T cell balance gene expression, compositions of matters and methods of use thereof

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of International Application Number PCT/US15/17826 filed on Feb. 26, 2015, which published as PCT Publication Number WO2015/130968 on Sep. 3, 2015. This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application 61/945,641, filed Feb. 27, 2014, incorporated herein by reference. Reference is made to WO/2012/048265; WO/2014/145631; WO/2014/134351. The foregoing applications, and all documents cited therein or during prosecution (“appln cited documents”) and all documents cited or referenced in the appln cited documents, and all documents cited or referenced herein (“herein cited documents”), and all documents cited or referenced in herein cited documents, together with any manufacturer's instructions, descriptions, product specifications, and product sheets for any products mentioned herein or in any document incorporated by reference herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, and may be employed in the practice of the invention. Appln cited documents, herein cited documents, all documents herein referenced or cited, and all documents indicated to be incorporated herein by reference, are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual document was specifically and individually set forth herein in full and indicated to be incorporated by reference when or where cited or referenced.

This invention was made with government support under Grant Numbers OD003958; HG006193; HG005062; OD003893; NS030843; NS045937; AI073748; AI045757; and AI056299 awarded by the National Institutes of Health. The government has certain rights in the invention.

The claimed invention was made by, on behalf of, and/or in connection with one or more of the following parties to a joint research agreement: The Broad Institute, Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, President and Fellows of Harvard College, and The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc. The joint research agreement was in effect on and before the date the claimed invention was made, and the claimed invention was made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of the joint research agreement.

The instant application contains a Sequence Listing which has been submitted electronically in ASCII format and is hereby incorporated by references in its entirety. Said ASCII copy, created on Aug. 23, 2016 is named 46783992100_SL.txt and is 324,708 bytes in size.

This invention relates generally to compositions and methods for identifying the regulatory network that modulates, controls or otherwise influences T cell balance, for example, Th17 cell differentiation, maintenance and/or function, as well compositions and methods for exploiting the regulatory network that modulates, controls or otherwise influences T cell balance in a variety of therapeutic and/or diagnostic indications. This invention also relates generally to identifying and exploiting target genes and/or target gene products that modulate, control or otherwise influence T cell balance in a variety of therapeutic and/or diagnostic indications.

Despite their importance, the molecular circuits that control the balance of T cells, including the differentiation of naïve T cells, remain largely unknown. Recent studies that reconstructed regulatory networks in mammalian cells have focused on short-term responses and relied on perturbation-based approaches that cannot be readily applied to primary T cells. Accordingly, there exists a need for a better understanding of the dynamic regulatory network that modulates, controls, or otherwise influences T cell balance, including Th17 cell differentiation, maintenance and function, and means for exploiting this network in a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic methods. Citations herein are not intended as an admission that anything cited is pertinent or prior art; nor does it constitute any admission as to the contents or date of anything cited.

The invention has many utilities. The invention pertains to and includes methods and compositions therefrom of Drug Discovery, as well as for detecting patients or subjects who may or may not respond or be responding to a particular treatment, therapy, compound, drug or combination of drugs or compounds; and accordingly ascertaining which drug or combination of drugs may provide a particular treatment or therapy as to a condition or disease or infection or infectious state, as well as methods and compositions for selecting patient populations (e.g., by detecting those who may or may not respond or be responding), or methods and compositions involving personalized treatment—a combination of Drug Discovery and detecting patients or subjects who may not respond or be responding to a particular treatment, therapy, compound, drug or combination of drugs or compounds (e.g., by as to individual(s), so detecting response, nor responding, potential to respond or not, and adjusting particular treatment, therapy, compound, drug or combination of drugs or compounds to be administered or administering a treatment, therapy, compound, drug or combination of drugs or compounds indicated from the detecting).

The invention provides compositions and methods for modulating T cell balance, e.g., Th17 cell differentiation, maintenance and function, and means for exploiting this network in a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic methods. As used herein, the term “modulating” includes up-regulation of, or otherwise increasing, the expression of one or more genes, down-regulation of, or otherwise decreasing, the expression of one or more genes, inhibiting or otherwise decreasing the expression, activity and/or function of one or more gene products, and/or enhancing or otherwise increasing the expression, activity and/or function of one or more gene products.

As used herein, the term “modulating T cell balance” includes the modulation of any of a variety of T cell-related functions and/or activities, including by way of non-limiting example, controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate T cell differentiation; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate T cell maintenance, for example, over the lifespan of a T cell; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate T cell function; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate helper T cell (Th cell) differentiation; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate Th cell maintenance, for example, over the lifespan of a Th cell; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate Th cell function; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate Th17 cell differentiation; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate Th17 cell maintenance, for example, over the lifespan of a Th17 cell; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate Th17 cell function; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate regulatory T cell (Treg) differentiation; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate Treg cell maintenance, for example, over the lifespan of a Treg cell; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate Treg cell function; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate other CD4+ T cell differentiation; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate other CD4+ T cell maintenance; controlling or otherwise influencing the networks that regulate other CD4+ T cell function; manipulating or otherwise influencing the ratio of T cells such as, for example, manipulating or otherwise influencing the ratio of Th17 cells to other T cell types such as Tregs or other CD4+ T cells; manipulating or otherwise influencing the ratio of different types of Th17 cells such as, for example, pathogenic Th17 cells and non-pathogenic Th17 cells; manipulating or otherwise influencing at least one function or biological activity of a T cell; manipulating or otherwise influencing at least one function or biological activity of Th cell; manipulating or otherwise influencing at least one function or biological activity of a Treg cell; manipulating or otherwise influencing at least one function or biological activity of a Th17 cell; and/or manipulating or otherwise influencing at least one function or biological activity of another CD4+ T cell.

The invention provides T cell modulating agents that modulate T cell balance. For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to regulate, influence or otherwise impact the level(s) of and/or balance between T cell types, e.g., between Th17 and other T cell types, for example, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and/or Th17 activity and inflammatory potential. As used herein, terms such as “Th17 cell” and/or “Th17 phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to a differentiated T helper cell that expresses one or more cytokines selected from the group the consisting of interleukin 17A (IL-17A), interleukin 17F (IL-17F), and interleukin 17A/F heterodimer (IL17-AF). As used herein, terms such as “Th1 cell” and/or “Th1 phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to a differentiated T helper cell that expresses interferon gamma (IFNγ). As used herein, terms such as “Th2 cell” and/or “Th2 phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to a differentiated T helper cell that expresses one or more cytokines selected from the group the consisting of interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5) and interleukin 13 (IL-13). As used herein, terms such as “Treg cell” and/or “Treg phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to a differentiated T cell that expresses Foxp3.

For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to regulate, influence or otherwise impact the level of and/or balance between Th17 phenotypes, and/or Th17 activity and inflammatory potential. Suitable T cell modulating agents include an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agent, a peptide agent, a nucleic acid agent, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agent.

For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to regulate, influence or otherwise impact the level of and/or balance between Th17 cell types, e.g., between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Th17 cells. For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to regulate, influence or otherwise impact the level of and/or balance between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Th17 activity.

For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the differentiation of a population of T cells, for example toward Th17 cells, with or without a specific pathogenic distinction, or away from Th17 cells, with or without a specific pathogenic distinction

For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the differentiation of a population of T cells, for example toward a non-Th17 T cell subset or away from a non-Th17 cell subset. For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to induce T-cell plasticity, i.e., converting Th17 cells into a different subtype, or into a new state.

For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to induce T cell plasticity, e.g., converting Th17 cells into a different subtype, or into a new state.

For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to achieve any combination of the above.

In some embodiments, the T cells are naïve T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are a mixture of naïve T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells and partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of partially differentiated T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, and differentiated T cells.

The T cell modulating agents are used to modulate the expression of one or more target genes or one or more products of one or more target genes that have been identified as genes responsive to Th17-related perturbations. These target genes are identified, for example, contacting a T cell, e.g., naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, differentiated T cells and/or combinations thereof, with a T cell modulating agent and monitoring the effect, if any, on the expression of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes. In some embodiments, the one or more signature genes are selected from those listed in Table 1 or Table 2 of the specification.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated cytokine(s) or receptor molecule(s) selected from those listed in Table 3 of the specification. In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated transcription regulator(s) selected from those shown in Table 4 of the specification.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated transcription regulator(s) selected from those shown in Table 5 of the specification. In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated receptor molecule(s) selected from those listed in Table 6 of the specification. In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated kinase(s) selected from those listed in Table 7 of the specification. In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated signaling molecule(s) selected from those listed in Table 8 of the specification. In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated receptor molecule(s) selected from those listed in Table 9 of the specification.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more target genes involved in induction of Th17 differentiation such as, for example, IRF1, IRF8, IRF9, STAT2, STAT3, IRF7, STAT1, ZFP281, IFI35, REL, TBX21, FLI1, BATF, IRF4, one or more of the target genes listed in Table 5 as being associated with the early stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., AES, AHR, ARID5A, BATF, BCL11B, BCL3, CBFB, CBX4, CHD7, CITED2, CREB1, E2F4, EGR1, EGR2, ELL2, ETS1, ETS2, ETV6, EZH1, FLI1, FOXO1, GATA3, GATAD2B, HIF1A, ID2, IFI35, IKZF4, IRF1, IRF2, IRF3, IRF4, IRF7, IRF9, JMJD1C, JUN, LEF1, LRRFIP1, MAX, NCOA3, NFE2L2, NFIL3, NFKB1, NMI, NOTCH1, NR3C1, PHF21A, PML, PRDM1, REL, RELA, RUNX1, SAP18, SATB1, SMAD2, SMARCA4, SP100, SP4, STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5B, STAT6, TFEB, TP53, TRIM24, and/or ZFP161, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more target genes involved in onset of Th17 phenotype and amplification of Th17 T cells such as, for example, IRF8, STAT2, STAT3, IRF7, JUN, STAT5B, ZPF2981, CHD7, TBX21, FLI1, SATB1, RUNX1, BATF, RORC, SP4, one or more of the target genes listed in Table 5 as being associated with the intermediate stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., AES, AHR, ARID3A, ARID5A, ARNTL, ASXL1, BATF, BCL11B, BCL3, BCL6, CBFB, CBX4, CDC5L, CEBPB, CHD7, CREB1, CREB3L2, CREM, E2F4, E2F8, EGR1, EGR2, ELK3, ELL2, ETS1, ETS2, ETV6, EZH1, FLI1, FOSL2, FOXJ2, FOXO1, FUS, HIF1A, HMGB2, ID1, ID2, IFI35, IKZF4, IRF3, IRF4, IRF7, IRF8, IRF9, JUN, JUNB, KAT2B, KLF10, KLF6, KLF9, LEF1, LRRFIP1, MAFF, MAX, MAZ, MINA, MTA3, MYC, MYST4, NCOA1, NCOA3, NFE2L2, NFIL3, NFKB1, NMI, NOTCH1, NR3C1, PHF21A, PML, POU2AF1, POU2F2, PRDM1, RARA, RBPJ, RELA, RORA, RUNX1, SAP18, SATB1, SKI, SKIL, SMAD2, SMAD7, SMARCA4, SMOX, SP1, SP4, SS18, STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT5A, STAT5B, STAT6, SUZ12, TBX21, TFEB, TLE1, TP53, TRIM24, TRIM28, TRPS1, VAV1, ZEB1, ZEB2, ZFP161, ZFP62, ZNF238, ZNF281, and/or ZNF703, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more target genes involved in stabilization of Th17 cells and/or modulating Th17-associated interleukin 23 (IL-23) signaling such as, for example, STAT2, STAT3, JUN, STAT5B, CHD7, SATB1, RUNX1, BATF, RORC, SP4 IRF4, one or more of the target genes listed in Table 5 as being associated with the late stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., AES, AHR, ARID3A, ARID5A, ARNTL, ASXL1, ATF3, ATF4, BATF, BATF3, BCL11B, BCL3, BCL6, C21ORF66, CBFB, CBX4, CDC5L, CDYL, CEBPB, CHD7, CHMP1B, CIC, CITED2, CREB1, CREB3L2, CREM, CSDA, DDIT3, E2F1, E2F4, E2F8, EGR1, EGR2, ELK3, ELL2, ETS1, ETS2, EZH1, FLI1, FOSL2, FOXJ2, FOXO1, FUS, GATA3, GATAD2B, HCLS1, HIF1A, ID1, ID2, IFI35, IKZF4, IRF3, IRF4, IRF7, IRF8, IRF9, JARID2, JMJD1C, JUN, JUNB, KAT2B, KLF10, KLF6, KLF7, KLF9, LASS4, LEF1, LRRFIP1, MAFF, MAX, MEN1, MINA, MTA3, MXI1, MYC, MYST4, NCOA1, NCOA3, NFE2L2, NFIL3, NFKB1, NMI, NOTCH1, NR3C1, PHF13, PHF21A, PML, POU2AF1, POU2F2, PRDM1, RARA, RBPJ, REL, RELA, RNF11, RORA, RORC, RUNX1, RUNX2, SAP18, SAP30, SATB1, SERTAD1, SIRT2, SKI, SKIL, SMAD2, SMAD4, SMAD7, SMARCA4, SMOX, SP1, SP100, SP4, SS18, STAT1, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5A, STAT5B, STAT6, SUZ12, TBX21, TFEB, TGIF1, TLE1, TP53, TRIM24, TRPS1, TSC22D3, UBE2B, VAV1, VAX2, XBP1, ZEB1, ZEB2, ZFP161, ZFP36L1, ZFP36L2, ZNF238, ZNF281, ZNF703, ZNRF1, and/or ZNRF2, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 6 as being associated with the early stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., FAS, CCR5, IL6ST, IL17RA, IL2RA, MYD88, CXCR5, PVR, IL15RA, IL12RB1, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 6 as being associated with the intermediate stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., IL7R, ITGA3, IL1R1, CCR5, CCR6, ACVR2A, IL6ST, IL17RA, CCR8, DDR1, PROCR, IL2RA, IL12RB2, MYD88, PTPRJ, TNFRSF13B, CXCR3, IL1RN, CXCR5, CCR4, IL4R, IL2RB, TNFRSF12A, CXCR4, KLRD1, IRAK1BP1, PVR, IL12RB1, IL18R1, TRAF3, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 6 as being associated with the late stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., IL7R, ITGA3, IL1R1, FAS, CCR5, CCR6, ACVR2A, IL6ST, IL17RA, DDR1, PROCR, IL2RA, IL12RB2, MYD88, BMPR1A, PTPRJ, TNFRSF13B, CXCR3, IL1RN, CXCR5, CCR4, IL4R, IL2RB, TNFRSF12A, CXCR4, KLRD1, IRAK1BP1, PVR, IL15RA, TLR1, ACVR1B, IL12RB1, IL18R1, TRAF3, IFNGR1, PLAUR, IL21R, IL23R, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 7 as being associated with the early stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., EIF2AK2, DUSP22, HK2, RIPK1, RNASEL, TEC, MAP3K8, SGK1, PRKCQ, DUSP16, BMP2K, PIM2, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 7 as being associated with the intermediate stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., PSTPIP1, PTPN1, ACP5, TXK, RIPK3, PTPRF, NEK4, PPME1, PHACTR2, HK2, GMFG, DAPP1, TEC, GMFB, PIM1, NEK6, ACVR2A, FES, CDK6, ZAK, DUSP14, SGK1, JAK3, ULK2, PTPRJ, SPHK1, TNK2, PCTK1, MAP4K3, TGFBR1, HK1, DDR1, BMP2K, DUSP10, ALPK2, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 7 as being associated with the late stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., PTPLA, PSTPIP1, TK1, PTEN, BPGM, DCK, PTPRS, PTPN18, MKNK2, PTPN1, PTPRE, SH2D1A, PLK2, DUSP6, CDC25B, SLK, MAP3K5, BMPR1A, ACP5, TXK, RIPK3, PPP3CA, PTPRF, PACSIN1, NEK4, PIP4K2A, PPME1, SRPK2, DUSP2, PHACTR2, DCLK1, PPP2R5A, RIPK1, GK, RNASEL, GMFG, STK4, HINT3, DAPP1, TEC, GMFB, PTPN6, RIPK2, PIM1, NEK6, ACVR2A, AURKB, FES, ACVR1B, CDK6, ZAK, VRK2, MAP3K8, DUSP14, SGK1, PRKCQ, JAK3, ULK2, HIPK2, PTPRJ, INPP1, TNK2, PCTK1, DUSP1, NUDT4, TGFBR1, PTP4A1, HK1, DUSP16, ANP32A, DDR1, ITK, WNK1, NAGK, STK38, BMP2K, BUB1, AAK1, SIK1, DUSP10, PRKCA, PIM2, STK17B, TK2, STK39, ALPK2, MST4, PHLPP1, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 8 as being associated with the early stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., HK2, CDKN1A, DUT, DUSP1, NADK, LIMK2, DUSP11, TAOK3, PRPS1, PPP2R4, MKNK2, SGK1, BPGM, TEC, MAPK6, PTP4A2, PRPF4B, ACP1, CCRN4L, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 8 as being associated with the intermediate stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., HK2, ZAP70, NEK6, DUSP14, SH2D1A, ITK, DUT, PPP1R11, DUSP1, PMVK, TK1, TAOK3, GMFG, PRPS1, SGK1, TXK, WNK1, DUSP19, TEC, RPS6KA1, PKM2, PRPF4B, ADRBK1, CKB, ULK2, PLK1, PPP2R5A, PLK2, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 8 as being associated with the late stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., ZAP70, PFKP, NEK6, DUSP14, SH2D1A, INPP5B, ITK, PFKL, PGK1, CDKN1A, DUT, PPP1R11, DUSP1, PMVK, PTPN22, PSPH, TK1, PGAM1, LIMK2, CLK1, DUSP11, TAOK3, RIOK2, GMFG, UCKL1, PRPS1, PPP2R4, MKNK2, DGKA, SGK1, TXK, WNK1, DUSP19, CHP, BPGM, PIP5K1A, TEC, MAP2K1, MAPK6, RPS6KA1, PTP4A2, PKM2, PRPF4B, ADRBK1, CKB, ACP1, ULK2, CCRN4L, PRKCH, PLK1, PPP2R5A, PLK2, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 9 as being associated with the early stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., CD200, CD40LG, CD24, CCND2, ADAM17, BSG, ITGAL, FAS, GPR65, SIGMAR1, CAP1, PLAUR, SRPRB, TRPV2, IL2RA, KDELR2, TNFRSF9, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 9 as being associated with the intermediate stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., CTLA4, CD200, CD24, CD5L, CD9, IL2RB, CD53, CD74, CAST, CCR6, IL2RG, ITGAV, FAS, IL4R, PROCR, GPR65, TNFRSF18, RORA, IL1RN, RORC, CYSLTR1, PNRC2, LOC390243, ADAM10, TNFSF9, CD96, CD82, SLAMF7, CD27, PGRMC1, TRPV2, ADRBK1, TRAF6, IL2RA, THY1, IL12RB2, TNFRSF9, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 9 as being associated with the late stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., CTLA4, TNFRSF4, CD44, PDCD1, CD200, CD247, CD24, CD5L, CCND2, CD9, IL2RB, CD53, CD74, ADAM17, BSG, CAST, CCR6, IL2RG, CD81, CD6, CD48, ITGAV, TFRC, ICAM2, ATP1B3, FAS, IL4R, CCR7, CD52, PROCR, GPR65, TNFRSF18, FCRL1, RORA, IL1RN, RORC, P2RX4, SSR2, PTPN22, SIGMAR1, CYSLTR1, LOC390243, ADAM10, TNFSF9, CD96, CAP1, CD82, SLAMF7, PLAUR, CD27, SIVA1, PGRMC1, SRPRB, TRPV2, NR1H2, ADRBK1, GABARAPL1, TRAF6, IL2RA, THY1, KDELR2, IL12RB2, TNFRSF9, SCARB1, IFNGR1, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more target genes that is a promoter of Th17 cell differentiation. In some embodiments, the target gene is GPR65. In some embodiments, the target gene is also a promoter of pathogenic Th17 cell differentiation and is selected from the group consisting of CD5L, DEC1, PLZP and TCF4.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more target genes that is a promoter of pathogenic Th17 cell differentiation. In some embodiments, the target gene is selected from the group consisting of CD5L, DEC1, PLZP and TCF4.

The desired gene or combination of target genes is selected, and after determining whether the selected target gene(s) is overexpressed or under-expressed during Th17 differentiation and/or Th17 maintenance, a suitable antagonist or agonist is used depending on the desired differentiation, maintenance and/or function outcome. For example, for target genes that are identified as positive regulators of Th17 differentiation, use of an antagonist that interacts with those target genes will shift differentiation away from the Th17 phenotype, while use of an agonist that interacts with those target genes will shift differentiation toward the Th17 phenotype. For target genes that are identified as negative regulators of Th17 differentiation, use of an antagonist that interacts with those target genes will shift differentiation toward from the Th17 phenotype, while use of an agonist that interacts with those target genes will shift differentiation away the Th17 phenotype. For example, for target genes that are identified as positive regulators of Th17 maintenance, use of an antagonist that interacts with those target genes will reduce the number of cells with the Th17 phenotype, while use of an agonist that interacts with those target genes will increase the number of cells with the Th17 phenotype. For target genes that are identified as negative regulators of Th17 differentiation, use of an antagonist that interacts with those target genes will increase the number of cells with the Th17 phenotype, while use of an agonist that interacts with those target genes will reduce the number of cells with the Th17 phenotype. Suitable T cell modulating agents include an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agent, a peptide agent, a nucleic acid agent, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agent.

In some embodiments, the positive regulator of Th17 differentiation is a target gene selected from MINA, TRPS1, MYC, NKFB1, NOTCH, PML, POU2AF1, PROCR, RBPJ, SMARCA4, ZEB1, BATF, CCR5, CCR6, EGR1, EGR2, ETV6, FAS, IL12RB1, IL17RA, IL21R, IRF4, IRF8, ITGA3, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the positive regulator of Th17 differentiation is a target gene selected from MINA, PML, POU2AF1, PROCR, SMARCA4, ZEB1, EGR2, CCR6, FAS and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the negative regulator of Th17 differentiation is a target gene selected from SP4, ETS2, IKZF4, TSC22D3, IRF1 and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the negative regulator of Th17 differentiation is a target gene selected from SP4, IKZF4, TSC22D3 and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is a soluble Fas polypeptide or a polypeptide derived from FAS. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an agent that enhances or otherwise increases the expression, activity, and/or function of FAS in Th17 cells. As shown herein, expression of FAS in T cell populations induced or otherwise influenced differentiation toward Th17 cells. In some embodiments, these T cell modulating agents are useful in the treatment of an immune response, for example, an autoimmune response or an inflammatory response. In some embodiments, these T cell modulating agents are useful in the treatment of an infectious disease or other pathogen-based disorders. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agonist, a peptide agonist, a nucleic acid agonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agonist. In some embodiments, the T cells are naïve T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are a mixture of naïve T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells and partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of partially differentiated T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, and differentiated T cells.

In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an agent that inhibits the expression, activity and/or function of FAS. Inhibition of FAS expression, activity and/or function in T cell populations repressed or otherwise influenced differentiation away from Th17 cells and/or induced or otherwise influenced differentiation toward regulatory T cells (Tregs) and towards Th1 cells. In some embodiments, these T cell modulating agents are useful in the treatment of an immune response, for example, an autoimmune response or an inflammatory response. In some embodiments, these T cell modulating agents are useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, Sjögren's syndrome, uveitis, and rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, systemic lupus erythematosus, transplant rejection including allograft rejection, and combinations thereof. In addition, enhancement of Th17 cells is also useful for clearing fungal infections and extracellular pathogens. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide antagonist, a peptide antagonist, a nucleic acid antagonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule antagonist. In some embodiments, the T cells are naïve T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are partially differentiated T cells that express additional cytokines. In some embodiments, the T cells are a mixture of naïve T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells and partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of partially differentiated T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, and differentiated T cells.

In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an agent that inhibits the expression, activity and/or function of CCR5. Inhibition of CCR5 expression, activity and/or function in T cell populations repressed or otherwise influenced differentiation away from Th17 cells and/or induced or otherwise influenced differentiation toward regulatory T cells (Tregs) and towards Th1 cells. In some embodiments, these T cell modulating agents are useful in the treatment of an immune response, for example, an autoimmune response or an inflammatory response. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an inhibitor or neutralizing agent. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide antagonist, a peptide antagonist, a nucleic acid antagonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule antagonist. In some embodiments, the T cells are naïve T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are a mixture of naïve T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells and partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of partially differentiated T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, and differentiated T cells.

In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an agent that inhibits the expression, activity and/or function of CCR6. Inhibition of CCR6 expression, activity and/or function in T cell populations repressed or otherwise influenced differentiation away from Th17 cells and/or induced or otherwise influenced differentiation toward regulatory T cells (Tregs) and towards Th1 cells. In some embodiments, these T cell modulating agents are useful in the treatment of an immune response, for example, an autoimmune response or an inflammatory response. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide antagonist, a peptide antagonist, a nucleic acid antagonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule antagonist. In some embodiments, the T cells are naïve T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are a mixture of naïve T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells and partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of partially differentiated T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, and differentiated T cells.

In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an agent that inhibits the expression, activity and/or function of EGR1. Inhibition of EGR1 expression, activity and/or function in T cell populations repressed or otherwise influenced differentiation away from Th17 cells and/or induced or otherwise influenced differentiation toward regulatory T cells (Tregs) and towards Th1 cells. In some embodiments, these T cell modulating agents are useful in the treatment of an immune response, for example, an autoimmune response or an inflammatory response. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide antagonist, a peptide antagonist, a nucleic acid antagonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule antagonist. In some embodiments, the T cells are naïve T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are a mixture of naïve T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells and partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of partially differentiated T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, and differentiated T cells.

In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an agent that inhibits the expression, activity and/or function of EGR2. Inhibition of EGR2 expression, activity and/or function in T cell populations repressed or otherwise influenced differentiation away from Th17 cells and/or induced or otherwise influenced differentiation toward regulatory T cells (Tregs) and towards Th1 cells. In some embodiments, these T cell modulating agents are useful in the treatment of an immune response, for example, an autoimmune response or an inflammatory response. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide antagonist, a peptide antagonist, a nucleic acid antagonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule antagonist. In some embodiments, the T cells are naïve T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are a mixture of naïve T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells and partially differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of partially differentiated T cells and differentiated T cells. In some embodiments, the T cells are mixture of naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, and differentiated T cells.

For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to regulate, influence or otherwise impact the phenotype of a Th17 cell or population of cells, for example, by influencing a naïve T cell or population of cells to differentiate to a pathogenic or non-pathogenic Th17 cell or population of cells, by causing a pathogenic Th17 cell or population of cells to switch to a non-pathogenic Th17 cell or population of T cells (e.g., populations of naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, differentiated T cells and combinations thereof), or by causing a non-pathogenic Th17 cell or population of T cells (e.g., populations of naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, differentiated T cells and combinations thereof) to switch to a pathogenic Th17 cell or population of cells.

In some embodiments, the invention comprises a method of drug discovery for the treatment of a disease or condition involving an immune response involving T cell balance in a population of cells or tissue of a target gene comprising the steps of providing a compound or plurality of compounds to be screened for their efficacy in the treatment of said disease or condition, contacting said compound or plurality of compounds with said population of cells or tissue, detecting a first level of expression, activity and/or function of a target gene, comparing the detected level to a control of level of a target gene, and evaluating the difference between the detected level and the control level to determine the immune response elicited by said compound or plurality of compounds. For example, the method contemplates comparing tissue samples which can be inter alia infected tissue, inflamed tissue, healthy tissue, or combinations of tissue samples thereof.

