Designer dendritic cells for tolerance induction: guided not misguided missiles.
Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that play crucial roles as initiators and modulators of adaptive immune responses. Although DC-based vaccines have been utilized successfully to generate cytolytic T-cell activity against tumor antigens (Ags), evidence has accumulated that DCs also have potent capabilities to tolerize T cells in an Ag-specific manner. DCs cultured in the laboratory can suppress auto- or alloimmunity. Current and prospective strategies to promote this inherent tolerogenic potential of DCs might prove to be important for the therapy of transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases.
Hackstein
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Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, W1544 BST, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Morelli
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Thomson
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D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000235:genetics; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*