The inhibitory receptor Siglec-E controls antigen-presenting cell activation and T cell–mediated transplant rejection

After transplantation, inflammation and tissue injury release danger signals that activate myeloid cells, driving adaptive immune responses and acute rejection. Current immunosuppressants primarily target T cells but inadequately control innate immunity. Regulatory signals controlling innate responses in transplantation remain elusive. The sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin-E (Siglec-E, or SigE) binds sialylated ligands to suppress inflammation. In mouse heart transplants, SigE is up-regulated in graft-infiltrating myeloid cells, including dendritic cells (DCs). SigE deficiency in recipients, but not donors, accelerates acute rejection by enhancing DC activation, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production, thereby boosting alloreactive T cell responses. Conversely, SigE overexpression on DCs reduces activation by danger signals and their T cell allostimulatory capacity. The human homologs Siglecs-7 and -9 were up-regulated in rejecting allograft biopsies, and their higher expression correlated with improved allograft survival. Thus, SigE/7/9 is a crucial inhibitory receptor controlling antigen-presenting cell activation and T cell-mediated transplant rejection, offering therapeutic potential.