title: Plasmacytoid dendritic cells: development, functions, and role in atherosclerotic inflammation.
abstract: Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are a specialized subset of DCs that links innate and adaptive immunity. They sense viral and bacterial pathogens and release high levels of Type I interferons (IFN-I) in response to infection. pDCs were shown to contribute to inflammatory responses in the steady state and in pathology. In atherosclerosis, pDCs are involved in priming vascular inflammation and atherogenesis through production of IFN-I and chemokines that attract inflammatory cells to inflamed sites. pDCs also contribute to the proinflammatory activation of effector T cells, cytotoxic T cells, and conventional DCs. However, tolerogenic populations of pDCs are found that suppress atherosclerosis-associated inflammation through down-regulation of function and proliferation of proinflammatory T cell subsets and induction of regulatory T cells with potent immunomodulatory properties. Notably, atheroprotective tolerogenic DCs could be induced by certain self-antigens or bacterial antigens that suggests for great therapeutic potential of these DCs for development of DC-based anti-atherogenic vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Nanobiotechnology, Pirogov Russian State Medical University Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Dimitry A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Chistiakov
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Angiopathology, Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Moscow, Russia ; Institute for Atherosclerosis Research, Skolkovo Innovative Center Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexander N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Orekhov
authors.affiliation: Institute for Atherosclerosis Research, Skolkovo Innovative Center Moscow, Russia ; Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Russian Cardiology Research and Production Complex Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Igor A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Sobenin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Angiopathology, Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Moscow, Russia ; Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia ; School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney Campbelltown, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Yuri V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Bobryshev
keywords: atherosclerosis; conventional dendritic cell; inflammation; innate immunity; plasmacytoid dendritic cell; tolerance; type I interferon