Immunotherapy restores therapeutic efficacy of fecal microbiome transplants to treat Clostridioides difficile

Abstract

Microbiome-based therapeutics to treat enteric bacterial infections requires stable engraftment of transplanted beneficial bacteria that target and eliminate the pathogen. The host factors that determine whether a microbiome transplant engrafts remain largely unresolved. Here we demonstrate that Interleukin-10 (IL-10) signaling deficiency leads to impaired fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) engraftment and failure to resolve Clostridioides difficile infection in mice. In the absence of IL-10-mediated immunoregulation provided by Foxp3+ Treg cells, increased IFN-{gamma} signaling in the intestine leads to elevated production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) by neutrophils and epithelial cells that supports the growth of inflammation-tolerant microbes, inhibits FMT engraftment, and impairs resolution of C. difficile. FMT treatment success can be restored by antibody-mediated blockade of IFN-{gamma} signaling, neutrophil depletion or inhibition of ROS/RNS production. Lastly, we developed an Il10-mRNA-LNP immunotherapy to boost IL-10 signaling in FMT Non-Responsive mice and demonstrate that Il10-mRNA-LNP administration is sufficient to restore FMT engraftment and subsequent resolution of C. difficile. Combined, these data support a mechanism by which IL-10 released by Treg cells limits IFN-{gamma} mediated intestinal inflammation thereby promoting an intestinal microenvironment receptive to FMT engraftment and resolution of C. difficile. These data demonstrate that the host's immune status can be therapeutically modulated to improve microbiome-based approaches to treat infection.