Dendritic cells: sentinels against pathogens

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells, and are regarded as "natural adjuvants" for the induction of primary T or T-dependent immunity. DCs in the peripheral sites capture and process antigens. Encounter of exogenous or endogenous stimuli mature the function of DCs, and they thus acquire T-cell stimulatory capacity and distinct chemotactic behavior which enables them to migrate to lymphoid tissue. In the secondary lymphoid organs, they present antigens to T- and B-cells and stimulate their proliferation. Dendritic cells are also involved in tolerance induction, in particular, to self antigens. DCs also play a key role in the transmission of many pathogens, and therefore may become targets for designing new therapies. DCs have been manipulated in vitro and in vivo for cancer immunotherapy. In this article, we provide a concise overview of DC biology and its current and future role in clinical settings.