ABSTRACT
Tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDCs) facilitate the suppression of autoimmune responses by differentiating regulatory T cells (Treg). The dysfunction of immunotolerance results in the development of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As multipotent progenitor cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), can regulate dendritic cells (DCs) to restore their immunosuppressive function and prevent disease development. However, the underlying mechanisms of MSCs in regulating DCs still need to be better defined. Simultaneously, the delivery system for MSCs also influences their function. Herein, MSCs are encapsulated in alginate hydrogel to improve cell survival and retention in situ, maximizing efficacy in vivo. The three-dimensional co-culture of encapsulated MSCs with DCs demonstrates that MSCs can inhibit the maturation of DCs and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice model, alginate hydrogel encapsulated MSCs induce a significantly higher expression of CD39+CD73+ on MSCs. These enzymes hydrolyze ATP to adenosine and activate A2A/2B receptors on immature DCs, further promoting the phenotypic transformation of DCs to tolDCs and regulating naïve T cells to Tregs. Therefore, encapsulated MSCs obviously alleviate the inflammatory response and prevent CIA progression. This finding clarifies the mechanism of MSCs-DCs crosstalk in eliciting the immunosuppression effect and provides insights into hydrogel-promoted stem cell therapy for autoimmune diseases.