CCR9 expression defines tolerogenic plasmacytoid dendritic cells able to suppress acute graft-versus-host disease NATURE IMMUNOLOGY Hadeiba, H., Sato, T., Habtezion, A., Oderup, C., Pan, J., Butcher, E. C. 2008; 9 (11): 1253-1260

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) are 'professional' antigen-presenting cells that are key in the regulation of immune responses. Here we characterize a unique subset of tolerogenic DCs that expressed the chemokine receptor CCR9 and migrated to the CCR9 ligand CCL25, a chemokine linked to the homing of T cells and DCs to the gut. CCR9(+) DCs were of the plasmacytoid DC (pDC) lineage, had an immature phenotype and rapidly downregulated CCR9 in response to maturation-inducing pDC-restricted Toll-like receptor ligands. CCR9(+) pDCs were potent inducers of regulatory T cell function and suppressed antigen-specific immune responses both in vitro and in vivo, including inhibiting acute graft-versus-host disease induced by allogeneic CD4(+) donor T cells in irradiated recipients. Our results identify a highly immunosuppressive population of pDCs present in lymphoid tissues.

View details for DOI 10.1038/ni.1658

View details for Web of Science ID 000260248600012

View details for PubMedID 18836452

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC2901237