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Human Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 Controls Immunostimulatory Activity of Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells

¹ Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Departments of ² Molecular and Human Genetics, ³ Immunology, and ⁴ Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

Requests for reprints: Xue F. Huang, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California/Keck, Biggy Street, NRT 7501, Los Angeles, CA 90033. Phone: 323-442-7814; Fax: 323-442-7729; E-mail: xuefhuan{at}usc.edu.

Key Words: dendritic cells • hSOCS1 • immunostimulation

Dendritic cell (DC)–based tumor vaccines have only achieved limited clinical efficacy, underscoring the limitation of stimulatory strategies to elicit effective cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses against self-tumor–associated antigens. Here, we investigate the role of human suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), a feedback inhibitor of the Janus-activated kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathway, in regulating antigen presentation by human DCs (hDC). We find that human SOCS1 (hSOCS1)–silenced DCs have an enhanced stimulatory ability to prime self-antigen–specific CTLs in vitro and in a severe combined immunodeficient-hu mouse model. Human CTLs activated by SOCS1-silenced DCs, but not wild-type DCs, have an active lytic activity to natural antigen-expressing tumor cells. We further find that the capacity of hDCs to prime CTLs is likely controlled by SOCS1-restricted production and signaling of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-12. These results indicate a critical role of hSOCS1 in negatively regulating the immunostimulatory capacity of DCs and imply a translational potential of this alternative SOCS1 silencing strategy to develop effective DC vaccines. [Cancer Res 2009;69(20):8076–84]