Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88-Silenced Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells Exhibit Enhanced Tolerogenicity in Intestinal Transplantation in Rats

Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) is a key adaptor of Toll-like receptor signaling, which plays a critical role in dendritic cell (DC) function. However, its role in the induction of transplant tolerance by immature DCs is unknown. In this study, we silenced MyD88 expression of bone marrow-derived immature DCs with small interference RNA demonstrating that this maneuver significantly prolonged the survival of intestinal allografts. This study provided evidence that the absence of MyD88 enhances the tolerogenicity of DCs and suggested that inhibiting innate immunity may be a potential strategy to facilitate induction of transplant tolerance by DCs.