Notch signaling drives intestinal graft-versus-host disease in mice and nonhuman primates

Notch signaling promotes T cell pathogenicity and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in mice, with a dominant role for the Delta-like Notch ligand DLL4. To assess whether Notch's effects are evolutionarily conserved and to identify the mechanisms of Notch signaling inhibition, we studied antibody-mediated DLL4 blockade in a nonhuman primate (NHP) model similar to human allo-HCT. Short-term DLL4 blockade improved posttransplant survival with durable protection from gastrointestinal GVHD in particular. Unlike prior immunosuppressive strategies tested in the NHP GVHD model, anti-DLL4 interfered with a T cell transcriptional program associated with intestinal infiltration. In cross-species investigations, Notch inhibition decreased surface abundance of the gut-homing integrin alpha 4 beta 7 in conventional T cells while preserving alpha 4 beta 7 in regulatory T cells, with findings suggesting increased beta 1 competition for alpha 4 binding in conventional T cells. Secondary lymphoid organ fibroblastic reticular cells emerged as the critical cellular source of Delta-like Notch ligands for Notch-mediated up-regulation of alpha 4 beta 7 integrin in T cells after allo-HCT. Together, DLL4-Notch blockade decreased effector T cell infiltration into the gut, with increased regulatory to conventional T cell ratios early after allo-HCT. Our results identify a conserved, biologically unique, and targetable role of DLL4-Notch signaling in intestinal GVHD.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates that blockade of DLL4-Notch signaling improves posttransplant survival and reduces gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in a nonhuman primate model similar to human allo-HCT. Notch inhibition affects the expression of α4β7 integrin differently in conventional T cells and regulatory T cells, and fibroblastic reticular cells in secondary lymphoid organs are identified as the critical cellular source of Delta-like Notch ligands. These findings suggest a conserved and targetable role of DLL4-Notch signaling in intestinal GVHD.