Senescence phenotype of lymph node stromal cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis is partly restored by dasatinib treatment

ObjectiveCellular senescence is a state of proliferation arrest of cells occurring during aging. The persistence and accumulation of senescent cells has been implicated in the pathogenesis of age-related diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is a chronic autoimmune disease in which loss of immune tolerance and systemic autoimmunity precedes clinical onset of disease. Lymph node stromal cells (LNSCs) are important regulators of immune tolerance. Accordingly, accumulating senescent LNSCs may potentially lead to defective immune tolerance and the development of systemic autoimmune disease. MethodsHuman LNSCs were isolated and cultured from inguinal lymph node needle biopsies from individuals at risk of developing RA (RA-risk individuals), RA patients and seronegative healthy volunteers. Senescence hallmarks and the effect of dasatinib treatment were assessed using quantitative PCR, flow cytometry, microscopy and live-cell imaging. ResultsCell size, granularity and autofluorescence were significantly higher in RA LNSCs compared with control LNSCs. Stainings indicate more senescence associated {beta}-galactosidase activity, more lipofuscin positive granules and increased DNA damage in RA-risk and RA LNSCs compared with control LNSCs. Moreover, we found altered gene expression levels of senescence associated genes in LNSCs from RA patients. Strikingly, the capacity to repair irradiation induced DNA damage was significantly lower in RA-risk and RA LNSCs compared with control LNSCs. Treating LNSCs with dasatinib significantly improved cell size and DNA repair capacity of cultured LNSCs. ConclusionWe observed multiple senescent hallmarks in RA LNSCs and to lesser extent already in RA-risk LNSCs, which could partly be restored by dasatinib treatment. KEY MESSAGES What is already known on this topic?- Synovial fibroblasts from RA patients display a senescent phenotype and accumulate in inflamed synovial tissue. What does this study add?- Lymph node stromal cells (LNSCs) from RA patients, and to a lesser extent from RA-risk, display key hallmarks of senescence. - Both ex vivo and in vitro LNSCs from RA patients have an increased cell size compared with control LNSCs. - RA and RA-risk LNSCs have an impaired ability to repair DNA damage - Treating LNSCs with dasatinib significantly improved cell size and DNA repair capacity of LNSCs. How might this study impact on clinical practice or future developments?- These hallmarks of senescence in LNSCs may indicate premature aging and loss of function of the immunomodulatory lymph node stromal compartment during RA development. Dasatinib treatment of LNSCs shows that senolytics may be an effective preclinical drug to restore cell function early in disease.