In one embodiment of the invention, the reductase null animals of the present invention may advantageously be used to modulate T cell balance in a tissue or cell specific manner. Such animals may be used for the applications hereinbefore described, where the role of T cell balance in product/drug metabolism, detoxification, normal homeostasis or in disease etiology is to be studied. It is envisaged that this embodiment will also allow other effects, such as drug transporter-mediated effects, to be studied in those tissues or cells in the absence of metabolism, e.g., carbon metabolism. Accordingly the animals of the present invention, in a further aspect of the invention may be used to modulate the functions and antibodies in any of the above cell types to generate a disease model or a model for product/drug discovery or a model to verify or assess functions of T cell balance

In another embodiment, the method contemplates use of animal tissues and/or a population of cells derived therefrom of the present invention as an in vitro assay for the study of any one or more of the following events/parameters: (i) role of transporters in product uptake and efflux; (ii) identification of product metabolites produced by T cells; (iii) evaluate whether candidate products are T cells; or (iv) assess drug/drug interactions due to T cell balance.

The terms “pathogenic” or “non-pathogenic” as used herein are not to be construed as implying that one Th17 cell phenotype is more desirable than the other. As described herein, there are instances in which inhibiting the induction of pathogenic Th17 cells or modulating the Th17 phenotype towards the non-pathogenic Th17 phenotype is desirable. Likewise, there are instances where inhibiting the induction of non-pathogenic Th17 cells or modulating the Th17 phenotype towards the pathogenic Th17 phenotype is desirable.

As used herein, terms such as “pathogenic Th17 cell” and/or “pathogenic Th17 phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to Th17 cells that, when induced in the presence of TGF-β3, express an elevated level of one or more genes selected from Cxcl3, IL22, IL3, Ccl4, Gzmb, Lrmp, Ccl5, Casp1, Csf2, Ccl3, Tbx21, Icos, IL17r, Stat4, Lgals3 and Lag, as compared to the level of expression in a TGF-β3-induced Th17 cells. As used herein, terms such as “non-pathogenic Th17 cell” and/or “non-pathogenic Th17 phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to Th17 cells that, when induced in the presence of TGF-β3, express a decreased level of one or more genes selected from IL6st, IL1rn, Ikzf3, Maf, Ahr, IL9 and IL10, as compared to the level of expression in a TGF-β3-induced Th17 cells.

In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an agent that enhances or otherwise increases the expression, activity and/or function of Protein C Receptor (PROCR, also called EPCR or CD201) in Th17 cells. As shown herein, expression of PROCR in Th17 cells reduced the pathogenicity of the Th17 cells, for example, by switching Th17 cells from a pathogenic to non-pathogenic signature. Thus, PROCR and/or these agonists of PROCR are useful in the treatment of a variety of indications, particularly in the treatment of aberrant immune response, for example in autoimmune diseases and/or inflammatory disorders. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agonist, a peptide agonist, a nucleic acid agonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agonist.

In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an agent that inhibits the expression, activity and/or function of the Protein C Receptor (PROCR, also called EPCR or CD201). Inhibition of PROCR expression, activity and/or function in Th17 cells switches non-pathogenic Th17 cells to pathogenic Th17 cells. Thus, these PROCR antagonists are useful in the treatment of a variety of indications, for example, infectious disease and/or other pathogen-based disorders. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide antagonist, a peptide antagonist, a nucleic acid antagonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule antagonist. In some embodiments, the T cell modulating agent is a soluble Protein C Receptor (PROCR, also called EPCR or CD201) polypeptide or a polypeptide derived from PROCR.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of inhibiting Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function in a cell population and/or increasing expression, activity and/or function of one or more non-Th17-associated cytokines, one or more non-Th17 associated receptor molecules, or non-Th17-associated transcription regulators selected from FOXP3, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), GATA3, STAT4 and TBX21, comprising contacting a T cell with an agent that inhibits expression, activity and/or function of MINA, MYC, NKFB1, NOTCH, PML, POU2AF1, PROCR, RBPJ, SMARCA4, ZEB1, BATF, CCR5, CCR6, EGR1, EGR2, ETV6, FAS, IL12RB1, IL17RA, IL21R, IRF4, IRF8, ITGA3 or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent inhibits expression, activity and/or function of at least one of MINA, PML, POU2AF1, PROCR, SMARCA4, ZEB1, EGR2, CCR6, FAS or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide antagonist, a peptide antagonist, a nucleic acid antagonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule antagonist. In some embodiments, the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. In some embodiments, the antibody is a chimeric, humanized or fully human monoclonal antibody. In some embodiments, the T cell is a naïve T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the T cell to become and/or produce a desired non-Th17 T cell phenotype, for example, a regulatory T cell (Treg) phenotype or another CD4+ T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a partially differentiated T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the partially differentiated T cell to become and/or produce a desired non-Th17 T cell phenotype, for example, a regulatory T cell (Treg) phenotype or another CD4+ T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a Th17 T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the Th17 T cell to become and/or produce a CD4+ T cell phenotype other than a Th17 T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a Th17 T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the Th17 T cell to become and/or produce a shift in the Th17 T cell phenotype, e.g., between pathogenic or non-pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of inhibiting Th17 differentiation in a cell population and/or increasing expression, activity and/or function of one or more non-Th17-associated cytokines, one or more non-Th17-associated receptor molecules, or non-Th17-associated transcription factor selected from FOXP3, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), GATA3, STAT4 and TBX21, comprising contacting a T cell with an agent that enhances expression, activity and/or function of SP4, ETS2, IKZF4, TSC22D3, IRF1 or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent enhances expression, activity and/or function of at least one of SP4, IKZF4, TSC22D3 or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agonist, a peptide agonist, a nucleic acid agonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agonist. In some embodiments, the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. In some embodiments, the T cell is a naïve T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the T cell to become and/or produce a desired non-Th17 T cell phenotype, for example, a regulatory T cell (Treg) phenotype or another CD4+ T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a partially differentiated T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the partially differentiated T cell to become and/or produce a desired non-Th17 T cell phenotype, for example, a regulatory T cell (Treg) phenotype or another CD4+ T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a Th17 T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the Th17 T cell to become and/or produce a CD4+ T cell phenotype other than a Th17 T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a Th17 T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the Th17 T cell to become and/or produce a shift in the Th17 T cell phenotype, e.g., between pathogenic or non-pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of enhancing Th17 differentiation in a cell population increasing expression, activity and/or function of one or more Th17-associated cytokines, one or more Th17-associated receptor molecules, or one or more Th17-associated transcription regulators selected from interleukin 17F (IL-17F), interleukin 17A (IL-17A), STAT3, interleukin 21 (IL-21) and RAR-related orphan receptor C (RORC), and/or decreasing expression, activity and/or function of one or more non-Th17-associated cytokines, one or more Th17-associated receptor molecules, or one or more non-Th17-associated transcription regulators selected from FOXP3, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), GATA3, STAT4 and TBX21, comprising contacting a T cell with an agent that inhibits expression, activity and/or function of SP4, ETS2, IKZF4, TSC22D3, IRF1 or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent inhibits expression, activity and/or function of at least one of SP4, IKZF4, TSC22D3 or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide antagonist, a peptide antagonist, a nucleic acid antagonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule antagonist. In some embodiments, the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. In some embodiments, the antibody is a chimeric, humanized or fully human monoclonal antibody. In some embodiments, the T cell is a naïve T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the T cell to become and/or produce a desired Th17 T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a partially differentiated T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the partially differentiated T cell to become and/or produce a desired Th17 T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a CD4+ T cell other than a Th17 T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the non-Th17 T cell to become and/or produce a Th17 T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a Th17 T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the Th17 T cell to become and/or produce a shift in the Th17 T cell phenotype, e.g., between pathogenic or non-pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of enhancing Th17 differentiation in a cell population, increasing expression, activity and/or function of one or more Th17-associated cytokines, one or more Th17-associated receptor molecules, and/or one or more Th17-associated transcription regulators selected from interleukin 17F (IL-17F), interleukin 17A (IL-17A), STAT3, interleukin 21 (IL-21) and RAR-related orphan receptor C (RORC), and/or decreasing expression, activity and/or function of one or more non-Th17-associated cytokines, one or more Th17-associated receptor molecules, or one or more non-Th17-associated transcription regulators selected from FOXP3, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), GATA3, STAT4 and TBX21, comprising contacting a T cell with an agent that enhances expression, activity and/or function of MINA, MYC, NKFB1, NOTCH, PML, POU2AF1, PROCR, RBPJ, SMARCA4, ZEB1, BATF, CCR5, CCR6, EGR1, EGR2, ETV6, FAS, IL12RB1, IL17RA, IL21R, IRF4, IRF8, ITGA3 or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent enhances expression, activity and/or function of at least one of MINA, PML, POU2AF1, PROCR, SMARCA4, ZEB1, EGR2, CCR6, FAS or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agonist, a peptide agonist, a nucleic acid agonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agonist. In some embodiments, the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. In some embodiments, the antibody is a chimeric, humanized or fully human monoclonal antibody. In some embodiments, the agent is administered in an amount sufficient to inhibit Foxp3, IFN-γ, GATA3, STAT4 and/or TBX21 expression, activity and/or function. In some embodiments, the T cell is a naïve T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the T cell to become and/or produce a desired Th17 T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a partially differentiated T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the partially differentiated T cell to become and/or produce a desired Th17 T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a CD4+ T cell other than a Th17 T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the non-Th17 T cell to become and/or produce a Th17 T cell phenotype. In some embodiments, the T cell is a Th17 T cell, and wherein the agent is administered in an amount that is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the Th17 T cell to become and/or produce a shift in the Th17 T cell phenotype, e.g., between pathogenic or non-pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of identifying genes or genetic elements associated with Th17 differentiation comprising: a) contacting a T cell with an inhibitor of Th17 differentiation or an agent that enhances Th17 differentiation; and b) identifying a gene or genetic element whose expression is modulated by step (a). In some embodiments, the method also comprises c) perturbing expression of the gene or genetic element identified in step b) in a T cell that has been in contact with an inhibitor of Th17 differentiation or an agent that enhances Th17 differentiation; and d) identifying a gene whose expression is modulated by step c). In some embodiments, the inhibitor of Th17 differentiation is an agent that inhibits the expression, activity and/or function of MINA, MYC, NKFB1, NOTCH, PML, POU2AF1, PROCR, RBPJ, SMARCA4, ZEB1, BATF, CCR5, CCR6, EGR1, EGR2, ETV6, FAS, IL12RB1, IL17RA, IL21R, IRF4, IRF8, ITGA3 or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent inhibits expression, activity and/or function of at least one of MINA, PML, POU2AF1, PROCR, SMARCA4, ZEB1, EGR2, CCR6, FAS or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the inhibitor of Th17 differentiation is an agent that enhances expression, activity and/or function of SP4, ETS2, IKZF4, TSC22D3, IRF1 or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent enhances expression, activity and/or function of at least one of SP4, IKZF4 or TSC22D3. In some embodiments, the agent that enhances Th17 differentiation is an agent that inhibits expression, activity and/or function of SP4, ETS2, IKZF4, TSC22D3, IRF1 or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, wherein the agent that enhances Th17 differentiation is an agent that enhances expression, activity and/or function of MINA, MYC, NKFB1, NOTCH, PML, POU2AF1, PROCR, RBPJ, SMARCA4, ZEB1, BATF, CCR5, CCR6, EGR1, EGR2, ETV6, FAS, IL12RB1, IL17RA, IL21R, IRF4, IRF8, ITGA3 or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the agent is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide antagonist, a peptide antagonist, a nucleic acid antagonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule antagonist.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating induction of Th17 differentiation comprising contacting a T cell with an agent that modulates expression, activity and/or function of one or more target genes or one or more products of one or more target genes selected from IRF1, IRF8, IRF9, STAT2, STAT3, IRF7, STAT1, ZFP281, IFI35, REL, TBX21, FLI1, BATF, IRF4, one or more of the target genes listed in Table 5 as being associated with the early stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., AES, AHR, ARID5A, BATF, BCL11B, BCL3, CBFB, CBX4, CHD7, CITED2, CREB1, E2F4, EGR1, EGR2, ELL2, ETS1, ETS2, ETV6, EZH1, FLI1, FOXO1, GATA3, GATAD2B, HIF1A, ID2, IFI35, IKZF4, IRF1, IRF2, IRF3, IRF4, IRF7, IRF9, JMJD1C, JUN, LEF1, LRRFIP1, MAX, NCOA3, NFE2L2, NFIL3, NFKB1, NMI, NOTCH1, NR3C1, PHF21A, PML, PRDM1, REL, RELA, RUNX1, SAP18, SATB1, SMAD2, SMARCA4, SP100, SP4, STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5B, STAT6, TFEB, TP53, TRIM24, and/or ZFP161, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating onset of Th17 phenotype and amplification of Th17 T cells comprising contacting a T cell with an agent that modulates expression, activity and/or function of one or more target genes or one or more products of one or more target genes selected from IRF8, STAT2, STAT3, IRF7, JUN, STAT5B, ZPF2981, CHD7, TBX21, FLI1, SATB1, RUNX1, BATF, RORC, SP4, one or more of the target genes listed in Table 5 as being associated with the intermediate stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., AES, AHR, ARID3A, ARID5A, ARNTL, ASXL1, BATF, BCL11B, BCL3, BCL6, CBFB, CBX4, CDC5L, CEBPB, CHD7, CREB1, CREB3L2, CREM, E2F4, E2F8, EGR1, EGR2, ELK3, ELL2, ETS1, ETS2, ETV6, EZH1, FLI1, FOSL2, FOXJ2, FOXO1, FUS, HIF1A, HMGB2, ID1, ID2, IFI35, IKZF4, IRF3, IRF4, IRF7, IRF8, IRF9, JUN, JUNB, KAT2B, KLF10, KLF6, KLF9, LEF1, LRRFIP1, MAFF, MAX, MAZ, MINA, MTA3, MYC, MYST4, NCOA1, NCOA3, NFE2L2, NFIL3, NFKB1, NMI, NOTCH1, NR3C1, PHF21A, PML, POU2AF1, POU2F2, PRDM1, RARA, RBPJ, RELA, RORA, RUNX1, SAP18, SATB1, SKI, SKIL, SMAD2, SMAD7, SMARCA4, SMOX, SP1, SP4, SS18, STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT5A, STAT5B, STAT6, SUZ12, TBX21, TFEB, TLE1, TP53, TRIM24, TRIM28, TRPS1, VAV1, ZEB1, ZEB2, ZFP161, ZFP62, ZNF238, ZNF281, and/or ZNF703, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating stabilization of Th17 cells and/or modulating Th17-associated interleukin 23 (IL-23) signaling comprising contacting a T cell with an agent that modulates expression, activity and/or function of one or more target genes or one or more products of one or more target genes selected from STAT2, STAT3, JUN, STAT5B, CHD7, SATB1, RUNX1, BATF, RORC, SP4 IRF4, one or more of the target genes listed in Table 5 as being associated with the late stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., AES, AHR, ARID3A, ARID5A, ARNTL, ASXL1, ATF3, ATF4, BATF, BATF3, BCL11B, BCL3, BCL6, C21ORF66, CBFB, CBX4, CDC5L, CDYL, CEBPB, CHD7, CHMP1B, CIC, CITED2, CREB1, CREB3L2, CREM, CSDA, DDIT3, E2F1, E2F4, E2F8, EGR1, EGR2, ELK3, ELL2, ETS1, ETS2, EZH1, FLI1, FOSL2, FOXJ2, FOXO1, FUS, GATA3, GATAD2B, HCLS1, HIF1A, ID1, ID2, IFI35, IKZF4, IRF3, IRF4, IRF7, IRF8, IRF9, JARID2, JMJD1C, JUN, JUNB, KAT2B, KLF10, KLF6, KLF7, KLF9, LASS4, LEF1, LRRFIP1, MAFF, MAX, MEN1, MINA, MTA3, MXI1, MYC, MYST4, NCOA1, NCOA3, NFE2L2, NFIL3, NFKB1, NMI, NOTCH1, NR3C1, PHF13, PHF21A, PML, POU2AF1, POU2F2, PRDM1, RARA, RBPJ, REL, RELA, RNF11, RORA, RORC, RUNX1, RUNX2, SAP18, SAP30, SATB1, SERTAD1, SIRT2, SKI, SKIL, SMAD2, SMAD4, SMAD7, SMARCA4, SMOX, SP1, SP100, SP4, SS18, STAT1, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5A, STAT5B, STAT6, SUZ12, TBX21, TFEB, TGIF1, TLE1, TP53, TRIM24, TRPS1, TSC22D3, UBE2B, VAV1, VAX2, XBP1, ZEB1, ZEB2, ZFP161, ZFP36L1, ZFP36L2, ZNF238, ZNF281, ZNF703, ZNRF1, and/or ZNRF2, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 6 as being associated with the early stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., FAS, CCR5, IL6ST, IL17RA, IL2RA, MYD88, CXCR5, PVR, IL15RA, IL12RB1, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 6 as being associated with the intermediate stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., IL7R, ITGA3, IL1R1, CCR5, CCR6, ACVR2A, IL6ST, IL17RA, CCR8, DDR1, PROCR, IL2RA, IL12RB2, MYD88, PTPRJ, TNFRSF13B, CXCR3, IL1RN, CXCR5, CCR4, IL4R, IL2RB, TNFRSF12A, CXCR4, KLRD1, IRAK1BP1, PVR, IL12RB1, IL18R1, TRAF3, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 6 as being associated with the late stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., IL7R, ITGA3, IL1R1, FAS, CCR5, CCR6, ACVR2A, IL6ST, IL17RA, DDR1, PROCR, IL2RA, IL12RB2, MYD88, BMPR1A, PTPRJ, TNFRSF13B, CXCR3, IL1RN, CXCR5, CCR4, IL4R, IL2RB, TNFRSF12A, CXCR4, KLRD1, IRAK1BP1, PVR, IL15RA, TLR1, ACVR1B, IL12RB1, IL18R1, TRAF3, IFNGR1, PLAUR, IL21R, IL23R, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 7 as being associated with the early stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., EIF2AK2, DUSP22, HK2, RIPK1, RNASEL, TEC, MAP3K8, SGK1, PRKCQ, DUSP16, BMP2K, PIM2, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 7 as being associated with the intermediate stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., PSTPIP1, PTPN1, ACP5, TXK, RIPK3, PTPRF, NEK4, PPME1, PHACTR2, HK2, GMFG, DAPP1, TEC, GMFB, PIM1, NEK6, ACVR2A, FES, CDK6, ZAK, DUSP14, SGK1, JAK3, ULK2, PTPRJ, SPHK1, TNK2, PCTK1, MAP4K3, TGFBR1, HK1, DDR1, BMP2K, DUSP10, ALPK2, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 7 as being associated with the late stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., PTPLA, PSTPIP1, TK1, PTEN, BPGM, DCK, PTPRS, PTPN18, MKNK2, PTPN1, PTPRE, SH2D1A, PLK2, DUSP6, CDC25B, SLK, MAP3K5, BMPR1A, ACP5, TXK, RIPK3, PPP3CA, PTPRF, PACSIN1, NEK4, PIP4K2A, PPME1, SRPK2, DUSP2, PHACTR2, DCLK1, PPP2R5A, RIPK1, GK, RNASEL, GMFG, STK4, HINT3, DAPP1, TEC, GMFB, PTPN6, RIPK2, PIM1, NEK6, ACVR2A, AURKB, FES, ACVR1B, CDK6, ZAK, VRK2, MAP3K8, DUSP14, SGK1, PRKCQ, JAK3, ULK2, HIPK2, PTPRJ, INPP1, TNK2, PCTK1, DUSP1, NUDT4, TGFBR1, PTP4A1, HK1, DUSP16, ANP32A, DDR1, ITK, WNK1, NAGK, STK38, BMP2K, BUB1, AAK1, SIK1, DUSP10, PRKCA, PIM2, STK17B, TK2, STK39, ALPK2, MST4, PHLPP1, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating is one or more of the target genes listed in Table 8 as being associated with the early stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., HK2, CDKN1A, DUT, DUSP1, NADK, LIMK2, DUSP11, TAOK3, PRPS1, PPP2R4, MKNK2, SGK1, BPGM, TEC, MAPK6, PTP4A2, PRPF4B, ACP1, CCRN4L, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 8 as being associated with the intermediate stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., HK2, ZAP70, NEK6, DUSP14, SH2D1A, ITK, DUT, PPP1R11, DUSP1, PMVK, TK1, TAOK3, GMFG, PRPS1, SGK1, TXK, WNK1, DUSP19, TEC, RPS6KA1, PKM2, PRPF4B, ADRBK1, CKB, ULK2, PLK1, PPP2R5A, PLK2, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 8 as being associated with the late stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., ZAP70, PFKP, NEK6, DUSP14, SH2D1A, INPP5B, ITK, PFKL, PGK1, CDKN1A, DUT, PPP1R11, DUSP1, PMVK, PTPN22, PSPH, TK1, PGAM1, LIMK2, CLK1, DUSP11, TAOK3, RIOK2, GMFG, UCKL1, PRPS1, PPP2R4, MKNK2, DGKA, SGK1, TXK, WNK1, DUSP19, CHP, BPGM, PIP5K1A, TEC, MAP2K1, MAPK6, RPS6KA1, PTP4A2, PKM2, PRPF4B, ADRBK1, CKB, ACP1, ULK2, CCRN4L, PRKCH, PLK1, PPP2R5A, PLK2, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 9 as being associated with the early stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., CD200, CD40LG, CD24, CCND2, ADAM17, BSG, ITGAL, FAS, GPR65, SIGMAR1, CAP1, PLAUR, SRPRB, TRPV2, IL2RA, KDELR2, TNFRSF9, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 9 as being associated with the intermediate stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., CTLA4, CD200, CD24, CD5L, CD9, IL2RB, CD53, CD74, CAST, CCR6, IL2RG, ITGAV, FAS, IL4R, PROCR, GPR65, TNFRSF18, RORA, IL1RN, RORC, CYSLTR1, PNRC2, LOC390243, ADAM10, TNFSF9, CD96, CD82, SLAMF7, CD27, PGRMC1, TRPV2, ADRBK1, TRAF6, IL2RA, THY1, IL12RB2, TNFRSF9, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of modulating one or more of the target genes listed in Table 9 as being associated with the late stage of Th17 differentiation, maintenance and/or function, e.g., CTLA4, TNFRSF4, CD44, PDCD1, CD200, CD247, CD24, CD5L, CCND2, CD9, IL2RB, CD53, CD74, ADAM17, BSG, CAST, CCR6, IL2RG, CD81, CD6, CD48, ITGAV, TFRC, ICAM2, ATP1B3, FAS, IL4R, CCR7, CD52, PROCR, GPR65, TNFRSF18, FCRL1, RORA, IL1RN, RORC, P2RX4, SSR2, PTPN22, SIGMAR1, CYSLTR1, LOC390243, ADAM10, TNFSF9, CD96, CAP1, CD82, SLAMF7, PLAUR, CD27, SIVA1, PGRMC1, SRPRB, TRPV2, NR1H2, ADRBK1, GABARAPL1, TRAF6, IL2RA, THY1, KDELR2, IL12RB2, TNFRSF9, SCARB1, IFNGR1, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of inhibiting tumor growth in a subject in need thereof by administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an inhibitor of Protein C Receptor (PROCR). In some embodiments, the inhibitor of PROCR is an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agent, a peptide agent, a nucleic acid agent, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agent. In some embodiments, the inhibitor of PROCR is one or more agents selected from the group consisting of lipopolysaccharide; cisplatin; fibrinogen; 1, 10-phenanthroline; 5-N-ethylcarboxamido adenosine; cystathionine; hirudin; phospholipid; Drotrecogin alfa; VEGF; Phosphatidylethanolamine; serine; gamma-carboxyglutamic acid; calcium; warfarin; endotoxin; curcumin; lipid; and nitric oxide.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of diagnosing an immune response in a subject, comprising detecting a level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes selected from those listed in Table 1 or Table 2 and comparing the detected level to a control of level of signature gene or gene product expression, activity and/or function, wherein a difference between the detected level and the control level indicates that the presence of an immune response in the subject. In some embodiments, the immune response is an autoimmune response. In some embodiments, the immune response is an inflammatory response, including inflammatory response(s) associated with an autoimmune response and/or inflammatory response(s) associated with an infectious disease or other pathogen-based disorder.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of monitoring an immune response in a subject, comprising detecting a level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes, e.g., one or more signature genes selected from those listed in Table 1 or Table 2 at a first time point, detecting a level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes, e.g., one or more signature genes selected from those listed in Table 1 or Table 2 at a second time point, and comparing the first detected level of expression, activity and/or function with the second detected level of expression, activity and/or function, wherein a change between the first and second detected levels indicates a change in the immune response in the subject. In some embodiments, the immune response is an autoimmune response. In some embodiments, the immune response is an inflammatory response.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of monitoring an immune response in a subject, comprising isolating a population of T cells from the subject at a first time point, determining a first ratio of T cell subtypes within the T cell population at a first time point, isolating a population of T cells from the subject at a second time point, determining a second ratio of T cell subtypes within the T cell population at a second time point, and comparing the first and second ratio of T cell subtypes, wherein a change in the first and second detected ratios indicates a change in the immune response in the subject. In some embodiments, the immune response is an autoimmune response. In some embodiments, the immune response is an inflammatory response.

In some embodiments, the invention provides a method of activating therapeutic immunity by exploiting the blockade of immune checkpoints. The progression of a productive immune response requires that a number of immunological checkpoints be passed. Immunity response is regulated by the counterbalancing of stimulatory and inhibitory signal. The immunoglobulin superfamily occupies a central importance in this coordination of immune responses, and the CD28/cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4):B7.1/B7.2 receptor/ligand grouping represents the archetypal example of these immune regulators (see e.g., Korman A J, Peggs K S, Allison J P, “Checkpoint blockade in cancer immunotherapy.” Adv Immunol. 2006; 90:297-339). In part the role of these checkpoints is to guard against the possibility of unwanted and harmful self-directed activities. While this is a necessary function, aiding in the prevention of autoimmunity, it may act as a barrier to successful immunotherapies aimed at targeting malignant self-cells that largely display the same array of surface molecules as the cells from which they derive. The expression of immune-checkpoint proteins can be dysregulated in a disease or disorder and can be an important immune resistance mechanism. Therapies aimed at overcoming these mechanisms of peripheral tolerance, in particular by blocking the inhibitory checkpoints, offer the potential to generate therapeutic activity, either as monotherapies or in synergism with other therapies.

Thus, the present invention relates to a method of engineering T-cells, especially for immunotherapy, comprising modulating T cell balance to inactivate or otherwise inhibit at least one gene or gene product involved in the immune check-point.

Suitable T cell modulating agent(s) for use in any of the compositions and methods provided herein include an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agent, a peptide agent, a nucleic acid agent, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agent. By way of non-limiting example, suitable T cell modulating agents or agents for use in combination with one or more T cell modulating agents are shown in Table 10 of the specification.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that the T cell modulating agents have a variety of uses. For example, the T cell modulating agents are used as therapeutic agents as described herein. The T cell modulating agents can be used as reagents in screening assays, diagnostic kits or as diagnostic tools, or these T cell modulating agents can be used in competition assays to generate therapeutic reagents.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method of diagnosing, prognosing and/or staging an immune response involving T cell balance, which may comprise detecting a first level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes selected from the genes of Table 1 or Table 2 and comparing the detected level to a control of level of signature gene or gene product expression, activity and/or function, wherein a difference in the detected level and the control level indicates that the presence of an immune response in the subject.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of monitoring an immune response in a subject comprising detecting a level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes of Table 1 or Table 2 at a first time point, detecting a level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes of Table 1 or Table 2 at a second time point, and comparing the first detected level of expression, activity and/or function with the second detected level of expression, activity and/or function, wherein a change in the first and second detected levels indicates a change in the immune response in the subject.

