CD103 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) are key drivers of antitumor immunity, but their scarcity and resistance to genetic manipulation make them difficult to study. We optimized a two-stage ex vivo culture system using key cytokines and growth factors to efficiently generate CD103 cDC1 like cells from mouse bone marrow progenitors. These cells closely mimicked their invivo counterparts, displaying CD103 expression, robust cytokine production, and functional responses to immune stimulation. Additionally, we established a high-efficiency retroviral transduction method using ecotropic pseudotyped virus and retronectin-coated plates, significantly improving gene delivery into mouse hematopoietic stem cells. This integrated platform provides a powerful approach for dissecting CD103 cDC1 biology and advancing dendritic cell based immunotherapy research.
Asnani et al. (Tue,) studied this question.