Go to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • By specialty
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Immunology
    • Metabolism
    • Nephrology
    • Oncology
    • Pulmonology
    • All ...
  • Videos
  • Collections
    • In-Press Preview
    • Resource and Technical Advances
    • Clinical Research and Public Health
    • Research Letters
    • Editorials
    • Perspectives
    • Physician-Scientist Development
    • Reviews
    • Top read articles

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Specialties
  • In-Press Preview
  • Resource and Technical Advances
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Research Letters
  • Editorials
  • Perspectives
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Reviews
  • Top read articles
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
Endothelial MHC expression is required to initiate T cell–mediated rejection of 3D-printed skin grafts
Zuzana Tobiasova, Esen Sefik, Lingfeng Qin, Jennifer M. McNiff, Gwendolyn Davis, Richard A. Flavell, W. Mark Saltzman, Jordan S. Pober
Zuzana Tobiasova, Esen Sefik, Lingfeng Qin, Jennifer M. McNiff, Gwendolyn Davis, Richard A. Flavell, W. Mark Saltzman, Jordan S. Pober
View: Text | PDF
Research Article Immunology Vascular biology

Endothelial MHC expression is required to initiate T cell–mediated rejection of 3D-printed skin grafts

  • Text
  • PDF
Abstract

Vascularized skins were 3D printed using single donor human fibroblasts, pericytes, keratinocytes, and endothelial cells (ECs), the latter either unmodified (WT-ECs) or deleted of MHC molecules (KO-ECs). Adult MISTRG6 immunodeficient mice neonatally inoculated with adult human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) received printed skin allogeneic to the HSCs and were boosted 3 weeks after grafting with human PBMCs autologous to the HSCs. HSC inoculation alone produced low levels of circulating human myeloid and lymphoid cells without affecting grafts; PBMC boosting dramatically increased circulating human CD4+ T cells and boosted CD8+ T cells only in mice with WT-EC grafts. These grafts became infiltrated by human macrophages, dendritic cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and showed evidence of rejection. Shared T cell clones were present in skin and spleen. KO-EC grafts had minimal infiltration of graft or spleen without rejection, despite MHC molecule expression on other graft cell types.

Authors

Zuzana Tobiasova, Esen Sefik, Lingfeng Qin, Jennifer M. McNiff, Gwendolyn Davis, Richard A. Flavell, W. Mark Saltzman, Jordan S. Pober

×

Figure 2

Circulating human cells in skin-grafted MISTRG6 mice.

Options: View larger image (or click on image) Download as PowerPoint
Circulating human cells in skin-grafted MISTRG6 mice.
(A) Representative...
(A) Representative analysis of circulating hCD45+ and hCD3+ cells assessed 3–4 weeks after PBMC injection. (B) Statistically significant increase of circulating hCD45+ and hCD3+ cells shown in HSC+PBMC+WT-EC skin and HSC+PBMC groups (CD45: HSC+skin, n = 12, 3.21 ± 2.02 CD45+ cells/live cells, vs. HSC+PBMC, n = 3, 35.87 ± 7.36 CD45+ cells/live cells, P = 0.04; HSC+skin vs. HSC+WT-EC skin+PBMC, n = 11, 34.79 ± 25.41 CD45+ cells/live cells, P = 0.01; CD3: HSC+skin, n = 9, 13.55 ± 25.07 CD3+ cells/50,000 cells, vs. HSC+PBMC, n = 3, 12,258.66 ± 4,389.84 CD3+ cells/50,000 cells, P = 0.04; HSC+skin vs. HSC+PBMC+WT-EC skin, n = 11, 5,234.13 ± 4,310.6 CD3+ cells/50,000 cells, P = 0.01).(C) Representative analysis of circulating CD3+ cells. Majority of expanded cells in HSC+PBMC+WT-EC skin animals are CCR7–, CD8+, and granzyme B+, indicative of CTL. (D) Significant expansion of circulating CD3+CCR7– and CD8 cells of HSC+PBMC+WT-EC skin animals shown at week 3–4 after PBMC injection (CD8: HSC+skin vs. HSC+PBMC+WT-EC skin, n = 7, 222.1 ± 387.3 vs. n = 8, 13,483.87 ± 10,894.9 CD8+ cells/50,000 cells, P = 0.03, HSC+PBMC vs. HSC+PBMC+WT-EC skin, n = 3, 1,468.7 ± 1,068.6 CD8+ cells/50,000 cells, P = 0.03, and HSC+PBMC+WT-EC skin vs. HSC+PBMC+KO-EC skin, n = 3, 1,234 ± 492.1 CD8+ cells/50,000 cells, P = 0.03; CD3+CCR7–: HSC+skin, n = 7, 387.43 ± 471.84 CD3+CR7– cells/50,000 cells vs. HSC+PBMC, n = 3, 1747.33 ± 541 CD3+CCR7– cells, P = 0.03; HSC+skin vs. HSC+PBMC+WT-EC skin, n = 5, 14,509.6 ± 7,933.36 CD3+ CCR7– cells, P = 0.03 or HSC+PBMC vs. HSC+PBMC+WT-EC skin, P = 0.03; HSC+PBMC vs. HSC+PBMC+KO-EC skin, n = 3, 328.67 ± 445.5 CD3+ CCR7– cells, P = 0.03, HSC+PBMC+WT-EC skin vs. HSC+PBMC+KO-EC skin, P = 0.03). Statistical analysis was performed using Welch’s unpaired t test and Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple comparisons. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01. Values are shown as mean ± SD.

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN 2379-3708

Sign up for email alerts