Induction of Memory-like Dendritic Cell Responses in vivo

Dendritic cells (DCs), a vital component of the innate immune system, are considered to lack antigen specificity and be devoid of immunological memory. Strategies that can induce memory-like responses from innate cells can be utilized to illicit protective immunity in immune deficient persons. We utilized an experimental immunization strategy to modulate DC polarization and memory-like responses against an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes significant disease in immunocompromised individuals. Our results show that DCs isolated from protectively immunized mice exhibit a DC1 polarization phenotype, enhanced transcriptional activation of interferon and immune signaling pathways, and long-term memory-like cytokine responses upon subsequent challenge with the fungal pathogen. Altogether, our studies demonstrate that immunization strategies can be designed to elicit memory-like DC responses against infectious disease.