Systemic sclerosis & Raynaud's
CD7 activation regulates cytotoxicity-driven pathology in systemic sclerosis, yielding a target for selective cell depletion
Authors' conclusion
Together, the findings imply costimulatory molecules as key regulators of cytotoxicity-driven pathology in systemic autoimmune disease, yielding CD7 as a novel target for selective depletion of pathogenic cells.
Study context
- Population
- Affected skin and blood samples from 4 systemic sclerosis (SSc) patient cohorts and healthy individuals4 SSc cohorts
- Participants
- 165 vs 80
- Comparison
- SSc vs healthy individuals
- SScn = 165
- Healthy individualsn = 80reference
Methodological detailsex vivo analysis, single-cell transcriptomics, flow cytometry, multiplex immunofluorescence staining, functional assays, compassionate-use case
- Ex vivo analysis
- Single-cell transcriptomics
- Flow cytometry
- Multiplex immunofluorescence staining
- Functional assays
- Compassionate-use case
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- SSc-affected skin contains elevated numbers of proliferating T cells, cytotoxic T cells and natural killer (NK) cells
- These cells selectively express costimulatory molecule CD7 with cytotoxic, proinflammatory and profibrotic genes, especially in recent-onset and severe disease
- CD7 regulates the cytolytic activity of T cells and NK cells
- Selective depletion of CD7+ cells prevents cytotoxic cell-induced fibroblast contraction and inhibits their profibrotic phenotype
- Anti-CD3/CD7 depletive treatment eliminated CD7+ skin cells and stabilised disease manifestations in a severely affected SSc patient
Original publication
CD7 activation regulates cytotoxicity-driven pathology in systemic sclerosis, yielding a target for selective cell depletion. Ann Rheum Dis. Published 12 March 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →