Cord blood dendritic cells have unique properties which contribute to limitation of type 1 helper T cell (Th1) responses in early life. In response to ligation of Toll-like receptors (TLR), we found that cord blood myeloid dendritic cells produce reduced levels of cytokines driving differentiation of Th1 cells including interleukin-12p75, interleukin-27 and type-I interferons. Likewise, cord blood plasmacytoid dendritic cells do not produce type I interferons upon exposure to viruses or synthetic ligands of TLR 7 or 9. We will further decipher the molecular basis of cord blood dendritic cell responses to TLR ligands and determine the consequences of neonatal dendritic cell defects on their ability to stimulate alloreactive T cell responses in vitro. Thereby, our objective is to get insight into the increased susceptibility to infection in early life and the lower immunogenicity of cord blood cells as compared to adult cells after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Government of the Walloon Region
GSK Biologicals
The Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S - FNRS) and the Télévie Programme
The Belgian Science Policy
The European Commission
The Erasme Fund The Wiener-Anspach Foundation
The Belgian Kid's Fund
The Roche Organ Transplantation Research Foundation
The Dimitris and Noela Nakos Foundation
Roche Pharmaceuticals, Belgium
Wittycell S.A.S