Ex Vivo-Generated Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells: Hope for a Definitive Therapy of Autoimmune Diseases
Jonny Jonny, Enda Cindylosa Sitepu, Chairul A. Nidom, Soetojo Wirjopranoto, I Ketut Sudiana, Arif Nur Muhammad Ansori, Terawan Agus Putranto
Abstract
Current therapies for autoimmune diseases are immunosuppressant agents, which have many debilitating side effects. However, dendritic cells (DCs) can induce antigen-specific tolerance. Tolerance restoration mediated by ex vivo-generated DCs can be a therapeutic approach. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the conceptual framework for developing ex vivo-generated DC strategies for autoimmune diseases. First, we will discuss the role of DCs in developing immune tolerance as a foundation for developing dendritic cell-based immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases. Then, we also discuss relevant findings from pre-clinical and clinical studies of ex vivo-generated DCs for therapy of autoimmune diseases. Finally, we discuss problems and challenges in dendritic cell therapy in autoimmune diseases. Throughout the article, we discuss autoimmune diseases, emphasizing SLE.