Maladaptive oxidative stress cascade drives type I interferon hyperactivity in TNF activated macrophages promoting necrosis in murine tuberculosis granulomas

Tuberculosis remains a critical infectious disease world-wide. The development of novel therapeutic strategies requires greater understanding of host factors that contribute to disease susceptibility. A major unknown in TB pathogenesis is the mechanism of necrosis in TB granulomas that leads to the massive lung tissue damage and cavity formation necessary for the pathogen transmission. In humans, TB progression has been linked to hyperactivity of type I IFN (IFN-I) pathway, the primary cause of which remains elusive. We studied the mechanistic drivers of pulmonary TB progression using a unique model B6J.C3- Sst1 C3HeB/Fej Krmn mice that develop human-like necrotic TB granulomas and IFN-I hyperactivity. We established that IFNβ super-induction occurred in the susceptible macrophages in response to continuous TNF stimulation in the context of a dysregulated antioxidant defense. We observed that unresolving oxidative stress amplified the induction of IFNβ through JNK activation and induced the Integrated Stress Response via PKR activation as a compensatory pathway. Subsequently, PKR amplifies IFNβ upregulation, forming a positive feedback loop, maintaining the hyperinflammatory state in susceptible macrophages and leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. Thus, within the inflammatory milieu, a cell-intrinsic mechanism of chronic regulatory dysfunction and unresolved stress gradually weakens the macrophage and ultimately promotes the necrotization of TB granulomas. The aberrant macrophage response to TNF can be prevented by an iron chelator and inhibitor of lipid peroxidation, ferrostatin-1. Moreover, ferrostatin treatment increased macrophage survival and boosted bacterial control in the TNF-stimulated macrophages infected with virulent Mtb. These findings identify targets for host-directed therapeutics to interrupt necrotization in TB granulomas. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.