Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) possess the ability to suppress the immune response, and to amplify the regulatory properties of other immune cells, i.e., dendritic cells. Here we describe a protocol in which MDSCs were differentiated from murine bone marrow cells, and CD11c+ dendritic cells were purified from murine spleens. MDSCs and CD11c dendritic cells can be co-cultured and the immunoregulatory phenotype of the MDSCs-conditioned dendritic cells could be assessed by means of a specific functional in vivo experiment, i.e., a skin test as a measure of the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction toward a poorly immunogenic antigen.
Keywords: Co-culture; Dendritic cells; Myeloid-derived suppressor cells.