Methods and pharmaceutical compositions for modulating monocytopoiesis

Abstract

Monocytopoiesis is a hematological process that supplies the periphery with monocytes and subsequently with macrophages and monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Typically, monocytes circulate in the bloodstream for a very short time before undergoing apoptosis, however, stimulatory signals can trigger monocyte survival by inhibiting the apoptotic pathway, and thus contribute to the maintenance of the inflammatory response. Accordingly, there is a need for methods and pharmaceutical compositions for modulating monocytopoiesis. Now, the inventors show that type I interferons signaling promote the differentiation of monocyte-derived phagocytes at the level of their progenitors. Importantly, IFN-alpha and -beta were found to efficiently generate the development of monocyte-derived antigen-presenting cells while having no impact on the precursor activity of conventional dendritic cells. Accordingly, modulators of type I interferon (e.g. neutralizing antibodies or type I IFN polypeptides) would be suitable for modulating monocytopoiesis in subjects in need thereof.