Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted T cell epitopes are generated mainly by the immunoproteasome in antigen-presenting cells. Therefore, inhibition of activity of this proteolytic complex molecule is thought to be a potential treatment for cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. We therefore studied the efficacy of an immunoproteasome inhibitor, ONX 0914 (formerly PR-957), for the treatment of autoimmune thyroid diseases, including cell-mediated Hashimoto's thyroiditis and autoantibody-mediated Graves' hyperthyroidism using mouse models. Our data show that ONX 0914 was effective prophylactically and therapeutically at suppressing the degree of intrathyroidal lymphocyte infiltration and, to a lesser degree, the titres of anti-thyroglobulin autoantibodies in non-obese diabetic (NOD)-H2(h4) mice, an iodine-induced autoimmune thyroiditis model. It also inhibited differentiation of T cells to T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 cells, effector T cell subsets critical for development of thyroiditis in this mouse strain. In contrast, its effect on the Graves' model was negligible. Although ONX 0914 exerts its immune-suppressive effect through not only suppression of immune proteasome but also other mechanism(s), such as inhibition of T cell differentiation, the present results suggest that the immunoproteasome is a novel drug target in treatment of Hashimoto's thyroiditis in particular and cell-mediated autoimmune diseases in general.