T cell regulatory plasmacytoid dendritic cells expressing indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase

Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2009:(188):165-96. doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-71029-5_8.

Abstract

Mature dendritic cells (DCs) are potent stimulators of T cells that recognize antigens presented by the DCs. In this chapter we describe mature DCs that suppress T cell responses to antigens they present due to expression of the intracellular enzyme indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO). IDO-competent DCs are a subset of plasmacytoid DCs that can be induced to express IDO under certain inflammatory conditions in humans and mice. Though rare, IDO-expressing DCs acquire potent T cell suppressor activity that may predominate over the T cell stimulatory functions of all other antigen-presenting cells in physiologic environments due in part, to cooperation with regulatory T cells. Thus, IDO-expressing DCs are critical regulators of adaptive immunity that contribute to a wide range of inflammatory disease processes. As such, manipulating IDO expression in DCs using IDO inhibitors or IDO inducers offers considerable opportunities to improve immunotherapies in a range of clinically-significant disease syndromes.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigen Presentation
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Dendritic Cells / enzymology*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Enzyme Induction
  • Humans
  • Immunocompetence
  • Immunotherapy / methods
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / biosynthesis
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / genetics
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / metabolism*
  • Inflammation / enzymology*
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / therapy
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*

Substances

  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase