In vitro-generated DC with tolerogenic functions: perspectives for in vivo cellular therapy

Dendritic cells (DCs) have a central role in immune regulation and serve as an essential link between innate and adaptive immunity. Their broad range of powerful immune stimulatory as well as regulatory functions has made DCs a target for vaccine development strategies. One approach to promote the tolerogenicity of DCs is to suppress their maturation by pharmacological agents, including the glucocorticoid dexamethasone. In this chapter, we describe methods to generate tolerogenic Dex-DC derived from either human peripheral blood monocytes or rat bone marrow cells.