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Cannabinoid Control of Gingival Immune Activation in Chronically SIV-Infected Rhesus Macaques Involves Modulation of the Indoleamine-2,3-Dioxygenase-1 Pathway and Salivary Microbiome

McDew-White et al., EBioMedicine. 2021.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34954656/

HIV-associated periodontal disease (PD) affects people living with HIV (PLWH) on combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART). Researchers used a systems biology approach to investigate the molecular, metabolome, and microbiome changes underlying PD and its modulation by phytocannabinoids (Δ9-THC) in rhesus macaques. Δ9-THC reduced IDO1 protein expression. The findings suggest that phytocannabinoids may help reduce gingival/systemic inflammation, salivary dysbiosis, and potentially metabolic disease in PLWH on cART. Supported by ORIP (P51OD011104, P51OD011133, U42OD010442), NIAID, NIDA, NIDDK, NIDCR, and NIMH.

Natural Killer Cells Activated Through NKG2D Mediate Lung Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Calabrese et al., Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2021.

https://www.jci.org/articles/view/137047

Pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) causes early mortality and has no effective therapies. While natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes capable of recognizing injured cells, their roles in acute lung injury are incompletely understood. Here, investigators demonstrated that NK cells were increased in frequency and cytotoxicity in 2 different IRI mouse models. They showed that NK cells trafficked to the lung tissue from peripheral reservoirs and were more mature within lung tissue. Acute lung ischemia-reperfusion injury was blunted in a NK cell–deficient mouse strain but restored with adoptive transfer of NK cells. In human lung tissue, NK cells were increased at sites of ischemia-reperfusion injury and activated NK cells were increased in prospectively-collected human bronchoalveolar lavage in subjects with severe IRI. These data support a causal role for recipient peripheral NK cells in pulmonary IRI via NK cell NKG2D receptor ligation. Therapies targeting NK cells may hold promise in acute lung injury. Supported by ORIP (S10OD026940), NHLBI, and NIDDK.