While dendritic cells (DCs) are known to play a major role in the process of vaccination, the mechanisms by which vaccines induce protective immunity in humans remain elusive. Herein, we used gene microarrays to characterize the transcriptional programs induced over time in human monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs) in vitro in response to influenza H1N1 Brisbane, Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus. We built a data-driven modular analytical framework focused on 204 pathogen-induced gene clusters. The expression of these modules was analyzed in response to 16 well-defined ligands, targeting TLRs, cytoplasmic PAMP receptors and cytokine receptors. This multi-dimensional framework covers the major biological functions of APC, including the IFN response, inflammation, DC maturation, T cell activation, antigen processing, cell motility and histone regulation. This framework was used to characterize the response of monocytes and moDCs to 14 commercially available vaccines. These vaccines displayed quantitatively and qualitatively distinct modular signatures in monocytes and DCs, in particular Fluzone and Pneumovax, highlighting the functional and phenotypic differences between APC subsets. This modular framework allows the application of systems immunology approaches to study early transcriptional changes in human APC subsets in response to pathogens and vaccines, which might guide the development of improved vaccines.

38 samples of IFNa DC and 39 samples of IL4 DC stimulated by CL097, CpG 2006, CpG 2216, Flagellin, IFNa, IL10, IL15, IL1b, LPS, MDP, PAM3, Poly I:C, Poly I:C-LMW-Lyovec, R837 or TNFa