Foxo4-and Stat3-dependent IL-10 production by progranulin in regulatory T cells restrains inflammatory arthritis

Progranulin (PGRN) restrains inflammation and is therapeutic against inflammatory arthritis; however, the underlying immunological mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that antiinflammatory cytokine IL-10 was a critical mediator for PGRN-mediated anti-inflammation in collagen-induced arthritisbyusingPGRNandIL-10geneticallymodifiedmousemodels. IL-10greenfluorescentproteinreportermice revealed that regulatory T (Treg) cells were the predominant source of IL-10 in response to PGRN. In addition, PGRN-mediated expansion and activation of Treg cells, as well as IL-10 production, depends on JNK signaling, but not on known PGRN-activated ERK and PI3K pathways. Furthermore, microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing screens led to the discovery of forkhead box protein O4 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 as the transcription factors required for PGRNinduction of IL-10 in(Treg) cells. These findings define a previously unrecognized signaling pathway that underlies IL-10 production byPGRNin Treg cells and present new insights into the mechanisms by which PGRN resolves inflammation in inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases, particularly inflammatory arthritis.-Fu, W., Hu, W., Shi, L., Mundra, J. J. Xiao, G., Dustin, M. L., Liu, C. Foxo4-and Stat3-dependent IL-10 production by progranulin in regulatory T cells restrains inflammatory arthritis.