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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

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Resiquimod-Mediated Activation of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Is Amplified in Multiple Sclerosis

Marta Corsetti1, Gabriella Ruocco2, Serena Ruggieri3

  • 1Neuroimmunology Unit, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy. m.corsetti@hsantalucia.it.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|June 12, 2019
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) show enhanced activation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, potentially due to viral infections. These pDCs express higher costimulatory molecules, suggesting a protective role against viral triggers in MS.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Neuroscience
  • Virology

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system.
  • Genetic and environmental factors, including viral infections, are implicated in MS pathogenesis.
  • Dendritic cells (DCs), including myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), play a crucial role in antiviral responses and adaptive immunity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the response of pDCs and mDCs to viral mimicry in multiple sclerosis patients.
  • To compare the expression of costimulatory molecules on DCs from healthy donors and MS patients upon stimulation with a viral mimic.

Main Methods:

  • Mimicked viral infection using synthetic single-strand RNA (Resiquimod).
  • Compared the response of pDCs and mDCs from healthy donors and MS patients.
  • Characterized the surface expression of costimulatory molecules on DCs.

Main Results:

  • pDCs from MS patients exhibited higher expression of OX40-L, HLA-DR, and CD86 compared to healthy donors.
  • Resiquimod stimulation enriched a subpopulation of pDCs with high costimulatory molecule expression in both MS patients and healthy donors.
  • These findings suggest an enhanced activation state of pDCs in MS.

Conclusions:

  • pDC activation appears to be heightened in multiple sclerosis, potentially linked to latent viral infections.
  • The increased expression of costimulatory molecules on pDCs may represent a protective mechanism against viral triggers contributing to MS autoimmunity.
Keywords:
ResiquimodToll-like receptorscostimulatory moleculesmultiple sclerosismyeloid dendritic cellsplasmacytoid dendritic cellsvirus infection

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