The effect of fluid shear stress on the mRNA expression profile of immature dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) play crucial roles in T cell activation and guide them polarize to different subsets, which orchestrate the balance between immune response and tolerance maintaining homeostasis of the body’s immune internal environmen. Immature DCs (imDCs) with strong phagocytosis abilities patrol in the peripheral tissues to capture antigens, and they exhibit limited capacity to stimulate T-cell activation and primarily contribute to immune tolerance through the induction of T-cell anergy or differentiation into regulatory T cells (Tregs). Once encountering antigens, imDCs initiate the affairs of antigen-processing and maturation, as well as migrate toward to lymphoid tissues – the destination where mature DCs (mDCs) present antigen-peptide to naïve T cells and efficiently stimulate T cell activation, launching innate and adaptive immune responses. This is a long and arduous “journey” for DCs to fulfill their immunoregulatory mission. Any disturb factors (biochemical or biophysical cues) from the “journey” may alter or impair the immunophenotyes and functions of DCs, suggesting that high plasticity of DCs in vivo – either immunity or tolerance – to adapt to the demand of a special condition.In the process of exerting physiological function, imDCs are always under the Fluid shear stress (FSS) sluicing. How imDCs response to FSS stimuli and furtherly mediate immune response remains unknown.