The regulatory role of dendritic cells in the immune tolerance

Immune homeostasis is important for the protection of a host from pathogen aggression, as well as for preventing autoimmunity. Dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent antigen presenting cells, are critical in innate, adaptive immunity and in central tolerance. Recently, their involvement in peripheral tolerance has been shown. Whether DCs induce immunity or tolerance depends on their state of maturation. Different subsets of tolerogenic DCs have been identified in vivo, either in physiological, or pathological conditions, such as tumors, or GVHD. Moreover, tolerogenic DCs can be generated in vitro, by using different culture conditions, such as IL-10 or TGF-beta. In our study, we obtained tolerogenic DCs, by culturing them in the presence of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).