Intra-articular injection of autologous tolerogenic dendritic cells modifies the synovial immune landscape in rheumatoid and inflammatory arthritis
Authors' conclusion
The tolDC-induced increase in synovial Myeloid MerTKHigh cells may have local immune modulatory effects and provide promising evidence for an effect of tolDC treatment on the synovial immune landscape.
Study context
- Population
- Participants with RA and inflammatory arthritis from a previous trial of intra-articular tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDC), selected on tissue availability at both time points
- Participants
- 7 paired synovial tissues
- Comparison
- Intra-articular tolDC vs saline washout
- tolDCn = 5
- Controlsn = 2reference
- Outcome
- Synovial immune landscape after tolDC
- Follow-up
- 14 days
Methodological detailspaired synovial biopsies at baseline and day 14, imaging mass cytometry
- Paired synovial biopsies at baseline and day 14
- Imaging mass cytometry
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- No changes in histopathology or overall distribution of myeloid, lymphoid and stromal populations before vs after tolDC
- Proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells not altered; no indication of induced regulatory T cells in synovium
- Significant increase in myeloid MerTKHigh cells, positively correlated with tolDC dose
- Total MerTK+ myeloid cell percentages inversely correlated with arthroscopic synovitis scores at both time points
Original publication
Intra-articular injection of autologous tolerogenic dendritic cells modifies the synovial immune landscape in rheumatoid and inflammatory arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. Published 2 February 2026. doi:10.
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