[Immunoregulatory effect of dendritic cells and its signal transduction]

Dendritic cells (DCs) are highly efficient antigen-presenting cells (APC). Following antigen stimulating, DC could migrate from peripheral tissues to lymphoid organs via chemotactic factors and up-regulate major histocompatibility complex, costimulatory molecules, adhesion molecules, secreting cytokines, acquiring the unique capacity to prime naive T cells. DC takes up antigen through phagocytosis, pinocytosis, and endocytosis via different groups of receptor families, such as C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) for antigen capture and presentation, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) for pathogen recognition and DC activation. The present review focuses on the progress of DC biology as well as immunoregulation, activation via distinct pathogen recognition receptors and intracellular signal transduction pathway.