In yet another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of identifying a patient population at risk or suffering from an immune response which may comprise detecting a level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes of Table 1 or Table 2 in the patient population and comparing the level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes of Table 1 or Table 2 in a patient population not at risk or suffering from an immune response, wherein a difference in the level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes of Table 1 or Table 2 in the patient populations identifies the patient population as at risk or suffering from an immune response.

In still another embodiment, the invention relates to a method for monitoring subjects undergoing a treatment or therapy for an aberrant immune response to determine whether the patient is responsive to the treatment or therapy which may comprise detecting a level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes of Table 1 or Table 2 in the absence of the treatment or therapy and comparing the level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes of Table 1 or Table 2 in the presence of the treatment or therapy, wherein a difference in the level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes of Table 1 or Table 2 in the presence of the treatment or therapy indicates whether the patient is responsive to the treatment or therapy.

The invention may also involve a method of modulating T cell balance, the method which may comprise contacting a T cell or a population of T cells with a T cell modulating agent in an amount sufficient to modify differentiation, maintenance and/or function of the T cell or population of T cells by altering balance between Th17 cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs) and other T cell subsets as compared to differentiation, maintenance and/or function of the T cell or population of T cells in the absence of the T cell modulating agent.

The immune response may be an autoimmune response or an inflammatory response. The inflammatory response may be associated with an autoimmune response, an infectious disease and/or a pathogen-based disorder.

The signature genes may be Th17-associated genes.

The treatment or therapy may be an antagonist for GPR65 in an amount sufficient to induce differentiation toward regulatory T cells (Tregs), Th1 cells, or a combination of Tregs and Th1 cells. The treatment or therapy may be an agonist that enhances or increases the expression of GPR65 in an amount sufficient to induce T cell differentiation toward Th17 cells. The treatment or therapy may be specific for a target gene selected from the group consisting of DEC1, PZLP, TCF4 and CD5L. The treatment or therapy may be an antagonist of a target gene selected from the group consisting of DEC1, PZLP, TCF4 and CD5L in an amount sufficient to switch Th17 cells from a pathogenic to non-pathogenic signature. The treatment or therapy may be an agonist that enhances or increases the expression of a target gene selected from the group consisting of DEC1, PZLP, TCF4 and CD5L in an amount sufficient to switch Th17 cells from a non-pathogenic to a pathogenic signature.

The T cell modulating agent may be an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agent, a peptide agent, a nucleic acid agent, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agent.

The T cells may be naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, differentiated T cells, a combination of naïve T cells and partially differentiated T cells, a combination of naïve T cells and differentiated T cells, a combination of partially differentiated T cells and differentiated T cells, or a combination of naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells and differentiated T cells.

The invention also involves a method of enhancing Th17 differentiation in a cell population, increasing expression, activity and/or function of one or more Th17-associated cytokines or one or more Th17-associated transcription regulators selected from interleukin 17F (IL-17F), interleukin 17A (IL-17A), STAT3, interleukin 21 (IL-21) and RAR-related orphan receptor C (RORC), and/or decreasing expression, activity and/or function of one or more non-Th17-associated cytokines or non-Th17-associated transcription regulators selected from FOXP3, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), GATA3, STAT4 and TBX21, comprising contacting a T cell with an agent that enhances expression, activity and/or function of CD5L, DEC1, PLZP, TCF4 or combinations thereof. The agent may enhance expression, activity and/or function of at least one of CD5L, DEC1, PLZP, or TCF4. The agent may be an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agonist, a peptide agonist, a nucleic acid agonist, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agonist. The antibody may be a monoclonal antibody or a chimeric, humanized or fully human monoclonal antibody.

The present invention also involves the use of an antagonist for GPR65 in an amount sufficient to induce differentiation toward regulatory T cells (Tregs), Th1 cells, or a combination of Tregs and Th1 cells, use of an agonist that enhances or increases the expression of GPR65 in an amount sufficient to induce T cell differentiation toward Th17 cells, use of an antagonist of a target gene selected from the group consisting of DEC1, PZLP, TCF4 and CD5L in an amount sufficient to switch Th17 cells from a pathogenic to non-pathogenic signature, use of an agonist that enhances or increases the expression of a target gene selected from the group consisting of DEC1, PZLP, TCF4 and CD5L in an amount sufficient to switch Th17 cells from a non-pathogenic to a pathogenic signature and Use of T cell modulating agent for treating an aberrant immune response in a patient.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to not encompass within the invention any previously known product, process of making the product, or method of using the product such that Applicants reserve the right and hereby disclose a disclaimer of any previously known product, process, or method. It is further noted that the invention does not intend to encompass within the scope of the invention any product, process, or making of the product or method of using the product, which does not meet the written description and enablement requirements of the USPTO (35 U.S.C. § 112, first paragraph) or the EPO (Article 83 of the EPC), such that Applicants reserve the right and hereby disclose a disclaimer of any such subject matter.

It is noted that in this disclosure and particularly in the claims and/or paragraphs, terms such as “comprises”, “comprised”, “comprising” and the like can have the meaning attributed to it in U.S. Patent law; e.g., they can mean “includes”, “included”, “including”, and the like; and that terms such as “consisting essentially of” and “consists essentially of” have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. Patent law, e.g., they allow for elements not explicitly recited, but exclude elements that are found in the prior art or that affect a basic or novel characteristic of the invention. Nothing herein is to be construed as a promise.

These and other embodiments are disclosed or are obvious from and encompassed by, the following Detailed Description.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings of which:

FIGS. 1A-1E are a series of graphs and illustrations depicting genome wide temporal expression profiles of Th17 differentiation. FIG. 1A depicts an overview of approach. FIGS. 1B-1 and 1B-2 depict gene expression profiles during Th17 differentiation. Shown are the differential expression levels for genes (rows) at 18 time points (columns) in Th17 polarizing conditions (TGF-β1 and IL-6; left panel, Z-normalized per row) or Th17 polarizing conditions relative to control activated Th0 cells (right panel, log 2(ratio)). The genes are partitioned into 20 clusters (C1-C20, color bars, right). Right: mean expression (Y axis) and standard deviation (error bar) at each time point (X axis) for genes in representative clusters. Cluster size (“n”), enriched functional annotations (“F”), and representative genes (“M”) are denoted. FIG. 1C depicts three major transcriptional phases. Shown is a correlation matrix (red (right side of correlation scale): high; blue (left side of correlation scale): low) between every pair of time points. FIG. 1D depicts transcriptional profiles of key cytokines and receptor molecules. Shown are the differential expression levels (log 2(ratio)) for each gene (column) at each of 18 time points (rows) in Th17 polarizing conditions (TGF-β1 and IL-6; left panel, Z-normalized per row) vs. control activated Th0 cells.

FIGS. 2A-2G are a series of graphs and illustrations depicting a model of the dynamic regulatory network of Th17 differentiation. FIG. 2A depicts an overview of computational analysis. FIG. 2B depicts a schematic of temporal network ‘snapshots’. Shown are three consecutive cartoon networks (top and matrix columns), with three possible interactions from regulator (A) to targets (B, C & D), shown as edges (top) and matrix rows (A→B—top row; A→C—middle row; A→D—bottom row). FIG. 2C depicts 18 network ‘snapshots’. Left: each row corresponds to a TF-target interaction that occurs in at least one network; columns correspond to the network at each time point. A purple entry: interaction is active in that network. The networks are clustered by similarity of active interactions (dendrogram, top), forming three temporally consecutive clusters (early, intermediate, late, bottom). Right: a heatmap denoting edges for selected regulators. FIG. 2D depicts dynamic regulator activity. Shown is, for each regulator (rows), the number of target genes (normalized by its maximum number of targets) in each of the 18 networks (columns, left), and in each of the three canonical networks (middle) obtained by collapsing (arrows). Right: regulators chosen for perturbation (pink), known Th17 regulators (grey), and the maximal number of target genes across the three canonical networks (green, ranging from 0 to 250 targets). FIGS. 2E-1, 2E-2, and 2E-3 depict that at the heart of each network is its ‘transcriptional circuit’, connecting active TFs to target genes that themselves encode TFs. The transcription factor circuits shown (in each of the 3 canonical networks) are the portions of each of the inferred networks associating transcription regulators to targets that themselves encode transcription regulators. Yellow nodes denote transcription factor genes that are over-expressed (compared to Th0) during the respective time segment. Edge color reflects the data type supporting the regulatory interaction (legend).

FIGS. 3A-3D are a series of graphs and illustrations depicting knockdown screen in Th17 differentiation using silicon nanowires. FIG. 3A depicts unbiased ranking of perturbation candidates. Shown are the genes ordered from left to right based on their ranking for perturbation (columns, top ranking is leftmost). Two top matrices: criteria for ranking by ‘Network Information’ (topmost) and ‘Gene Expression Information’. Purple entry: gene has the feature (intensity proportional to feature strength; top five features are binary). Bar chart: ranking score. ‘Perturbed’ row: dark grey: genes successfully perturbed by knockdown followed by high quality mRNA quantification; light grey: genes where an attempt to knockdown was made, but could not achieve or maintain sufficient knockdown or did not obtain enough replicates; Black: genes perturbed by knockout or for which knockout data was already available. Known row: orange entry: a gene was previously associated with Th17 function (this information was not used to rank the genes; FIG. 10A, 10B ). FIG. 3B depicts scanning electron micrograph of primary T cells (false colored purple) cultured on vertical silicon nanowires. FIG. 3C depicts delivery by silicon nanowire neither activates nor induces differentiation of naïve T cells and does not affect their response to conventional TCR stimulation with anti-CD3/CD28. FIG. 3D depicts effective knockdown by siRNA delivered on nanowires. Shown is the % of mRNA remaining after knockdown (by qPCR, Y axis: mean±standard error relative to non-targeting siRNA control, n=12, black bar on left) at 48 hrs after introduction of polarizing cytokines. In FIG. 3A and FIG. 3D , the candidate regulators shown are those listed in Table 5. In FIG. 3A , the candidate regulators are listed on the x axis and are, in order from left to right, RORC, SATB1, TRPS1, SMOX, RORA, ARID5A, ETV6, ARNTL, ETS1, UBE2B, BATF, STAT3, STAT1, STAT5A, NR3C1, STAT6, TRIM24, HIF1A, IRF4, IRF8, ETS2, JUN, RUNX1, FLI1, REL, SP4, EGR2, NFKB1, ZFP281, STAT4, RELA, TBX21, STAT5B, IRF7, STAT2, IRF3, XBP1, FOXO1, PRDM1, ATF4, IRF1, GATA3, EGR1, MYC, CREB1, IRF9, IRF2, FOXJ2, SMARCA4, TRP53, SUZ12, POU2AF1, CEBPB, ID2, CREM, MYST4, MXI1, RBPJ, CHD7, CREB3L2, VAX2, KLF10, SKI, ELK3, ZEB1, PML, SERTAD1, NOTCH1, LRRFIP1, AHR, 1810007M14RIK, SAP30, ID1, ZFP238, VAV1, MINA, BATF3, CDYL, IKZF4, NCOA1, BCL3, JUNB, SS18, PHF13, MTA3, ASXL1, LASS4, SKIL, DDIT3, FOSL2, RUNX2, TLE1, ATF3, ELL2, AES, BCL11B, JARID2, KLF9, KAT2B, KLF6, E2F8, BCL6, ZNRF2, TSC22D3, KLF7, HMGB2, FUS, SIRT2, MAFF, CHMP1B, GATAD2B, SMAD7, ZFP703, ZNRF1, JMJD1C, ZFP36L2, TSC22D4, NFE2L2, RNF11, ARID3A, MEN1, RARA, CBX4, ZFP62, CIC, HCLS1, ZFP36L1, TGIF1.

FIGS. 4A-4D are a series of graphs and illustrations depicting coupled and mutually-antagonistic modules in the Th17 network. A color version of these figures can be found in Yosef et al., “Dynamic regulatory network controlling Th17 cell differentiation, Nature, vol. 496: 461-468 (2013)/doi: 10.1038/nature11981. FIG. 4A depicts the impact of perturbed genes on a 275-gene signature. Shown are changes in the expression of 275 signature genes (rows) following knockdown or knockout (KO) of 39 factors (columns) at 48 hr (as well as IL-21r and IL-17ra KO at 60 hours). Blue (left side of Fold change (log 2) scale): decreased expression of target following perturbation of a regulator (compared to a non-targeting control); red (right side of Fold change (log 2) scale): increased expression; Grey: not significant; all color (i.e., non-grey) entries are significant (see Methods in Example 1). ‘Perturbed’ (left): signature genes that are also perturbed as regulators (black entries). Key signature genes are denoted on right. FIG. 4B depicts two coupled and opposing modules. Shown is the perturbation network associating the ‘positive regulators’ (blue nodes, left side of x-axis) of Th17 signature genes, the ‘negative regulators’ (red nodes, right side of x-axis), Th17 signature genes (grey nodes, bottom) and signature genes of other CD4+ T cells (grey nodes, top). A blue edge from node A to B indicates that knockdown of A downregulates B; a red edge indicates that knockdown of A upregulates B. Light grey halos: regulators not previously associated with Th17 differentiation. FIG. 4C depicts how knockdown effects validate edges in network model. Venn diagram: compare the set of targets for a factor in the original model of FIG. 2 a (pink circle) to the set of genes that respond to that factor's knockdown in an RNA-Seq experiment (yellow circle). Bar chart on bottom: Shown is the −log 10(Pvalue) (Y axis, hypergeometric test) for the significance of this overlap for four factors (X axis). Similar results were obtained with a non-parametric rank-sum test (Mann-Whitney U test, see Methods in Example 1). Red dashed line: P=0.01. FIG. 4D depicts how global knockdown effects are consistent across clusters. Venn diagram: compare the set of genes that respond to a factor's knockdown in an RNA-Seq experiment (yellow circle) to each of the 20 clusters of FIG. 1 b (purple circle). The knockdown of a ‘Th17 positive’ regulator was expected to repress genes in induced clusters, and induce genes in repressed clusters (and vice versa for ‘Th17 negative’ regulators). Heat map: For each regulator knockdown (rows) and each cluster (columns) shown are the significant overlaps (non grey entries) by the test above. Red (right side of Fold enrichment scale): fold enrichment for up-regulation upon knockdown; Blue (left side of Fold enrichment scale): fold enrichment for down regulation upon knockdown. Orange entries in the top row indicate induced clusters.

FIGS. 5A-5D are a series of graphs and illustrations depicting that Mina, Fas, Pou2af1, and Tsc22d3 are key novel regulators affecting the Th17 differentiation programs. A color version of these figures can be found in Yosef et al., “Dynamic regulatory network controlling Th17 cell differentiation, Nature, vol. 496: 461-468 (2013)/doi: 10.1038/nature11981. FIGS. 5A-5D , left: Shown are regulatory network models centered on different pivotal regulators (square nodes): ( FIG. 5A ) Mina, ( FIG. 5B ) Fas, ( FIG. 5C ) Pou2af1, and ( FIG. 5D ) Tsc22d3. In each network, shown are the targets and regulators (round nodes) connected to the pivotal nodes based on perturbation (red and blue dashed edges), TF binding (black solid edges), or both (red and blue solid edges). Genes affected by perturbing the pivotal nodes are colored (blue: target is down-regulated by knockdown of pivotal node; red: target is up-regulated). ( FIGS. 5A-5C , middle and right) Intracellular staining and cytokine assays by ELISA or Cytometric Bead Assays (CBA) on culture supernatants at 72 h of in vitro differentiated cells from respective KO mice activated in vitro with anti-CD3+anti-CD28 with or without Th17 polarizing cytokines (TGF-β+IL-6). ( FIG. 5D , middle) ChIP-Seq of Tsc22d3. Shown is the proportion of overlap in bound genes (dark grey) or bound regions (light grey) between Tsc22d3 and a host of Th17 canonical factors (X axis). All results are statistically significant (P<10 −6 ; see Methods in Example 1).

FIGS. 6A-6D are a series of graphs and illustrations depicting treatment of Naïve CD4+ T-cells with TGF-β1 and IL-6 for three days induces the differentiation of Th17 cells. A color version of these figures can be found in Yosef et al., “Dynamic regulatory network controlling Th17 cell differentiation, Nature, vol. 496: 461-468 (2013)/doi: 10.1038/nature11981. FIG. 6A depicts an overview of the time course experiments. Naïve T cells were isolated from WT mice, and treated with IL-6 and TGF-β1. Microarrays were then used to measure global mRNA levels at 18 different time points (0.5 hr-72 hr, see Methods in Example 1). As a control, the same WT naïve T cells under Th0 conditions harvested at the same 18 time points were used. For the last four time points (48 hr-72 hr), cells treated with IL-6, TGF-β1, and IL-23 were also profiled. FIG. 6B depicts generation of Th17 cells by IL-6 and TGF-β1 polarizing conditions. FACS analysis of naïve T cells differentiated with TGF-β1 and IL-6 (right) shows enrichment for IL-17 producing Th17 T cells; these cells are not observed in the Th0 controls. FIG. 6C depicts comparison of the obtained microarray profiles to published data from naïve T-cells and differentiated Th17 cells (Wei et. al, 2009; Langmead, B., Trapnell, C., Pop, M. & Salzberg, S. L. in Genome Biol Vol. 10 R25 (2009)). Shown is the Pearson correlation coefficient (Y axis) between each of the 18 profiles (ordered by time point, X axis) and either the naïve T cell profiles (blue) or the differentiated Th17 profiles (green). The expression profiles gradually transition from a naïve-like state (at t=0.5 hr, r2>0.8, p<10 −10 ) to a Th17 differentiated state (at t=72 hr, r2>0.65, p<10 −10 ). FIG. 6D depicts expression of key cytokines. Shown are the mRNA levels (Y axis) as measured at each of the 18 time points (X axis) in the Th17 polarizing (blue) and Th0 control (red) conditions for the key Th17 genes RORc (left) and IL-17a (middle), both induced, and for the cytokine IFN-γ, unchanged in the time course.

FIG. 7 is a series of graphs depicting clusters of differentially expressed genes in the Th17 time course data. A color version of these figures can be found in Yosef et al., “Dynamic regulatory network controlling Th17 cell differentiation, Nature, vol. 496: 461-468 (2013)/doi: 10.1038/nature11981. For each of the 20 clusters in FIG. 1 b shown are the average expression levels (Y axis, ±standard deviation, error bars) at each time point (X axis) under Th17 polarizing (blue) and Th0 (red) conditions. The cluster size (“n”), enriched functional annotations (“F”), and representative member genes (“M”) are denoted on top.

FIGS. 8A-8B are a series of graphs depicting transcriptional effects of IL-23. FIG. 8A depicts transcriptional profiles of key genes. A color version of these figures can be found in Yosef et al., “Dynamic regulatory network controlling Th17 cell differentiation, Nature, vol. 496: 461-468 (2013)/doi: 10.1038/nature11981. Shown are the expression levels (Y axis) of three key genes (IL-22, RORc, IL-4) at each time point (X axis) in Th17 polarizing conditions (blue), Th0 controls (red), and following the addition of IL-23 (beginning at 48 hr post differentiation) to the Th17 polarizing conditions (green). FIG. 8B depicts IL-23-dependent transcriptional clusters. Shown are clusters of differentially expressed genes in the IL-23r −/− time course data (blue) compared to WT cells, both treated with Th17 polarizing cytokines and IL23 (red). For each cluster, shown are the average expression levels (Y axis, ±standard deviation, error bars) at each time point (X axis) in the knockout (blue) and wildtype (red) cells. The cluster size (“n”), enriched functional annotations (“F”), and representative member genes (“M”) are denoted on top.

FIGS. 9A-9B are a series of graphs depicting predicted and validated protein levels of ROR-γt during Th17 differentiation. A color version of these figures can be found in Yosef et al., “Dynamic regulatory network controlling Th17 cell differentiation, Nature, vol. 496: 461-468 (2013)/doi: 10.1038/nature11981. FIG. 9A shows RORγt mRNA levels along the original time course under Th17 polarizing conditions, as measured with microarrays (blue). A sigmoidal fit for the mRNA levels (green) is used as an input for a model (based on Schwanhäusser, B. et al. Global quantification of mammalian gene expression control. Nature 473, 337-342, doi:10.1038/nature10098 (2011)) that predicts the level of RORγt protein at each time point (red). FIG. 9B depicts distribution of measured ROR-γt protein levels (x axis) as determined by FACS analysis in Th17 polarizing conditions (blue) and Th0 conditions (red) at 4, 12, 24, and 48 hr post stimulation.

FIGS. 10A-10B are a series of graphs depicting predictive features for ranking candidates for knockdown. Shown is the fold enrichment (Y axis, in all cases, p<10 −3 , hypergeometric test) in a curated list of known Th17 factors for different ( FIG. 10A ) network-based features and ( FIG. 10B ) expression-base features (as used in FIG. 3A ).

FIGS. 11A-11C are a series of graphs depicting Nanowire activation on T-cells, knockdown at 10 h, and consistency of NW-based knockdowns and resulting phenotypes. FIG. 11A depicts how Nanowires do not activate T cells and do not interfere with physiological stimuli. Shown are the levels of mRNA (mean±standard error, n=3) for keygenes, measured 48 hr after activation by qPCR (Y axis, mean and standard error of the mean), in T cells grown in petri dishes (left) or on silicon nanowires (right) without polarizing cytokines (‘no cytokines’) or in the presence of Th17 polarizing cytokines (‘TGF-β1+IL6’). FIG. 11B depicts effective knockdown by siRNA delivered on nanowires. Shown is the % of mRNA remaining after knockdown (by qPCR, Y axis: mean±standard error relative to non-targeting siRNA control, n=12, black bar on left) at 10 hours after introduction of polarizing cytokines. The genes presented are a superset of the 39 genes selected for transcriptional profiling. FIG. 11C . Consistency of NW-based knockdowns and resulting phenotypes. Shown are average target transcript reductions and phenotypic changes (as measured by IL-17f and IL-17a expression) for three different experiments of NW-based knockdown (from at least 2 different cultures) of 9 genes at 48 hours post stimulation. Light blue bars: knockdown level (% remaining relative to siRNA controls); dark grey and light green bars: mRNAs of IL-17f and IL-17a, respectively, relative to siRNA controls.

FIGS. 12A-12B are a series of graphs depicting cross-validation of the Nanostring expression profiles for each nanowire-delivered knockdown using Fluidigm 96×96 gene expression chips. FIG. 12A depicts a comparison of expression levels measured by Fluidigm (Y axis) and Nanostring (X axis) for the same gene under the same perturbation. Expression values were normalized to control genes as described in Example 1. FIG. 12B depicts how analysis of Fluidigm data recapitulates the partitioning of targeted factors into two modules of positive and negative Th17 regulators. Shown are the changes in transcription of the 82 genes out of the 85 gene signature (rows) that significantly responded to at least one factor knockdown (columns).

FIG. 13 is a graph depicting rewiring of the Th17 “functional” network between 10 hr to 48 hr post stimulation. For each regulator that was profiled at 10 hr and 48 hr, the percentage of “edges” (i.e., gene A is affected by perturbation of gene B) that either appear in the two time points with the same activation/repression logic (Sustained); appear only in one time point (Transient); or appear in both networks but with a different activation/repression logic (Flipped) were calculated. In the sustained edges, the perturbation effect (fold change) has to be significant in at least one of the time point (see Methods in Example 1), and consistent (in terms of activation/repression) in the other time point (using a more permissive cutoff of 1.25 fold).

FIG. 14 is an illustration depicting “chromatic” network motifs. A color version of these figures can be found in Yosef et al., “Dynamic regulatory network controlling Th17 cell differentiation, Nature, vol. 496: 461-468 (2013)/doi: 10.1038/nature11981. A ‘chromatic’ network motif analysis was used to find recurring sub networks with the same topology and the same node and edge colors. Shown are the four significantly enriched motifs (p<0.05). Red nodes: positive regulators; blue nodes: negative regulator; red edges from A to B: knockdown of A downregulates B; blue edge: knockdown of A upregulates B. Motifs were found using the FANMOD software (Wernicke, S. & Rasche, F. FANMOD: a tool for fast network motif detection. Bioinformatics 22, 1152-1153, doi:10.1093/bioinformatics/btl038 (2006)).

FIGS. 15A-15C are a series of graphs depicting RNA-seq analysis of nanowire-delivered knockdowns. A color version of these figures can be found in Yosef et al., “Dynamic regulatory network controlling Th17 cell differentiation, Nature, vol. 496: 461-468 (2013)/doi: 10.1038/nature11981. FIG. 15A depicts a correlation matrix of knockdown profiles. Shown is the Spearman rank correlation coefficient between the RNA-Seq profiles (fold change relative to NT siRNA controls) of regulators perturbed by knockdowns. Genes that were not significantly differentially expressed in any of the samples were excluded from the profiles. FIG. 15B depicts knockdown effects on known marker genes of different CD4+ T cell lineages. Shown are the expression levels for canonical genes (rows) of different T cell lineages (labeled on right) following knockdown of each of 12 regulators (columns). Red/Blue: increase/decrease in gene expression in knockdown compared to non-targeting control (see Methods in Example 1). Shown are only genes that are significantly differentially expressed in at least one knockdown condition. The experiments are hierarchically clustered, forming distinct clusters for Th17-positive regulators (left) and Th17-negative regulators (right). FIG. 15C depicts knockdown effects on two subclusters of the T-regulatory cell signature, as defined by Hill et al., Foxp3 transcription-factor-dependent and -independent regulation of the regulatory T cell transcriptional signature. Immunity 27, 786-800, doi:S1074-7613(07)00492-X [pii] 10.1016/j.immuni.2007.09.010 (2007). Each cluster (annotated in Hill et al as Clusters 1 and 5) includes genes that are over expressed in Tregs cells compared to conventional T cells. However, genes in Cluster 1 are more correlated to Foxp3 and responsive to Foxp3 transduction. Conversely, genes in cluster 1 are more directly responsive to TCR and IL-2 and less responsive to Foxp3 in Treg cells. Knockdown of Th17-positive regulators strongly induces the expression of genes in the ‘Foxp3’ Cluster 1. The knockdown profiles are hierarchically clustered, forming distinct clusters for Th17-positive regulators (left) and Th17-negative regulators (right). Red/Blue: increase/decrease in gene expression in knockdown compared to non-targeting control (see Methods in Example 1). Shown are only genes that are significantly differentially expressed in at least one knockdown condition.

FIGS. 16A-16D are a series of graphs depicting quantification of cytokine production in knockout cells at 72 h of in-vitro differentiation using Flow cytometry and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All flow cytometry figures shown, except for Oct1, are representative of at least 3 repeats, and all ELISA data has at least 3 replicates. For Oct1, only a limited amount of cells were available from reconstituted mice, allowing for only 2 repeats of the Oct1 deficient mouse for flow cytometry and ELISA. ( FIG. 16A , left) Mina −/− T cells activated under Th0 controls are controls for the graphs shown in FIG. 5A . ( FIG. 16A , right) TNF secretion by Mina −/− and WT cells, as measured by cytometric bead assay showing that Mina −/− T cells produce more TNF when compared to control. FIG. 16B depicts intracellular cytokine staining of Pou2af1 −/− and WT cells for IFN-γ and IL-17a as measured by flow cytometry. ( FIG. 16C , left) Flow cytometric analysis of Fas −/− and WT cells for Foxp3 and Il-17 expression. ( FIG. 16C , right) IL-2 and Tnf secretion by Fas −/− and WT cells, as measured by a cytokine bead assay ELISA. ( FIG. 16D , left). Flow cytometry on Oct1 −/− and WT cells for IFN-γ and IL-17a, showing an increase in IFN-γ positive cells in the Th0 condition for the Oct1 deficient mouse. ( FIG. 16D , right) Il-17a, IFN-γ, IL-2 and TNF production by Oct1 −/− and WT cells, as measured by cytokine ELISA and cytometric bead assay. Statistical significance in the ELISA figures is denoted by: *p<0.05, **p<0.01, and ***p<0.001.

