Formylated Peptide Receptor-1-Mediated Gut Inflammation as a Therapeutic Target in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Formylated peptide receptor (FPR)-1 is a G-coupled receptor that senses foreign bacterial and host-derived mitochondrial formylated peptides (FPs), leading to innate immune system activation.

We sought to investigate the role of FPR1-mediated inflammation and its potential as a therapeutic target in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

We characterized FPR1 gene and protein expression in 8 human IBD (~1000 patients) datasets with analysis on disease subtype, mucosal inflammation, and drug response. We performed in vivo dextran-sulfate sodium (DSS) colitis in C57/BL6 FPR1 knockout mice. In ex vivo studies, we studied the role of mitochondrial FPs and pharmacological blockade of FPR1 using cyclosporin H in human peripheral blood neutrophils. Finally, we assess mitochondrial FPs as a potential mechanistic biomarker in the blood and stools of patients with IBD.

Detailed in silico analysis in human intestinal biopsies showed that FPR1 is highly expressed in IBD (n = 207 IBD vs 67 non-IBD controls, P < .001), and highly correlated with gut inflammation in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) (both P < .001). FPR1 receptor is predominantly expressed in leukocytes, and we showed significantly higher FPR1+ve neutrophils in inflamed gut tissue section in IBD (17 CD and 24 UC; both P < .001). Further analysis in 6 independent IBD (data available under Gene Expression Omnibus accession numbers GSE59071, GSE206285, GSE73661, GSE16879, GSE92415, and GSE235970) showed an association with active gut inflammation and treatment resistance to infliximab, ustekinumab, and vedolizumab. FPR1 gene deletion is protective in murine DSS colitis with lower gut neutrophil inflammation. In the human ex vivo neutrophil system, mitochondrial FP, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit-6 (ND6) is a potent activator of neutrophils resulting in higher CD62L shedding, CD63 expression, reactive oxygen species production, and chemotactic capacity; these effects are inhibited by cyclosporin H. We screened for mitochondrial ND6 in IBD (n = 54) using ELISA and detected ND6 in stools with median values of 2.2 gg/mL (interquartile range [IQR] 0.0-4.99; range 0-53.3) but not in blood. Stool ND6 levels, however, were not significantly correlated with paired stool calprotectin, C-reactive protein, and clinical IBD activity.

Our data suggest that FPR1-mediated neutrophilic inflammation is a tractable target in IBD; however, further work is required to clarify the clinical utility of mitochondrial FPs as a potential mechanistic marker for future stratification.