Generation of dendritic cells with regulatory properties

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen presenting cells with the ability to induce and regulate an immune response. DCs that capture and present antigen under noninflammatory conditions maintain an immature phenotype and acquire tolerogenic properties. These DCs generate regulatory T lymphocytes that potentiate tolerogenic responses. Here we developed a method for the generation of immature murine DCs able to process and present a specific antigen in a tolerogenic context. Immature DCs were prepared from bone marrow precursors after differentiation with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in the presence of vitamin D(3) and characterized by their low expression of major histocompatibility complex class (MHC) II and CD86 molecules. Purified phagosomes containing either MHC II molecules or ovalbumin were used to deliver antigens to immature DCs. More than 80% of the DCs captured the phagosomes, while maintaining a low expression of maturation markers and showing basal levels of secretion of activating cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-12. Treatment of the immature DCs with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) increased IL-10 secretion, in agreement with their anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory properties. Cocultures of transgenic OT-II T lymphocytes with the immature DCs carrying OVA-phagosomes succeeded in generating a subpopulation of regulatory T lymphocytes characterized by the expression of CD4, CD25, CD62L, and Foxp3. Taken together, our results suggest that vitamin D(3) generates immune tolerance through the modulation of DC phenotype and could be useful to induce tolerance to allotransplants.