FIGS. 17A-17B are a series of illustrations depicting that Zeb1, Smarca4, and Sp4 are key novel regulators affecting the Th17 differentiation programs. A color version of these figures can be found in Yosef et al., “Dynamic regulatory network controlling Th17 cell differentiation, Nature, vol. 496: 461-468 (2013)/doi: 10.1038/nature11981. Shown are regulatory network models centered on different pivotal regulators (square nodes): ( FIG. 17A ) Zeb1 and Smarca4, and ( FIG. 17B ) Sp4. In each network, shown are the targets and regulators (round nodes) connected to the pivotal nodes based on perturbation (red and blue dashed edges), TF binding (black solid edges), or both (red and blue solid edges). Genes affected by perturbing the pivotal nodes are colored (red: target is up-regulated by knockdown of pivotal node; blue: target is down-regulated).

FIG. 18 is a graph depicting the overlap with ChIP-seq and RNA-seq data from Ciofani et al (Cell, 2012). Fold enrichment is shown for the four TF that were studied by Ciofani et al using ChIP-seq and RNA-seq and are predicted as regulators in the three network models (early, intermediate (denoted as “mid”), and late). The results are compared to the ChIP-seq based network of Ciofani et al. (blue) and to their combined ChIP-seq/RNA-seq network (taking a score cutoff of 1.5, as described by the authors; red). In all cases the p-value of the overlap (with ChIP-seq only or with the combined ChIP-seq/RNA-seq network) is below 10 −10 (using Fisher exact test), but the fold enrichment is particularly high in genes that are both bound by a factor and affected by its knockout, the most functional edges.

FIGS. 19A-19D are a series of graphs depicting that PROCR is specifically induced in Th17 cells induced by TGF-β1 with IL-6. FIG. 19A depicts how PROCR expression level was assessed by the microarray analysis under Th0 and Th17 conditions at 18 different time points. FIG. 19B depicts how kinetic expression of PROCR mRNA was measured by quantitative RT-PCR analysis in Th17 cells differentiated with TGF-β1 and IL-6. FIG. 19C depicts how PROCR mRNA expression was measured by quantitative RT-PCR analysis in different T cell subsets 72 hr after stimulation by each cytokine. FIG. 19D depicts how PROCR protein expression was examined by flow cytometry in different T cell subsets 72 hr after stimulation with each cytokine.

FIGS. 20A-20D are a series of graphs depicting that PROCR stimulation and expression is not essential for cytokine production from Th17 cells. FIG. 20A depicts how naïve CD4+ T cells were differentiated into Th17 cells by anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation in the presence of activated protein C (aPC, 300 nM), the ligand of PROCR. On day 3, cells were stimulated with PMA and Ionomycin for 4 hr, stained intracellularly for IFN-γ and IL-17 and analyzed by flow cytometry. FIG. 20B depicts IL-17 production from Th17 cells (TGF-β+IL-6) differentiated with or without activated protein C (aPC and Ctl, respectively) was assessed by ELISA on Day 3 and 5. FIG. 20C depicts how naïve CD4+ T cells were polarized under Th17 conditions (TGF-β+IL-6), transduced with either GFP control retrovirus (Ctl RV) or PROCR-expressing retrovirus (PROCR RV). Intracellular expression of IFN-γ and IL-17 in GFP+ cells were assessed by flow cytometry. FIG. 20D depicts how naïve CD4+ T cells from EPCR δ/δ mice and control mice were polarized under Th17 conditions with TGF-β1 and IL-6. Intracellular expression of IFN-γ and IL-17 were assessed by flow cytometry.

FIGS. 21A-21B are a series of graphs depicting that PROCR expression only induces minor changes in the expression of co-stimulatory molecules on Th17 cells. FIG. 21A depicts how naïve CD4 + T cells were polarized under Th17 conditions (TGF-β+IL-6), transduced with either GFP control retrovirus (Ctl GFP) or PROCR-expressing retrovirus (PROCR RV) and expression of ICOS, CTLA-4, PD-1, Pdp and Tim-3 was analyzed by flow cytometry. FIG. 21B depicts how naïve wild type (WT) or EPCR δ/δ CD4 + T cells were differentiated into Th17 cells by anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation in the presence of TGF-β1 and IL-6. Expression of ICOS, CTLA-4, PD-1, Pdp and Tim-3 was assessed by flow cytometry.

FIGS. 22A-22C are a series of graphs depicting that PROCR is expressed in non-pathogenic Th17 cells. FIG. 22A depicts genes for Th17 cells differentiated with TGF-β3+IL-6 (pathogenic) or TGF-β1+IL-6 (non-pathogenic) and comparison of their expression levels in these two subsets. FIGS. 22B and 22C depict how naïve CD4 + T cells were differentiated with TGF-β1 and IL-6, TGF-β3 and IL-6 or IL-1β and IL-6 and PROCR expression was assessed by ( FIG. 22B ) quantitative RT-PCR analysis ( FIG. 22C ) and protein expression was determined by flow cytometry.

FIGS. 23A-23C are a series of graphs depicting that PROCR stimulation or expression impairs some pathogenic signature genes in Th17 cells. FIG. 23A depicts quantitative RT-PCR analysis of mRNA expression of several pathogenic signature genes in Th17 cells differentiated with TGFβ1 and IL-6 in the presence of activated protein C (aPC) for 3 days in vitro. FIG. 23B depicts quantitative RT-PCR analysis of mRNA expression of several pathogenic signature genes in naïve CD4 + T cells polarized under Th17 conditions, transduced with either GFP control retrovirus (Control RV) or PROCR-expressing retrovirus (PROCR RV) for 3 days. FIG. 23C depicts quantitative RT-PCR analysis of mRNA expression of several pathogenic signature genes in Th17 cells from EPCR δ/δ mice and control mice differentiated with TGFβ1 and IL-6 for 3 days in vitro.

FIGS. 24A-24D are a series of graphs depicting that Rorγt induces PROCR expression under Th17 conditions polarized with TGF-β1 and IL-6. FIG. 24A depicts ChIP-Seq of Rorγt. The PROCR genomic region is depicted. FIG. 24B depicts how the binding of Rorγt to the Procr promoter in Th17 cells was assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). ChIP was performed using digested chromatin from Th17 cells and anti-Rorγt antibody. DNA was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. FIG. 24C depicts how naïve CD4+ T cells from Rorγt−/− mice and control mice were polarized under Th17 conditions with TGF-β1 and IL-6 and under Th0 conditions (no cytokines) and PROCR expression was analyzed on day 3 by flow cytometry. FIG. 24D depicts how naïve CD4+ T cells polarized under Th17 conditions were transduced with either GFP control retrovirus (Ctl RV) or Rorγt-expressing retrovirus (Rorγt RV) for 3 days. PROCR mRNA expression was measured by quantitative RT-PCR analysis and PROCR protein expression was assessed by flow cytometry.

FIGS. 25A-25C are a series of graphs depicting that IRF4 and STAT3 bind to the Procr promoter and induce PROCR expression. FIG. 25A depicts how binding of IRF4 or STAT3 to the Procr promoter was assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-PCR. ChIP was performed using digested chromatin from Th17 cells and anti-IRF4 or anti-STAT3 antibody. DNA was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. FIG. 25B depicts how naïve CD4+ T cells from Cd4 Cre STAT3 fl/fl mice (STAT3 KO) and control mice (WT) were polarized under Th17 conditions with TGF-β1 with IL-6 and under Th0 condition with no cytokines. On day 3, PROCR expression was determined by quantitative PCR. FIG. 25C depicts how naïve CD4+ T cells from Cd4 Cre /RF4 fl/fl mice and control mice were polarized under Th17 conditions with TGF-β1 and IL-6 and under Th0 condition with no cytokines. On day 3, PROCR expression was determined by flow cytometry.

FIGS. 26A-26D are a series of graphs and illustrations depicting that PROCR deficiency exacerbates EAE severity. FIG. 26A depicts frequency of CD4+ T cells expressing IL-17 and PROCR isolated from EAE mice 21d after immunization with MOG 35-55 . FIG. 26B depicts how EAE was induced by adoptive transfer of MOG 35-55 -specific 2D2 cells transduced with a control retrovirus (Ctl_GFP) or a PROCR-expression retrovirus (PROCR_RV) and differentiated into Th17 cells. Mean clinical scores and summaries for each group are shown. Results are representative of one of two experiments. FIG. 26C depicts how Rag1−/− mice were reconstituted with either PROCR-deficient (EPCR δ/δ→Rag1−/−) or WT T cells (WT→Rag1−/−) and immunized with MOG 35-55 to induce EAE. The mean clinical score of each group is shown. Results are representative of one of two experiments. FIG. 26D depicts a schematic representation of PROCR regulation. Rorγt, IRF4, and STAT3 induce PROCR expression. PROCR ligation by activated protein C induces a downregulation of the pathogenic signature genes IL-3, CXCL3, CCL4 and Pdp and reduced pathogenicity in EAE.

FIGS. 27A-27C are a series of graphs depicting that FAS promotes Th17 differentiation. Naïve CD4 + T cells from wild type (WT) or FAS-deficient (LPR) mice were differentiated into Th17 cells by anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation in the presence of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-23. On day 4, cells were ( FIG. 27A ) stimulated with PMA and Ionomycin for 4 hr, stained intracellularly for IFN-γ and IL-17 and analyzed by flow cytometry and ( FIG. 27B ) IL-17 production was assessed by ELISA. FIG. 27C depicts how RNA was extracted and expression of IL17a and Il23r mRNA was determined by quantitative PCR.

FIGS. 28A-28C are a series of graphs depicting that FAS inhibits Th1 differentiation. Naïve CD4 + T cells from wild type (WT) or FAS-deficient (LPR) mice were differentiated into Th1 cells by anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation in the presence of IL-12 and anti-IL-4. On day 4, cells were ( FIG. 28A ) stimulated with PMA and Ionomycin for 4 hr, stained intracellularly for IFN-γ and IL-17 and analyzed by flow cytometry and ( FIG. 28B ) IFN-γ production was assessed by ELISA. FIG. 28C depicts how RNA was extracted and expression of Ifng mRNA was determined by quantitative PCR.

FIGS. 29A-29B are a series of graphs depicting that FAS inhibits Treg differentiation. Naïve CD4 + T cells from wild type (WT) or FAS-deficient (LPR) mice were differentiated into Tregs by anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation in the presence of TGF-β. On day 4, cells were ( FIG. 29A ) stimulated with PMA and Ionomycin for 4 hr, stained intracellularly for IL-17 and Foxp3 and analyzed by flow cytometry and ( FIG. 29B ) IL-10 production was assessed by ELISA.

FIGS. 30A-30B are a series of graphs depicting that FAS-deficient mice are resistant to EAE. Wild type (WT) or FAS-deficient (LPR) mice were immunized with 100 μg MOG 35-55 in CFA s.c. and received pertussis toxin i.v. to induce EAE. FIG. 30A depicts mean clinical score±s.e.m. of each group as shown. FIG. 30B depicts how on day 14 CNS infiltrating lymphocytes were isolated, re-stimulated with PMA and Ionomycin for 4 hours and stained intracellularly for IL-17, IFN-γ, and Foxp3. Cells were analyzed by flow cytometry.

FIGS. 31A-31D are a series of graphs and illustrations depicting that PROCR is expressed on Th17 cells. FIG. 31A depicts a schematic representation of PROCR, its ligand activated protein C and the signaling adapter PAR1. FIG. 31B depicts how naïve CD4+ T cells were differentiated under polarizing conditions for the indicated T helper cell lineages. Expression of PROCR was determined by quantitative PCR on day 3. FIG. 31C depicts how mice were immunized for EAE, cells were isolated at peak of disease, and cytokine production (IL-17) and PROCR expression were analyzed by flow cytometry. FIG. 31D depicts how naïve and memory cells were isolated from WT and PROCRd/d mice and stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28. Naïve cells were cultured under Th17 polarizing conditions as indicated; memory cells were cultured in the presence or absence of IL-23. After 3 days IL-17A levels in supernatants were analyzed by ELISA.

FIGS. 32A-32D are a series of graphs depicting how PROCR and PD-1 expression affects Th17 pathogenicity. FIG. 32A depicts signature genes of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Th17 cells. Naïve CD4+ T cells were differentiated into non-pathogenic (TGFβ1+IL-6) or pathogenic (TGFβ3+IL-6 or IL-β1+IL-6) Th17 cells and PROCR expression was determined by quantitative PCR. FIG. 32B depicts how naïve WT or PROCRd/d CD4+ T cells were stimulated under Th17 polarizing conditions (TGFβ1+IL-6) in the presence or absence of aPC. Quantitative expression of three pathogenic signature genes was determined on day 3. FIG. 32C depicts how naïve 2D2 T cells were transduced with a retrovirus encoding for PROCR or a control (GFP), differentiated into Th17 cells in vitro, and transferred into naïve recipients. Mice were monitored for EAE. FIG. 32D depicts how naïve 2D2 T cells were differentiated into Th17 cells in vitro with TGFβ1+IL-6+IL-23 and transferred into WT or PD-L1−/− recipients. Mice were monitored for EAE.

FIGS. 33A-33B are a series of graphs depicting that PROCR expression is enriched in exhausted T cells. FIG. 33A depicts how C57BL/6 or BalbC mice were implanted with B16 melanoma or CT26 colon cancer cells respectively. Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes were isolated 3 weeks after tumor implantation, sorted based on PD-1 and Tim3 expression and analyzed for PROCR expression using real time PCR. Effector memory (CD44hiCD62Llo) CD8 T cells were sorted from naïve mice. FIG. 33B ) depicts how PROCR, PD-1 and Tim3 expression on antigen-specific CD8 T cells were measured by FACS from acute (Armstrong) and chronic (Clone 13) LCMV infection at different times points as indicated.

FIGS. 34A-34C are a series of graphs demonstrating the expression of CD5L on Th17 cells.

FIGS. 35A-35C are a series of illustrations and graphs depicting how CD5L deficiency does not alter Th17 differentiation.

FIGS. 36A-36B are a series of illustrations and graphs depicting how CD5L deficiency alters Th17 memory by affecting survival or stability.

FIGS. 37A-37B are a series of graphs depicting how CD5L deficiency results in more severe and prolonged EAE with higher Th17 responses.

FIGS. 38A-38C are a series of illustrations and graphs depicting how loss of CD5L converts non-pathogenic Th17 cells into pathogenic effector Th17 cells.

FIGS. 39A-39B are a series of graphs depicting how CD5L-deficient Th17 cells (TGF-β+IL-6) develop a pathogenic phenotype.

FIGS. 40A-40B are a series of graphs depicting IL17A expression was reduced in GPR65 knock out cells exposed to various T cell conditions (Th0, T16, T36, B623 and T).

FIGS. 41A-41D are a series of graphs depicting that IL17A expression in DEC1 knock out cells exposed to various T cell conditions (Th0, T16, T36, B623 and T) was unchanged in the non-pathogenic condition (T16), but was reduced in the pathogenic conditions (T36, B623).

FIGS. 42A-42B are a series of graphs depicting that IL17A expression in PLZP knock out cells exposed to various T cell conditions (Th0, T16, T36, B623 and T) was unchanged in the non-pathogenic condition (T16), but was reduced in the pathogenic conditions (T36, B623).

FIG. 43 is a graph depicting IL17A expression in TCF4 knock out cells exposed to various T cell conditions (Th0, T16, T36, B623 and T) was reduced in the pathogenic condition B623.

FIG. 44 is a graph depicting B16 tumor inoculation of PROCR mutant mice. 7 week old wild type or PROCR mutant (EPCR delta) C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with 5×10 5 B16F10 melanoma cells.

FIG. 45A-45H show Single-cell RNA-seq identifies Cd5l as a novel regulator associated with Th17 cell pathogenicity and expressed only by non-pathogenic Th17 cells. Single-cells were sorted from in-vitro Th17 cells differentiated with TGFβ1+IL-6 (A,B), IL-1β+IL-6+IL-23 (C), TGFβ3+IL-6 (D) and in-vivo Th17 cells from CNS of mice at the peak of EAE (score=3) (D). IL-17A.GFP + CD4 + T cells were sorted in all panels in D. (A) Correlation of CD5L expression in non-pathogenic Th17 cells with the pathogenic signature (Lee, Awasthi et al.). (B) Principal Component Analysis of CD5L expression where the direction of PC1 correlates with pathogenicity. (C, D) Histogram of CD5L expression in single-cell from conditions as indicated. CD5L expression in vitro is validated by qPCR (E, F) and flow cytometry (G). FIG. 45E , F, G shows validation of CD5L expression in vitro. Naïve T cells (CD4 + CD62L + CD44 − CD25 − ) were sorted and activated by plate-bound anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies in the presence of various differentiation cytokines as indicated. CD5L expression was measured by qPCR at 48 h (E) and 72 h (F) and intracellularly by flow cytometry at 48 h (G); (F) At 48 h, cells were lifted from plate, washed and replated in fresh media with IL-23 or PBS and cultured for additional 24 h. FIG. 45H shows validation of CD5L expression in vivo. IL-17A.GFP reporter mice were immunized by MOG/CFA (s.c., d1) with pertussis toxin (i.v., d1 and d3). Mice were sacrificed at the peak of disease (score=3) and CD4 + GFP + and CD4 + GFP − cells were sorted from CNS and spleen respectively. Cd5l and Il17a expression are measured by qPCR. Figure shown is representative data of technical replicates from two independent mouse experiments. I. IL-17 + (GFP + ) and IL-17 − (GFP − ) CD4 + cells were sorted from the gut of naïve mice and the number of RNA transcripts measured by nanostring and normalized based on four house-keeping genes. Figure is summary of two independent experiments.

FIG. 46A-46H shows CD5L regulates Th17 cell effector function. (A) WT and CD5L −/− mice were immunized with 40 μg MOG/CFA with pertussis toxin injection (iv) on day 1 and day 3. EAE was scored as previously published (Jager, Dardalhon et al. 2009). Upper panel is pooled results from 3 independent mice experiments; Lower panel is representative FACS plot showing cytokine production from CD4 T cells isolated from CNS at day 15 post immunization after 4 hours of restimulation with PMA/ionomycin. Summary data is shown in FIG. 50B . FIG. 46B , C, D shows naïve T cells (CD4 + CD62L + CD44 − CD25 − ) were sorted, activated with plate-bound anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies in the presence of TGFβ1 and IL-6 for 48 h. Cells were restimulated with PMA/ionomycin for 4 hours in the presence of Brefeldin A and cytokine production was measured using FACS (B); Supernatant were used for ELISA analysis of IL-17 and IL-10 (C); and RNA were purified from cells directly and subject to qPCR (D). FIG. 46E , F shows cells were sorted and cultured as in B, at 48 hours, cells were lifted, washed and resuspended in fresh media with no cytokines for an additional 72 h and restimulated. Cytokine production was measured by FACS (E) and mRNA was quantified by qPCR (F). FIG. 46G , H show effector memory T cells (CD4 + CD62L − CD44 + ) (G) or Effector memory Th17 cells (CD4 + CD62L − CD44 + RorγtGFP + ) (H) were sorted directly ex vivo and activated with plate-bound anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies for 48 hours. Cells were harvested and cultured with PMA/ionomycin for 4 hours in the presence of Brefeldin A and subject to FACS. Data are representative of at least 3 independent mouse experiments.

FIG. 47A-47F shows CD5L is a major switch that regulates the pathogenicity of Th17 cells. Naïve WT or CD5L −/− 2D2 T cells were sorted and differentiated with TGFβ1+IL-6 in the presence of irradiated APC (Jager, Dardalhon et al. 2009). Cells were rested and reactivated with plate-bound anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies for 48 h and intravenously injected into WT host. (A) Representative FACS plot are shown of cytokine profile of 2D2 T cells after differentiation and prior to in vivo transfer. (B) Weight and EAE score of recipient mice; (C) Representative histology of optic nerve (upper two panels) and CNS (lower panel). Panels are Luxol fast blue-hematoxylin and eosin stains. Demyelination is indicated by loss of normal blue staining of myelin in lower panels of CNS. (D) Representative cytokine profile of WT and CD5L −/− 2D2 lymphocytes isolated from CNS at day 27 post transfer. Cells were gated on Va3.2 + CD4 + . All data are representative of 3 independent mouse experiments. (E) Naïve 2D2 WT or CD5L −/− T cells were sorted and 100,000 cells were transferred into CD45.1 WT host. Recipients were than immunized with MOG/CFA the following day. T cells were isolated from the draining LN on day 10 following immunization and restimulated with PMA/ionomycin as described in FIG. 46 . Representative FACS plots are gated on CD45.2 + CD4 + cells and are of 2 independent experiments each with four mice. (F) Naïve T cells were differentiated with TGFβ1+IL-6 as in FIG. 46E and subject to RNA purification and qPCR. Data are summary of at least three independent mouse experiments.

FIG. 48A-48J shows CD5L shifts Th17 cell lipidome balance from saturated to unsaturated lipid, modulating Rorγt ligand availability and function. FIG. 48A , B shows. Lipidome analysis of Th17 cells. (A) WT and CD5L −/− naïve T cells were differentiated as in FIG. 46B in the presence of cytokines as indicated. Cells and supernatant were harvested at 96 hours and subjected to MS/LC. Three independent mouse experiments were performed. Data shown are median expression of each metabolite identified that have at least 1.5 fold differences between and WT and CD5L −/− under the TGFβ1+IL-6 condition. (B) Expression of representative metabolites including a cholesterol ester and a PUFA-containing TAG species. FIG. 48 C, D, E, F-J show as follows: (C) Metabolomic analysis of independent mouse experiments where T cells were differentiated under various cytokine conditions as indicated and harvested at 48 h and 96 h. Summary metabolomics analysis is shown in FIG. 52A . (D,E) Rorγt ChIP from Th17 cells differentiated as described in A. under various conditions as indicated. F-K. Dual luciferase reporter assay was performed in EL4 cells stably transfected with a control vector or Rorγt vector. (F, G) CD5L retroviral vector was cotransfected in F and G at 0, 25, 50 and 100 ng/well. (H-J) 10 μM of either arachidonic acid (PUFA) or 20 μM of palmitic acid (SFA) were used whenever a single dose was indicated and in titration experiments, 20 μM, 4 μM and 0.8 μM for PUFA/SFA and 5 μM, 0.5 μM and 0.05 μM of 7, 27-dihydroxycholesterol were used. All ChIP and luciferase assay are representative of at least 3 independent experiments.

FIG. 49 CD5L expression follows the pro-inflammatory/regulatory module dichotomy across single cells. Shown is a PCA plot (first two PCs) with the cells differentiated under the TGF-β1+IL-6 condition at 48 h, where each cell is colored by an expression ranking score of CD5L (red: high, blue: low) and the first PC is marked by the pro-inflammatory/regulatory module dichotomy.

FIG. 50A-50E PUFA and SFA can regulate Th17 cell function and contribute to CD5L-dependent regulation of Th17 cells. (A) Naïve T cells were sorted from either WT or IL-23RGFP reporter mice, activated with plate-bound anti-CD3/anti-CD28 and differentiated with TGFβ1+IL-6 for 48 hours. At 48 h, cells were cultured with IL-23 in fresh media in the presence of either 10 uM arachidonic acid (PUFA) or 20 uM of palmitic acid (SFA) for another 48 hours and harvested for PMA/ionomycin restimulation and FACS. The concentration of FFA was predetermined in titration experiments (data not shown). (B) Cells from WT and Rorc −/− mice were sorted, differentiated and treated with FFA as in A. Cells were harvested for RNA purification and qPCR. (C) Naïve WT and CD5L −/− T cells were differentiated as in A. Cells were then lifted, washed and replated in fresh media with no addition of cytokines and in the presence of control or 5 uM of arachidonic acid (PUFA). Cytokine profile of T cells were measured after PMA/ionomycin restimulation. Data are representative of at least 3 independent differentiation experiments. DE. naïve T cells were sorted and differentiated with TGFβ1+IL-6 as in A. At 48 h, cells were then lifted, washed and replated in fresh media with no addition of cytokines and in the presence of control or 5 uM arachidonic acid (PUFA) for CD5L−/− T cells; and control or 25 uM palmitic acid (SFA) for WT T cells. Another 48 hours later, cells were harvested for nanostring analysis (D) or qPCR (E).

FIG. 51A-51C Model for action of PUFA and CD5L. During differentiation (A) abundant Rorγt ligand are synthesized, limiting the specific impact of PUFA/SFA; once Th17 cells are differentiated (B,C), however, ligand synthesis is substantially reduced due to decreased glucose metabolism, allowing PUFA to have a more pronounced effect. The extent of this effect depends on whether CD5L is present (B) or absent (C), resulting in less or more pathogenic cells, respectively.

FIG. 52A-52D shows characterization of WT and CD5L−/− mice with EAE. Mice were immunized as in FIG. 46A . (A) 15 days post immunization, lymphocytes from CNS were isolated and directly stained and analyzed with flow cytometry for the expression of FoxP3. (B) Cells from CNS as in A were restimulated with PMA/ionomycin with Brefeldin A for 4 hours and profiled for cytokine production by flow cytometry. (C) Cells were isolated from Inguinal LN of mice 10 days after immunization. 3H Thymidine incorporation assays was used to determine T cell proliferation in response to MOG35-55 peptide; (D) Supernatant from C were harvested amount of IL-17 was determined by ELISA.

FIG. 53A-53D shows CD5L antagonizes pathogenicity of Th17 cells. Passive EAE is induced as described in FIG. 46 . Briefly, naïve 2D2 cells were sorted from WT mice and differentiated with IL-1β+IL-6+IL-23. At 24 h, retroviral supernatant containing either CD5L-GFP overexpression- or control-GFP construct were used to infect the activated cells. The expression of CD5L was analyzed at day 3 post-infection. 50% of cells expressed GFP in both groups. (A) Representative flow cytometry analysis of cytokine profile prior to transfer; (B) Weight loss curve after transfer; (C) EAE score; (D) representative flow cytometry data of cytokine profile of CD4+ T cells from CNS at day 30 post transfer.

FIG. 54A-54D CD5L regulate lipid metabolism in Th17 cells and modulate Rorγt function. (A) Rorγt binding sites in the Il17, Il23r and Il10 regions as identified from Rorγt ChIP-seq (Xiao, Yosef et al. 2014). Top row is isotype control (red) and bottom role shows Rorγt ChIP-seq results from anti-Rorγt antibody (Experimental Procedures) (B) ChIP-PCR of Rorγt in the genomic region of Il23r as in FIG. 48E . (C,D) Rorγt transcriptional activity was measured with respect to Il23r (C) and Il10 (D) in the presence of retroviral vector expressing Cd5l as in FIG. 48G .

This invention relates generally to compositions and methods for identifying the regulatory networks that control T cell balance, T cell differentiation, T cell maintenance and/or T cell function, as well compositions and methods for exploiting the regulatory networks that control T cell balance, T cell differentiation, T cell maintenance and/or T cell function in a variety of therapeutic and/or diagnostic indications.

