It has been reported that splenic stromal cells(SSCs)are capable of directly supporting the development of CD11c ^(lo)CD45RB^(+) IL-10-producing dendritic cells(DCs)from lineage-negative c-kit^(+) progenitor cells in the absence of exogenous cytokines.In vitro,DCs that differentiate on stromal cells suppress mixed leukocyte reaction responses and induce primary alloreactive CD4^(+) T cells to differentiate into IL-10-producing Tr1 cells.However,the precise mechanisms by which these SSCs exert their regulatory functions in vivo remain undefined.Furthermore,their possible contribution to the development of allograft transplantation tolerance has yet to be examined.Here,we have used both murine skin and cardiac allograft transplantation models to explore whether in vivo alloresponses can be regulated by infusion with donor-derived SSCs and to investigate the possible mechanisms by which SSCs exert regulatory effects to prevent allograft rejection.We show that intravenous SSC infusion prolonged murine skin allograft survival.The prolonged graft survival is associated with augmentation of the generation of regulatory DC subsets and CD4^(+) CD25^(+) Foxp3^(+) regulatory T cells(Tregs),as well as upregulation of the production of suppressive cytokines IL-10 and transforming growth factor(TGF)-b.Moreover,we found that indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and SSC-derived regulatory DCs contribute to allograft protection by infusion of donor-specific SSCs.Our data suggest that donor-derived SSCs could be used as a therapeutic target to promote transplantation tolerance.
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are one of the most important components in thymic microenvironment supporting thymocyte development and maturation. TECs, composed of cortical and medullary TECs, are derived from a common bipotent progenitor, mediating thymocyte positive and negative selections. Multiple levels of signals including intracellular signaling networks and cell-cell interaction are required for TEC development and differentiation. Transcription factors Foxn1 and autoimmune regulator (Aire) are powerful regulators promoting TEC development and differentiation. Crosstalks with thymocytes and other stromal cells for extrinsic signals like RANKL, CD40L, lymphotoxin, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and Wnt are also definitely required to establish a functional thymic microenvironment. In this review, we will summarize our current understanding about TEC development and differentiation, and its underlying multiple signal pathways.
