Human plasmacytoid-derived dendritic cells and the induction of T-regulatory cells

Hum Immunol. 2002 Dec;63(12):1149-55. doi: 10.1016/s0198-8859(02)00753-x.

Abstract

Suppression by T-regulatory (Tr) cells is essential for the induction of T-cell tolerance and the prevention of autoimmune diseases, organ rejection, and graft-versus-host disease. Increasing attention has been devoted to understand the role of dendritic cells (DC) in the control of Tr-cell differentiation. Here we review the recent evidence that cluster designation (CD)40-ligand activated plasmacytoid-derived DCs (DC2) have the ability to induce primary Tr-cell differentiation. We propose that in addition to the regulatory functions of immature myeloid DC, Tr-cell induction by DC2 represents a nonredundant mechanism for the safeguard of peripheral T-cell tolerance. DC2 can be used as tool to drive potent antigen specific Tr-cell differentiation and expansion in vitro and in vivo.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Dendritic Cells / physiology
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / cytology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / transplantation
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*