IL-10-Modulated Human Dendritic Cells for Clinical Use: Identification of a Stable and Migratory Subset with Improved...

Dendritic cells (DCs) are key regulators of protective immune responses and tolerance to (self-)Ags. Therefore, the scientific rationale for the use of tolerogenic DC therapy in the fields of allergies, autoimmunity, and transplantation medicine is strong. In this study, we analyzed the tolerogenic capacity of IL-10-modulated DC (IL-10DC) subpopulations to identify a DC subset that combines potent immunosuppressive activities with valuable immune properties for clinical implementation. IL-10DCs consist of two phenotypically distinct subpopulations: CD83^highCCR7⁺ IL-10DCs and CD83^lowCCR7^- IL-10DCs. Suppressor assays with activated effector T cells revealed that CD4⁺ regulatory T cells generated by CD83^high IL-10DCs (iTreg⁺) exhibited a significantly higher suppressive capacity compared with CD4⁺ regulatory T cells generated by CD83^low IL-10DCs (iTreg^-). In this context, iTreg⁺ displayed a more activated phenotype (proliferation, cytokine production) compared with iTreg^- In contrast to CD83^low IL-10DCs, CD83^high IL-10DCs exerted a strong migratory capacity toward the secondary lymphoid organ chemokine CCL21 and retained a functionally stable phenotype under inflammatory conditions. In addition, CD83^high IL-10DCs expressed significantly higher levels of surface and soluble CD25. Functional analysis demonstrated that IL-10DC-related soluble CD25 efficiently inhibited the proliferation of activated T cells and that blockade of CD25 function abolished the induction of regulatory T cells by IL-10DCs, indicating a critical role for IL-10DC-related CD25 in shifting the immune response toward an iTreg^- controlled tolerance reaction. In conclusion, the selective use of the CD83^high IL-10DC subset may result in a higher efficacy of tolerance induction in vivo and may support the development of novel DC vaccination strategies for transplantations, as well as for allergic and autoimmune diseases.