Inflammasome-resistant IPSC-derived myeloid-derived suppressor cells ameliorate xenogeneic graft-versus-host disease

L Lie Ma (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) B Brent Koehn (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) M Michael Zaiken (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) K Keli L. Hippen (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) K Kyle Smith (Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States) J Jeremy Allred (1University of Minnesota, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Minneapolis, United States) R Robin Williams (1University of Minnesota, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Minneapolis, United States) K Ke Yao J Jordan Fink (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) A Asim Saha (1University of Minnesota, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Minneapolis, United States) B Benjamin Koop (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) N Nathaniel Payne (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) R Renata Widelak (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) A Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari M Megan J. Riddle (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) J Jakub Tolar (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) C Cindy Eide (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) L Lily Xia (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) A Alec D. Witty (3Fate Therapeutics, San Diego, CA) A Amit K. Mehta (3Fate Therapeutics, San Diego, CA) M Matthew Denholtz (3Fate Therapeutics, San Diego, CA) M Mehrdad Hefazi (4T Cell Engineering Laboratory and the Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN) S Sophia Hani (1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN) S Saad S. Kenderian J Jeffrey S. Miller (1Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN) J Jeffrey J. Molldrem L Leslie S. Kean (Dana–Farber Cancer Institute–Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston) B Bahram Valamehr (1Fate therapeutics, Research and development, San Diego, United States) B Bruce R. Blazar (Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood & Marrow Transplant & Cellular Therapy, University of Minnesota)

Abstract

Abstract Front-line pharmaceutical interventions for treating acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are not uniformly effective and have toxic side effects. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells with potent in vitro and in vivo immunosuppressive functions. Clinical translation of in vitro–generated MDSCs has been limited because of requirements for multiple, high infusion doses, the relatively low yield from peripheral blood–sourced MDSCs (PB-MDSCs), and inconsistent product quality. To circumvent these obstacles, we developed a methodology to generate MDSCs using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)–derived CD34+ cells. Compared with PB-MDSCs, iPSC-derived MDSCs (iMDSCs) shared similar morphology, phenotype, and suppressive function. We found that the CD14+ iMDSC subset possessed the highest suppressor function. In previous studies, we reported that MDSCs transferred into mice with GVHD lost suppressor function because of inflammasome activation and immature myeloid cell maturation. In striking contrast to human PB-MDSCs, we show herein that iMDSCs retained 95% of suppressor function in vitro despite exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which are stimuli that activate the inflammasome via danger-associated molecular patterns released during early posttransplant conditioning and GVHD-induced injury. In an in vivo xenogenic GVHD model with PB mononuclear cells, iMDSCs significantly increased recipient survival without loss of antileukemia effects. iMDSC RNA sequencing and gene knockdown studies revealed that the maintenance of the purine metabolizing enzyme, phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, during LPS plus ATP treatment, was linked to iMDSC inflammasome resistance. Taken together, these findings provide a platform for translating in vitro–generated, off-the-shelf iMDSCs into the clinic for suppressing a spectrum of adverse immune responses, including GVHD.

Article Details

Journal Blood
Volume / Issue Vol. 146, Issue 17
Published October 23, 2025
Pages 2047-2062
ISSN 0006-4971
Publisher Elsevier BV

Journal Info

Blood

Elsevier BV

ISSN: 0006-4971 Health Sciences

Authors (29)

L

Lie Ma

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

B

Brent Koehn

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

M

Michael Zaiken

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

K

Keli L. Hippen

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

K

Kyle Smith

Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States

J

Jeremy Allred

1University of Minnesota, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Minneapolis, United States

R

Robin Williams

1University of Minnesota, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Minneapolis, United States

K

Ke Yao

J

Jordan Fink

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

A

Asim Saha

1University of Minnesota, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Minneapolis, United States

B

Benjamin Koop

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

N

Nathaniel Payne

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

R

Renata Widelak

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

A

Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari

M

Megan J. Riddle

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

J

Jakub Tolar

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

C

Cindy Eide

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

L

Lily Xia

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

A

Alec D. Witty

3Fate Therapeutics, San Diego, CA

A

Amit K. Mehta

3Fate Therapeutics, San Diego, CA

M

Matthew Denholtz

3Fate Therapeutics, San Diego, CA

M

Mehrdad Hefazi

4T Cell Engineering Laboratory and the Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

S

Sophia Hani

1Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

S

Saad S. Kenderian

J

Jeffrey S. Miller

1Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

J

Jeffrey J. Molldrem

L

Leslie S. Kean

Dana–Farber Cancer Institute–Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston

B

Bahram Valamehr

1Fate therapeutics, Research and development, San Diego, United States

B

Bruce R. Blazar

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Blood & Marrow Transplant & Cellular Therapy, University of Minnesota