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Coulon, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Coulon, F..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Controlling fibroblast fibrinolytic activity allows for the bio-engineering of stable connective tissue equivalents

In tissue engineering, cell origin is important to ensure outcome quality. However, the impact of the cell type chosen for seeding in a biocompatible matrix has been less investigated. Here, we investigated the capacity of primary and immortalized fibroblasts of distinct origins to degrade a gelatin/alginate/fibrin (GAF)-based biomaterial. We further established that fibrin was targeted by degradative fibroblasts through the secretion of fibrinolytic matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) and urokinase, two types of serine protease. Finally, we demonstrated that besides aprotinin, specific targeting of fibrinolytic MMPs and urokinase led to cell-laden GAF stability for at least several days. These results support the use of specific strategies to tune fibrin-based biomaterials degradation over time. It emphasizes the need to choose the right cell type and further bring targeted solutions to avoid the degradation of fibrin-containing hydrogels or bioinks.

bioengineering↗

Non-permissive human conventional CD1c+ dendritic cells enable trans-infection of human primary renal tubular epithelial cells and protect BK polyomavirus from neutralization

The BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) is a ubiquitous human virus that persists in the renourinary epithelium. Immunosuppression can lead to BKPyV reactivation in the first year post-transplantation in kidney (KTR) and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. In KTR, persistent DNAemia has been correlated to the occurrence of polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN) that can lead to graft loss if not properly controlled. Based on recent observations that conventional dendritic cells (cDC) specifically infiltrate PVAN lesions, we hypothesized that those cells could play a role in BKPyV infection. We first demonstrated that monocyte-derived DC (MDDC), an in vitro model for mDC, captured BKPyV particles through an unconventional GRAF-1 endocytic pathway. Neither BKPyV particles nor BKPyV-infected cells were shown to activate MDDC. Endocytosed virions were efficiently transmitted to permissive cells and shown to be protected from the antibody-mediated neutralization. Finally, we demonstrated that freshly isolated CD1c+ mDC from the blood and kidney parenchyma behaved similarly to MDDC thus extending our results to cells of clinical relevance. This study sheds light on a potential unprecedented CD1c+ mDC involvement in the BKPyV infection as a promoter of viral spreading.

microbiology↗

Dendritic cells require TMEM176A/B ion channels for optimal MHC II antigen presentation to naive CD4+ T cells

Intracellular ion fluxes emerge as critical actors of immunoregulation but still remain poorly explored. Here we investigated the role of the redundant cation channels TMEM176A and TMEM176B (TMEM176A/B) in ROR{gamma}t+ cells and conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) using germline and conditional double knock-out (DKO) mice. While Tmem176a/b appeared surprisingly dispensable for the protective function of Th17 and group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) in the intestinal mucosa, we found that they were required in cDCs for optimal antigen processing and presentation to CD4+ T cells. Using a real-time imaging method, we show that TMEM176A/B accumulate in dynamic post-Golgi vesicles preferentially linked to the late endolysosomal system and strongly colocalize with HLA-DM. Together, our results suggest that TMEM176A/B ion channels play a direct role in the MHC II compartment (MIIC) of DCs for the fine regulation of antigen presentation and naive CD4+ T cell priming.

immunology↗