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Review
. 2024 Feb 19;25(4):2450.
doi: 10.3390/ijms25042450.

The Evolving Role of Dendritic Cells in Atherosclerosis

Simone Britsch  1   2   3 , Harald Langer  1   2   3 , Daniel Duerschmied  1   2   3 , Tobias Becher  1
Affiliations
Review

The Evolving Role of Dendritic Cells in Atherosclerosis

Simone Britsch et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Atherosclerosis, a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, is characterized by chronic inflammation of the arterial wall. This inflammatory process is initiated and maintained by both innate and adaptive immunity. Dendritic cells (DCs), which are antigen-presenting cells, play a crucial role in the development of atherosclerosis and consist of various subtypes with distinct functional abilities. Following the recognition and binding of antigens, DCs become potent activators of cellular responses, bridging the innate and adaptive immune systems. The modulation of specific DC subpopulations can have either pro-atherogenic or atheroprotective effects, highlighting the dual pro-inflammatory or tolerogenic roles of DCs. In this work, we provide a comprehensive overview of the evolving roles of DCs and their subtypes in the promotion or limitation of atherosclerosis development. Additionally, we explore antigen pulsing and pharmacological approaches to modulate the function of DCs in the context of atherosclerosis.

Keywords: adaptive immunity; atherosclerosis; dendritic cells; immune cells; inflammation; innate immunity.

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Conflict of interest statement

T.B. is an employee and shareholder of Roche Diagnostics International, Rotkreuz, Switzerland. All other authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Development of conventional dendritic cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells from pluripotent hematopoietic stell cells in mice and summary of transcription factors, expression markers and activation markers in conventional dendritic cells 1 and 2 and plasmacytoid dendritic cells according to [42]. BATF3, basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor 3. BST2, bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2. CADM1, cell adhesion molecule 1. CD, cluster of differentiation. ID2, inhibitor of DNA binding 2. IRF8, interferon regulatory factor 8. Ly-6C, lymphocyte antigen 6 family member G6C. NFIL3, nuclear factor, interleukin 3 regulated. TCF4, transcription factor 4. XCR1, X-C motif chemokine receptor 1. CLEC9A, C-type lectin domain containing 9A. 1 Pre-dendritic cells can give rise to conventional dendritic cells 1 and 2 (pre-cDCs) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pre-pDCs). 2 Expression markers used to identify and differentiate dendritic cells in humans.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Location, expression profile and properties of dendritic cells in the development of atherosclerosis. ATLO, adventitial artery tertiary lymphoid organs. BST2, bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2. cDC, conventional dendritic cells. Clec4a4, c-type lectin domain family 4, member a4. Ly6C, lymphocyte antigen 6 family member C1. XCR1, X-C motif chemokine receptor 1. pDC, plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Changes in DC subtypes in atherosclerosis according to [72].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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