Decoding Functional and Developmental Trajectories of Tissue-Resident Uterine Dendritic Cells Through Integrative Omics.

Uterine dendritic cells (uDCs) are critical for endometrial function, yet their origin, molecular characteristics, and specific roles during the pre- and post-implantation periods in the human endometrium remain largely unknown. The complexity of the endometrial environment makes defining the contributions of uDCs subtypes challenging. We hypothesize that distinct uDC subsets carry out specialized functions, and that resident progenitor DCs generate these subtypes.

Differential Cytotoxic Function of Resident and Non-resident CD8+ T Cells in the Human Female Reproductive Tract Before and After Menopause.

The functional characterization and regulation of tissue resident and non-resident CD8+ T cells in the human female reproductive tract (FRT) as women age remains a gap in our knowledge. Here we characterized the cytotoxic activity and granular contents of CD8+ T cells from the FRT in pre- and postmenopausal women. We found that under steady-state conditions, CD8+ T cells from endometrium (EM), endocervix and ectocervix displayed direct cytotoxic activity, and that cytotoxicity increased in the EM after menopause.

Isolation of Dendritic Cells from the Human Female Reproductive Tract for Phenotypical and Functional Studies.

The characterization of the human dendritic cells (DCs) resident in mucosal tissues is challenging due to the difficulty in obtaining samples, and the low numbers of DCs present per tissue. Yet, as the phenotype and function of DCs is modified by the tissue environment, it is necessary to analyze tissue resident DC populations, since blood derived DCs incompletely reflect the complexities of DCs in tissues. Here we present a protocol to isolate DCs from the human female reproductive tract (FRT) using hysterectomy specimens that allows both phenotypical and functional analyses.

Aging impacts CD103 CD8 T cell presence and induction by dendritic cells in the genital tract.

As women age, susceptibility to systemic and genital infections increases. Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRMs) are CD103 CD8 long-lived lymphocytes that provide critical mucosal immune protection. Mucosal dendritic cells (DCs) are known to induce CD103 expression on CD8 T cells.