Immunogenic maturation of liver-resident endothelial cells promotes CD8 effector cell differentiation in the absence of co-stimulation

Generation of CD8+ T cell immunity depends on costimulatory signals delivered by fully mature antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs), which are activated by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) through pattern-recognition receptors (PRR). In contrast, immature DCs contribute to T cell tolerance by delivery of coinhibitory signals. Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) are unique organ-resident antigen-presenting cells that mediate CD8+ T cell tolerance similar to immature DCs. We addressed the question whether LSEC undergo functional maturation after contact with PAMPs or viral infection. We demo…