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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Development of an Antigen-driven Colitis Model to Study Presentation of Antigens by Antigen Presenting Cells to T Cells
Published on: September 18, 2016
Uptake of antigens from the intestine by dendritic cells
Gordon MacPherson1, Simon Milling, Ulf Yrlid
1Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, UK. gordon.macpherson@path.ox.ac.uk
Abstract:
The intestinal immune system responds to ingested antigens in a variety of ways, ranging from tolerance to full immunity. How T cells are instructed to make these differential responses is still unclear. Dendritic cells (DCs) sample enteric antigens in the lamina propria and Peyer's patches, and transport them within the patch or to mesenteric nodes where they are presented to lymphocytes. It is probable that DCs also transmit information that influences the outcome of T cell activation, but the nature of this information and the factors in the intestine that regulate DC behavior and properties are far from clear. We have developed a model in the rat that permits analysis of DCs actually in the process of migration from the intestine to mesenteric nodes. In this paper we will review those aspects of our research that relate to antigen uptake and discuss these in the context of other experimental systems.
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