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IL-2 mutein selectively expands thymic memory Tregs with increased transendocytosis in healthy participants
Laura A. Cooney, Mitch Fahning, Liliane Khoryati, Anna Kus, Sheila Scheiding, Lori Blanchfield, Matt Lawrance, Basilin Benson, Kristina M. Harris, Gretchen A. Baltus, Shiuli Agarwal, Richard Wnek, Johannes F. Scheid, Kiki Cunningham-Bussel, Nancy D. Kim, S. Aubrey Stoch, Jyothsna Visweswaraiah, Nathan Higginson-Scott, Katalin Kis-Toth, Joanne L. Viney, Kevin L. Otipoby, Erik Sampson, Bridget Larkin, Daniel J. Campbell, S. Alice Long
Laura A. Cooney, Mitch Fahning, Liliane Khoryati, Anna Kus, Sheila Scheiding, Lori Blanchfield, Matt Lawrance, Basilin Benson, Kristina M. Harris, Gretchen A. Baltus, Shiuli Agarwal, Richard Wnek, Johannes F. Scheid, Kiki Cunningham-Bussel, Nancy D. Kim, S. Aubrey Stoch, Jyothsna Visweswaraiah, Nathan Higginson-Scott, Katalin Kis-Toth, Joanne L. Viney, Kevin L. Otipoby, Erik Sampson, Bridget Larkin, Daniel J. Campbell, S. Alice Long
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Research Article Clinical Research Immunology

IL-2 mutein selectively expands thymic memory Tregs with increased transendocytosis in healthy participants

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Abstract

Tregs play an essential role in immune tolerance, and Treg-promoting therapies are in development for the treatment of many inflammatory disorders. IL-2–based therapies increase Treg frequency, but little is known about impacts on Treg heterogeneity and function. We extended analyses of an IL-2 mutein (MK-6194) single ascending dose trial in healthy human participants by comprehensively defining Treg subsets and gene expression changes in vitro and in vivo. We found highly specific and dose-dependent activation and expansion of Tregs in clinical and preclinical studies. Following a single subcutaneous dose in humans, thymus-derived Tregs were selectively activated and expanded, while peripherally induced Tregs were unaffected. Expanded Tregs had increased expression of genes and proteins consistent with activation, suppressor function, and homing to nonlymphoid tissue, as well as increased transendocytotic activity, as measured by CTLA-4–dependent capture of CD80 and CD86 from non-Tregs. These results shed light onto underlying mechanisms by which Treg-targeted therapy may promote immune tolerance.

Authors

Laura A. Cooney, Mitch Fahning, Liliane Khoryati, Anna Kus, Sheila Scheiding, Lori Blanchfield, Matt Lawrance, Basilin Benson, Kristina M. Harris, Gretchen A. Baltus, Shiuli Agarwal, Richard Wnek, Johannes F. Scheid, Kiki Cunningham-Bussel, Nancy D. Kim, S. Aubrey Stoch, Jyothsna Visweswaraiah, Nathan Higginson-Scott, Katalin Kis-Toth, Joanne L. Viney, Kevin L. Otipoby, Erik Sampson, Bridget Larkin, Daniel J. Campbell, S. Alice Long

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Figure 2

Selective and dose-dependent Treg expansion following IL-2 mutein treatment.

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Selective and dose-dependent Treg expansion following IL-2 mutein treatm...
(A) Study design of the human single ascending dose study, generated in BioRender. (B) Frequency among CD3+CD4+ T cells and absolute number of CD25+CD127loFOXP3+ Tregs before and after treatment (gating in Supplemental Figure 3A). Absolute number based on lymphocyte complete blood counts obtained from clinical laboratory tests. *Significant after adjusting for multiple testing (P values in Supplemental Table 1), using mixed model for repeated measures (n as depicted in A); dose cohort annotated by asterisk color. (C) Log2-transformed average fold change in absolute cell number from baseline to day 8, using hypothesis-based gating of IL-2–responsive populations (gating in Supplemental Figure 3B). Paired 2-tailed t test, significance of 0.01 to account for multiple testing (n as in A). Participant-level data in Supplemental Figure 4. Cell type represented by shape; dose represented by color. “CD4 Tconv” group includes total CD4+ Tconv, CD25+CD4+ Tconv, Ki67+CD4+ Tconv, and Th1 subsets. “CD8 Tconv” group includes total CD8+ Tconv, CD25+CD8+ Tconv, Ki67+CD8+ Tconv, and Tc1 subsets. “Innate” group includes γδ T cells and innate lymphoid cell 2–like cells. “NK” group includes CD56hi NK cells (NKhi) and CD56lo NK (NKdim) cells. (D) Log2-transformed average fold change from baseline to day 8 in relative frequency of DISCOV-R automated CyTOF metaclusters. The 18 metaclusters were grouped into categories of Tregs, CD4+ Tconv, CD8+ Tconv, Innate, NK, and B cells as in B, represented by shape. Dose represented by color, as in B. Paired 2-tailed t test, significance of 0.01 to account for multiple testing (n as in A). Metacluster definitions and participant-level data shown in Supplemental Figure 5.

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