Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026

An Adoptive Transfer Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Mice
Published on: June 6, 2025
Developing tolerogenic dendritic cell therapy for rheumatoid arthritis: what can we learn from mouse models?
Jeroen N Stoop1, John H Robinson, Catharien M U Hilkens
1Institute of Cellular Medicine, Musculoskeletal Research Group, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
One of the therapeutic strategies under development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is based on reinstating immune tolerance by vaccination with autologous dendritic cells with potent tolerogenic function. These tolerogenic dendritic cells (TolDC) can be generated ex vivo and have beneficial therapeutic effects in animal models of arthritis. Although experimental animal models have been instrumental in the development of this novel immunotherapeutic tool, several outstanding questions regarding the application of TolDC remain to be addressed. This paper reviews what has been learnt to date from studying the therapeutic potential of TolDC in animal models of arthritis and discusses issues relating to preventive versus curative effects of TolDC, the antigen specificity of TolDC therapy, the route, dose and frequency of TolDC administration and the safety of TolDC treatment. Lessons learnt from animal models will aid the design of clinical trials with TolDC.
One of the therapeutic strategies under development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is based on reinstating immune tolerance by vaccination with autologous dendritic cells with potent tolerogenic function. These tolerogenic dendritic cells (TolDC) can be generated ex vivo and have beneficial therapeutic effects in animal models of arthritis. Although experimental animal models have been instrumental in the development of this novel immunotherapeutic tool, several outstanding questions regarding the application of TolDC remain to be addressed. This paper reviews what has been learnt to date from studying the therapeutic potential of TolDC in animal models of arthritis and discusses issues relating to preventive versus curative effects of TolDC, the antigen specificity of TolDC therapy, the route, dose and frequency of TolDC administration and the safety of TolDC treatment. Lessons learnt from animal models will aid the design of clinical trials with TolDC.
Related Concept Videos
Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...
Neurons: The Cell Body and the Dendrites
Gene Therapy
Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell...
Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...

