Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 23 1 2024 02 11 97 106 Neda Heidari Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Hajar Abbasi-kenarsari Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Bahare Niknam Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ali Asadirad 2 Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Davar Amani Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Zahra Mirsanei Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Seyed Mahmood Hashemi Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2023 03 09 2023 11 24 Dendritic cells (DCs), professional antigen-presenting cells that process and deliver antigens using MHC II/I molecules, can be enhanced in numerous ways.  Exosomes derived from heat‐shocked tumor cells (HS‐TEXs) contain high amounts of heat-shock proteins (HSPs). HSPs, as chaperons, can induce DC maturation. This study aimed to investigate whether HS‐TEXs can promote DC maturation. To generate DC, bone marrow-derived cells were treated with Interleukin-4 and GM-CSF. Exosomes were isolated from heat-treated CT-26 cells. The expression level of HSP in exosomes was checked by western blot and the increase in the expression of this protein was observed. Then, HS‐TEXs were co-cultured with iDCs to determine DC maturity, and then DCs were co-cultured with lymphocytes to determine DC activity. Our results showed that  DCs treated with HS‐TEXs express high levels of molecules involved in DC maturation and function including MHCII, CD40, CD83, and CD86. HS‐TEXs caused phenotypic and functional maturation of DCs. In addition, flow cytometric results reflected a higher proliferative response of lymphocytes in the iDC / Tex + HSP group. HS‐TEXs could be used as a strategy to improve DC maturation and activation. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/3790 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/3790/2029