Mesenchymal stem cell-mediated immature dendritic cells induce regulatory T cell-based immunosuppressive effect

Immunol Invest. 2012;41(2):214-29. doi: 10.3109/08820139.2011.619022. Epub 2011 Oct 21.

Abstract

Immature dendritic cells (imDCs) are increasingly viewed as mediators of T-cell tolerance. We investigated factors enabling induction of regulatory T (Treg) cells through syngeneic imDC/mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) co-cultures in vitro and immunosuppressive effects of MSC-mediated imDCs (MSCs were excluded after 72 h co-culture) in vivo. In these experiments, we found that Foxp3(+) Treg cell population remarkably increased after the T cell priming phase when splenocytes were co-cultured with both imDCs and MSCs, presumably inducing naïve T cells into Treg cells by MSCs and imDCs. In parallel, TGF-β secretion was markedly induced from the imDC+MSC+splenocyte culture supernatant to a significant level at 72-h co-culture, compared to the MSC or imDC+splenocyte co-culture. Based on these results, using a murine melanoma tumor model, we confirmed that the subcutaneous injection of B16 cells induced a perfect tumor incidence in allogeneic recipients when MSC-mediated DCs were coinjected. Consequently, these results suggested that immune tolerance with MSC-mediated DCs leads to immunosuppression induced by at least Foxp3-specific Treg cells. This tool may be useful in clinical trials due to the yet unknown side effects of stem cell therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Communication
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology
  • Immunosuppression Therapy*
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Melanoma, Experimental
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / genetics
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / metabolism

Substances

  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxp3 protein, mouse
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1