title: Dendritic cells, indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase and acquired immune privilege.
abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized to stimulate T cell immunity. Paradoxically, some DCs suppress T cell responses and activate regulatory T cells. In this review, we focus on a potent counter-regulatory pathway mediated by plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) expressing the immunosuppressive enzyme indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO). IDO-expressing pDCs inhibit effector T cell responses, activate regulatory T cells, and attenuate pro-inflammatory responses in settings of chronic inflammation that manifest in clinical syndromes, such as infectious, allergic, and autoimmune diseases; cancer; and transplantation. Thus, IDO-expressing pDCs create immune privilege and provide novel opportunities to improve immunotherapy in multiple disease syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Immunotherapy Center and Department of Radiology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baban
authors.forename: Burles A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mellor
mesh_terms: D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase