Dendritic cells in tolerance induction for the treatment of autoimmune diseases

Abstract

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the loss of tolerance toward self‐antigens and the induction of destructive immune responses leading to tissue damage. Most patients with autoimmune diseases are treated with immunosuppressive drugs that suppress the immune response in a non‐specific fashion, which is inevitably accompanied by several side effects. Antigen‐specific immunomodulation and patient‐tailored therapies are likely to solve these issues and to elicit long‐term protection against disease flares. This Viewpoint analyzes the potential use of DC for induction of antigen‐specific tolerance in autoimmune disease settings.

Antigen Presentation After Stroke

“…DCs can be tolerogenic depending on their functional and maturation status and are able to delete or silence autoreactive T cells and facilitate the development of Tregs [66,67]. A pathway for DCs to traffic via the rostral migratory stream from the brain to the cervical LN, where they present antigen to T cells for inducing immune tolerance was observed in a mouse model of MS [68].…”

Dendritic cells in cancer immunotherapy

“…The DC system is astonishingly complex and composed of different subsets with considerable plasticity [12]. It is important to note that tolerance induction is the major function of DC in the steady state as also outlined in the accompanying article by Maria Rescigno [13]. Only presentation of antigen by sufficiently matured DC expressing costimulatory molecules (such as membrane-bound CD86 and CD70 and/or soluble IL-12) will result in robust T-cell proliferation and differentiation, and thus effective T-cell immunity.…”

Tolerogenic dendritic cells and rheumatoid arthritis: current status and perspectives

“…IL-4, IL-13) and result in autoimmune tolerance. (5) Tregs have been proved to attenuate RA via secretion of cytokines such as IL-25. TolDCs can express IDO and produce TGF-b and IL-10, which facilitate Foxp3?…”

“…Recent research has shown that a particular subset of DCs could modulate immune responses [4]. These DCs play a key role in maintaining both central and peripheral autoimmune tolerance, and the constitutive ablation of DCs destroys selftolerance, resulting in spontaneous fatal autoimmunity [5]. The DCs that induce autoimmune tolerance are called tolerogenic DCs (tolDCs).…”