Induction of tolerogenic dendritic cells by activated TGF-β/Akt/Smad2 signaling in RIG-I-deficient stemness-high human liver cancer cells

Background Dendritic cells (DCs) alter their role from being immunostimulatory to immunosuppressive at advanced stages of tumor progression, but the influence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their secreted factors on generation and phenotypic change of DCs is unknown. Retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) plays a role in regulation of other cellular processes including leukemic stemness besides its antiviral function.