STAT3 Activation in Combination with NF-KappaB Inhibition Induces Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells with High Therapeutic Potential to Attenuate Collagen-Induced Arthritis

Figure 4

Simultaneous transduction of DCs with STAT3ca and IκBαSR exerts a more pronounced attenuation of CIA manifestation. (a) mDCs from DBA/1J mice were transduced with pLVX-VMmu (green) or with the control empty vector pLVX (black) as indicated in Figure 3, pulsed with 40 μg/ml CII for 18 h, and then intravenously transferred ( transduced DCs/animal) into DBA/1J mice at day 40 after CIA induction. The disease score was evaluated along with CIA development as described in Materials and Methods. Data represents from at least eight animals per experimental group. by Mann–Whitney test. (b) Comparison of the therapeutic effect induced by the intravenous transfer of DCs transduced with different lentiviral vectors shown in Figures 1(d), 2(d), and 4(a) throughout the time course of CIA development. Values represent the ratios of average disease score obtained with the control and average disease score obtained with the therapy. Dotted line represents , which indicates no therapeutic effect. and by Mann–Whitney test. (c) Disease severity of control groups from Figures 1(d), 2(d), and 4(a) was compared along with CIA development. Values are from at least eight animals per experimental group. No significant differences were found by Mann–Whitney test.

(a)

(b)

(c)