pDC therapy induces recovery from EAE by recruiting endogenous pDC to sites of CNS inflammation

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Fernanda V Duraes
  • Carla Lippens
  • Karin Steinbach
  • Juan Dubrot
  • Dale Brighouse
  • Nathalie Bendriss-Vermare
  • Issazadeh-Navikas, Shohreh
  • Doron Merkler
  • Stephanie Hugues

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) exhibit both innate and adaptive functions. In particular they are the main source of type I IFNs and directly impact T cell responses through antigen presentation. We have previously demonstrated that during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) initiation, myelin-antigen presentation by pDCs is associated with suppressive Treg development and results in attenuated EAE. Here, we show that pDCs transferred during acute disease phase confer recovery from EAE. Clinical improvement is associated with migration of injected pDCs into inflamed CNS and is dependent on the subsequent and selective chemerin-mediated recruitment of endogenous pDCs to the CNS. The protective effect requires pDC pre-loading with myelin antigen, and is associated with the modulation of CNS-infiltrating pDC phenotype and inhibition of CNS encephalitogenic T cells. This study may pave the way for novel pDC-based cell therapies in autoimmune diseases, aiming at specifically modulating pathogenic cells that induce and sustain autoimmune inflammation.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Autoimmunity
Volume67
Pages (from-to)8-18
Number of pages11
ISSN0896-8411
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2016

    Research areas

  • Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

ID: 167580186