Lycium barbarum polysaccharides modulate SOCS-1 gene methylation and promote the maturation and migration of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells in vitro
4 affiliations
- 1Division of Education and Research, Changzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine , ,
- 2Department of General Medicine, Health Center of Nanjing Audit University , ,
- 3Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital , ,
- 4Department of Clinical Laboratory, Changzhou West Taihu Hospital , ,
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) on the methylation of the Suppressor of Cytokine Signalling-1 (SOCS-1) gene and the maturation and migration of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro .
Methods: Human monocyte-derived DCs were generated using recombinant human GM-CSF and interleukin-4 (IL-4) and treated with various concentrations of LBPs (50, 100, and 200 mg/L). SOCS-1 methylation and relative gene expression were analyzed by methylation-specific quantitative PCR (qMSP) and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. DC surface markers were assessed by flow cytometry. Cytokine (IL-12 and IL-10) secretion was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). JAK2, STAT3 and STAT5 phosphorylation were assessed by Western Blot Analysis. The ability of LBPs-treated DCs to stimulate lymphocyte proliferation was evaluated in a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). DC migration was tested using a Transwell assay toward MIP-3β, and CCR7 expression was quantified by real-time PCR.
Results: LBPs treatment upregulated SOCS-1 gene methylation and increased the expression of maturation markers (CD80, CD83, HLA-DR) and IL-12 production in a dose-dependent manner. Conversely, SOCS-1 expression and IL-10 secretion were downregulated. Furthermore, LBPs-treated DCs enhanced allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation. A significant increase in DC migration toward MIP-3β and CCR7 expression was observed in the 200 mg/L LBPs group compared to the control.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that LBPs are associated with increased SOCS-1 methylation and enhanced maturation and migratory capacity of human monocyte-derived DCs in vitro . Notably, to our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that a plant-derived polysaccharide can modulate SOCS-1 gene methylation, suggesting a potential epigenetic mechanism underlying the immunomodulatory activity of LBPs.
Related
- Contrasting Effects of Human, Canine, and Hybrid Adenovirus Vectors on the Phenotypical and Functional Maturation of Human Dendritic Cells: Implications for Clinical Efficacy
- Restoring dendritic cell migration: a gut reaction to boost vaccine efficacy in aging
- Sex hormones gate the neuronal control of dendritic cell migration and immunity
- Immune-intrinsic MLKL regulates dendritic cell maturation and CD8+ T cell effector function in anti-tumor immunity
- Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Hormonal, miRNA-Associated, and NLR-Linked Aphid Defense in Lycium barbarum
BibTeX
@article{pan2026lycium,
title = {{Lycium barbarum polysaccharides modulate SOCS-1 gene methylation and promote the maturation and migration of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells in vitro}},
author = {Wei Pan and Lijia Zhang and Yin Chen and Yuanjun Jiao and Huili Gu and Jiayan Gao and Lixin Jiang and Gaochao Qian},
journal = {Frontiers in immunology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2026.1921722},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13668845},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Lycium barbarum polysaccharides modulate SOCS-1 gene methylation and promote the maturation and migration of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells in vitro
AU - Wei Pan
AU - Lijia Zhang
AU - Yin Chen
AU - Yuanjun Jiao
AU - Huili Gu
AU - Jiayan Gao
AU - Lixin Jiang
AU - Gaochao Qian
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Frontiers in immunology
DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1921722
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13668845
AB - Objective: To investigate the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) on the methylation of the Suppressor of Cytokine Signalling-1 (SOCS-1) gene and the maturation and migration of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro . Methods: Human monocyte-derived DCs were generated using recombinant human GM-CSF and interleukin-4 (IL-4) and treated with various concentrations of LBPs (50, 100, and 200 mg/L). SOCS-1 methylation and relative gene expression were analyzed by methylation-specific quantitative PCR (qMSP) and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. DC surface markers were assessed by flow cytometry. Cytokine (IL-12 and IL-10) secretion was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). JAK2, STAT3 and STAT5 phosphorylation were assessed by Western Blot Analysis. The ability of LBPs-treated DCs to stimulate lymphocyte proliferation was evaluated in a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). DC migration was tested using a Transwell assay toward MIP-3β, and CCR7 expression was quantified by real-time PCR. Results: LBPs treatment upregulated SOCS-1 gene methylation and increased the expression of maturation markers (CD80, CD83, HLA-DR) and IL-12 production in a dose-dependent manner. Conversely, SOCS-1 expression and IL-10 secretion were downregulated. Furthermore, LBPs-treated DCs enhanced allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation. A significant increase in DC migration toward MIP-3β and CCR7 expression was observed in the 200 mg/L LBPs group compared to the control. Conclusion: These findings indicate that LBPs are associated with increased SOCS-1 methylation and enhanced maturation and migratory capacity of human monocyte-derived DCs in vitro . Notably, to our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that a plant-derived polysaccharide can modulate SOCS-1 gene methylation, suggesting a potential epigenetic mechanism underlying the immunomodulatory activity of LBPs.
SN - 1664-3224
ER -