Stem Cells Transl Med. 2020 May 7:e12706. doi: 10.1002/sctm.19-0444. [Epub ahead of print]

Human cord blood-derived regulatory T-cell therapy modulates the central and peripheral immune response after traumatic brain injury.

Caplan HW¹, Prabhakara KS¹, Kumar A¹, Toledano-Furman NE¹, Martin C¹, Carrillo L¹, Moreno NF¹, Bordt AS¹, Olson SD¹, Cox CS Jr¹.

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes a profound inflammatory response within the central nervous system and peripheral immune system, which contributes to secondary brain injury and further morbidity and mortality. Preclinical investigations have demonstrated that treatments that downregulate microglia activation and polarize them toward a reparative/anti-inflammatory phenotype have improved outcomes in preclinical models. However, no therapy to date has translated into proven benefits in human patients. Regulatory T cells (Treg) have been shown to downregulate pathologic immune responses of the innate and adaptive immune system across a variety of pathologies. Furthermore, cellular therapy has been shown to augment host Treg responses in preclinical models; yet, studies investigating the use of Treg as a therapeutic for TBI are lacking. In a rodent TBI model, we demonstrate that human umbilical cord blood Treg modulate the central and peripheral immune response after injury in vitro and in vivo.