The regulatory role of dendritic cells in the induction and maintenance of T-cell tolerance

Abstract

The induction and maintenance of T-cell tolerance to tissue antigens is essential to prevent autoimmunity. Combinations of central and peripheral mechanisms act in parallel to inactivated, eliminated or control autoreactive T cells. Both centrally and peripherally, a key requirement for self-tolerance is the presentation of self-antigens in a correct context. There is now evidence to suggest that dendritic cells (DCs) play a fundamental role in the development of central and peripheral tolerance. In this review, we summarize recent progress toward the definition of the multiple roles of DCs in these processes. We will also discuss the association between defects in the DC compartment and the development of autoimmune responses, with particular reference to DC deregulation in the context of type I diabetes.

Keywords::

• dendritic cells
• autoimmunity
• interleukin-2
• regulatory T cells
• tolerance

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the European Union FP6 Program (DC-THERA: LSHG-CT-2004-512074 contract), the European Union FP7 Program (TOLERAGE: HEALTH-F4-2008-202156 and ENCITE: HEALTH-F4-2008-201842 contracts), the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC) and the Italian Ministry of Education and Research (COFIN).

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.