24-Nor-ursodeoxycholic acid improves intestinal inflammation by targeting T_H17 pathogenicity and transdifferentiation

Background 24-Nor-ursodeoxycholic acid (NorUDCA) is a novel therapeutic bile acid for treating immune-mediated cholestatic liver diseases, such as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).Objective Since PSC strongly associates with T helper-type-like 17 (TH17)-mediated intestinal inflammation, we explored NorUDCA's immunomodulatory potential on TH17 cells.Design NorUDCA's impact on TH17 differentiation was assessed using a CD4+TNaive adoptive transfer mouse model, and on intraepithelial TH17 pathogenicity and transdifferentiation using an alpha CD3 stimulation model combined with interleukin-17A-fate-mapping. Mechanistic studies used molecular and multiomics approaches, flow cytometry and metabolic assays with pathogenic (p) TH17. Pathogenicity of pTH17 exposed to NorUDCA in vitro was evaluated following adoptive transfer in intestinal tissues or the central nervous system (CNS). Key findings were validated in an alpha CD3-stimulated humanised NSG mouse model reconstituted with peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with PSC.Results NorUDCA suppressed TH17 effector function and enriched regulatory T cell (Treg) abundance upon CD4+TNaive cell transfer. NorUDCA mitigated intraepithelial TH17 pathogenicity and decreased the generation of proinflammatory 'TH1-like-TH17' cells, and enhanced TH17 transdifferentiation into Treg and Tr1 (regulatory type 1) cells in the alpha CD3-model. In vivo ablation revealed that Treg induction is crucial for NorUDCA's anti-inflammatory effect on TH17 pathogenicity. Mechanistically, NorUDCA restrained pTH17 effector function and simultaneously promoted functional Treg formation in vitro, by attenuating a glutamine-mTORC1-glycolysis signalling axis. Exposure of pTH17 to NorUDCA dampened their pathogenicity and expansion in the intestine or CNS upon transfer. NorUDCA's impact on TH17 inflammation was corroborated in the humanised NSG mouse model.Conclusion NorUDCA restricts TH17 inflammation in multiple mouse models, potentiating future clinical applications for treating TH17-mediated intestinal diseases and beyond. 24-Nor-ursodeoxycholic acid (NorUDCA) is a novel therapeutic bile acid for treating immune-mediated cholestatic liver diseases, such as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).Since PSC strongly associates with T helper-type-like 17 (TH17)-mediated intestinal inflammation, we explored NorUDCA's immunomodulatory potential on TH17 cells.NorUDCA's impact on TH17 differentiation was assessed using a CD4+TNaive adoptive transfer mouse model, and on intraepithelial TH17 pathogenicity and transdifferentiation using an αCD3 stimulation model combined with interleukin-17A-fate-mapping. Mechanistic studies used molecular and multiomics approaches, flow cytometry and metabolic assays with pathogenic (p) TH17. Pathogenicity of pTH17 exposed to NorUDCA in vitro was evaluated following adoptive transfer in intestinal tissues or the central nervous system (CNS). Key findings were validated in an αCD3-stimulated humanised NSG mouse model reconstituted with peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with PSC.NorUDCA suppressed TH17 effector function and enriched regulatory T cell (Treg) abundance upon CD4+TNaive cell transfer. NorUDCA mitigated intraepithelial TH17 pathogenicity and decreased the generation of proinflammatory 'TH1-like-TH17' cells, and enhanced TH17 transdifferentiation into Treg and Tr1 (regulatory type 1) cells in the αCD3-model. In vivo ablation revealed that Treg induction is crucial for NorUDCA's anti-inflammatory effect on TH17 pathogenicity. Mechanistically, NorUDCA restrained pTH17 effector function and simultaneously promoted functional Treg formation in vitro, by attenuating a glutamine-mTORC1-glycolysis signalling axis. Exposure of pTH17 to NorUDCA dampened their pathogenicity and expansion in the intestine or CNS upon transfer. NorUDCA's impact on TH17 inflammation was corroborated in the humanised NSG mouse model.NorUDCA restricts TH17 inflammation in multiple mouse models, potentiating future clinical applications for treating TH17-mediated intestinal diseases and beyond.© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.

Ullevaal Univ Hosp
Univ Med Ctr Hamburg Eppendorf
CeMM Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Vienna BioCenter Core Facilities
UNIVERSITETET I OSLO
Medizinische Universität Wien - AKH
Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Medizinische Universität Graz
Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien
Vienna Biocenter (VBC)
University of Hamburg
University of Oslo