Research progress in plasmacytoid dendritic cells in systemic sclerosis / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are a unique subset of dendritic cells that can rapidly produce large amounts of type Ⅰ interferon after activation. They are critical in antiviral immunity and involved in the initiation and development of many autoimmune diseases. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by immune dysregulation, vasculopathy and progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Recent studies have found that pDCs are involved in the pathogenesis of SSc. Inhibiting the function of pDCs can effectively prevent inflammation and fibrosis in SSc, highlighting the role of pDCs in the pathogenesis of SSc. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of pDCs and their role in the pathogenesis of SSc is important for the development of pDCs and their mediators as therapeutic targets for SSc.