title: Predominant Role of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Stimulating Systemic Autoimmunity.
abstract: Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), which are prominent type I interferon (IFN-I)-producing immune cells, have been extensively implicated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, whether they participate critically in lupus pathogenesis remains unknown. Recent studies using various genetic and cell type-specific ablation strategies have demonstrated that pDCs play a pivotal role in the development of autoantibodies and the progression of lupus under diverse experimental conditions. The findings of several investigations highlight a notion that pDCs operate critically at the early stage of lupus development. In particular, pDCs have a profound effect on B-cell activation and humoral autoimmunity in vivo. This deeper understanding of the vital role of pDCs in lupus pathogenesis supports the therapeutic targeting of the pDC-IFN-I pathway in SLE.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Rheumatology, Shanghai Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine , Shanghai , China ; Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Houston, TX , USA.
authors.forename: Xinfang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Houston, TX , USA ; The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Houston, TX , USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dorta-Estremera
authors.affiliation: Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc. , Palo Alto, CA , USA.
authors.forename: Yihong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Rheumatology, Shanghai Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine , Shanghai , China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Rheumatology, Shanghai Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine , Shanghai , China ; Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Houston, TX , USA ; The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Houston, TX , USA.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cao
keywords: B cells; amyloid; animal models; autoantibody; autoimmunity; plasmacytoid dendritic cells; systemic lupus erythematosus; type I interferon