Growth differentiation factor-15 suppresses maturation and function of dendritic cells and inhibits tumor-specific immune response.

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role in the initiation stage of an antigen-specific immune response. A variety of tumor-derived factors (TDFs) can suppress DC maturation and function, resulting in defects in the tumor-specific immune response. To identify unknown TDFs that may suppress DCs maturation and function, we established a high-throughput screening technology based on a human liver tumor T7 phage cDNA library and screened all of the proteins derived from hepatoma cells that potentially interact with immature DCs.