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Background: Dendritic cells are professional antigen-presenting cells that play an essential role in the initiation and modulation of T cell responses. They have been studied widely for their potential clinical applications, but for clinical use to be successful, alternatives to xenogeneic substances like fetal bovine serum (FBS) in cell culture need to be found. Protocols for the generation of dendritic cells ex vivo from monocytes are well established for several species, including horses. Currently, the gold standard protocol for generating dendritic cells from monocytes across various species relies upon a combination of GM-CSF and IL-4 added to cell culture medium which is supplemented with FBS. The aim of this study was to substitute FBS with heterologous horse serum. For this purpose, equine monocyte-derived dendritic cells (eqMoDC) were generated in the presence of horse serum or FBS and analysed for the effect on morphology, phenotype and immunological properties. Changes in the expression of phenotypic markers (CD14, CD86, CD206) were assessed during dendritic cell maturation by flow cytometry. To obtain a more complete picture of the eqMoDC differentiation and assess possible differences between FBS- and horse serum-driven cultures, a transcriptomic microarray analysis was performed. Lastly, immature eqMoDC were primed with a primary antigen (ovalbumin) or a recall antigen (tetanus toxoid) and, after maturation, were co-cultured with freshly isolated autologous CD5 + T lymphocytes to assess their T cell stimulatory capacity., Results: The microarray analysis demonstrated that eqMoDC generated with horse serum were indistinguishable from those generated with FBS. However, eqMoDC incubated with horse serum-supplemented medium exhibited a more characteristic dendritic cell morphology during differentiation from monocytes. A significant increase in cell viability was also observed in eqMoDC cultured with horse serum. Furthermore, eqMoDC generated in the presence of horse serum were found to be superior in their functional T lymphocyte priming capacity and to elicit significantly less non-specific proliferation., Conclusions: EqMoDC generated with horse serum-supplemented medium showed improved morphological characteristics, higher cell viability and exhibited a more robust performance in the functional T cell assays. Therefore, horse serum was found to be superior to FBS for generating equine monocyte-derived dendritic cells.

The development of vaccines inducing efficient CD8(+) T cell responses is the focus of intense research. Dendritic cells (DCs) expressing the XCR1 chemokine receptor, also known as CD103(+) or CD8α(+) DCs, excel in the presentation of extracellular Ags to CD8(+) T cells. Because of its high numbers of DCs, including XCR1(+) DCs, the skin dermis is an attractive site for vaccine administration. By creating laser-generated micropores through the epidermis, we targeted a model protein Ag fused to XCL1, the ligand of XCR1, to dermal XCR1(+) DCs and induced Ag-specific CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cell responses. Efficient immunization required the emigration of XCR1(+) dermal DCs to draining lymph nodes and occurred irrespective of TLR signaling. Moreover, a single intradermal immunization protected mice against melanoma tumor growth in prophylactic and therapeutic settings, in the absence of exogenous adjuvant. The mild inflammatory milieu created in the dermis by skin laser microporation itself most likely favored the development of potent T cell responses in the absence of exogenous adjuvants. The existence of functionally equivalent XCR1(+) dermal DCs in humans should permit the translation of laser-assisted intradermal delivery of a tumor-specific vaccine targeting XCR1(+) DCs to human cancer immunotherapy. Moreover, considering that the use of adjuvants in vaccines is often associated with safety issues, the possibility of inducing protective responses against melanoma tumor growth independently of the administration of exogenous adjuvants should facilitate the development of safer vaccines., (Copyright © 2015 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.)

Background Immunomodulatory interventions play a key role in the treatment of infections and cancer as well as allergic diseases. Adjuvants such as micro- and nanoparticles are often added to immunomodulatory therapies to enhance the triggered immune response. Here, we report the immunological assessment of novel and economically manufactured microparticle adjuvants, namely strontium-doped hydroxyapatite porous spheres ( SHAS), which we suggest for the use as adjuvant and carrier in allergen-specific immunotherapy ( ASIT). Methods and results Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the synthesis procedure developed for the production of SHAS results in a highly homogeneous population of spheres. Strontium-doped hydroxyapatite porous spheres bound and released proteins such as ovalbumin ( OVA) or the major cat allergen Fel d 1. SHAS- OVA were taken up by human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (md DCs) and murine DCs and did not have any necrotic or apoptotic effects even at high densities. In a murine model of ASIT for allergic asthmatic inflammation, we found that OVA released from subcutaneously injected SHAS- OVA led to a sustained stimulation of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Allergen-specific immunotherapy with SHAS- OVA as compared to soluble OVA resulted in similar humoral responses but in a higher efficacy as assessed by symptom scoring. Conclusion We conclude that SHAS may constitute a suitable carrier and adjuvant for ASIT with great potential due to its unique protein-binding properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]