Mast Cells As Novel Effector Cells in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease
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University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Genetics 2020 MAST CELLS AS NOVEL EFFECTOR CELLS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF CHRONIC GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE Ethan Strattan University of Kentucky, [email protected] Author ORCID Identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6905-0813 Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2020.419 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Strattan, Ethan, "MAST CELLS AS NOVEL EFFECTOR CELLS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF CHRONIC GRAFT- VERSUS-HOST DISEASE" (2020). Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. 24. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/microbio_etds/24 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UKnowledge. 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Ethan Strattan, Student Dr. Gerhard Carl Hildebrandt, Major Professor Dr. Carol Pickett, Director of Graduate Studies MAST CELLS AS NOVEL EFFECTOR CELLS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF CHRONIC GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE ________________________________________ DISSERTATION ________________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky By Ethan Jesse Strattan Lexington, Kentucky Co-Directors: Dr. Gerhard Carl Hildebrandt, Professor of Medicine and Dr. Subbarao Bondada, Professor Lexington, Kentucky Copyright © Ethan Jesse Strattan 2020 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6905-0813 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION MAST CELLS AS NOVEL EFFECTOR CELLS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF CHRONIC GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is most commonly a treatment for inborn defects of hematopoiesis or acute leukemias. Widespread use of HSCT, a potentially curative therapy, is hampered by onset of graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), a condition wherein the donor cells recognize the patient tissues as non-self. GVHD can manifest anywhere from weeks to decades post-transplant and is classified as either acute or chronic GVHD, both of which are significant causes of transplant-related morbidity and mortality. However, GVHD is a complex, multifactorial, and enigmatic disease. The factors driving GVHD at the cellular and molecular level are incompletely understood. Immunosuppression targeting T-cells has not always been effective and increases the risk of relapse. Prophylactic immunosuppression can be particularly detrimental in the context of cGVHD, where symptoms can appear even decades after transplant. There is great need to further understand the mechanisms of GVHD pathogenesis in order to more effectively make use of HSCT. Mast cells are an arm of the immune system that are primarily known for their role in atopic disease. However, recent studies have demonstrated new paradigms for mast cell activity, showing that they can play important roles in tissue homeostasis and wound healing. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to explore the role of mast cells in the onset of fibrotic chronic GVHD. We hypothesized that mast cells, through their interactions with tissue-resident and circulating GVHD effector cells, would be detrimental in chronic GVHD by exerting proinflammatory and profibrotic effects on the surrounding tissue. We examined mast cells in vitro in mono- and co-culture models, finding that they are significantly resistant to conditioning-induced cell death, as well as capable of inducing proliferation of fibroblasts. We further tested our hypothesis in vivo in murine models of allogeneic transplant using both wild type and mast cell-deficient mice. Compared to wild type recipients, mast cell-deficient recipients had significant reductions in GVHD symptomology and skin manifestations, as well as in chemokine levels and immune cell recruitment in the skin. We show that mast cell chemokine production is blocked by drugs currently used clinically to treat chronic GVHD, and that skin from GVHD patients is enriched in mast cells. Lastly, we show that recipient-derived mast cells are capable of surviving after transplant. Taken together, these data demonstrate a role for mast cells in the onset of dermal chronic GVHD. We therefore outline methods and pathways by which mast cells could be targeted for therapeutic inhibition and discuss future studies that would further clarify the function of mast cells in chronic GVHD pathogenesis. KEYWORDS: GVHD, mast cells, transplant, immunology Ethan Jesse Strattan 08/28/2020 MAST CELLS AS NOVEL EFFECTOR CELLS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF CHRONIC GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE By Ethan Jesse Strattan Dr. Gerhard Carl Hildebrandt Co-director of Dissertation Dr. Subbarao Bondada Co-director of Dissertation Dr. Carol Pickett Director of Graduate Studies 08/28/2020 Date To my wife, Lydia, who has been an endless source of support and love (and tea) throughout graduate school. You kept me sane, grounded, encouraged, and entertained, and I could not have done this without you. To my friends, who accommodated my busy schedule when we could meet up, and when we could not, let me live vicariously through them. To my parents and siblings, who did their best not to let their eyes glaze over when I talked about science. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my mentor, Dr. Gerhard Hildebrandt. He has always believed in me and pushed me to do the best possible science. At the same time, he has been aware of the sometimes-difficult realities of graduate school and has been willing to compromise and adjust to my schedule when needed. Altogether, those traits have made him an excellent mentor during these four years, and I am very grateful to have been in his lab. I could not have done this without the aid and support of my lab-mates, Drs. Senthil Palaniyandi and Reena Kumari. They have helped me through countless experiments and I will always be thankful for their willingness to assist. I hope I have returned even a fraction of the kindness, patience, and support both of you have shown me. I also want to thank my graduate committee as well as the many faculty and staff who have given their time and expertise to mentor me. Dr. Jamie Sturgill was always available for feedback or support and she shared her love of mast cells with me, for which I will forever be grateful. Drs. Joe McGillis, Sarah D’Orazio, John Yannelli, and Charlie Snow have all offered a listening ear when I needed career guidance, experimental advice, or just wanted to chat. And to the staff of the flow cytometry core: thanks for putting up with me constantly running behind. A final thanks to my fellow MIMG graduate students, especially Gabby Keb and Beth Oates, without whom I would have gone much crazier. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ iii LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ........................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Skin – Structure and function ............................................................................................. 2 1.3 Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation ............................................................................. 4 1.3.1 Procedure .................................................................................................................