Rapamycin-conditioned dendritic cells are poor stimulators of allogeneic CD4+ T cells, but enrich for antigen-specific Foxp3+ T regulatory cells and promote organ transplant tolerance.
The ability of dendritic cells (DC) to regulate Ag-specific immune responses via their influence on T regulatory cells (Treg) may be key to their potential as therapeutic tools or targets for the promotion/restoration of tolerance. In this report, we describe the ability of maturation-resistant, rapamycin (RAPA)-conditioned DC, which are markedly impaired in Foxp3(-) T cell allostimulatory capacity, to favor the stimulation of murine alloantigen-specific CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Treg. This was distinct from control DC, especially following CD40 ligation, which potently expanded non-Treg. RAPA-DC-stimulated Treg were superior alloantigen-specific suppressors of T effector responses compared with those stimulated by control DC. Supporting the ability of RAPA to target effector T and B cells, but permit the proliferation and suppressive function of Treg, an infusion of recipient-derived alloantigen-pulsed RAPA-DC followed by a short postoperative course of low-dose RAPA promoted indefinite (>100 day) heart graft survival. This was associated with graft infiltration by CD4(+)Foxp3(+) Treg and the absence of transplant vasculopathy. The adoptive transfer of CD4(+) T cells from animals with long-surviving grafts conferred resistance to rejection. These novel findings demonstrate that, whereas maturation resistance does not impair the capacity of RAPA-DC to modulate Treg, it profoundly impairs their ability to expand T effector cells. A demonstration of this mechanism endorses their potential as tolerance-promoting cellular vaccines.
Turnquist
Heth R
HR
Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Raimondi
Giorgio
G
Zahorchak
Alan F
AF
Fischer
Ryan T
RT
Wang
Zhiliang
Z
Thomson
Angus W
AW
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000276:immunology
D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007519:Isoantigens; D020123:Sirolimus