Targeting Beta-Adrenergic Signaling to Control GVH and GVL Responses

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Project Summary: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common and serious complication after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT), while the closely related graft-versus-leukemia/lymphoma (GVL) effect is crucial for the effectiveness of alloHCT for blood cancer patients. Adrenergic stress signaling mediated through β- adrenergic receptor (AR) agonists such as norepinephrine is recognized to influence both innate and adaptive immunity. Based on our recently published work, the goal of this study is to explore a new paradigm regarding β2-AR mediated stress response during alloHCT. Using established murine models, we have discovered that pharmacologic or physiologic manipulation of β2-AR signaling exhibits a significant impact on the outcome of alloHCT. Specially, our findings show that agonistic stimulation of β2-AR signaling significantly decreased GVHD while blocking of β2-AR signaling significantly increased GVHD. In addition, manipulating endogenous levels of norepinephrine, by exposing mice to a physiological stress (i.e. mild cold stress) recapitulates the findings obtained by using pharmacologic β2-AR agonists. Importantly, our findings further suggest that manipulation of β2-AR signaling may be a feasible strategy to alleviate GVHD without sacrificing the desired GVL effect. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that stress-induced β2-AR signaling may control GVH and GVL responses via regulating the functions of donor-derived T cells. In this project, we will study alloHCT patients and murine models to pursue three aims. Aim 1 will examine norepinephrine blood levels in alloHCT patients as a potential factor influencing clinical outcomes. We will study about 200 de-identified patients to analyze the relationship between β-adrenergic signaling levels and clinical outcomes including GVHD incidence, severity and cancer relapse. Aim 2 will evaluate the therapeutic potential of manipulating β-AR signaling to modulate GVH and GVL responses. We have recently established a xenotransplantation system using humanized NSG mice as hosts to examine the GVH and GVL functions of human immune cells. We will use this new translational platform to evaluate the impact of manipulating β-AR signaling on the GVH and GVL activities of human T cells. Aim 3 will explore T cell-dependent mechanisms by which β2-AR signaling impacts GVH and GVL responses. We will use β2-AR deficient mice as donors to determine how β2-AR signaling affects the functions of major T cell subsets known to dictate the onset and severity of GVHD and to mediate the favorable GVL effect. In summary, this project will not only improve our understanding of the basic biology of alloHCT, but it may also help to explain why patients, who naturally exhibit widely differing stress responses, differ so widely in terms of their development of GVHD or cancer remission. Moreover, this research may lead to a completely new therapeutic rationale based upon manipulation of β2-AR signaling for the prevention of GVHD and preservation of the beneficial GVL effect.