Specific therapy with modulated DC may restore immunological tolerance, thereby obviating the need for chronic immunosuppression in transplantation or autoimmunity. In this study we compared the tolerizing capacity of dexamethasone (Dex)-and 1a,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3)-modulated DC. Treatment of monocytes with either VD3 or Dex resulted in DC with stable, semi-mature phenotypes compared with standard DC, with intermediate levels of co-stimulatory and MHC class II molecules, which remained unaltered after subsequent pro-inflammatory stimulation. IL-12p70 secretion was lost by VD3-and Dex-DC, whereas IL-10 secretion was unaffected. VD3-DC distinctly produced large amounts of TNF-a. Both VD3-and Dex-DC possessed the capacity to convert CD4 T cells into IL-10-secreting Treg potently suppressing the proliferation of responder T cells. However, only Treg induced by VD3-DC exhibited antigen specificity. VD3-, but not Dex-, DC expressed significant high levels of PD-L1 (programmed death-1 ligand), upon activation. Blockade of PD-L1 during priming redirected T cells to produce IFN-c instead of IL-10 and abolished acquisition of regulatory capacity. Our findings demonstrate that both VD3-and Dex-DC possess durable but differential tolerogenic features, acting via different mechanisms. Both are potentially useful to specifically down-regulate unwanted immune responses and induce immune tolerance. These modulated DC appear suitable as adjuvant in antigen-specific clinical vaccination intervention strategies.Key words: Antigen specificity . Autoimmunity . Modulated DC . PD-L1 . Treg IntroductionRestoring immunological tolerance is the ''holy grail'' in the fields of autoimmunity and transplantation. Current applied therapies, which include immunosuppressive drugs, do not target the cause of the disease and, in addition, are associated with considerable non-specific side effects. Therefore, it is desirable to design therapies that specifically target the immunopathogenesis.DC are important modulators of T-cell activity [1]. Depending on the type of pathogen encountered and the profile of co-stimulatory and T-cell polarizing molecules, DC drive the development of either pro-inflammatory Th type 1 (Th1), type 2 (Th2) and type 17 (Th17) cells or protective Treg [2][3][4]. In conjunction with this, human monocyte-derived DC (moDC) can be differentiated into Th1-, Th2-, Th17-or Treg-promoting DC in vitro. Priming of moDC with microbial compounds or tissue-derived factors such as IFN-g, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) or IL-23 and IL-1 results in enhanced expression of MHC class II and co-stimulatory molecules and drives the development of effector Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells [5][6][7]. It is now clear that certain immunosuppressive drugs and anti-inflammatory agents induce DC with tolerogenic properties [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. For example, DC treated with either dexamethasone (Dex) or the active form of vitamin D, 1a,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 (VD3), arrest DC in a semimature state and prevent the up-regulation of co-stimulatory Trea...

Defects in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted antigen presentation are frequently observed in human cancers and result in escape of tumors from cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) immune surveillance in mice. Here, we show the existence of a unique category of CTLs that can prevent this escape. The CTLs target an alternative repertoire of peptide epitopes that emerge in MHC class I at the surface of cells with impaired function of transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP), tapasin or the proteasome. These peptides, although derived from self antigens such as the commonly expressed Lass5 protein (also known as Trh4), are not presented by normal cells. This explains why they act as immunogenic neoantigens. The newly discovered epitopes can be exploited for immune intervention against processing-deficient tumors through adoptive T-cell transfer or peptide vaccination.

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in the immune system as they drive activation of T lymphocytes by cognate interactions. However, as DCs express high levels of major histocompatibility complex class I, this intimate contact may also result in elimination of DCs by activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and thereby limit induction of immunity. We show here that immature DCs are indeed susceptible to CTL-induced killing, but become resistant upon maturation with anti-CD40 or lipopolysaccharide. Protection is achieved by expression of serine protease inhibitor (SPI)-6, a member of the serpin family that specifically inactivates granzyme B and thereby blocks CTL-induced apoptosis. Anti-CD40 and LPS-induced SPI-6 expression is sustained for long periods of time, suggesting a role for SPI-6 in the longevity of DCs. Importantly, T helper 1 cells, which mature DCs and boost CTL immunity, induce SPI-6 expression and subsequent DC resistance. In contrast, T helper 2 cells neither induce SPI-6 nor convey protection, despite the fact that they trigger DC maturation with comparable efficiency. Our data identify SPI-6 as a novel marker for DC function, which protects DCs against CTL-induced apoptosis.

Identification of epitopes that are recognized by diabetogenic T cells and cause selective beta cell destruction in type 1 diabetes (T1D) has focused on peptides originating from native beta cell proteins. Translational errors represent a major potential source of antigenic peptides to which central immune tolerance is lacking. Here, we describe an alternative open reading frame within human insulin mRNA encoding a highly immunogenic polypeptide that is targeted by T cells in T1D patients. We show that cytotoxic T cells directed against the N-terminal peptide of this nonconventional product are present in the circulation of individuals diagnosed with T1D, and we provide direct evidence that such CD8 T cells are capable of killing human beta cells and thereby may be diabetogenic. This study reveals a new source of nonconventional polypeptides that act as self-epitopes in clinical autoimmune disease.

The well defined, immature murine dendritic cell (DC) line D1 was used to study the role of DC maturation in CTL induction in vitro and in vivo. Maturation of D1 cells, characterized by markedly increased expression of MHC and costimulatory molecules, was induced by incubation with lipopolysaccharide, agonistic CD40 antibody, or specific CD4 ϩ T helper (Th) cells. Activated, but not immature, D1 cells efficiently primed alloreactive T cell responses in vitro. Similarly, priming of CTL immunity in vivo in CD4-depleted mice was only observed if these mice were immunized with activated D1 cells. This study provides formal evidence that activation of DCs, induced by Th-independent as well as Th-dependent stimuli, is essential for efficient induction of CTL responses.