Dendritic Cells: Cellular Mediators for Immunological Tolerance

In general, immunological tolerance is acquired upon treatment with non-specific immunosuppressive drugs. This indiscriminate immunosuppression of the patient often causes serious side-effects, such as opportunistic infectious diseases. Therefore, the need for antigen-specific modulation of pathogen...

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Main Authors: Chun Yuen J. Chung, Dirk Ysebaert, Zwi N. Berneman, Nathalie Cools
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2013-01-01
Series:Clinical and Developmental Immunology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/972865
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author Chun Yuen J. Chung
Dirk Ysebaert
Zwi N. Berneman
Nathalie Cools
author_facet Chun Yuen J. Chung
Dirk Ysebaert
Zwi N. Berneman
Nathalie Cools
author_sort Chun Yuen J. Chung
collection DOAJ
description In general, immunological tolerance is acquired upon treatment with non-specific immunosuppressive drugs. This indiscriminate immunosuppression of the patient often causes serious side-effects, such as opportunistic infectious diseases. Therefore, the need for antigen-specific modulation of pathogenic immune responses is of crucial importance in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In this perspective, dendritic cells (DCs) can have an important immune-regulatory function, besides their notorious antigen-presenting capacity. DCs appear to be essential for both central and peripheral tolerance. In the thymus, DCs are involved in clonal deletion of autoreactive immature T cells by presenting self-antigens. Additionally, tolerance is achieved by their interactions with T cells in the periphery and subsequent induction of T cell anergy, T cell deletion, and induction of regulatory T cells (Treg). Various studies have described, modulation of DC characteristics with the purpose to induce antigen-specific tolerance in autoimmune diseases, graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), and transplantations. Promising results in animal models have prompted researchers to initiate first-in-men clinical trials. The purpose of current review is to provide an overview of the role of DCs in the immunopathogenesis of autoimmunity, as well as recent concepts of dendritic cell-based therapeutic opportunities in autoimmune diseases.
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spelling doaj-art-64137e15b17f4ccebd05a4274b4e328a2025-08-20T02:23:52ZengWileyClinical and Developmental Immunology1740-25221740-25302013-01-01201310.1155/2013/972865972865Dendritic Cells: Cellular Mediators for Immunological ToleranceChun Yuen J. Chung0Dirk Ysebaert1Zwi N. Berneman2Nathalie Cools3Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (Vaxinfectio), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumDepartment of Hepatobiliary, Transplantation, and Endocrine Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumLaboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (Vaxinfectio), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumLaboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (Vaxinfectio), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, BelgiumIn general, immunological tolerance is acquired upon treatment with non-specific immunosuppressive drugs. This indiscriminate immunosuppression of the patient often causes serious side-effects, such as opportunistic infectious diseases. Therefore, the need for antigen-specific modulation of pathogenic immune responses is of crucial importance in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In this perspective, dendritic cells (DCs) can have an important immune-regulatory function, besides their notorious antigen-presenting capacity. DCs appear to be essential for both central and peripheral tolerance. In the thymus, DCs are involved in clonal deletion of autoreactive immature T cells by presenting self-antigens. Additionally, tolerance is achieved by their interactions with T cells in the periphery and subsequent induction of T cell anergy, T cell deletion, and induction of regulatory T cells (Treg). Various studies have described, modulation of DC characteristics with the purpose to induce antigen-specific tolerance in autoimmune diseases, graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), and transplantations. Promising results in animal models have prompted researchers to initiate first-in-men clinical trials. The purpose of current review is to provide an overview of the role of DCs in the immunopathogenesis of autoimmunity, as well as recent concepts of dendritic cell-based therapeutic opportunities in autoimmune diseases.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/972865
spellingShingle Chun Yuen J. Chung
Dirk Ysebaert
Zwi N. Berneman
Nathalie Cools
Dendritic Cells: Cellular Mediators for Immunological Tolerance
Clinical and Developmental Immunology
title Dendritic Cells: Cellular Mediators for Immunological Tolerance
title_full Dendritic Cells: Cellular Mediators for Immunological Tolerance
title_fullStr Dendritic Cells: Cellular Mediators for Immunological Tolerance
title_full_unstemmed Dendritic Cells: Cellular Mediators for Immunological Tolerance
title_short Dendritic Cells: Cellular Mediators for Immunological Tolerance
title_sort dendritic cells cellular mediators for immunological tolerance
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/972865
work_keys_str_mv AT chunyuenjchung dendriticcellscellularmediatorsforimmunologicaltolerance
AT dirkysebaert dendriticcellscellularmediatorsforimmunologicaltolerance
AT zwinberneman dendriticcellscellularmediatorsforimmunologicaltolerance
AT nathaliecools dendriticcellscellularmediatorsforimmunologicaltolerance