DC-CD4 bispecific tolerogenic nanovesicles induce antigen-specific regulatory T cells and ameliorate collagen-induced arthritis in mice.

Zhao, Lei; Gao, Zhongqiang; Yuan, Ze; Yang, Xiaodie; Li, Duxin; Ren, Qian; Yu, Yunli; Pan, Jie et al. · Nat Commun · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Inducing antigen-specific regulatory T (T<sub>reg</sub>) cells is a promising strategy for treating autoimmune diseases (AID). Here, we present dendritic cells-CD4⁺ T cells (DC-CD4) bispecific tolerogenic nanovesicles (NV) co-loaded with an antigenic peptide and rapamycin. We show that these NVs bring DCs and CD4⁺ T cells into close spatial proximity through CTLA4-CD80/86 and anti-CD4 (aCD4)-CD4 interactions, thereby promoting antigen-specific T<sub>reg</sub> cell generation. In a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model, the bispecific NVs display enhanced lymph node (LN) tropism and increase antigen-specific T<sub>reg</sub> cells in LNs and spleen, when administered in both therapeutic and prophylactic settings, resulting in robust efficacy against CIA. Furthermore, arthritogenic cell transfer and adoptive transfer of T<sub>reg</sub> cells into T<sub>reg</sub>-ablated mice confirm the pivotal role of bispecific NV-induced antigen-specific T<sub>reg</sub> cells in mediating the anti-inflammatory efficacy. Collectively, our data support DC-CD4 bispecific tolerogenic NVs as a platform to induce antigen-specific T<sub>reg</sub> cells for precise immune tolerance in AIDs.