Trans-presentation of IL-6 by dendritic cells is required for the priming of pathogenic TH17 cells.

The cellular sources of interleukin 6 (IL-6) that are relevant for differentiation of the TH17 subset of helper T cells remain unclear. Here we used a novel strategy for the conditional deletion of distinct IL-6-producing cell types to show that dendritic cells (DCs) positive for the signaling regulator Sirpα were essential for the generation of pathogenic TH17 cells. Using their IL-6 receptor α-chain (IL-6Rα), Sirpα+ DCs trans-presented IL-6 to T cells during the process of cognate interaction. While ambient IL-6 was sufficient to suppress the induction of expression of the transcription factor Foxp3 in T cells, trans-presentation of IL-6 by DC-bound IL-6Rα (called 'IL-6 cluster signaling' here) was needed to prevent premature induction of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) expression in T cells and to generate pathogenic TH17 cells in vivo. Our findings should guide therapeutic approaches for the treatment of TH17-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.

Developmental maturation of innate immune cell function correlates with susceptibility to central nervous system autoimmunity.

MS is an inflammatory CNS disorder, which typically occurs in early adulthood and rarely in children. Here we tested whether functional maturation of innate immune cells may determine susceptibility to CNS autoimmune disease in EAE. Two-week-old mice were resistant to active EAE, which causes fulminant paralysis in adult mice; this resistance was associated with an impaired development of Th1 and Th17 cells. Resistant, young mice had higher frequencies of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and plasma-cytoid DCs. Furthermore, myeloid APCs and B cells from young mice expressed lower levels of MHC class II and CD40, produced decreased amounts of proinflammatory cytokines, and released enhanced levels of anti-inflammatory IL-10. When used as APCs, splenocytes from 2-week-old mice failed to differentiate naive T cells into Th1 and Th17 cells irrespective of the T-cell donor's age, and promoted development of Treg cells and Th2 cells instead. Adoptive transfer of adult APCs restored the ability of 2-week-old mice to generate encephalitogenic T cells and develop EAE. Collectively, these findings indicate that the innate immune compartment functionally matures during development, which may be a prerequisite for development of T-cell-mediated CNS autoimmune disease.