Human dental pulp cells modulate CD8+ T cell proliferation and efficiently degrade extracellular ATP to adenosine in vitro

Parimah Ahmadi; Ming Yan; Andreas Bauche; Ralf Smeets; Christa E Müller; Friedrich Koch-Nolte; Friedrich Haag; Ralf Fliegert; Lan Kluwe; Julian Schulze Zur Wiesch; Philip Hartjen

doi:10.1016/j.cellimm.2022.104589

Human dental pulp cells modulate CD8⁺ T cell proliferation and efficiently degrade extracellular ATP to adenosine in vitro

Cell Immunol. 2022 Oct:380:104589. doi: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2022.104589. Epub 2022 Aug 13.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ First Department of Medicine, Department Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
² Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
⁴ Department of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Institute, Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms University Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, D-53121 Bonn, Germany.
⁵ Department of Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
⁶ First Department of Medicine, Department Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: j.schulze-zur-wiesch@uke.de.

PMID: 36084401
DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2022.104589

Abstract

The pulp of human teeth contains a population of self-renewing stem cells that can regulate the functions of immune cells. When applied to patients, these cells can protect tissues from damage by excessive inflammation. We confirm that dental pulp cells effectively inhibit the proliferation and activation of cytotoxic T cells in vitro, and show that they carry high levels of CD73, a key enzyme in the conversion of pro-inflammatory extracellular ATP to immunosuppressive adenosine. Given their accessibility and abundance, as well as their potential for allogeneic administration, dental pulp cells provide a valuable source for immunomodulatory therapy.

Keywords: Adenine nucleotides; Adenosine; CD73; CD8(+) T cells; Cell-based immunotherapy; Dental pulp cells; Immunosuppression; Mesenchymal stem cells; Tregs; purinergic signaling.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

5'-Nucleotidase / metabolism
Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism
Adenosine* / metabolism
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
Cell Proliferation
Dental Pulp*
Humans

Substances

Adenosine Triphosphate
5'-Nucleotidase
Adenosine