Nanoparticle delivery of CD40 siRNA suppresses alloimmune responses by inhibiting activation and differentiation of DCs and macrophages

CD40 is an important costimulatory molecule expressed on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and plays a critical role for APC activation, offering a promising therapeutic target for preventing allograft rejection. Here, we developed a biodegradable nanoparticle small interfering RNA delivery system (si CD40 /NPs) to effectively deliver CD40 siRNA (si CD40 ) into hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), myeloid progenitors, and mature dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages. Injection of si CD40 /NPs not only down-regulated CD40 expression in DCs and macrophages but also inhibited the differentiation of HSCs and/or myeloid progenitors into functional DCs and macrophages. Furthermore, si CD40 /NPs treatment significantly prolonged allograft survival in mouse models of skin allotransplantation. In addition to reiteration of the role of CD40 in APC activation, our findings highlight a previously unappreciated role of CD40 in DC and macrophage differentiation from their progenitors. Furthermore, our results support the effectiveness of si CD40 /NPs in suppressing alloimmune responses, providing a potential means of facilitating tolerance induction and preventing allotransplant rejection.