In Vitro Maturation of Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells via STING Activation for T Cell Priming

Dendritic cells (DCs) are among the most potent antigen-presenting cells, playing a pivotal role in initiating adaptive immune responses. The STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) pathway, a key cytosolic DNA-sensing mechanism, has emerged as a powerful modulator of type I interferon production and CD8⁺ T cell activation. In this study, we aimed to generate and functionally mature bone marrow-derived DCs in vitro by optimizing cytokine conditions and incorporating STING pathway stimulation. Immature DCs were differentiated from murine bone marrow using various concentrations of GM-CSF and IL-4, and characterized by the expression of surface markers CD11c, CD80, and MHC-II. Maturation was induced using a STING agonist, followed by co-culture with naïve CD8⁺ T cells isolated from mouse spleens via Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting (MACS). STING-activated DCs exhibited enhanced surface marker expression and significantly promoted CD8⁺ T cell proliferation. Our findings demonstrate that combining optimized cytokine-driven differentiation with STING activation significantly improves DC immunogenicity, offering a promising platform for the development of DC-based cancer immunotherapies. Graphical abstract created using BioRender.com