Plasmacytoid dendritic cells in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: benefit or burden?

J J Auletta1,2,3, S M Devine2,4,5, E K Waller6,7

  • 1Host Defense Program, Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant and Infectious Diseases, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) bridge innate and adaptive immune responses and have important roles in hematopoietic engraftment, GvHD and graft-versus-leukemia responses following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). In addition, pDCs mediate antiviral immunity, particularly as they are the body's primary cellular source of type I interferon. Given their pleiotropic roles, pDCs have emerged as cells that critically impact transplant outcomes, including overall survival. In this article, we will review the pre-clinical and clinical literature, supporting the crucial roles that pDCs assume as key immune effector cells during HCT.