Donor-derived CD8+CD122+ Tregs generated in mixed donor chimeric NOD mice suppress autoreactive T cells
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The establishment of mixed hematopoietic chimerism is a promising way to induce immune tolerance for islet replacement therapy and to treat the underlying autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Mixed chimerism not only promotes effective thymic negative selection of autoreactive cells but also restores regulatory T cell (Treg) function and peripheral tolerance. In the current study, we determined that a novel class of donor-derived CD8+CD44+CD122+ Tregs (d-CD8+CD122+ Tregs) plays a crucial role in controlling autoimmunity in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice with induced mixed chimerism. Using adoptive T cell transfer experiments, we showed that d-CD8+CD122+ Tregs abrogate autoimmunity by suppressing the exogenously injected diabetogenic T cells in Recombination-Activating Gene deficient NOD mice. These d-CD8+CD122+ Tregs from NOD chimeras show upregulation of Helios, Programmed cell death protein 1, perforin, granzyme-B, CD39, Folate receptor 4, and downregulation of proinflammatory marker SCART1. Using in vitro assays, we show that d-CD8+CD122+ Tregs respond specifically to a Complementarity-Determining Region-3 peptide sequence derived from T cell receptors of islet antigen-specific autoreactive T cells. Similarly, we found that individuals with T1D have a deficiency in CD8+CD122+ Tregs, suggesting a potential loss of regulatory function accompanies disease onset. Revitalizing CD8+CD122+ Tregs may offer a new therapeutic strategy of restoring immune tolerance in autoimmune diabetes.
DOI: 10.1172/jci207024
Authors: Shiva Pathak, Cameron S. Bader, Bettina P. Iliopoulou, Shobha Regmi, Pin-I Chen, Biki Gupta, Xiangni Wu, Blake Mosher, Alexandra Wells, Levon Witherspoon, Kayla C. Jenkins, William Harper, Emily Y. SooHoo, Abigail Twoy, Rizwan Ahmed, Suparna Dutt, Nadine Nagy, Kent P. Jensen, C. Garrison Fathman, Avnesh S. Thakor, Mark M. Davis, Everett H. Meyer
Institutions: Stanford Medicine, Stanford University
Language: English
Topic: T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,200
Awards: 30-parameter FACSymphony A3 flow cytometer for Shared Resource Lab, G3780977336, A stem cell activated cryogel bioscaffold that restores islet bioenergetics while providing oxygen and nutrients at extravascular sites of transplantation, Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism Training Grant, Engineered Immune Cells for T1D
OpenAlex ID: W7140024348