Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are the crucial interface between innate and adaptive immune responses, which are both dysregulated during the onset of obesity, resulting in enhanced susceptibility to inflammatory and infectious diseases and cancer. Development of cDC in the bone marrow has been shown to be regulated by environmental factors, that may influence the transcriptional profiles and function of the cDC subsets, cDC1 and cDC2 in peripheral tissues, such as adipose tissue. The cDC compartment in the adipose tissue has been shown to be disturbed during obesity development. However, how acute and chronic inflammation modulate the development and function of both cDC subsets in the context of diet-induced obesity remains largely elusive. Furthermore, a concise functional role of cDC1 and cDC2 subsets and their interactions with other cells in the adipose tissue in lean and obese conditions have not been identified. Using a murine fate mapper model allowing the sharp discrimination of bona fide cDCs, high-dimensional flow cytometry and imaging, as well as single cell transcriptomic techniques, we aim to decipher the developmental and functional modifications of cDC subsets. Additionally, we aim to identify the molecular regulators of cDC development and function during obesity progression in mice and humans.

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