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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Culture of myeloid dendritic cells from bone marrow precursors
Published on: July 26, 2008
Culture and comparison of feline myeloid dendritic cells vs macrophages
W S Sprague1, M Pope, E A Hoover
1Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1619, USA.
Insights
Researchers developed methods to culture feline dendritic cells (DCs) for studying feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). These feline DCs show promise for developing new vaccines and therapies for feline diseases.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Veterinary Science
Background:
- Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in immune responses.
- Understanding DC function in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection is vital for developing effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish methods for culturing feline myeloid DCs.
- To characterize and compare feline DCs with feline macrophages.
- To investigate the potential of feline DCs in FIV research and therapeutic applications.
Main Methods:
- Feline myeloid DCs were cultured from CD14(+) monocytes using human recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (hrGM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (hrIL-4).
- Feline macrophages were cultured with hrGM-CSF for comparison.
- Cells were analyzed for MHC class II, B7.1, CD14, CXCR4, CD1a, and CD11b expression.
- Functional assays included allogeneic mixed leucocyte reaction (MLR) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-DX) uptake.
Main Results:
- Feline DCs exhibited high MHC class II expression, potent MLR induction, and moderate FITC-DX uptake.
- Compared to macrophages, DCs showed higher MHC class II expression and greater IL-12 mRNA expression and FITC-DX uptake.
- Feline macrophages, unlike DCs, demonstrated a dose-dependent suppressive effect on the MLR.
Conclusions:
- Cultured feline DCs possess characteristics similar to DCs in other species and are suitable for further research.
- Feline DCs hold potential for developing DC-mediated vaccination and therapy against infectious and neoplastic feline diseases.
- GM-CSF-cultured macrophages offer a model for studying feline immunosuppression mechanisms.
Abstract:
To gain insight into the role of dendritic cells (DCs) in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection and immunity, methods were developed to culture feline myeloid DCs from CD14(+) monocytes with a combination of human recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (hrGM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (hrIL-4). These cells were compared with feline macrophages cultured in the presence of hrGM-CSF. As with DCs in other species, feline DCs showed uniformly high MHC class II expression, moderate B7.1 expression, potent induction of the allogeneic mixed leucocyte reaction (MLR), and moderate uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-DX) in the endocytic assay. In comparison with feline macrophages, DCs showed higher expression of MHC class II, similar expression of B7.1, CD14, CXCR4 and CD1a, and lower expression of CD11b. When placed on alcian blue-coated glass slides, DCs differed from macrophages in showing a greater tendency to spread out; they also had characteristic fine cytoplasmic processes instead of the broader pseudopodia of macrophages. Basal IL-12 mRNA expression and FITC-DX uptake were greater in DCs than in macrophages. Unlike feline DCs, feline macrophages exhibited a dose-dependent suppressive effect in the MLR. Feline DCs propagated in vitro should prove useful in the development of DC-mediated vaccination and therapy for infectious and neoplastic feline diseases. Additionally, macrophages cultured with GM-CSF provide a potential means of studying the mechanism of immunosuppression in cats.
