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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
Murine Model of CD40-activation of B cells
Published on: March 5, 2010
[Cellular immunity induced by CD40 ligand-activated dendritic cells in CEA transgenic mice]
Jian-wei Hu1, Xin-qiang Hong, Xin-yu Qin
1Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Insights
CD40 ligand activation enhances dendritic cell maturation and immune response in CEA transgenic mice. This approach boosts T cell proliferation and cytokine secretion, indicating improved cellular immunity against cancer.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Cancer Research
Context:
- Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a tumor-associated antigen relevant in various cancers.
- Dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial antigen-presenting cells that bridge innate and adaptive immunity.
- Understanding DC activation is key for developing effective cancer immunotherapies.
Purpose:
- To investigate the role of CD40 ligand (CD40L) in dendritic cell (DC) maturation and function.
- To evaluate the specific cellular immunity induced by CD40L-activated DCs pulsed with a CEA-specific peptide.
- To assess the potential of CD40L-stimulated DCs as a cancer vaccine strategy in CEA transgenic mice.
Summary:
- Bone marrow-derived DCs from CEA transgenic mice were activated using CD40L, leading to enhanced expression of immunophenotype molecules.
- CD40L-activated DCs exhibited significantly increased secretion of IL-12 compared to controls.
- These activated DCs effectively induced proliferation and IFN-gamma secretion in CD8(+) T cells and splenocytes, demonstrating enhanced cellular immunity.
Impact:
- CD40L stimulation promotes DC maturation and activation, significantly boosting cellular immune responses in CEA transgenic mice.
- This study highlights a promising method for enhancing DC-based cancer vaccines.
- The findings contribute to the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies targeting CEA-expressing tumors.
Objective:
To investigate the role of CD40 ligand (CD40L) in dendritic cells (DC) of CEA transgenic mice and to evaluate the specific cellular immunity induced by activated DC.
Methods:
Bone marrow cells of the CEA transgenic mice were used to generate immature dendritic cells under the condition of GM-CSF and IL-4. CD40L was added to activate dendritic cells into mature phenotype. Dendritic cells cancer vaccine was pulsed with CEA526-533 peptide which made the vaccine specific for cancer immunity. The immunophenotype molecules were identified by flow cytometry. The cytokines produced by cells were determined by ELISA. T cells proliferation was measured by (3)H-thymidine essays.
Results:
Immunophenotype molecules expressions of CD40L-activated dendritic cells were significantly higher than those in control group. IL-12 secretion by CD40L-activated dendritic cells was (937.81+/-51.99) pg/10(6) DC, significantly higher than that in control group [(83.06+/-8.58) pg/10(6) DC, P<0.01]. CD8(+) T cells proliferation induced by CD40 L-activated dendritic cells was stronger as compared to control group (P<0.05), and the secretion of IFN-gamma was(33.900+/-4.550) ng/L, significantly higher than that in control group [(5.226+/-0.460) ng/L, P<0.01]. Splenocytes proliferation induced by CD40 L-activated dendritic cells was stronger as compared to control group (P<0.01), and the secretion of IFN-gamma was (69.802+/-11.407) ng/L, significantly higher than that in control group [(2.912+/-0.562) ng/L, P<0.01].
Conclusion:
The method of using CD40L to stimulate bone marrow-delivered dendritic cells promotes the maturation and activation of dendritic cells, which enhances the cellular immunity in CEA transgenic mice.
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