Physiological Oxygen Levels in the Microenvironment Program Ex Vivo-Generated Conventional Dendritic Cells Toward a Tolerogenic Phenotype

Dendritic cells (DCs) are critical regulators of immune homeostasis, balancing tolerance and immunity through antigen presentation and T cell modulation. While the influence of hypoxia (<2% O₂) on DC function in pathological settings is well-documented, the impact of physiological O₂ levels remains underexplored. This study investigates the role of physioxia (4% O₂) in programming mature DCs toward a tolerogenic phenotype compared to atmospheric conditions (21% O₂) typically present in in vitro assays. DC cultures generated under 4% O₂ exhibited a reduced monocyte-to-DC transformation rate, increased lactate production, a semi-mature surface marker profile, and increased surface expression of the tolerance-associated marker ILT4. T cell priming was altered only when atmospheric DCs were co-cultured under physioxia, suggesting an O₂-dependent threshold for immunostimulatory capacity. These findings highlight the complexity of O₂-dependent mechanisms in DC-T cell interactions, revealing a delicate balance between tolerance and immunogenicity. Our results underscore the need for physiologically relevant O₂ conditions in DC research to better reflect in vivo behavior and inform immunotherapy design. Overall, this study advances understanding of how microenvironmental cues shape DC biology, with implications for immune tolerance, autoimmunity, and cancer immunotherapy.