Transcription Factor KLF2 in Dendritic Cells Downregulates Th2 Programming via the HIF-1α/Jagged2/Notch Axis

Dendritic cells are the key element that bridges innate and adaptive immunity. A complex and not-well-understood area in dendritic cell biology is the regulatory network that predetermines or moderates their function to shape the adaptive immune response. Our study for the first time demonstrates that KLF2, a transcription factor, conditions dendritic cells to regulate Th2 responses via a Jagged2/Notch axis. Downregulation of KLF2 expression in dendritic cells may provide a beneficial effect for treatment of diseases such as obesity or parasitic infections but may be deleterious in the case of invasion by intracellular pathogens. Strategies to tune KLF2 may be useful for future therapeutic approaches to particular diseases of mankind.