The invention provides compositions and methods for modulating T cell balance. The invention provides T cell modulating agents that modulate T cell balance. For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to regulate, influence or otherwise impact the level of and/or balance between T cell types, e.g., between Th17 and other T cell types, for example, regulatory T cells (Tregs). For example, in some embodiments, the invention provides T cell modulating agents and methods of using these T cell modulating agents to regulate, influence or otherwise impact the level of and/or balance between Th17 activity and inflammatory potential. As used herein, terms such as “Th17 cell” and/or “Th17 phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to a differentiated T helper cell that expresses one or more cytokines selected from the group the consisting of interleukin 17A (IL-17A), interleukin 17F (IL-17F), and interleukin 17A/F heterodimer (IL17-AF). As used herein, terms such as “Th1 cell” and/or “Th1 phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to a differentiated T helper cell that expresses interferon gamma (IFNγ). As used herein, terms such as “Th2 cell” and/or “Th2 phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to a differentiated T helper cell that expresses one or more cytokines selected from the group the consisting of interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5) and interleukin 13 (IL-13). As used herein, terms such as “Treg cell” and/or “Treg phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to a differentiated T cell that expresses Foxp3.

These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to regulate, influence or otherwise impact the level and/or balance between T cell types, e.g., between Th17 and other T cell types, for example, regulatory T cells (Tregs).

The invention provides methods and compositions for modulating T cell differentiation, for example, helper T cell (Th cell) differentiation. The invention provides methods and compositions for modulating T cell maintenance, for example, helper T cell (Th cell) maintenance. The invention provides methods and compositions for modulating T cell function, for example, helper T cell (Th cell) function. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to regulate, influence or otherwise impact the level and/or balance between Th17 cell types, e.g., between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Th17 cells. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the differentiation of a population of T cells, for example toward the Th17 cell phenotype, with or without a specific pathogenic distinction, or away from the Th17 cell phenotype, with or without a specific pathogenic distinction. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the maintenance of a population of T cells, for example toward the Th17 cell phenotype, with or without a specific pathogenic distinction, or away from the Th17 cell phenotype, with or without a specific pathogenic distinction. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the differentiation of a population of Th17 cells, for example toward the pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype or away from the pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype, or toward the non-pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype or away from the non-pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the maintenance of a population of Th17 cells, for example toward the pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype or away from the pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype, or toward the non-pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype or away from the non-pathogenic Th17 cell phenotype. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the differentiation of a population of T cells, for example toward a non-Th17 T cell subset or away from a non-Th17 cell subset. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the maintenance of a population of T cells, for example toward a non-Th17 T cell subset or away from a non-Th17 cell subset.

As used herein, terms such as “pathogenic Th17 cell” and/or “pathogenic Th17 phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to Th17 cells that, when induced in the presence of TGF-β3, express an elevated level of one or more genes selected from Cxcl3, IL22, IL3, Ccl4, Gzmb, Lrmp, Ccl5, Casp1, Csf2, Ccl3, Tbx21, Icos, IL17r, Stat4, Lgals3 and Lag, as compared to the level of expression in a TGF-β3-induced Th17 cells. As used herein, terms such as “non-pathogenic Th17 cell” and/or “non-pathogenic Th17 phenotype” and all grammatical variations thereof refer to Th17 cells that, when induced in the presence of TGF-β3, express a decreased level of one or more genes selected from IL6st, IL1rn, Ikzf3, Maf, Ahr, IL9 and IL10, as compared to the level of expression in a TGF-β3-induced Th17 cells.

These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the function and/or biological activity of a T cell or T cell population. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the function and/or biological activity of a helper T cell or helper T cell population. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the function and/or biological activity of a Th17 cell or Th17 cell population. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the function and/or biological activity of a non-Th17 T cell or non-Th17 T cell population, such as, for example, a Treg cell or Treg cell population, or another CD4+ T cell or CD4+ T cell population. These compositions and methods use T cell modulating agents to influence or otherwise impact the plasticity of a T cell or T cell population, e.g., by converting Th17 cells into a different subtype, or into a new state.

The methods provided herein combine transcriptional profiling at high temporal resolution, novel computational algorithms, and innovative nanowire-based tools for performing perturbations in primary T cells to systematically derive and experimentally validate a model of the dynamic regulatory network that controls Th17 differentiation. See e.g., Yosef et al., “Dynamic regulatory network controlling Th17 cell differentiation, Nature, vol. 496: 461-468 (2013)/doi: 10.1038/nature11981, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The network consists of two self-reinforcing, but mutually antagonistic, modules, with novel regulators, whose coupled action may be essential for maintaining the level and/or balance between Th17 and other CD4+ T cell subsets. Overall, 9,159 interactions between 71 regulators and 1,266 genes were active in at least one network; 46 of the 71 are novel. The examples provided herein identify and validate 39 regulatory factors, embedding them within a comprehensive temporal network and reveals its organizational principles, and highlights novel drug targets for controlling Th17 differentiation.

A “Th17-negative” module includes regulators such as SP4, ETS2, IKZF4, TSC22D3 and/or, IRF1. It was found that the transcription factor Tsc22d3, which acts as a negative regulator of a defined subtype of Th17 cells, co-localizes on the genome with key Th17 regulators. The “Th17 positive” module includes regulators such as MINA, PML, POU2AF1, PROCR, SMARCA4, ZEB1, EGR2, CCR6, and/or FAS. Perturbation of the chromatin regulator Mina was found to up-regulate Foxp3 expression, perturbation of the co-activator Pou2af1 was found to up-regulate IFN-γ production in stimulated naïve cells, and perturbation of the TNF receptor Fas was found to up-regulate IL-2 production in stimulated naïve cells. All three factors also control IL-17 production in Th17 cells. Effective coordination of the immune system requires careful balancing of distinct pro-inflammatory and regulatory CD4+ helper T cell populations. Among those, pro-inflammatory IL-17 producing Th17 cells play a key role in the defense against extracellular pathogens and have also been implicated in the induction of several autoimmune diseases (see e.g., Bettelli, E., Oukka, M. & Kuchroo, V. K. T(H)-17 cells in the circle of immunity and autoimmunity. Nat Immunol 8, 345-350, doi:10.1038/ni0407-345 (2007)), including for example, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. Th17 differentiation from naïve T-cells can be triggered in vitro by the cytokines TGF-β1 and IL-6. While TGF-β1 alone induces Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (iTreg) (see e.g., Zhou, L. et al. TGF-beta-induced Foxp3 inhibits T(H)17 cell differentiation by antagonizing RORgammat function. Nature 453, 236-240, doi:nature06878 [pii]10.1038/nature06878 (2008)), the presence of IL-6 inhibits iTreg and induces Th17 differentiation (Bettelli et al., Nat Immunol 2007).

While TGF-β1 is required for the induction of Foxp3+ induced Tregs (iTregs), the presence of IL-6 inhibits the generation of iTregs and initiates the Th17 differentiation program. This led to the hypothesis that a reciprocal relationship between pathogenic Th17 cells and Treg cells exists (Bettelli et al., Nat Immunol 2007), which may depend on the balance between the mutually antagonistic master transcription factors (TFs) ROR-γt (in Th17 cells) and Foxp3 (in Treg cells) (Zhou et al., Nature 2008). Other cytokine combinations have also been shown to induce ROR-γt and differentiation into Th17 cells, in particular TGF-β1 and IL-21 or IL-1β, TGF-β3+IL-6, IL-6, and IL-23 (Ghoreschi, K. et al. Generation of pathogenic T(H)17 cells in the absence of TGF-beta signaling. Nature 467, 967-971, doi:10.1038/nature09447 (2010)). Finally, although a number of cytokine combinations can induce Th17 cells, exposure to IL-23 is critical for both stabilizing the Th17 phenotype and the induction of pathogenic effector functions in Th17 cells.

Much remains unknown about the regulatory network that controls Th17 cells (O'Shea, J. et al. Signal transduction and Th17 cell differentiation. Microbes Infect 11, 599-611 (2009); Zhou, L. & Littman, D. Transcriptional regulatory networks in Th17 cell differentiation. Curr Opin Immunol 21, 146-152 (2009)). Developmentally, as TGF-β is required for both Th17 and iTreg differentiation, it is not understood how balance is achieved between them or how IL-6 biases toward Th17 differentiation (Bettelli et al., Nat Immunol 2007). Functionally, it is unclear how the pro-inflammatory status of Th17 cells is held in check by the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 (O'Shea et al., Microbes Infect 2009; Zhou & Littman, Curr Opin Immunol 2009). Finally, many of the key regulators and interactions that drive development of Th17 remain unknown (Korn, T., Bettelli, E., Oukka, M. & Kuchroo, V. K. IL- and Th17 Cells. Annu Rev Immunol 27, 485-517, doi:10.1146/annurev.immunol.021908.13271010.1146/annurev.immunol.021908.132710 [pii] (2009)).

Recent studies have demonstrated the power of coupling systematic profiling with perturbation for deciphering mammalian regulatory circuits (Amit, I. et al. Unbiased reconstruction of a mammalian transcriptional network mediating pathogen responses. Science 326, 257-263, doi:10.1126/science.1179050 (2009); Novershtern, N. et al. Densely interconnected transcriptional circuits control cell states in human hematopoiesis. Cell 144, 296-309, doi:10.1016/j.cell.2011.01.004 (2011); Litvak, V. et al. Function of C/EBPdelta in a regulatory circuit that discriminates between transient and persistent TLR4-induced signals. Nat. Immunol. 10, 437-443, doi:10.1038/ni.1721 (2009); Suzuki, H. et al. The transcriptional network that controls growth arrest and differentiation in a human myeloid leukemia cell line. Nat Genet 41, 553-562 (2009); Amit, I., Regev, A. & Hacohen, N. Strategies to discover regulatory circuits of the mammalian immune system. Nature reviews. Immunology 11, 873-880, doi:10.1038/nri3109 (2011); Chevrier, N. et al. Systematic discovery of TLR signaling components delineates viral-sensing circuits. Cell 147, 853-867, doi:10.1016/j.cell.2011.10.022 (2011); Garber, M. et al. A High-Throughput Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Approach Reveals Principles of Dynamic Gene Regulation in Mammals. Molecular cell, doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2012.07.030 (2012)). Most of these studies have relied upon computational circuit-reconstruction algorithms that assume one ‘fixed’ network. Th17 differentiation, however, spans several days, during which the components and wiring of the regulatory network likely change. Furthermore, naïve T cells and Th17 cells cannot be transfected effectively in vitro by traditional methods without changing their phenotype or function, thus limiting the effectiveness of perturbation strategies for inhibiting gene expression.

These limitations are addressed in the studies presented herein by combining transcriptional profiling, novel computational methods, and nanowire-based siRNA delivery (Shalek, A. K. et al. Vertical silicon nanowires as a universal platform for delivering biomolecules into living cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107, 1870-1875, doi:10.1073/pnas.0909350107 (2010) ( FIG. 1 a ) to construct and validate the transcriptional network of Th17 differentiation. Using genome-wide profiles of mRNA expression levels during differentiation, a model of the dynamic regulatory circuit that controls Th17 differentiation, automatically identifying 25 known regulators and nominating 46 novel regulators that control this system, was built. Silicon nanowires were used to deliver siRNA into naïve T cells (Shalek et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2010) to then perturb and measure the transcriptional effect of 29 candidate transcriptional regulators and 10 candidate receptors on a representative gene signature at two time points during differentiation. Combining this data, a comprehensive validated model of the network was constructed. In particular, the circuit includes 12 novel validated regulators that either suppress or promote Th17 development. The reconstructed model is organized into two coupled, antagonistic, and densely intra-connected modules, one promoting and the other suppressing the Th17 program. The model highlights 12 novel regulators, whose function was further characterized by their effects on global gene expression, DNA binding profiles, or Th17 differentiation in knockout mice. The studies provided herein demonstrate an unbiased systematic and functional approach to understanding the development of the Th17 T cell subset.

The methods provided herein combine a high-resolution transcriptional time course, novel methods to reconstruct regulatory networks, and innovative nanotechnology to perturb T cells, to construct and validate a network model for Th17 differentiation. The model consists of three consecutive, densely intra-connected networks, implicates 71 regulators (46 novel), and suggests substantial rewiring in 3 phases. The 71 regulators significantly overlap with genes genetically associated with inflammatory bowel disease (Jostins, L. et al. Host-microbe interactions have shaped the genetic architecture of inflammatory bowel disease. Nature 491, 119-124, doi:10.1038/nature11582 (2012)) (11 of 71, p<10 −9 ). Building on this model, 127 putative regulators (80 novel) were systematically ranked, and top ranking ones were tested experimentally.

It was found that the Th17 regulators are organized into two tightly coupled, self-reinforcing but mutually antagonistic modules, whose coordinated action may explain how the balance between Th17, Treg, and other effector T cell subsets is maintained, and how progressive directional differentiation of Th17 cells is achieved. Within the two modules are 12 novel factors ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ), which were further characterized, highlighting four of the factors (others are in FIG. 17A, 17B ). This validated model highlights at least 12 novel regulators that either positively or negatively impact the Th17 program ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ). Remarkably, these and known regulators are organized in two tightly coupled, self-reinforcing and mutually antagonistic modules, whose coordinated action may explain how the balance between Th17, Treg, and other effector T cells is maintained, and how progressive directional differentiation of Th17 cells is achieved while repressing differentiation of other T cell subsets. The function of four of the 12 regulators—Mina, Fas, Pou2af1, and Tsc22d3—was further validated and characterized by undertaking Th17 differentiation of T cells from corresponding knockout mice or with ChIP-Seq binding profiles.

The T cell modulating agents are used to modulate the expression of one or more target genes or one or more products of one or more target genes that have been identified as genes responsive to Th17-related perturbations. These target genes are identified, for example, by contacting a T cell, e.g., naïve T cells, partially differentiated T cells, differentiated T cells and/or combinations thereof, with a T cell modulating agent and monitoring the effect, if any, on the expression of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes. In some embodiments, the one or more signature genes are selected from those listed in Table 1 or Table 2 shown below.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated cytokine(s) or receptor molecule(s) selected from those listed in Table 3. In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated transcription regulator(s) selected from those shown in Table 4.

In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated transcription regulator(s) selected from those shown in Table 5. In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated receptor molecule(s) selected from those listed in Table 6. In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated kinase(s) selected from those listed in Table 7. In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated signaling molecule(s) selected from those listed in Table 8. In some embodiments, the target gene is one or more Th17-associated receptor molecule(s) selected from those listed in Table 9.

Among the novel ‘Th17 positive’ factors is the zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 Zeb1, which is early-induced and sustained in the Th17 time course ( FIG. 17 a ), analogous to the expression of many known key Th17 factors. Zeb1 knockdown decreases the expression of Th17 signature cytokines (including IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-21) and TFs (including Rbpj, Maff, and Mina) and of late induced cytokine and receptor molecule genes (p<10 −4 , cluster C19). It is bound in Th17 cells by ROR-γt, Batf and Stat3, and is down-regulated in cells from Stat3 knockout mice ( FIG. 17 a ). Interestingly, Zeb1 is known to interact with the chromatin factor Smarca4/Brg1 to repress the E-cadherin promoter in epithelial cells and induce an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (Sanchez-Tilló, E. et al. ZEB1 represses E-cadherin and induces an EMT by recruiting the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling protein BRG1. Oncogene 29, 3490-3500, doi:10.1038/onc.2010.102 (2010)). Smarca4 is a regulator in all three network models ( FIG. 2 d,e ) and a member of the ‘positive module’ ( FIG. 4 b ). Although it is not differentially expressed in the Th17 time course, it is bound by Batf, Irf4 and Stat3 (positive regulators of Th17), but also by Gata3 and Stat5 (positive regulators of other lineages, FIG. 17 a ). Chromatin remodeling complexes that contain Smarca4 are known to displace nucleosomes and remodel chromatin at the IFN-γ promoter and promote its expression in Th1 cells (Zhang, F. & Boothby, M. T helper type 1-specific Brg1 recruitment and remodeling of nucleosomes positioned at the IFN-gamma promoter are Stat4 dependent. J. Exp. Med. 203, 1493-1505, doi:10.1084/jem.20060066 (2006)). There are also potential Smarca4 binding DNA sequences within the vicinity of the IL-17a promoter (Matys, V. et al. TRANSFAC: transcriptional regulation, from patterns to profiles. Nucleic Acids Res. 31, 374-378 (2003)). Taken together, this suggests a model where chromatin remodeling by Smarca4, possibly in interaction with Zeb1, positive regulates Th17 cells and is essential for IL-17 expression.

Conversely, among the novel ‘Th17 negative’ factors is Sp4, an early-induced gene, predicted in the model as a regulator of ROR-γt and as a target of ROR-γt, Batf, Irf4, Stat3 and Smarca4 ( FIG. 17 b ). Sp4 knockdown results in an increase in ROR-γt expression at 48 h, and an overall stronger and “cleaner” Th17 differentiation as reflected by an increase in the expression of Th17 signature genes, including IL-17, IL-21 and Irf4, and decrease in the expression of signature genes of other CD4+ cells, including Gata3, Foxp3 and Stat4.

These novel and known regulatory factors act coordinately to orchestrate intra- and intermodules interactions and to promote progressive differentiation of Th17 cells, while limiting modules that inhibit directional differentiation of this subset and promote differentiation of T cells into other T cell subsets. For instance, knockdown of Smarca4 and Zeb1 leads to decrease in Mina (due to all-positive interactions between Th17 ‘positive regulators’), while knockdown of Smarca4 or Mina leads to increase in Tsc22d3 31 expression, due to negative cross-module interactions. As shown using RNA-seq, these effects extend beyond the expression of regulatory factors in the network and globally affect the Th17 transcriptional program: e.g. knock-down of Mina has substantial effects on the progression of the Th17 differentiation network from the intermediate to the late phase, as some of its affected down-regulated genes significantly overlap the respective temporal clusters (p<10 −5 , e.g., clusters C9, C19). An opposite trend is observed for the negative regulators Tsc22d3 and Sp4. For example, the transcriptional regulator Sp4 represses differentiating Th17 cells from entering into the late phase of differentiation by inhibiting the cytokine signaling (C19; p<10 −7 ) and hematopoiesi (C20; p<10 −3 ) clusters, which include Ahr, Batf, ROR-γt, etc. These findings emphasize the power of large-scale functional perturbation studies in understanding the action of complex molecular circuits that govern Th17 differentiation.

In a recent work, Ciofani et al. (Ciofani, M. et al. A Validated Regulatory Network for Th17 Cell Specification. Cell, doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.09.016 (2012)) systematically ranked Th17 regulators based on ChIP-seq data for known key factors and transcriptional profiles in wild type and knockout cells. While their network centered on known core Th17 TFs, the complementary approach presented herein perturbed many genes in a physiologically meaningful setting. Reassuringly, their core Th17 network significantly overlaps with the computationally inferred model ( FIG. 18 ).

The wiring of the positive and negative modules ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) uncovers some of the functional logic of the Th17 program, but likely involve both direct and indirect interactions. The functional model provides an excellent starting point for deciphering the underlying physical interactions with DNA binding profiles (Glasmacher, E. et al. A Genomic Regulatory Element That Directs Assembly and Function of Immune-Specific AP-1-IRF Complexes. Science, doi:10.1126/science.1228309 (2012)) or protein-protein interactions (Wu, C., Yosef, N. & Thalhamer, T. SGK1 kinase regulates Th17 cells maintenance through IL-23 signaling pathway). The regulators identified are compelling new targets for regulating the Th17/Tregs balance and for switching pathogenic Th17 into non-pathogenic ones.

Automated Procedure for Selection of Signature Genes

The invention also provides methods of determining gene signatures that are useful in various therapeutic and/or diagnostic indications. The goal of these methods is to select a small signature of genes that will be informative with respect to a process of interest. The basic concept is that different types of information can entail different partitions of the “space” of the entire genome (>20 k genes) into subsets of associated genes. This strategy is designed to have the best coverage of these partitions, given the constraint on the signature size. For instance, in some embodiments of this strategy, there are two types of information: (i) temporal expression profiles; and (ii) functional annotations. The first information source partitions the genes into sets of co-expressed genes. The information source partitions the genes into sets of co-functional genes. A small set of genes is then selected such that there are a desired number of representatives from each set, for example, at least 10 representatives from each co-expression set and at least 10 representatives from each co-functional set. The problem of working with multiple sources of information (and thus aiming to “cover” multiple partitions) is known in the theory of computer science as Set-Cover. While this problem cannot be solved to optimality (due to its NP-hardness) it can be approximated to within a small factor. In some embodiments, the desired number of representatives from each set is one or more, at least 2, 5 or more, 10 or more, 15 or more, 20 or more, 25 or more, 30 or more, 35 or more, 40 or more, 50 or more, 60 or more, 70 or more, 80 or more, 90 or more, or 100 or more.

An important feature of this approach is that it can be given either the size of the signature (and then find the best coverage it can under this constraint); or the desired level of coverage (and then select the minimal signature size that can satisfy the coverage demand).

An exemplary embodiment of this procedure is the selection of the 275-gene signature (Table 1), which combined several criteria to reflect as many aspect of the differentiation program as was possible. The following requirements were defined: (1) the signature must include all of the TFs that belong to a Th17 microarray signature (comparing to other CD4+ T cells, see e.g., Wei et al., in Immunity vol. 30 155-167 (2009)), see Methods described herein); that are included as regulators in the network and are at least slightly differentially expressed; or that are strongly differentially expressed; (2) it must include at least 10 representatives from each cluster of genes that have similar expression profiles; (3) it must contain at least 5 representatives from the predicted targets of each TF in the different networks; (4) it must include a minimal number of representatives from each enriched Gene Ontology (GO) category (computed over differentially expressed genes); and, (5) it must include a manually assembled list of ˜100 genes that are related to the differentiation process, including the differentially expressed cytokines, receptor molecules and other cell surface molecules. Since these different criteria might generate substantial overlaps, a set-cover algorithm was used to find the smallest subset of genes that satisfies all of five conditions. 18 genes whose expression showed no change (in time or between treatments) in the microarray data were added to this list.

Use of Signature Genes

The invention provides T cell related gene signatures for use in a variety of diagnostic and/or therapeutic indications. For example, the invention provides Th17 related signatures that are useful in a variety of diagnostic and/or therapeutic indications. “Signatures” in the context of the present invention encompasses, without limitation nucleic acids, together with their polymorphisms, mutations, variants, modifications, subunits, fragments, and other analytes or sample-derived measures.

Exemplary signatures are shown in Tables 1 and 2 and are collectively referred to herein as, inter alia, “Th17-associated genes,” “Th17-associated nucleic acids,” “signature genes,” or “signature nucleic acids.”

These signatures are useful in methods of diagnosing, prognosing and/or staging an immune response in a subject by detecting a first level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes selected from those listed in Table 1 or Table 2 and comparing the detected level to a control of level of signature gene or gene product expression, activity and/or function, wherein a difference in the detected level and the control level indicates that the presence of an immune response in the subject.

These signatures are useful in methods of monitoring an immune response in a subject by detecting a level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes selected from those listed in Table 1 or Table 2 at a first time point, detecting a level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes selected from those listed in Table 1 or Table 2 at a second time point, and comparing the first detected level of expression, activity and/or function with the second detected level of expression, activity and/or function, wherein a change in the first and second detected levels indicates a change in the immune response in the subject.

These signatures are useful in methods of identifying patient populations at risk or suffering from an immune response based on a detected level of expression, activity and/or function of one or more signature genes or one or more products of one or more signature genes selected from those listed in Table 1 or Table 2. These signatures are also useful in monitoring subjects undergoing treatments and therapies for aberrant immune response(s) to determine efficaciousness of the treatment or therapy. These signatures are also useful in monitoring subjects undergoing treatments and therapies for aberrant immune response(s) to determine whether the patient is responsive to the treatment or therapy. These signatures are also useful for selecting or modifying therapies and treatments that would be efficacious in treating, delaying the progression of or otherwise ameliorating a symptom of an aberrant immune response. The signatures provided herein are useful for selecting a group of patients at a specific state of a disease with accuracy that facilitates selection of treatments.

The present invention also comprises a kit with a detection reagent that binds to one or more signature nucleic acids. Also provided by the invention is an array of detection reagents, e.g., oligonucleotides that can bind to one or more signature nucleic acids. Suitable detection reagents include nucleic acids that specifically identify one or more signature nucleic acids by having homologous nucleic acid sequences, such as oligonucleotide sequences, complementary to a portion of the signature nucleic acids packaged together in the form of a kit. The oligonucleotides can be fragments of the signature genes. For example the oligonucleotides can be 200, 150, 100, 50, 25, 10 or fewer nucleotides in length. The kit may contain in separate container or packaged separately with reagents for binding them to the matrix), control formulations (positive and/or negative), and/or a detectable label such as fluorescein, green fluorescent protein, rhodamine, cyanine dyes, Alexa dyes, luciferase, radiolabels, among others. Instructions (e.g., written, tape, VCR, CD-ROM, etc.) for carrying out the assay may be included in the kit. The assay may for example be in the form of a Northern hybridization or DNA chips or a sandwich ELISA or any other method as known in the art. Alternatively, the kit contains a nucleic acid substrate array comprising one or more nucleic acid sequences.

Use of T Cell Modulating Agents

Suitable T cell modulating agent(s) for use in any of the compositions and methods provided herein include an antibody, a soluble polypeptide, a polypeptide agent, a peptide agent, a nucleic acid agent, a nucleic acid ligand, or a small molecule agent. By way of non-limiting example, suitable T cell modulating agents or agents for use in combination with one or more T cell modulating agents are shown below in Table 10.

It will be appreciated that administration of therapeutic entities in accordance with the invention will be administered with suitable carriers, excipients, and other agents that are incorporated into formulations to provide improved transfer, delivery, tolerance, and the like. A multitude of appropriate formulations can be found in the formulary known to all pharmaceutical chemists: Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences (15th ed, Mack Publishing Company, Easton, Pa. (1975)), particularly Chapter 87 by Blaug, Seymour, therein. These formulations include, for example, powders, pastes, ointments, jellies, waxes, oils, lipids, lipid (cationic or anionic) containing vesicles (such as Lipofectin™), DNA conjugates, anhydrous absorption pastes, oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions, emulsions carbowax (polyethylene glycols of various molecular weights), semi-solid gels, and semi-solid mixtures containing carbowax. Any of the foregoing mixtures may be appropriate in treatments and therapies in accordance with the present invention, provided that the active ingredient in the formulation is not inactivated by the formulation and the formulation is physiologically compatible and tolerable with the route of administration. See also Baldrick P. “Pharmaceutical excipient development: the need for preclinical guidance.” Regul. Toxicol Pharmacol. 32(2):210-8 (2000), Wang W. “Lyophilization and development of solid protein pharmaceuticals.” Int. J. Pharm. 203(1-2):1-60 (2000), Charman W N “Lipids, lipophilic drugs, and oral drug delivery-some emerging concepts.” J Pharm Sci. 89(8):967-78 (2000), Powell et al. “Compendium of excipients for parenteral formulations” PDA J Pharm Sci Technol. 52:238-311 (1998) and the citations therein for additional information related to formulations, excipients and carriers well known to pharmaceutical chemists.

