Langerhans / immunology
  • Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Male
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / transplantation*
  • Tissue Donors
  • Transplantation, Homologous / adverse effects

Substances

  • Immunosuppressive Agents