Th17 Pathway As a Target for Multipotent Stromal Cell Therapy in Dogs: Implications for Translational Research

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cell Biology
• Veterinary Medicine

Background:

• Th17-driven inflammatory and autoimmune diseases pose significant global health challenges.
• Multipotent stromal/stem cells (MSC) show promise in inhibiting Th17 cell activity.
• Naturally occurring canine diseases offer a valuable preclinical model for therapeutic testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize Th17 cells in dogs and develop methods for their detection.
• To investigate the potential of canine MSC as a therapeutic strategy for Th17-driven diseases.
• To establish a foundation for translating MSC-based therapies to human clinical trials.

Main Methods:

• Development and validation of a flow-cytometric method for canine Th17 cell detection.
• Analysis of Th17 and IL17-producing cells in tissues from dogs with chronic inflammatory diseases.
• In vitro assessment of canine Th17 cell polarization kinetics and MSC inhibitory effects.

Main Results:

• A reliable flow-cytometric method for detecting canine Th17 cells was established.
• Th17 and IL17-producing cells were found in tissues of dogs with naturally occurring chronic inflammatory diseases.
• Canine MSC were shown to inhibit canine Th17 polarization in vitro via a PGE2-independent mechanism.

Conclusions:

• The developed methods provide essential tools for studying Th17-mediated immunity in dogs.
• Naturally occurring canine inflammatory diseases, like inflammatory bowel disease, can serve as models for MSC-based therapy research.
• Targeting the Th17 pathway with MSC holds potential for treating Th17-driven diseases in both dogs and humans.