Therapeutic formulations of the invention, which include a T cell modulating agent, are used to treat or alleviate a symptom associated with an immune-related disorder or an aberrant immune response. The present invention also provides methods of treating or alleviating a symptom associated with an immune-related disorder or an aberrant immune response. A therapeutic regimen is carried out by identifying a subject, e.g., a human patient suffering from (or at risk of developing) an immune-related disorder or aberrant immune response, using standard methods. For example, T cell modulating agents are useful therapeutic tools in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and/or inflammatory disorders. In certain embodiments, the use of T cell modulating agents that modulate, e.g., inhibit, neutralize, or interfere with, Th17 T cell differentiation is contemplated for treating autoimmune diseases and/or inflammatory disorders. In certain embodiments, the use of T cell modulating agents that modulate, e.g., enhance or promote, Th17 T cell differentiation is contemplated for augmenting Th17 responses, for example, against certain pathogens and other infectious diseases. The T cell modulating agents are also useful therapeutic tools in various transplant indications, for example, to prevent, delay or otherwise mitigate transplant rejection and/or prolong survival of a transplant, as it has also been shown that in some cases of transplant rejection, Th17 cells might also play an important role. (See e.g., Abadja F, Sarraj B, Ansari M J., “Significance of T helper 17 immunity in transplantation.” Curr Opin Organ Transplant. 2012 February; 17(1):8-14. doi: 10.1097/MOT.0b013e32834ef4e4). The T cell modulating agents are also useful therapeutic tools in cancers and/or anti-tumor immunity, as Th17/Treg balance has also been implicated in these indications. For example, some studies have suggested that IL-23 and Th17 cells play a role in some cancers, such as, by way of non-limiting example, colorectal cancers. (See e.g., Ye J, Livergood R S, Peng G. “The role and regulation of human Th17 cells in tumor immunity.” Am J Pathol. 2013 January; 182(1):10-20. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2012.08.041. Epub 2012 Nov. 14). The T cell modulating agents are also useful in patients who have genetic defects that exhibit aberrant Th17 cell production, for example, patients that do not produce Th17 cells naturally.

The T cell modulating agents are also useful in vaccines and/or as vaccine adjuvants against autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, etc. The combination of adjuvants for treatment of these types of disorders are suitable for use in combination with a wide variety of antigens from targeted self-antigens, i.e., autoantigens, involved in autoimmunity, e.g., myelin basic protein; inflammatory self-antigens, e.g., amyloid peptide protein, or transplant antigens, e.g., alloantigens. The antigen may comprise peptides or polypeptides derived from proteins, as well as fragments of any of the following: saccharides, proteins, polynucleotides or oligonucleotides, autoantigens, amyloid peptide protein, transplant antigens, allergens, or other macromolecular components. In some instances, more than one antigen is included in the antigenic composition.

Autoimmune diseases include, for example, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS, which is a viral disease with an autoimmune component), alopecia areata, ankylosing spondylitis, antiphospholipid syndrome, autoimmune Addison's disease, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune hepatitis, autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED), autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS), autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP), Behcet's disease, cardiomyopathy, celiac sprue-dermatitis herpetiformis; chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIPD), cicatricial pemphigoid, cold agglutinin disease, crest syndrome, Crohn's disease, Degos' disease, dermatomyositis-juvenile, discoid lupus, essential mixed cryoglobulinemia, fibromyalgia-fibromyositis, Graves' disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), IgA nephropathy, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, juvenile chronic arthritis (Still's disease), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Ménière's disease, mixed connective tissue disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, pernicious anemia, polyarteritis nodosa, polychondritis, polyglandular syndromes, polymyalgia rheumatica, polymyositis and dermatomyositis, primary agammaglobulinemia, primary biliary cirrhosis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Raynaud's phenomena, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, scleroderma (progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), also known as systemic sclerosis (SS)), Sjögren's syndrome, stiffman syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, Takayasu arteritis, temporal arteritis/giant cell arteritis, ulcerative colitis, uveitis, vitiligo and Wegener's granulomatosis.

In some embodiments, T cell modulating agents are useful in treating, delaying the progression of, or otherwise ameliorating a symptom of an autoimmune disease having an inflammatory component such as an aberrant inflammatory response in a subject. In some embodiments, T cell modulating agents are useful in treating an autoimmune disease that is known to be associated with an aberrant Th17 response, e.g., aberrant IL-17 production, such as, for example, multiple sclerosis (MS), psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, uveitis, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Inflammatory disorders include, for example, chronic and acute inflammatory disorders. Examples of inflammatory disorders include Alzheimer's disease, asthma, atopic allergy, allergy, atherosclerosis, bronchial asthma, eczema, glomerulonephritis, graft vs. host disease, hemolytic anemias, osteoarthritis, sepsis, stroke, transplantation of tissue and organs, vasculitis, diabetic retinopathy and ventilator induced lung injury.

Symptoms associated with these immune-related disorders include, for example, inflammation, fever, general malaise, fever, pain, often localized to the inflamed area, rapid pulse rate, joint pain or aches (arthralgia), rapid breathing or other abnormal breathing patterns, chills, confusion, disorientation, agitation, dizziness, cough, dyspnea, pulmonary infections, cardiac failure, respiratory failure, edema, weight gain, mucopurulent relapses, cachexia, wheezing, headache, and abdominal symptoms such as, for example, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation.

Efficaciousness of treatment is determined in association with any known method for diagnosing or treating the particular immune-related disorder. Alleviation of one or more symptoms of the immune-related disorder indicates that the T cell modulating agent confers a clinical benefit.

Administration of a T cell modulating agent to a patient suffering from an immune-related disorder or aberrant immune response is considered successful if any of a variety of laboratory or clinical objectives is achieved. For example, administration of a T cell modulating agent to a patient is considered successful if one or more of the symptoms associated with the immune-related disorder or aberrant immune response is alleviated, reduced, inhibited or does not progress to a further, i.e., worse, state. Administration of T cell modulating agent to a patient is considered successful if the immune-related disorder or aberrant immune response enters remission or does not progress to a further, i.e., worse, state.

A therapeutically effective amount of a T cell modulating agent relates generally to the amount needed to achieve a therapeutic objective. The amount required to be administered will furthermore depend on the specificity of the T cell modulating agent for its specific target, and will also depend on the rate at which an administered T cell modulating agent is depleted from the free volume other subject to which it is administered.

T cell modulating agents can be administered for the treatment of a variety of diseases and disorders in the form of pharmaceutical compositions. Principles and considerations involved in preparing such compositions, as well as guidance in the choice of components are provided, for example, in Remington: The Science And Practice Of Pharmacy 19th ed. (Alfonso R. Gennaro, et al., editors) Mack Pub. Co., Easton, Pa.: 1995; Drug Absorption Enhancement: Concepts, Possibilities, Limitations, And Trends, Harwood Academic Publishers, Langhorne, Pa., 1994; and Peptide And Protein Drug Delivery (Advances In Parenteral Sciences, Vol. 4), 1991, M. Dekker, New York.

Where polypeptide-based T cell modulating agents are used, the smallest fragment that specifically binds to the target and retains therapeutic function is preferred. Such fragments can be synthesized chemically and/or produced by recombinant DNA technology. (See, e.g., Marasco et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 90: 7889-7893 (1993)). The formulation can also contain more than one active compound as necessary for the particular indication being treated, preferably those with complementary activities that do not adversely affect each other. Alternatively, or in addition, the composition can comprise an agent that enhances its function, such as, for example, a cytotoxic agent, cytokine, chemotherapeutic agent, or growth-inhibitory agent. Such molecules are suitably present in combination in amounts that are effective for the purpose intended.

The invention comprehends a treatment method or Drug Discovery method or method of formulating or preparing a treatment comprising any one of the methods or uses herein discussed.

The present invention also relates to identifying molecules, advantageously small molecules or biologics, that may be involved in inhibiting one or more of the mutations in one or more genes selected from the group consisting of DEC1, PZLP, TCF4 and CD5L. The invention contemplates screening libraries of small molecules or biologics to identify compounds involved in suppressing or inhibiting expression of somatic mutations or alter the cells phenotypically so that the cells with mutations behave more normally in one or more of DEC1, PZLP, TCF4 and CD5L.

High-throughput screening (HTS) is contemplated for identifying small molecules or biologics involved in suppressing or inhibiting expression of somatic mutations in one or more of DEC1, PZLP, TCF4 and CD5L. The flexibility of the process has allowed numerous and disparate areas of biology to engage with an equally diverse palate of chemistry (see, e.g., Inglese et al., Nature Chemical Biology 3, 438-441 (2007)). Diverse sets of chemical libraries, containing more than 200,000 unique small molecules, as well as natural product libraries, can be screened. This includes, for example, the Prestwick library (1,120 chemicals) of off-patent compounds selected for structural diversity, collective coverage of multiple therapeutic areas, and known safety and bioavailability in humans, as well as the NINDS Custom Collection 2 consisting of a 1,040 compound-library of mostly FDA-approved drugs (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,557,746) are also contemplated.

The NM's Molecular Libraries Probe Production Centers Network (MLPCN) offers access to thousands of small molecules—chemical compounds that can be used as tools to probe basic biology and advance our understanding of disease. Small molecules can help researchers understand the intricacies of a biological pathway or be starting points for novel therapeutics. The Broad Institute's Probe Development Center (BIPDeC) is part of the MLPCN and offers access to a growing library of over 330,000 compounds for large scale screening and medicinal chemistry. Any of these compounds may be utilized for screening compounds involved in suppressing or inhibiting expression of somatic mutations in one or more of DEC1, PZLP, TCF4 and CD5L.

The phrase “therapeutically effective amount” as used herein refers to a nontoxic but sufficient amount of a drug, agent, or compound to provide a desired therapeutic effect.

As used herein “patient” refers to any human being receiving or who may receive medical treatment.

A “polymorphic site” refers to a polynucleotide that differs from another polynucleotide by one or more single nucleotide changes.

A “somatic mutation” refers to a change in the genetic structure that is not inherited from a parent, and also not passed to offspring.

Therapy or treatment according to the invention may be performed alone or in conjunction with another therapy, and may be provided at home, the doctor's office, a clinic, a hospital's outpatient department, or a hospital. Treatment generally begins at a hospital so that the doctor can observe the therapy's effects closely and make any adjustments that are needed. The duration of the therapy depends on the age and condition of the patient, the stage of the cardiovascular disease, and how the patient responds to the treatment. Additionally, a person having a greater risk of developing a cardiovascular disease (e.g., a person who is genetically predisposed) may receive prophylactic treatment to inhibit or delay symptoms of the disease.

The medicaments of the invention are prepared in a manner known to those skilled in the art, for example, by means of conventional dissolving, lyophilizing, mixing, granulating or confectioning processes. Methods well known in the art for making formulations are found, for example, in Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, 20th ed., ed. A. R. Gennaro, 2000, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, and Encyclopedia of Pharmaceutical Technology, eds. J. Swarbrick and J. C. Boylan, 1988-1999, Marcel Dekker, New York.

Administration of medicaments of the invention may be by any suitable means that results in a compound concentration that is effective for treating or inhibiting (e.g., by delaying) the development of a cardiovascular disease. The compound is admixed with a suitable carrier substance, e.g., a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient that preserves the therapeutic properties of the compound with which it is administered. One exemplary pharmaceutically acceptable excipient is physiological saline. The suitable carrier substance is generally present in an amount of 1-95% by weight of the total weight of the medicament. The medicament may be provided in a dosage form that is suitable for oral, rectal, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, inhalation, nasal, topical or transdermal, vaginal, or ophthalmic administration. Thus, the medicament may be in form of, e.g., tablets, capsules, pills, powders, granulates, suspensions, emulsions, solutions, gels including hydrogels, pastes, ointments, creams, plasters, drenches, delivery devices, suppositories, enemas, injectables, implants, sprays, or aerosols.

In order to determine the genotype of a patient according to the methods of the present invention, it may be necessary to obtain a sample of genomic DNA from that patient. That sample of genomic DNA may be obtained from a sample of tissue or cells taken from that patient.

The tissue sample may comprise but is not limited to hair (including roots), skin, buccal swabs, blood, or saliva. The tissue sample may be marked with an identifying number or other indicia that relates the sample to the individual patient from which the sample was taken. The identity of the sample advantageously remains constant throughout the methods of the invention thereby guaranteeing the integrity and continuity of the sample during extraction and analysis. Alternatively, the indicia may be changed in a regular fashion that ensures that the data, and any other associated data, can be related back to the patient from whom the data was obtained. The amount/size of sample required is known to those skilled in the art.

Generally, the tissue sample may be placed in a container that is labeled using a numbering system bearing a code corresponding to the patient. Accordingly, the genotype of a particular patient is easily traceable.

In one embodiment of the invention, a sampling device and/or container may be supplied to the physician. The sampling device advantageously takes a consistent and reproducible sample from individual patients while simultaneously avoiding any cross-contamination of tissue. Accordingly, the size and volume of sample tissues derived from individual patients would be consistent.

According to the present invention, a sample of DNA is obtained from the tissue sample of the patient of interest. Whatever source of cells or tissue is used, a sufficient amount of cells must be obtained to provide a sufficient amount of DNA for analysis. This amount will be known or readily determinable by those skilled in the art.

DNA is isolated from the tissue/cells by techniques known to those skilled in the art (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,548,256 and 5,989,431, Hirota et al., Jinrui Idengaku Zasshi. September 1989; 34(3):217-23 and John et al., Nucleic Acids Res. Jan. 25, 1991; 19(2):408; the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties). For example, high molecular weight DNA may be purified from cells or tissue using proteinase K extraction and ethanol precipitation. DNA may be extracted from a patient specimen using any other suitable methods known in the art.

It is an object of the present invention to determine the genotype of a given patient of interest by analyzing the DNA from the patent, in order to identify a patient carrying specific somatic mutations of the invention that are associated with developing a cardiovascular disease. In particular, the kit may have primers or other DNA markers for identifying particular mutations such as, but not limited to, one or more genes selected from the group consisting of DEC1, PZLP, TCF4 and CD5L.

There are many methods known in the art for determining the genotype of a patient and for identifying or analyzing whether a given DNA sample contains a particular somatic mutation. Any method for determining genotype can be used for determining genotypes in the present invention. Such methods include, but are not limited to, amplimer sequencing, DNA sequencing, fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (or “FRET”)-based hybridization analysis, high throughput screening, mass spectroscopy, nucleic acid hybridization, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), RFLP analysis and size chromatography (e.g., capillary or gel chromatography), all of which are well known to one of skill in the art.

The methods of the present invention, such as whole exome sequencing and targeted amplicon sequencing, have commercial applications in diagnostic kits for the detection of the somatic mutations in patients. A test kit according to the invention may comprise any of the materials necessary for whole exome sequencing and targeted amplicon sequencing, for example, according to the invention. In a particular advantageous embodiment, a diagnostic for the present invention may comprise testing for any of the genes in disclosed herein. The kit further comprises additional means, such as reagents, for detecting or measuring the sequences of the present invention, and also ideally a positive and negative control.

The present invention further encompasses probes according to the present invention that are immobilized on a solid or flexible support, such as paper, nylon or other type of membrane, filter, chip, glass slide, microchips, microbeads, or any other such matrix, all of which are within the scope of this invention. The probe of this form is now called a “DNA chip”. These DNA chips can be used for analyzing the somatic mutations of the present invention. The present invention further encompasses arrays or microarrays of nucleic acid molecules that are based on one or more of the sequences described herein. As used herein “arrays” or “microarrays” refers to an array of distinct polynucleotides or oligonucleotides synthesized on a solid or flexible support, such as paper, nylon or other type of membrane, filter, chip, glass slide, or any other suitable solid support. In one embodiment, the microarray is prepared and used according to the methods and devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,446,603; 5,545,531; 5,807,522; 5,837,832; 5,874,219; 6,114,122; 6,238,910; 6,365,418; 6,410,229; 6,420,114; 6,432,696; 6,475,808 and 6,489,159 and PCT Publication No. WO 01/45843 A2, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

The following examples are given for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments of the invention and are not meant to limit the present invention in any fashion. The present examples, along with the methods described herein are presently representative of preferred embodiments, are exemplary, and are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Changes therein and other uses which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the claims will occur to those skilled in the art.

In this regard, mention is made that mutations in cells and also mutated mice for use in or as to the invention can be by way of the CRISPR-Cas system or a Cas9-expressing eukaryotic cell or Cas-9 expressing eukaryote, such as a mouse. The Cas9-expressing eukaryotic cell or eukaryote, e.g., mouse, can have guide RNA delivered or administered thereto, whereby the RNA targets a loci and induces a desired mutation for use in or as to the invention. With respect to general information on CRISPR-Cas Systems, components thereof, and delivery of such components, including methods, materials, delivery vehicles, vectors, particles, and making and using thereof, including as to amounts and formulations, as well as Cas9-expressing eukaryotic cells, Cas-9 expressing eukaryotes, such as a mouse, all useful in or as to the instant invention, reference is made to: U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,697,359, 8,771,945, 8,795,965, 8,865,406, 8,871,445, 8,889,356, 8,889,418, 8,895,308, 8,932,814, 8,945,839, 8,906,616; US Patent Publications US 2014-0310830 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/105,031), US 2014-0287938 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/213,991), US 2014-0273234 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/293,674), US2014-0273232 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/290,575), US 2014-0273231 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/259,420), US 2014-0256046 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/226,274), US 2014-0248702 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/258,458), US 2014-0242700 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/222,930), US 2014-0242699 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/183,512), US 2014-0242664 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/104,990), US 2014-0234972 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/183,471), US 2014-0227787 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/256,912), US 2014-0189896 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/105,035), US 2014-0186958 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/105,017), US 2014-0186919 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/104,977), US 2014-0186843 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/104,900), US 2014-0179770 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/104,837) and US 2014-0179006 A1 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/183,486), US 2014-0170753 (U.S. application Ser. No. 14/183,429); European Patents/Patent Applications: EP 2 771 468 (EP13818570.7), EP 2 764 103 (EP13824232.6), and EP 2 784 162 (EP14170383.5); and PCT Patent Publications WO 2014/093661 (PCT/US2013/074743), WO 2014/093694 (PCT/US2013/074790), WO 2014/093595 (PCT/US2013/074611), WO 2014/093718 (PCT/US2013/074825), WO 2014/093709 (PCT/US2013/074812), WO 2014/093622 (PCT/US2013/074667), WO 2014/093635 (PCT/US2013/074691), WO 2014/093655 (PCT/US2013/074736), WO 2014/093712 (PCT/US2013/074819), WO2014/093701 (PCT/US2013/074800), WO2014/018423 (PCT/US2013/051418), WO 2014/204723 (PCT/US2014/041790), WO 2014/204724 (PCT/US2014/041800), WO 2014/204725 (PCT/US2014/041803), WO 2014/204726 (PCT/US2014/041804), WO 2014/204727 (PCT/US2014/041806), WO 2014/204728 (PCT/US2014/041808), WO 2014/204729 (PCT/US2014/041809), and:

Multiplex genome engineering using CRISPR/Cas systems . Cong, L., Ran, F. A., Cox, D., Lin, S., Barretto, R., Habib, N., Hsu, P. D., Wu, X., Jiang, W., Marraffini, L. A., & Zhang, F. Science February 15; 339(6121):819-23 (2013); RNA - guided editing of bacterial genomes using CRISPR - Cas systems . Jiang W., Bikard D., Cox D., Zhang F, Marraffini L A. Nat Biotechnol March; 31(3):233-9 (2013); One - Step Generation of Mice Carrying Mutations in Multiple Genes by CRISPR/Cas - Mediated Genome Engineering . Wang H., Yang H., Shivalila C S., Dawlaty M M., Cheng A W., Zhang F., Jaenisch R. Cell May 9; 153(4):910-8 (2013); Optical control of mammalian endogenous transcription and epigenetic states. Konermann S, Brigham M D, Trevino A E, Hsu P D, Heidenreich M, Cong L, Platt R J, Scott D A, Church G M, Zhang F. Nature. 2013 Aug. 22; 500(7463):472-6. doi: 10.1038/Nature12466. Epub 2013 Aug. 23; Double Nicking by RNA - Guided CRISPR Cas 9 for Enhanced Genome Editing Specificity. Ran, F A., Hsu, P D., Lin, C Y., Gootenberg, J S., Konermann, S., Trevino, A E., Scott, D A., Inoue, A., Matoba, S., Zhang, Y., & Zhang, F. Cell August 28. pii: S0092-8674(13)01015-5. (2013); DNA targeting specificity of RNA guided Cas 9 nucleases . Hsu, P., Scott, D., Weinstein, J., Ran, F A., Konermann, S., Agarwala, V., Li, Y., Fine, E., Wu, X., Shalem, O., Cradick, T J., Marraffini, L A., Bao, G., & Zhang, F. Nat Biotechnol doi:10.1038/nbt.2647 (2013); Genome engineering using the CRISPR - Cas 9 system . Ran, F A., Hsu, P D., Wright, J., Agarwala, V., Scott, D A., Zhang, F. Nature Protocols November; 8(11):2281-308. (2013); Genome - Scale CRISPR - Cas 9 Knockout Screening in Human Cells . Shalem, O., Sanjana, N E., Hartenian, E., Shi, X., Scott, D A., Mikkelson, T., Heckl, D., Ebert, B L., Root, D E., Doench, J G., Zhang, F. Science December 12, (2013). [Epub ahead of print]; Crystal structure of cas 9 in complex with guide RNA and target DNA . Nishimasu, H., Ran, F A., Hsu, P D., Konermann, S., Shehata, S I., Dohmae, N., Ishitani, R., Zhang, F., Nureki, O. Cell February 27, (2014). 156(5):935-49; Genome - wide binding of the CRISPR endonuclease Cas 9 in mammalian cells . Wu X., Scott D A., Kriz A J., Chiu A C., Hsu P D., Dadon D B., Cheng A W., Trevino A E., Konermann S., Chen S., Jaenisch R., Zhang F., Sharp P A. Nat Biotechnol . (2014) April 20. doi: 10.1038/nbt.2889, CRISPR - Cas 9 Knockin Mice for Genome Editing and Cancer Modeling , Platt et al., Cell 159(2): 440-455 (2014) DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.09.014, Development and Applications of CRISPR - Cas 9 for Genome Engineering , Hsu et al, Cell 157, 1262-1278 (Jun. 5, 2014) (Hsu 2014), Genetic screens in human cells using the CRISPR/Cas 9 system , Wang et al., Science. 2014 Jan. 3; 343(6166): 80-84. doi:10.1126/science.1246981, Rational design of highly active sgRNAs for CRISPR - Cas 9- mediated gene inactivation, Doench et al., Nature Biotechnology published online 3 Sep. 2014; doi:10.1038/nbt.3026, and In vivo interrogation of gene function in the mammalian brain using CRISPR - Cas 9, Swiech et al, Nature Biotechnology; published online 19 Oct. 2014; doi:10.1038/nbt.3055,

