CD127 imprints functional heterogeneity to diversify monocyte responses in human inflammatory diseases

Zhang, Bin; Zhang, Yuan; Xiong, Lei; Li, Yuzhe; Zhang, Yunliang; Zhao, Jiuliang; Jiang, Hui; Li, Can; Liu, Yunqi; Liu, Xindong; Liu, Haofei; Ping, Yi-Fang; Zhang, Qiangfeng Cliff; Zhang, Zheng; Bian, Xiu-Wu; Zhao, Yan; Hu, Xiaoyu

Studies on human monocytes historically focused on characterization of bulk responses, whereas functional heterogeneity is largely unknown. Here, we identified an inducible population of CD127-expressing human monocytes under inflammatory conditions and named the subset M127. M127 is nearly absent in healthy individuals yet abundantly present in patients with infectious and inflammatory conditions such as COVID-19 and rheumatoid arthritis. Multiple genomic and functional approaches revealed unique gene signatures of M127 and unified anti-inflammatory properties imposed by the CD127-STAT5 axis. M127 expansion correlated with mild COVID-19 disease outcomes. Thereby, we phenotypically and molecularly characterized a human monocyte subset marked by CD127 that retained anti-inflammatory properties within the pro-inflammatory environments, uncovering remarkable functional diversity among monocytes and signifying M127 as a potential therapeutic target for human inflammatory disorders.