Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells in Clinical Practice
Catharien M.U. Hilkens*, John D. Isaacs*Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, NE2 4HH, UK
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DC) play a critical role in maintaining immune tolerance to self-antigens and have become a promising immunotherapeutic tool for treating autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Tolerogenic DC (tolDC) with stable immunosuppressive function can be generated in the laboratory. These modified tolDC induce antigen-specific T cell tolerance in vitro and in vivo, and can prevent or reduce pathogenic autoimmune responses in experimental animal models of RA. The current challenge is to translate these findings and to develop tolDC for clinical application. In this review we discuss various key considerations for designing tolDC therapy for RA.
Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis, tolerance, dendritic cells, immunotherapy.
Article Information
Article History:
Received Date: 29/4/2009
Revision Received Date: 11/9/2009
Acceptance Date: 12/9/2009
Electronic publication date: 12/1/2010
Collection year: 2010
© Hilkens and Isaacs; Licensee Bentham Open
open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
* Address correspondence to these authors at the Institute of Cellular Medicine, Musculoskeletal Research Group, Cookson Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK; Tel: +44 191 222 8026; Fax: +44 191 222 5455;
E-mail:
catharien.hilkens@ncl.ac.uk; j.d.isaacs@ncl.ac.uk
Open Peer Review Details |
Manuscript submitted on 29-4-2009 |
Original Manuscript |
Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells in Clinical Practice |