Dendritic cell immunotherapy: mapping the way

Carl G Figdor1, I Jolanda M de Vries, W Joost Lesterhuis

  • 1Department of Tumor Immunology, Nijmegen Center for Molecular Life Sciences, University Medical Center Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. c.figdor@ncmls.kun.nl

Nature Medicine
|May 4, 2004
PubMed

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the professional antigen-presenting cells of the immune system, with the potential to either stimulate or inhibit immune responses. Exploiting the immune-regulatory capacities of dendritic cells holds great promise for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases and the prevention of transplant rejection. Although early clinical trials indicate that DC vaccines can induce immune responses in some cancer patients, careful study design and use of standardized clinical and immunological criteria are needed.

Related Concept Videos

Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...