each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The invention involves a high-throughput single-cell RNA-Seq and/or targeted nucleic acid profiling (for example, sequencing, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and the like) where the RNAs from different cells are tagged individually, allowing a single library to be created while retaining the cell identity of each read. In this regard, technology of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/048,227 filed Sep. 9, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, may be used in or as to the invention. A combination of molecular barcoding and emulsion-based microfluidics to isolate, lyse, barcode, and prepare nucleic acids from individual cells in high-throughput is used. Microfluidic devices (for example, fabricated in polydimethylsiloxane), sub-nanoliter reverse emulsion droplets. These droplets are used to co-encapsulate nucleic acids with a barcoded capture bead. Each bead, for example, is uniquely barcoded so that each drop and its contents are distinguishable. The nucleic acids may come from any source known in the art, such as for example, those which come from a single cell, a pair of cells, a cellular lysate, or a solution. The cell is lysed as it is encapsulated in the droplet. To load single cells and barcoded beads into these droplets with Poisson statistics, 100,000 to 10 million such beads are needed to barcode ˜10,000-100,000 cells. In this regard there can be a single-cell sequencing library which may comprise: merging one uniquely barcoded mRNA capture microbead with a single-cell in an emulsion droplet having a diameter of 75-125 μm; lysing the cell to make its RNA accessible for capturing by hybridization onto RNA capture microbead; performing a reverse transcription either inside or outside the emulsion droplet to convert the cell's mRNA to a first strand cDNA that is covalently linked to the mRNA capture microbead; pooling the cDNA-attached microbeads from all cells; and preparing and sequencing a single composite RNA-Seq library. Accordingly, it is envisioned as to or in the practice of the invention provides that there can be a method for preparing uniquely barcoded mRNA capture microbeads, which has a unique barcode and diameter suitable for microfluidic devices which may comprise: 1) performing reverse phosphoramidite synthesis on the surface of the bead in a pool-and-split fashion, such that in each cycle of synthesis the beads are split into four reactions with one of the four canonical nucleotides (T, C, G, or A) or unique oligonucleotides of length two or more bases; 2) repeating this process a large number of times, at least six, and optimally more than twelve, such that, in the latter, there are more than 16 million unique barcodes on the surface of each bead in the pool. (See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC206447). Likewise, in or as to the instant invention there can be an apparatus for creating a single-cell sequencing library via a microfluidic system, which may comprise: an oil-surfactant inlet which may comprise a filter and a carrier fluid channel, wherein said carrier fluid channel further may comprise a resistor; an inlet for an analyte which may comprise a filter and a carrier fluid channel, wherein said carrier fluid channel may further comprise a resistor; an inlet for mRNA capture microbeads and lysis reagent which may comprise a filter and a carrier fluid channel, wherein said carrier fluid channel may further comprise a resistor; said carrier fluid channels have a carrier fluid flowing therein at an adjustable or predetermined flow rate; wherein each said carrier fluid channels merge at a junction; and said junction being connected to a mixer, which contains an outlet for drops. Similarly, as to or in the practice of the instant invention there can be a method for creating a single-cell sequencing library which may comprise: merging one uniquely barcoded RNA capture microbead with a single-cell in an emulsion droplet having a diameter of 125 μm lysing the cell thereby capturing the RNA on the RNA capture microbead; performing a reverse transcription either after breakage of the droplets and collection of the microbeads; or inside the emulsion droplet to convert the cell's RNA to a first strand cDNA that is covalently linked to the RNA capture microbead; pooling the cDNA-attached microbeads from all cells; and preparing and sequencing a single composite RNA-Seq library; and, the emulsion droplet can be between 50-210 μm. In a further embodiment, the method wherein the diameter of the mRNA capture microbeads is from 10 μm to 95 μm. Thus, the practice of the instant invention comprehends preparing uniquely barcoded mRNA capture microbeads, which has a unique barcode and diameter suitable for microfluidic devices which may comprise: 1) performing reverse phosphoramidite synthesis on the surface of the bead in a pool-and-split fashion, such that in each cycle of synthesis the beads are split into four reactions with one of the four canonical nucleotides (T, C, G, or A); 2) repeating this process a large number of times, at least six, and optimally more than twelve, such that, in the latter, there are more than 16 million unique barcodes on the surface of each bead in the pool. The covalent bond can be polyethylene glycol. The diameter of the mRNA capture microbeads can be from 10 μm to 95 μm. Accordingly, it is also envisioned as to or in the practice of the invention that there can be a method for preparing uniquely barcoded mRNA capture microbeads, which has a unique barcode and diameter suitable for microfluidic devices which may comprise: 1) performing reverse phosphoramidite synthesis on the surface of the bead in a pool-and-split fashion, such that in each cycle of synthesis the beads are split into four reactions with one of the four canonical nucleotides (T, C, G, or A); 2) repeating this process a large number of times, at least six, and optimally more than twelve, such that, in the latter, there are more than 16 million unique barcodes on the surface of each bead in the pool. And, the diameter of the mRNA capture microbeads can be from 10 μm to 95 μm. Further, as to in the practice of the invention there can be an apparatus for creating a composite single-cell sequencing library via a microfluidic system, which may comprise: an oil-surfactant inlet which may comprise a filter and two carrier fluid channels, wherein said carrier fluid channel further may comprise a resistor; an inlet for an analyte which may comprise a filter and two carrier fluid channels, wherein said carrier fluid channel further may comprise a resistor; an inlet for mRNA capture microbeads and lysis reagent which may comprise a carrier fluid channel; said carrier fluid channels have a carrier fluid flowing therein at an adjustable and predetermined flow rate; wherein each said carrier fluid channels merge at a junction; and said junction being connected to a constriction for droplet pinch-off followed by a mixer, which connects to an outlet for drops. The analyte may comprise a chemical reagent, a genetically perturbed cell, a protein, a drug, an antibody, an enzyme, a nucleic acid, an organelle like the mitochondrion or nucleus, a cell or any combination thereof. In an embodiment of the apparatus the analyte is a cell. In a further embodiment the cell is a brain cell. In an embodiment of the apparatus the lysis reagent may comprise an anionic surfactant such as sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, or a chaotropic salt such as guanidinium thiocyanate. The filter can involve square PDMS posts; e.g., with the filter on the cell channel of such posts with sides ranging between 125-135 μm with a separation of 70-100 mm between the posts. The filter on the oil-surfactant inlet may comprise square posts of two sizes; one with sides ranging between 75-100 μm and a separation of 25-30 μm between them and the other with sides ranging between 40-50 μm and a separation of 10-15 μm. The apparatus can involve a resistor, e.g., a resistor that is serpentine having a length of 7000-9000 μm, width of 50-75 μm and depth of 100-150 mm. The apparatus can have channels having a length of 8000-12,000 μm for oil-surfactant inlet, 5000-7000 for analyte (cell) inlet, and 900-1200 μm for the inlet for microbead and lysis agent; and/or all channels having a width of 125-250 mm, and depth of 100-150 mm. The width of the cell channel can be 125-250 μm and the depth 100-150 μm. The apparatus can include a mixer having a length of 7000-9000 μm, and a width of 110-140 μm with 35-45zig-zigs every 150 μm. The width of the mixer can be about 125 μm. The oil-surfactant can be a PEG Block Polymer, such as BIORAD™ QX200 Droplet Generation Oil. The carrier fluid can be a water-glycerol mixture. In the practice of the invention or as to the invention, a mixture may comprise a plurality of microbeads adorned with combinations of the following elements: bead-specific oligonucleotide barcodes; additional oligonucleotide barcode sequences which vary among the oligonucleotides on an individual bead and can therefore be used to differentiate or help identify those individual oligonucleotide molecules; additional oligonucleotide sequences that create substrates for downstream molecular-biological reactions, such as oligo-dT (for reverse transcription of mature mRNAs), specific sequences (for capturing specific portions of the transcriptome, or priming for DNA polymerases and similar enzymes), or random sequences (for priming throughout the transcriptome or genome). The individual oligonucleotide molecules on the surface of any individual microbead may contain all three of these elements, and the third element may include both oligo-dT and a primer sequence. A mixture may comprise a plurality of microbeads, wherein said microbeads may comprise the following elements: at least one bead-specific oligonucleotide barcode; at least one additional identifier oligonucleotide barcode sequence, which varies among the oligonucleotides on an individual bead, and thereby assisting in the identification and of the bead specific oligonucleotide molecules; optionally at least one additional oligonucleotide sequences, which provide substrates for downstream molecular-biological reactions. A mixture may comprise at least one oligonucleotide sequence(s), which provide for substrates for downstream molecular-biological reactions. In a further embodiment the downstream molecular biological reactions are for reverse transcription of mature mRNAs; capturing specific portions of the transcriptome, priming for DNA polymerases and/or similar enzymes; or priming throughout the transcriptome or genome. The mixture may involve additional oligonucleotide sequence(s) which may comprise a oligo-dT sequence. The mixture further may comprise the additional oligonucleotide sequence which may comprise a primer sequence. The mixture may further comprise the additional oligonucleotide sequence which may comprise a oligo-dT sequence and a primer sequence. Examples of the labeling substance which may be employed include labeling substances known to those skilled in the art, such as fluorescent dyes, enzymes, coenzymes, chemiluminescent substances, and radioactive substances. Specific examples include radioisotopes (e.g., 32P, 14C, 125I, 3H, and 131I), fluorescein, rhodamine, dansyl chloride, umbelliferone, luciferase, peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase, β-galactosidase, β-glucosidase, horseradish peroxidase, glucoamylase, lysozyme, saccharide oxidase, microperoxidase, biotin, and ruthenium. In the case where biotin is employed as a labeling substance, preferably, after addition of a biotin-labeled antibody, streptavidin bound to an enzyme (e.g., peroxidase) is further added. Advantageously, the label is a fluorescent label. Examples of fluorescent labels include, but are not limited to, Atto dyes, 4-acetamido-4′-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′disulfonic acid; acridine and derivatives: acridine, acridine isothiocyanate; 5-(2′-aminoethyl)aminonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid (EDANS); 4-amino-N-[3-vinyl sulfonyl)phenyl]naphthalimide-3,5 disulfonate; N-(4-anilino-1-naphthyl)maleimide; anthranilamide; BODIPY; Brilliant Yellow; coumarin and derivatives; coumarin, 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC, Coumarin 120), 7-amino-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin (Coumaran 151); cyanine dyes; cyanosine; 4′,6-diaminidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI); 5′5″-dibromopyrogallol-sulfonphthaleine (Bromopyrogallol Red); 7-diethylamino-3-(4′-isothiocyanatophenyl)-4-methylcoumarin; diethylenetriamine pentaacetate; 4,4′-diisothiocyanatodihydro-stilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid; 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid; 5-[dimethylamino]naphthalene-1-sulfonyl chloride (DNS, dansylchloride); 4-dimethylaminophenylazophenyl-4′-isothiocyanate (DABITC); eosin and derivatives; eosin, eosin isothiocyanate, erythrosin and derivatives; erythrosin B, erythrosin, isothiocyanate; ethidium; fluorescein and derivatives; 5-carboxyfluorescein (FAM), 5-(4,6-dichlorotriazin-2-yl)aminofluorescein (DTAF), 2′,7′-dimethoxy-4′5′-dichloro-6-carboxyfluorescein, fluorescein, fluorescein isothiocyanate, QFITC, (XRITC); fluorescamine; IR144; IR1446; Malachite Green isothiocyanate; 4-methylumbelliferone ortho cresolphthalein; nitrotyrosine; pararosaniline; Phenol Red; B-phycoerythrin; o-phthaldialdehyde; pyrene and derivatives: pyrene, pyrene butyrate, succinimidyl 1-pyrene; butyrate quantum dots; Reactive Red 4 (Cibacron™ Brilliant Red 3B-A) rhodamine and derivatives: 6-carboxy-X-rhodamine (ROX), 6-carboxyrhodamine (R6G), lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl chloride rhodamine (Rhod), rhodamine B, rhodamine 123, rhodamine X isothiocyanate, sulforhodamine B, sulforhodamine 101, sulfonyl chloride derivative of sulforhodamine 101 (Texas Red); N,N,N′,N′ tetramethyl-6-carboxyrhodamine (TAMRA); tetramethyl rhodamine; tetramethyl rhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC); riboflavin; rosolic acid; terbium chelate derivatives; Cy3; Cy5; Cy5.5; Cy7; IRD 700; IRD 800; La Jolta Blue; phthalo cyanine; and naphthalo cyanine. A fluorescent label may be a fluorescent protein, such as blue fluorescent protein, cyan fluorescent protein, green fluorescent protein, red fluorescent protein, yellow fluorescent protein or any photoconvertible protein. Colorimetric labeling, bioluminescent labeling and/or chemiluminescent labeling may further accomplish labeling. Labeling further may include energy transfer between molecules in the hybridization complex by perturbation analysis, quenching, or electron transport between donor and acceptor molecules, the latter of which may be facilitated by double stranded match hybridization complexes. The fluorescent label may be a perylene or a terylene. In the alternative, the fluorescent label may be a fluorescent bar code. Advantageously, the label may be light sensitive, wherein the label is light-activated and/or light cleaves the one or more linkers to release the molecular cargo. The light-activated molecular cargo may be a major light-harvesting complex (LHCII). In another embodiment, the fluorescent label may induce free radical formation. Advantageously, agents may be uniquely labeled in a dynamic manner (see, e.g., U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/703,884 filed Sep. 21, 2012). The unique labels are, at least in part, nucleic acid in nature, and may be generated by sequentially attaching two or more detectable oligonucleotide tags to each other and each unique label may be associated with a separate agent. A detectable oligonucleotide tag may be an oligonucleotide that may be detected by sequencing of its nucleotide sequence and/or by detecting non-nucleic acid detectable moieties to which it may be attached. Oligonucleotide tags may be detectable by virtue of their nucleotide sequence, or by virtue of a non-nucleic acid detectable moiety that is attached to the oligonucleotide such as but not limited to a fluorophore, or by virtue of a combination of their nucleotide sequence and the nonnucleic acid detectable moiety. A detectable oligonucleotide tag may comprise one or more nonoligonucleotide detectable moieties. Examples of detectable moieties may include, but are not limited to, fluorophores, microparticles including quantum dots (Empodocles, et al., Nature 399:126-130, 1999), gold nanoparticles (Reichert et al., Anal. Chem. 72:6025-6029, 2000), microbeads (Lacoste et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97(17):9461-9466, 2000), biotin, DNP (dinitrophenyl), fucose, digoxigenin, haptens, and other detectable moieties known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the detectable moieties may be quantum dots. Methods for detecting such moieties are described herein and/or are known in the art. Thus, detectable oligonucleotide tags may be, but are not limited to, oligonucleotides which may comprise unique nucleotide sequences, oligonucleotides which may comprise detectable moieties, and oligonucleotides which may comprise both unique nucleotide sequences and detectable moieties. A unique label may be produced by sequentially attaching two or more detectable oligonucleotide tags to each other. The detectable tags may be present or provided in a plurality of detectable tags. The same or a different plurality of tags may be used as the source of each detectable tag may be part of a unique label. In other words, a plurality of tags may be subdivided into subsets and single subsets may be used as the source for each tag. One or more other species may be associated with the tags. In particular, nucleic acids released by a lysed cell may be ligated to one or more tags. These may include, for example, chromosomal DNA, RNA transcripts, tRNA, mRNA, mitochondrial DNA, or the like. Such nucleic acids may be sequenced, in addition to sequencing the tags themselves, which may yield information about the nucleic acid profile of the cells, which can be associated with the tags, or the conditions that the corresponding droplet or cell was exposed to.

The invention accordingly may involve or be practiced as to high throughput and high resolution delivery of reagents to individual emulsion droplets that may contain cells, organelles, nucleic acids, proteins, etc. through the use of monodisperse aqueous droplets that are generated by a microfluidic device as a water-in-oil emulsion. The droplets are carried in a flowing oil phase and stabilized by a surfactant. In one aspect single cells or single organelles or single molecules (proteins, RNA, DNA) are encapsulated into uniform droplets from an aqueous solution/dispersion. In a related aspect, multiple cells or multiple molecules may take the place of single cells or single molecules. The aqueous droplets of volume ranging from 1 pL to 10 nL work as individual reactors. 104 to 105 single cells in droplets may be processed and analyzed in a single run. To utilize microdroplets for rapid large-scale chemical screening or complex biological library identification, different species of microdroplets, each containing the specific chemical compounds or biological probes cells or molecular barcodes of interest, have to be generated and combined at the preferred conditions, e.g., mixing ratio, concentration, and order of combination. Each species of droplet is introduced at a confluence point in a main microfluidic channel from separate inlet microfluidic channels. Preferably, droplet volumes are chosen by design such that one species is larger than others and moves at a different speed, usually slower than the other species, in the carrier fluid, as disclosed in U.S. Publication No. US 2007/0195127 and International Publication No. WO 2007/089541, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The channel width and length is selected such that faster species of droplets catch up to the slowest species. Size constraints of the channel prevent the faster moving droplets from passing the slower moving droplets resulting in a train of droplets entering a merge zone. Multi-step chemical reactions, biochemical reactions, or assay detection chemistries often require a fixed reaction time before species of different type are added to a reaction. Multi-step reactions are achieved by repeating the process multiple times with a second, third or more confluence points each with a separate merge point. Highly efficient and precise reactions and analysis of reactions are achieved when the frequencies of droplets from the inlet channels are matched to an optimized ratio and the volumes of the species are matched to provide optimized reaction conditions in the combined droplets. Fluidic droplets may be screened or sorted within a fluidic system of the invention by altering the flow of the liquid containing the droplets. For instance, in one set of embodiments, a fluidic droplet may be steered or sorted by directing the liquid surrounding the fluidic droplet into a first channel, a second channel, etc. In another set of embodiments, pressure within a fluidic system, for example, within different channels or within different portions of a channel, can be controlled to direct the flow of fluidic droplets. For example, a droplet can be directed toward a channel junction including multiple options for further direction of flow (e.g., directed toward a branch, or fork, in a channel defining optional downstream flow channels). Pressure within one or more of the optional downstream flow channels can be controlled to direct the droplet selectively into one of the channels, and changes in pressure can be effected on the order of the time required for successive droplets to reach the junction, such that the downstream flow path of each successive droplet can be independently controlled. In one arrangement, the expansion and/or contraction of liquid reservoirs may be used to steer or sort a fluidic droplet into a channel, e.g., by causing directed movement of the liquid containing the fluidic droplet. In another, the expansion and/or contraction of the liquid reservoir may be combined with other flow-controlling devices and methods, e.g., as described herein. Non-limiting examples of devices able to cause the expansion and/or contraction of a liquid reservoir include pistons. Key elements for using microfluidic channels to process droplets include: (1) producing droplet of the correct volume, (2) producing droplets at the correct frequency and (3) bringing together a first stream of sample droplets with a second stream of sample droplets in such a way that the frequency of the first stream of sample droplets matches the frequency of the second stream of sample droplets. Preferably, bringing together a stream of sample droplets with a stream of premade library droplets in such a way that the frequency of the library droplets matches the frequency of the sample droplets. Methods for producing droplets of a uniform volume at a regular frequency are well known in the art. One method is to generate droplets using hydrodynamic focusing of a dispersed phase fluid and immiscible carrier fluid, such as disclosed in U.S. Publication No. US 2005/0172476 and International Publication No. WO 2004/002627. It is desirable for one of the species introduced at the confluence to be a pre-made library of droplets where the library contains a plurality of reaction conditions, e.g., a library may contain plurality of different compounds at a range of concentrations encapsulated as separate library elements for screening their effect on cells or enzymes, alternatively a library could be composed of a plurality of different primer pairs encapsulated as different library elements for targeted amplification of a collection of loci, alternatively a library could contain a plurality of different antibody species encapsulated as different library elements to perform a plurality of binding assays. The introduction of a library of reaction conditions onto a substrate is achieved by pushing a premade collection of library droplets out of a vial with a drive fluid. The drive fluid is a continuous fluid. The drive fluid may comprise the same substance as the carrier fluid (e.g., a fluorocarbon oil). For example, if a library consists of ten pico-liter droplets is driven into an inlet channel on a microfluidic substrate with a drive fluid at a rate of 10,000 pico-liters per second, then nominally the frequency at which the droplets are expected to enter the confluence point is 1000 per second. However, in practice droplets pack with oil between them that slowly drains. Over time the carrier fluid drains from the library droplets and the number density of the droplets (number/mL) increases. Hence, a simple fixed rate of infusion for the drive fluid does not provide a uniform rate of introduction of the droplets into the microfluidic channel in the substrate. Moreover, library-to-library variations in the mean library droplet volume result in a shift in the frequency of droplet introduction at the confluence point. Thus, the lack of uniformity of droplets that results from sample variation and oil drainage provides another problem to be solved. For example if the nominal droplet volume is expected to be 10 pico-liters in the library, but varies from 9 to 11 pico-liters from library-to-library then a 10,000 pico-liter/second infusion rate will nominally produce a range in frequencies from 900 to 1,100 droplet per second. In short, sample to sample variation in the composition of dispersed phase for droplets made on chip, a tendency for the number density of library droplets to increase over time and library-to-library variations in mean droplet volume severely limit the extent to which frequencies of droplets may be reliably matched at a confluence by simply using fixed infusion rates. In addition, these limitations also have an impact on the extent to which volumes may be reproducibly combined. Combined with typical variations in pump flow rate precision and variations in channel dimensions, systems are severely limited without a means to compensate on a run-to-run basis. The foregoing facts not only illustrate a problem to be solved, but also demonstrate a need for a method of instantaneous regulation of microfluidic control over microdroplets within a microfluidic channel. Combinations of surfactant(s) and oils must be developed to facilitate generation, storage, and manipulation of droplets to maintain the unique chemical/biochemical/biological environment within each droplet of a diverse library. Therefore, the surfactant and oil combination must (1) stabilize droplets against uncontrolled coalescence during the drop forming process and subsequent collection and storage, (2) minimize transport of any droplet contents to the oil phase and/or between droplets, and (3) maintain chemical and biological inertness with contents of each droplet (e.g., no adsorption or reaction of encapsulated contents at the oil-water interface, and no adverse effects on biological or chemical constituents in the droplets). In addition to the requirements on the droplet library function and stability, the surfactant-in-oil solution must be coupled with the fluid physics and materials associated with the platform. Specifically, the oil solution must not swell, dissolve, or degrade the materials used to construct the microfluidic chip, and the physical properties of the oil (e.g., viscosity, boiling point, etc.) must be suited for the flow and operating conditions of the platform. Droplets formed in oil without surfactant are not stable to permit coalescence, so surfactants must be dissolved in the oil that is used as the continuous phase for the emulsion library. Surfactant molecules are amphiphilic—part of the molecule is oil soluble, and part of the molecule is water soluble. When a water-oil interface is formed at the nozzle of a microfluidic chip for example in the inlet module described herein, surfactant molecules that are dissolved in the oil phase adsorb to the interface. The hydrophilic portion of the molecule resides inside the droplet and the fluorophilic portion of the molecule decorates the exterior of the droplet. The surface tension of a droplet is reduced when the interface is populated with surfactant, so the stability of an emulsion is improved. In addition to stabilizing the droplets against coalescence, the surfactant should be inert to the contents of each droplet and the surfactant should not promote transport of encapsulated components to the oil or other droplets. A droplet library may be made up of a number of library elements that are pooled together in a single collection (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 2010002241). Libraries may vary in complexity from a single library element to 1015 library elements or more. Each library element may be one or more given components at a fixed concentration. The element may be, but is not limited to, cells, organelles, virus, bacteria, yeast, beads, amino acids, proteins, polypeptides, nucleic acids, polynucleotides or small molecule chemical compounds. The element may contain an identifier such as a label. The terms “droplet library” or “droplet libraries” are also referred to herein as an “emulsion library” or “emulsion libraries.” These terms are used interchangeably throughout the specification. A cell library element may include, but is not limited to, hybridomas, B-cells, primary cells, cultured cell lines, cancer cells, stem cells, cells obtained from tissue, or any other cell type. Cellular library elements are prepared by encapsulating a number of cells from one to hundreds of thousands in individual droplets. The number of cells encapsulated is usually given by Poisson statistics from the number density of cells and volume of the droplet. However, in some cases the number deviates from Poisson statistics as described in Edd et al., “Controlled encapsulation of single-cells into monodisperse picolitre drops.” Lab Chip, 8(8): 1262-1264, 2008. The discrete nature of cells allows for libraries to be prepared in mass with a plurality of cellular variants all present in a single starting media and then that media is broken up into individual droplet capsules that contain at most one cell. These individual droplets capsules are then combined or pooled to form a library consisting of unique library elements. Cell division subsequent to, or in some embodiments following, encapsulation produces a clonal library element. A bead based library element may contain one or more beads, of a given type and may also contain other reagents, such as antibodies, enzymes or other proteins. In the case where all library elements contain different types of beads, but the same surrounding media, the library elements may all be prepared from a single starting fluid or have a variety of starting fluids. In the case of cellular libraries prepared in mass from a collection of variants, such as genomically modified, yeast or bacteria cells, the library elements will be prepared from a variety of starting fluids. Often it is desirable to have exactly one cell per droplet with only a few droplets containing more than one cell when starting with a plurality of cells or yeast or bacteria, engineered to produce variants on a protein. In some cases, variations from Poisson statistics may be achieved to provide an enhanced loading of droplets such that there are more droplets with exactly one cell per droplet and few exceptions of empty droplets or droplets containing more than one cell. Examples of droplet libraries are collections of droplets that have different contents, ranging from beads, cells, small molecules, DNA, primers, antibodies. Smaller droplets may be in the order of femtoliter (fL) volume drops, which are especially contemplated with the droplet dispensers. The volume may range from about 5 to about 600 fL. The larger droplets range in size from roughly 0.5 micron to 500 micron in diameter, which corresponds to about 1 pico liter to 1 nano liter. However, droplets may be as small as 5 microns and as large as 500 microns. Preferably, the droplets are at less than 100 microns, about 1 micron to about 100 microns in diameter. The most preferred size is about 20 to 40 microns in diameter (10 to 100 picoliters). The preferred properties examined of droplet libraries include osmotic pressure balance, uniform size, and size ranges. The droplets within the emulsion libraries of the present invention may be contained within an immiscible oil which may comprise at least one fluorosurfactant. In some embodiments, the fluorosurfactant within the immiscible fluorocarbon oil may be a block copolymer consisting of one or more perfluorinated polyether (PFPE) blocks and one or more polyethylene glycol (PEG) blocks. In other embodiments, the fluorosurfactant is a triblock copolymer consisting of a PEG center block covalently bound to two PFPE blocks by amide linking groups. The presence of the fluorosurfactant (similar to uniform size of the droplets in the library) is critical to maintain the stability and integrity of the droplets and is also essential for the subsequent use of the droplets within the library for the various biological and chemical assays described herein. Fluids (e.g., aqueous fluids, immiscible oils, etc.) and other surfactants that may be utilized in the droplet libraries of the present invention are described in greater detail herein. The present invention can accordingly involve an emulsion library which may comprise a plurality of aqueous droplets within an immiscible oil (e.g., fluorocarbon oil) which may comprise at least one fluorosurfactant, wherein each droplet is uniform in size and may comprise the same aqueous fluid and may comprise a different library element. The present invention also provides a method for forming the emulsion library which may comprise providing a single aqueous fluid which may comprise different library elements, encapsulating each library element into an aqueous droplet within an immiscible fluorocarbon oil which may comprise at least one fluorosurfactant, wherein each droplet is uniform in size and may comprise the same aqueous fluid and may comprise a different library element, and pooling the aqueous droplets within an immiscible fluorocarbon oil which may comprise at least one fluorosurfactant, thereby forming an emulsion library. For example, in one type of emulsion library, all different types of elements (e.g., cells or beads), may be pooled in a single source contained in the same medium. After the initial pooling, the cells or beads are then encapsulated in droplets to generate a library of droplets wherein each droplet with a different type of bead or cell is a different library element. The dilution of the initial solution enables the encapsulation process. In some embodiments, the droplets formed will either contain a single cell or bead or will not contain anything, i.e., be empty. In other embodiments, the droplets formed will contain multiple copies of a library element. The cells or beads being encapsulated are generally variants on the same type of cell or bead. In another example, the emulsion library may comprise a plurality of aqueous droplets within an immiscible fluorocarbon oil, wherein a single molecule may be encapsulated, such that there is a single molecule contained within a droplet for every 20-60 droplets produced (e.g., 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 droplets, or any integer in between). Single molecules may be encapsulated by diluting the solution containing the molecules to such a low concentration that the encapsulation of single molecules is enabled. In one specific example, a LacZ plasmid DNA was encapsulated at a concentration of 20 fM after two hours of incubation such that there was about one gene in 40 droplets, where 10 μm droplets were made at 10 kHz per second. Formation of these libraries rely on limiting dilutions.

The present invention also provides an emulsion library which may comprise at least a first aqueous droplet and at least a second aqueous droplet within a fluorocarbon oil which may comprise at least one fluorosurfactant, wherein the at least first and the at least second droplets are uniform in size and comprise a different aqueous fluid and a different library element. The present invention also provides a method for forming the emulsion library which may comprise providing at least a first aqueous fluid which may comprise at least a first library of elements, providing at least a second aqueous fluid which may comprise at least a second library of elements, encapsulating each element of said at least first library into at least a first aqueous droplet within an immiscible fluorocarbon oil which may comprise at least one fluorosurfactant, encapsulating each element of said at least second library into at least a second aqueous droplet within an immiscible fluorocarbon oil which may comprise at least one fluorosurfactant, wherein the at least first and the at least second droplets are uniform in size and may comprise a different aqueous fluid and a different library element, and pooling the at least first aqueous droplet and the at least second aqueous droplet within an immiscible fluorocarbon oil which may comprise at least one fluorosurfactant thereby forming an emulsion library. One of skill in the art will recognize that methods and systems of the invention are not preferably practiced as to cells, mutations, etc as herein disclosed, but that the invention need not be limited to any particular type of sample, and methods and systems of the invention may be used with any type of organic, inorganic, or biological molecule (see, e.g, US Patent Publication No. 20120122714). In particular embodiments the sample may include nucleic acid target molecules. Nucleic acid molecules may be synthetic or derived from naturally occurring sources. In one embodiment, nucleic acid molecules may be isolated from a biological sample containing a variety of other components, such as proteins, lipids and non-template nucleic acids. Nucleic acid target molecules may be obtained from any cellular material, obtained from an animal, plant, bacterium, fungus, or any other cellular organism. In certain embodiments, the nucleic acid target molecules may be obtained from a single cell. Biological samples for use in the present invention may include viral particles or preparations. Nucleic acid target molecules may be obtained directly from an organism or from a biological sample obtained from an organism, e.g., from blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, seminal fluid, saliva, sputum, stool and tissue. Any tissue or body fluid specimen may be used as a source for nucleic acid for use in the invention. Nucleic acid target molecules may also be isolated from cultured cells, such as a primary cell culture or a cell line. The cells or tissues from which target nucleic acids are obtained may be infected with a virus or other intracellular pathogen. A sample may also be total RNA extracted from a biological specimen, a cDNA library, viral, or genomic DNA. Generally, nucleic acid may be extracted from a biological sample by a variety of techniques such as those described by Maniatis, et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., pp. 280-281 (1982). Nucleic acid molecules may be single-stranded, double-stranded, or double-stranded with single-stranded regions (for example, stem- and loop-structures). Nucleic acid obtained from biological samples typically may be fragmented to produce suitable fragments for analysis. Target nucleic acids may be fragmented or sheared to desired length, using a variety of mechanical, chemical and/or enzymatic methods. DNA may be randomly sheared via sonication, e.g. Covaris method, brief exposure to a DNase, or using a mixture of one or more restriction enzymes, or a transposase or nicking enzyme. RNA may be fragmented by brief exposure to an RNase, heat plus magnesium, or by shearing. The RNA may be converted to cDNA. If fragmentation is employed, the RNA may be converted to cDNA before or after fragmentation. In one embodiment, nucleic acid from a biological sample is fragmented by sonication. In another embodiment, nucleic acid is fragmented by a hydroshear instrument. Generally, individual nucleic acid target molecules may be from about 40 bases to about 40 kb. Nucleic acid molecules may be single-stranded, double-stranded, or double-stranded with single-stranded regions (for example, stem- and loop-structures). A biological sample as described herein may be homogenized or fractionated in the presence of a detergent or surfactant. The concentration of the detergent in the buffer may be about 0.05% to about 10.0%. The concentration of the detergent may be up to an amount where the detergent remains soluble in the solution. In one embodiment, the concentration of the detergent is between 0.1% to about 2%. The detergent, particularly a mild one that is nondenaturing, may act to solubilize the sample. Detergents may be ionic or nonionic. Examples of nonionic detergents include triton, such as the Triton™ X series (Triton™ X-100 t-Oct-C6H4-(OCH2-CH2)xOH, x=9-10, Triton™ X-100R, Triton™ X-114 x=7-8), octyl glucoside, polyoxyethylene(9)dodecyl ether, digitonin, IGEPAL™ CA630 octylphenyl polyethylene glycol, n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (betaOG), n-dodecyl-beta, Tween™. 20 polyethylene glycol sorbitan monolaurate, Tween™ 80 polyethylene glycol sorbitan monooleate, polidocanol, n-dodecyl beta-D-maltoside (DDM), NP-40 nonylphenyl polyethylene glycol, C12E8 (octaethylene glycol n-dodecyl monoether), hexaethyleneglycol mono-n-tetradecyl ether (C14E06), octyl-beta-thioglucopyranoside (octyl thioglucoside, OTG), Emulgen, and polyoxyethylene 10 lauryl ether (C12E10). Examples of ionic detergents (anionic or cationic) include deoxycholate, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), N-lauroylsarcosine, and cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB). A zwitterionic reagent may also be used in the purification schemes of the present invention, such as Chaps, zwitterion 3-14, and 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulf-onate. It is contemplated also that urea may be added with or without another detergent or surfactant. Lysis or homogenization solutions may further contain other agents, such as reducing agents. Examples of such reducing agents include dithiothreitol (DTT), β-mercaptoethanol, DTE, GSH, cysteine, cysteamine, tricarboxyethyl phosphine (TCEP), or salts of sulfurous acid. Size selection of the nucleic acids may be performed to remove very short fragments or very long fragments. The nucleic acid fragments may be partitioned into fractions which may comprise a desired number of fragments using any suitable method known in the art. Suitable methods to limit the fragment size in each fragment are known in the art. In various embodiments of the invention, the fragment size is limited to between about 10 and about 100 Kb or longer. A sample in or as to the instant invention may include individual target proteins, protein complexes, proteins with translational modifications, and protein/nucleic acid complexes. Protein targets include peptides, and also include enzymes, hormones, structural components such as viral capsid proteins, and antibodies. Protein targets may be synthetic or derived from naturally-occurring sources. The invention protein targets may be isolated from biological samples containing a variety of other components including lipids, non-template nucleic acids, and nucleic acids. Protein targets may be obtained from an animal, bacterium, fungus, cellular organism, and single cells. Protein targets may be obtained directly from an organism or from a biological sample obtained from the organism, including bodily fluids such as blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, seminal fluid, saliva, sputum, stool and tissue. Protein targets may also be obtained from cell and tissue lysates and biochemical fractions. An individual protein is an isolated polypeptide chain. A protein complex includes two or polypeptide chains. Samples may include proteins with post translational modifications including but not limited to phosphorylation, methionine oxidation, deamidation, glycosylation, ubiquitination, carbamylation, s-carboxymethylation, acetylation, and methylation. Protein/nucleic acid complexes include cross-linked or stable protein-nucleic acid complexes. Extraction or isolation of individual proteins, protein complexes, proteins with translational modifications, and protein/nucleic acid complexes is performed using methods known in the art.

