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Distinct dendritic cell subsets actively induce Th2 polarization

Melissa Y Tjota1, Anne I Sperling2

  • 1Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Current Opinion in Immunology
|October 8, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Dendritic cells (DCs) actively program Th2 cell differentiation, challenging the view that this is a default pathway. Specific tissue DC subsets upregulate key factors to induce Th2 polarization.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • The role of dendritic cells (DCs) in T helper cell polarization is critical for adaptive immunity.
  • Previous hypotheses suggested Th2 polarization by DCs was a passive default pathway in the absence of inflammatory signals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms by which dendritic cells induce Th2 polarization.
  • To determine if dendritic cells are actively programmed to induce Th2 differentiation.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of transcription factors, cell surface molecules, and cytokines in DCs.
  • Stimulation of tissue DCs with type-2 inducing stimuli.

Main Results:

  • Distinct subsets of tissue DCs actively polarize Th2 cells upon stimulation.
  • DC development involves upregulation of specific molecular markers associated with Th2 induction.

Conclusions:

  • Dendritic cell-induced Th2 polarization is an active, programmed process, not a default pathway.
  • Specific tissue DC subsets play an active role in initiating Th2 immune responses.

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