Depletion of major pathogenic cells in asthma by targeting CRTh2

JCI Insight. 2016 May 19;1(7):e86689. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.86689.

Abstract

Eosinophilic inflammation and Th2 cytokine production are central to the pathogenesis of asthma. Agents that target either eosinophils or single Th2 cytokines have shown benefits in subsets of biomarker-positive patients. More broadly effective treatment or disease-modifying effects may be achieved by eliminating more than one inflammatory stimulator. Here we present a strategy to concomitantly deplete Th2 T cells, eosinophils, basophils, and type-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) by generating monoclonal antibodies with enhanced effector function (19A2) that target CRTh2 present on all 4 cell types. Using human CRTh2 (hCRTh2) transgenic mice that mimic the expression pattern of hCRTh2 on innate immune cells but not Th2 cells, we demonstrate that anti-hCRTh2 antibodies specifically eliminate hCRTh2+ basophils, eosinophils, and ILC2s from lung and lymphoid organs in models of asthma and Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection. Innate cell depletion was accompanied by a decrease of several Th2 cytokines and chemokines. hCRTh2-specific antibodies were also active on human Th2 cells in vivo in a human Th2-PBMC-SCID mouse model. We developed humanized hCRTh2-specific antibodies that potently induce antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) of primary human eosinophils and basophils and replicated the in vivo depletion capacity of their murine parent. Therefore, depletion of hCRTh2+ basophils, eosinophils, ILC2, and Th2 cells with h19A2 hCRTh2-specific antibodies may be a novel and more efficacious treatment for asthma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / immunology
  • Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity*
  • Asthma / therapy*
  • Basophils / cytology
  • Cytokines
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Eosinophils / cytology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Lung / cytology
  • Lung / immunology
  • Lymphocytes / cytology
  • Lymphoid Tissue / cytology
  • Lymphoid Tissue / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, SCID
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Th2 Cells / cytology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Cytokines