Targeted immunosuppressive dendritic cells blunt cardiac fibrosis after injury

Engineered FAP-targeted immunosuppressive dendritic cells (iCDCs), carrying IL-10, CTLA4-Ig, and PD-L1, reprogram local immune responses to reduce inflammation and fibrosis after myocardial injury in mice and improve heart function, with additional benefit in a non-human primate MI model and no systemic toxicity; mechanism includes direct suppression of immune/stromal cell activation and indirect expansion of regulatory T cells. This lesion-targeted immune modulation presents a promising therapy for cardiac remodeling and heart failure. Data and code are publicly available.