The invention can thus involve forming sample droplets. The droplets are aqueous droplets that are surrounded by an immiscible carrier fluid. Methods of forming such droplets are shown for example in Link et al. (U.S. patent application numbers 2008/0014589, 2008/0003142, and 2010/0137163), Stone et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,708,949 and U.S. patent application number 2010/0172803), Anderson et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,041,481 and which reissued as RE41,780) and European publication number EP2047910 to Raindance Technologies Inc. The content of each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The present invention may relates to systems and methods for manipulating droplets within a high throughput microfluidic system. A microfluid droplet encapsulates a differentiated cell. The cell is lysed and its mRNA is hybridized onto a capture bead containing barcoded oligo dT primers on the surface, all inside the droplet. The barcode is covalently attached to the capture bead via a flexible multi-atom linker like PEG. In a preferred embodiment, the droplets are broken by addition of a fluorosurfactant (like perfluorooctanol), washed, and collected. A reverse transcription (RT) reaction is then performed to convert each cell's mRNA into a first strand cDNA that is both uniquely barcoded and covalently linked to the mRNA capture bead. Subsequently, a universal primer via a template switching reaction is amended using conventional library preparation protocols to prepare an RNA-Seq library. Since all of the mRNA from any given cell is uniquely barcoded, a single library is sequenced and then computationally resolved to determine which mRNAs came from which cells. In this way, through a single sequencing run, tens of thousands (or more) of distinguishable transcriptomes can be simultaneously obtained. The oligonucleotide sequence may be generated on the bead surface. During these cycles, beads were removed from the synthesis column, pooled, and aliquoted into four equal portions by mass; these bead aliquots were then placed in a separate synthesis column and reacted with either dG, dC, dT, or dA phosphoramidite. In other instances, dinucleotide, trinucleotides, or oligonucleotides that are greater in length are used, in other instances, the oligo-dT tail is replaced by gene specific oligonucleotides to prime specific targets (singular or plural), random sequences of any length for the capture of all or specific RNAs. This process was repeated 12 times for a total of 4 12 =16,777,216 unique barcode sequences. Upon completion of these cycles, 8 cycles of degenerate oligonucleotide synthesis were performed on all the beads, followed by 30 cycles of dT addition. In other embodiments, the degenerate synthesis is omitted, shortened (less than 8 cycles), or extended (more than 8 cycles); in others, the 30 cycles of dT addition are replaced with gene specific primers (single target or many targets) or a degenerate sequence. The aforementioned microfluidic system is regarded as the reagent delivery system microfluidic library printer or droplet library printing system of the present invention. Droplets are formed as sample fluid flows from droplet generator which contains lysis reagent and barcodes through microfluidic outlet channel which contains oil, towards junction. Defined volumes of loaded reagent emulsion, corresponding to defined numbers of droplets, are dispensed on-demand into the flow stream of carrier fluid. The sample fluid may typically comprise an aqueous buffer solution, such as ultrapure water (e.g., 18 mega-ohm resistivity, obtained, for example by column chromatography), 10 mM Tris HCl and 1 mM EDTA (TE) buffer, phosphate buffer saline (PBS) or acetate buffer. Any liquid or buffer that is physiologically compatible with nucleic acid molecules can be used. The carrier fluid may include one that is immiscible with the sample fluid. The carrier fluid can be a non-polar solvent, decane (e.g., tetradecane or hexadecane), fluorocarbon oil, silicone oil, an inert oil such as hydrocarbon, or another oil (for example, mineral oil). The carrier fluid may contain one or more additives, such as agents which reduce surface tensions (surfactants). Surfactants can include Tween, Span, fluorosurfactants, and other agents that are soluble in oil relative to water. In some applications, performance is improved by adding a second surfactant to the sample fluid. Surfactants can aid in controlling or optimizing droplet size, flow and uniformity, for example by reducing the shear force needed to extrude or inject droplets into an intersecting channel. This can affect droplet volume and periodicity, or the rate or frequency at which droplets break off into an intersecting channel. Furthermore, the surfactant can serve to stabilize aqueous emulsions in fluorinated oils from coalescing. Droplets may be surrounded by a surfactant which stabilizes the droplets by reducing the surface tension at the aqueous oil interface. Preferred surfactants that may be added to the carrier fluid include, but are not limited to, surfactants such as sorbitan-based carboxylic acid esters (e.g., the “Span” surfactants, Fluka Chemika), including sorbitan monolaurate (Span 20), sorbitan monopalmitate (Span 40), sorbitan monostearate (Span 60) and sorbitan monooleate (Span 80), and perfluorinated polyethers (e.g., DuPont Krytox 157 FSL, FSM, and/or FSH). Other non-limiting examples of non-ionic surfactants which may be used include polyoxyethylenated alkylphenols (for example, nonyl-, p-dodecyl-, and dinonylphenols), polyoxyethylenated straight chain alcohols, polyoxyethylenated polyoxypropylene glycols, polyoxyethylenated mercaptans, long chain carboxylic acid esters (for example, glyceryl and polyglyceryl esters of natural fatty acids, propylene glycol, sorbitol, polyoxyethylenated sorbitol esters, polyoxyethylene glycol esters, etc.) and alkanolamines (e.g., diethanolamine-fatty acid condensates and isopropanolamine-fatty acid condensates). In some cases, an apparatus for creating a single-cell sequencing library via a microfluidic system provides for volume-driven flow, wherein constant volumes are injected over time. The pressure in fluidic channels is a function of injection rate and channel dimensions. In one embodiment, the device provides an oil/surfactant inlet; an inlet for an analyte; a filter, an inlet for mRNA capture microbeads and lysis reagent; a carrier fluid channel which connects the inlets; a resistor; a constriction for droplet pinch-off; a mixer; and an outlet for drops. In an embodiment the invention provides apparatus for creating a single-cell sequencing library via a microfluidic system, which may comprise: an oil-surfactant inlet which may comprise a filter and a carrier fluid channel, wherein said carrier fluid channel may further comprise a resistor; an inlet for an analyte which may comprise a filter and a carrier fluid channel, wherein said carrier fluid channel may further comprise a resistor; an inlet for mRNA capture microbeads and lysis reagent which may comprise a filter and a carrier fluid channel, wherein said carrier fluid channel further may comprise a resistor; said carrier fluid channels have a carrier fluid flowing therein at an adjustable or predetermined flow rate; wherein each said carrier fluid channels merge at a junction; and said junction being connected to a mixer, which contains an outlet for drops. Accordingly, an apparatus for creating a single-cell sequencing library via a microfluidic system microfluidic flow scheme for single-cell RNA-seq is envisioned. Two channels, one carrying cell suspensions, and the other carrying uniquely barcoded mRNA capture bead, lysis buffer and library preparation reagents meet at a junction and is immediately co-encapsulated in an inert carrier oil, at the rate of one cell and one bead per drop. In each drop, using the bead's barcode tagged oligonucleotides as cDNA template, each mRNA is tagged with a unique, cell-specific identifier. The invention also encompasses use of a Drop-Seq library of a mixture of mouse and human cells. The carrier fluid may be caused to flow through the outlet channel so that the surfactant in the carrier fluid coats the channel walls. The fluorosurfactant can be prepared by reacting the perflourinated polyether DuPont Krytox 157 FSL, FSM, or FSH with aqueous ammonium hydroxide in a volatile fluorinated solvent. The solvent and residual water and ammonia can be removed with a rotary evaporator. The surfactant can then be dissolved (e.g., 2.5 wt %) in a fluorinated oil (e.g., Fluorinert (3M)), which then serves as the carrier fluid. Activation of sample fluid reservoirs to produce regent droplets is based on the concept of dynamic reagent delivery (e.g., combinatorial barcoding) via an on demand capability. The on demand feature may be provided by one of a variety of technical capabilities for releasing delivery droplets to a primary droplet, as described herein. From this disclosure and herein cited documents and knowledge in the art, it is within the ambit of the skilled person to develop flow rates, channel lengths, and channel geometries; and establish droplets containing random or specified reagent combinations can be generated on demand and merged with the “reaction chamber” droplets containing the samples/cells/substrates of interest. By incorporating a plurality of unique tags into the additional droplets and joining the tags to a solid support designed to be specific to the primary droplet, the conditions that the primary droplet is exposed to may be encoded and recorded. For example, nucleic acid tags can be sequentially ligated to create a sequence reflecting conditions and order of same. Alternatively, the tags can be added independently appended to solid support. Non-limiting examples of a dynamic labeling system that may be used to bioinformatically record information can be found at US Provisional Patent Application entitled “Compositions and Methods for Unique Labeling of Agents” filed Sep. 21, 2012 and Nov. 29, 2012. In this way, two or more droplets may be exposed to a variety of different conditions, where each time a droplet is exposed to a condition, a nucleic acid encoding the condition is added to the droplet each ligated together or to a unique solid support associated with the droplet such that, even if the droplets with different histories are later combined, the conditions of each of the droplets are remain available through the different nucleic acids. Non-limiting examples of methods to evaluate response to exposure to a plurality of conditions can be found at US Provisional Patent Application entitled “Systems and Methods for Droplet Tagging” filed Sep. 21, 2012. Accordingly, in or as to the invention it is envisioned that there can be the dynamic generation of molecular barcodes (e.g., DNA oligonucleotides, fluorophores, etc.) either independent from or in concert with the controlled delivery of various compounds of interest (drugs, small molecules, siRNA, CRISPR guide RNAs, reagents, etc.). For example, unique molecular barcodes can be created in one array of nozzles while individual compounds or combinations of compounds can be generated by another nozzle array. Barcodes/compounds of interest can then be merged with cell-containing droplets. An electronic record in the form of a computer log file is kept to associate the barcode delivered with the downstream reagent(s) delivered. This methodology makes it possible to efficiently screen a large population of cells for applications such as single-cell drug screening, controlled perturbation of regulatory pathways, etc. The device and techniques of the disclosed invention facilitate efforts to perform studies that require data resolution at the single cell (or single molecule) level and in a cost effective manner. The invention envisions a high throughput and high resolution delivery of reagents to individual emulsion droplets that may contain cells, nucleic acids, proteins, etc. through the use of monodisperse aqueous droplets that are generated one by one in a microfluidic chip as a water-in-oil emulsion. Being able to dynamically track individual cells and droplet treatments/combinations during life cycle experiments, and having an ability to create a library of emulsion droplets on demand with the further capability of manipulating the droplets through the disclosed process(es) are advantageous. In the practice of the invention there can be dynamic tracking of the droplets and create a history of droplet deployment and application in a single cell based environment. Droplet generation and deployment is produced via a dynamic indexing strategy and in a controlled fashion in accordance with disclosed embodiments of the present invention. Microdroplets can be processed, analyzed and sorted at a highly efficient rate of several thousand droplets per second, providing a powerful platform which allows rapid screening of millions of distinct compounds, biological probes, proteins or cells either in cellular models of biological mechanisms of disease, or in biochemical, or pharmacological assays. A plurality of biological assays as well as biological synthesis are contemplated. Polymerase chain reactions (PCR) are contemplated (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 20120219947). Methods of the invention may be used for merging sample fluids for conducting any type of chemical reaction or any type of biological assay. There may be merging sample fluids for conducting an amplification reaction in a droplet. Amplification refers to production of additional copies of a nucleic acid sequence and is generally carried out using polymerase chain reaction or other technologies well known in the art (e.g., Dieffenbach and Dveksler, PCR Primer, a Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Press, Plainview, N.Y. [1995]). The amplification reaction may be any amplification reaction known in the art that amplifies nucleic acid molecules, such as polymerase chain reaction, nested polymerase chain reaction, polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism, ligase chain reaction (Barany F. (1991) PNAS 88:189-193; Barany F. (1991) PCR Methods and Applications 1:5-16), ligase detection reaction (Barany F. (1991) PNAS 88:189-193), strand displacement amplification and restriction fragments length polymorphism, transcription based amplification system, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, rolling circle amplification, and hyper-branched rolling circle amplification. In certain embodiments, the amplification reaction is the polymerase chain reaction. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) refers to methods by K. B. Mullis (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,195 and 4,683,202, hereby incorporated by reference) for increasing concentration of a segment of a target sequence in a mixture of genomic DNA without cloning or purification. The process for amplifying the target sequence includes introducing an excess of oligonucleotide primers to a DNA mixture containing a desired target sequence, followed by a precise sequence of thermal cycling in the presence of a DNA polymerase. The primers are complementary to their respective strands of the double stranded target sequence. To effect amplification, primers are annealed to their complementary sequence within the target molecule. Following annealing, the primers are extended with a polymerase so as to form a new pair of complementary strands. The steps of denaturation, primer annealing and polymerase extension may be repeated many times (i.e., denaturation, annealing and extension constitute one cycle; there may be numerous cycles) to obtain a high concentration of an amplified segment of a desired target sequence. The length of the amplified segment of the desired target sequence is determined by relative positions of the primers with respect to each other, and therefore, this length is a controllable parameter. Methods for performing PCR in droplets are shown for example in Link et al. (U.S. Patent application numbers 2008/0014589, 2008/0003142, and 2010/0137163), Anderson et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,041,481 and which reissued as RE41,780) and European publication number EP2047910 to Raindance Technologies Inc. The content of each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The first sample fluid contains nucleic acid templates. Droplets of the first sample fluid are formed as described above. Those droplets will include the nucleic acid templates. In certain embodiments, the droplets will include only a single nucleic acid template, and thus digital PCR may be conducted. The second sample fluid contains reagents for the PCR reaction. Such reagents generally include Taq polymerase, deoxynucleotides of type A, C, G and T, magnesium chloride, and forward and reverse primers, all suspended within an aqueous buffer. The second fluid also includes detectably labeled probes for detection of the amplified target nucleic acid, the details of which are discussed below. This type of partitioning of the reagents between the two sample fluids is not the only possibility. In some instances, the first sample fluid will include some or all of the reagents necessary for the PCR whereas the second sample fluid will contain the balance of the reagents necessary for the PCR together with the detection probes. Primers may be prepared by a variety of methods including but not limited to cloning of appropriate sequences and direct chemical synthesis using methods well known in the art (Narang et al., Methods Enzymol., 68:90 (1979); Brown et al., Methods Enzymol., 68:109 (1979)). Primers may also be obtained from commercial sources such as Operon Technologies, Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Sigma, and Life Technologies. The primers may have an identical melting temperature. The lengths of the primers may be extended or shortened at the 5′ end or the 3′ end to produce primers with desired melting temperatures. Also, the annealing position of each primer pair may be designed such that the sequence and, length of the primer pairs yield the desired melting temperature. The simplest equation for determining the melting temperature of primers smaller than 25 base pairs is the Wallace Rule (Td=2(A+T)+4(G+C)). Computer programs may also be used to design primers, including but not limited to Array Designer Software (Arrayit Inc.), Oligonucleotide Probe Sequence Design Software for Genetic Analysis (Olympus Optical Co.), NetPrimer, and DNAsis from Hitachi Software Engineering. The TM (melting or annealing temperature) of each primer is calculated using software programs such as Oligo Design, available from Invitrogen Corp.

A droplet containing the nucleic acid is then caused to merge with the PCR reagents in the second fluid according to methods of the invention described above, producing a droplet that includes Taq polymerase, deoxynucleotides of type A, C, G and T, magnesium chloride, forward and reverse primers, detectably labeled probes, and the target nucleic acid. Once mixed droplets have been produced, the droplets are thermal cycled, resulting in amplification of the target nucleic acid in each droplet. Droplets may be flowed through a channel in a serpentine path between heating and cooling lines to amplify the nucleic acid in the droplet. The width and depth of the channel may be adjusted to set the residence time at each temperature, which may be controlled to anywhere between less than a second and minutes. The three temperature zones may be used for the amplification reaction. The three temperature zones are controlled to result in denaturation of double stranded nucleic acid (high temperature zone), annealing of primers (low temperature zones), and amplification of single stranded nucleic acid to produce double stranded nucleic acids (intermediate temperature zones). The temperatures within these zones fall within ranges well known in the art for conducting PCR reactions. See for example, Sambrook et al. (Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, 3rd edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 2001). The three temperature zones can be controlled to have temperatures as follows: 95° C. (TH), 55° C. (TL), 72° C. (TM). The prepared sample droplets flow through the channel at a controlled rate. The sample droplets first pass the initial denaturation zone (TH) before thermal cycling. The initial preheat is an extended zone to ensure that nucleic acids within the sample droplet have denatured successfully before thermal cycling. The requirement for a preheat zone and the length of denaturation time required is dependent on the chemistry being used in the reaction. The samples pass into the high temperature zone, of approximately 95° C., where the sample is first separated into single stranded DNA in a process called denaturation. The sample then flows to the low temperature, of approximately 55° C., where the hybridization process takes place, during which the primers anneal to the complementary sequences of the sample. Finally, as the sample flows through the third medium temperature, of approximately 72° C., the polymerase process occurs when the primers are extended along the single strand of DNA with a thermostable enzyme. The nucleic acids undergo the same thermal cycling and chemical reaction as the droplets pass through each thermal cycle as they flow through the channel. The total number of cycles in the device is easily altered by an extension of thermal zones. The sample undergoes the same thermal cycling and chemical reaction as it passes through N amplification cycles of the complete thermal device. In other aspects, the temperature zones are controlled to achieve two individual temperature zones for a PCR reaction. In certain embodiments, the two temperature zones are controlled to have temperatures as follows: 95° C. (TH) and 60° C. (TL). The sample droplet optionally flows through an initial preheat zone before entering thermal cycling. The preheat zone may be important for some chemistry for activation and also to ensure that double stranded nucleic acid in the droplets is fully denatured before the thermal cycling reaction begins. In an exemplary embodiment, the preheat dwell length results in approximately 10 minutes preheat of the droplets at the higher temperature. The sample droplet continues into the high temperature zone, of approximately 95° C., where the sample is first separated into single stranded DNA in a process called denaturation. The sample then flows through the device to the low temperature zone, of approximately 60° C., where the hybridization process takes place, during which the primers anneal to the complementary sequences of the sample. Finally the polymerase process occurs when the primers are extended along the single strand of DNA with a thermostable enzyme. The sample undergoes the same thermal cycling and chemical reaction as it passes through each thermal cycle of the complete device. The total number of cycles in the device is easily altered by an extension of block length and tubing. After amplification, droplets may be flowed to a detection module for detection of amplification products. The droplets may be individually analyzed and detected using any methods known in the art, such as detecting for the presence or amount of a reporter. Generally, a detection module is in communication with one or more detection apparatuses. Detection apparatuses may be optical or electrical detectors or combinations thereof. Examples of suitable detection apparatuses include optical waveguides, microscopes, diodes, light stimulating devices, (e.g., lasers), photo multiplier tubes, and processors (e.g., computers and software), and combinations thereof, which cooperate to detect a signal representative of a characteristic, marker, or reporter, and to determine and direct the measurement or the sorting action at a sorting module. Further description of detection modules and methods of detecting amplification products in droplets are shown in Link et al. (U.S. patent application numbers 2008/0014589, 2008/0003142, and 2010/0137163) and European publication number EP2047910 to Raindance Technologies Inc.

Examples of assays are also ELISA assays (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 20100022414). The present invention provides another emulsion library which may comprise a plurality of aqueous droplets within an immiscible fluorocarbon oil which may comprise at least one fluorosurfactant, wherein each droplet is uniform in size and may comprise at least a first antibody, and a single element linked to at least a second antibody, wherein said first and second antibodies are different. In one example, each library element may comprise a different bead, wherein each bead is attached to a number of antibodies and the bead is encapsulated within a droplet that contains a different antibody in solution. These antibodies may then be allowed to form “ELISA sandwiches,” which may be washed and prepared for a ELISA assay. Further, these contents of the droplets may be altered to be specific for the antibody contained therein to maximize the results of the assay. Single-cell assays are also contemplated as part of the present invention (see, e.g., Ryan et al., Biomicrofluidics 5, 021501 (2011) for an overview of applications of microfluidics to assay individual cells). A single-cell assay may be contemplated as an experiment that quantifies a function or property of an individual cell when the interactions of that cell with its environment may be controlled precisely or may be isolated from the function or property under examination. The research and development of single-cell assays is largely predicated on the notion that genetic variation causes disease and that small subpopulations of cells represent the origin of the disease. Methods of assaying compounds secreted from cells, subcellular components, cell-cell or cell-drug interactions as well as methods of patterning individual cells are also contemplated within the present invention.

These and other technologies may be employed in or as to the practice of the instant invention.

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GPR65 Promotes Th17 Differentiation and is Essential for EAE

GPR65, a glycosphingolipid receptor, is co-expressed with the pro-inflammatory module ( FIG. 4B ), suggesting that it might have a role in promoting pathogenicity. GPR65 is also highly expressed in the in vivo Th17 cells harvested from the CNS that attain a Th1-like effector/memory phenotype ( FIG. 2D ). Importantly, genetic variations in GPR65 are associated with multiple sclerosis (International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics et al., 2011), ankylosing spondylitis (International Genetics of Ankylosing Spondylitis et al., 2013), inflammatory bowel disease (Jostins et al., 2012), and Crohn's disease (Franke et al., 2010).

The role of GPR65 was tested in Th17 differentiation in vitro and in the development of autoimmunity in vivo. Naïve T-cells isolated from Gpr65 −/− mice in vitro were differentiated with TGF-β1+IL-6 (non-pathogenic condition) or with IL-1β+IL-6+IL-23 (pathogenic condition) for 96 hours. In both cases, there was a ˜40% reduction of IL-17a positive cells in Gpr65 −/− cells compared to their wild type controls as measured by intracellular cytokine staining (ICC) ( FIG. 5A ). Memory cells from Gpr65 −/− mice that were reactivated with IL-23 also showed a ˜45% reduction in IL-17a-positive cells compared to wild type. Consistently, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of the supernatant showed a reduced secretion of IL-17a (p<0.01) and IL-17f (p<2.5×10 −5 ) ( FIG. 5B ) and increased IL-10 secretion (p<0.01) under pathogenic (IL-1β+IL-6+L-23) differentiation conditions.

To further validate the effect of GPR65 on Th17 function, RNA-seq profiles were measured of a bulk population of Gpr65 −/− Th17 cells, differentiated in vitro under TGF-β1+IL-6 for 96 hours. Supporting a role for GPR65 as a driver of pathogenicity of Th17 cells, it was found that genes up-regulated (compared to wild type) in Gpr65 −/− cells are significantly enriched (P<18.5×10 −31 , hypergeometric test) for the genes characterizing the more regulatory cells under TGF-β1+IL-6 (positive PC1, FIG. 4C ) and for genes down-regulated in the pathogenicity signature (Lee et al., 2012) (P<1.4λ10 −4 , hypergeometric test).

To determine the effect of loss of GPR65 on tissue inflammation and autoimmune disease in vivo, CD4+ lymphocytes and splenocytes derived from Gpr65 −/− mice were transferred into RAG-1 −/− mice followed by MOG 35-55 immunization. It was found that in the absence of GPR65-expressing T cells, mice are protected from EAE ( FIG. 5D ) and far fewer IL-17A and IFN-γ positive cells are recovered from the LN and spleen compared to controls transferred with wild-type cells. Furthermore, in vitro restimulation of the spleen and LN cells from the immunized mice with MOG 35-55 showed that loss of GPR65 resulted in dramatic reduction of MOG-specific IL-17A or IFN-γ positive cells compared to their wild-type controls ( FIG. 5C ), suggesting that GPR65 regulates the generation of encephalitogenic T cells in vivo. Taken together, the data strongly validates that GPR65 is a positive regulator of the pathogenic Th17 phenotype, and its loss results in protection from EAE.

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MOG-Stimulated Plzp −/− Cells have a Defect in Generating Pathogenic Th17 Cells

PLZP (ROG), a transcription factor, is a known repressor of GATA3 (Miaw et al., 2000) (Th2 master regulator), and regulates cytokine expression (Miaw et al., 2000) in T-helper cells. Since Plzp is co-expressed with the pro-inflammatory module, it was hypothesized that it may regulate pathogenicity in Th17 cells. (It was, however, not possible to undertake an EAE experiment since PLZP −/− mice are not available on the EAE-susceptible background.)

While in vitro differentiated Plzp −/− cells produced IL-17A at comparable levels to wild-type, a MOG-driven recall assay revealed that Plzp −/− cells have a defect in IL-17A production that becomes apparent with increasing MOG concentration during restimulation ( FIG. 5H ). Furthermore, Plzp −/− cells also produced less IL-17A than wild-type cells when reactivated in the presence of IL-23, which acts to expand previously in vivo differentiated Th17 cells. Finally, Plzp −/− T cells secreted less IL-17A, IL-17F ( FIG. 5I ), IFN-γ, IL-13 and GM-CSF. These observations suggest that PLZP regulates the expression of a wider range of inflammatory cytokines. At 48 hours into the differentiation of Plzp −/− cells, Irf1 (FC=5.1), Il-9 (FC=1.8) and other transcripts of the regulatory module are up regulated compared to WT (Table S10), whereas transcripts from the pro-inflammatory module, such as Ccl-20 (FC=0.38), Tnf (FC=0.10) and Il-17a (FC=0.42), are repressed.

Thus, by single cell genomics and covariance analysis, a number of novel regulators of pathogenicity of Th17 cells that affect development of Th17 cells in vitro and autoimmunity in vivo have been identified.

Miaw, S. C., Choi, A., Yu, E., Kishikawa, H., and Ho, I. C. (2000). ROG, repressor of GATA, regulates the expression of cytokine genes. Immunity 12, 323-333.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention.