Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells Generated with Tofacitinib Ameliorate Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis through Modulation of Th17Treg Balance

Abstract EN

It is well known that dendritic cells (DCs) play a pivotal role in triggering self-specific responses.

Conversely, tolerogenic DCs (tolDCs), a specialized subset, induce tolerance and negatively regulate autoreactive responses.

Tofacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor developed by Pfizer for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, is probable to be a promising candidate for inducing tolDCs.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of tolDCs induced by tofacitinib in a myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein- (MOG-) specific experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model and to investigate their effects on Th17/Treg balance in the animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Our results revealed that tofacitinib-treated DCs maintained a steady semimature phenotype with a low level of proinflammatory cytokines and costimulatory molecules.

DCs treated by tofacitinib also induced antigen-specific T cells hyporesponsiveness in a concentration-dependent manner.

Upon intravenous injection into EAE mice, MOG pulsed tolDCs significantly dampened disease activity, and adoptive cell therapy (ACT) disturbed Th17/Treg balance with a remarkable decrease of Th1/Th17 cells and an increase in regulatory T cells (Tregs).

Overall, DCs modified by tofacitinib exhibited a typical tolerogenic phenotype, and the antigen-specific tolDCs may represent a new avenue of research for the development of future clinical treatments for MS.