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Updated: Jul 5, 2026
Assessing the Innate Sensing of HIV-1 Infected CD4+ T Cells by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Using an Ex vivo Co-culture System.
Published on: September 1, 2015
Interactions between dendritic cells and CD4+ T cells during Plasmodium infection
Carlos Ocaña-Morgner1, Kurt A Wong, Ana Rodriguez
1New York University School of Medicine, Department of Medical Parasitology, 341 E 25th street, New York, NY 10010, USA. Carlos.Ocana-Morgner@mailbox.tu-dresden.de
Background:
During infection, dendritic cells (DCs) encounter pathogenic microorganisms that can modulate their function and shape the T cell responses generated. During the process of T cell activation, DCs establish strong, long-lasting interactions with naïve T cells.
Methods:
Using a mouse malaria model, the interactions of DCs and naïve CD4+ T cells have been analysed.
Results:
DCs, either incubated in vitro with infected erythrocytes or isolated from infected mice, are able to present exogenous antigens by MHC-II, but are not able to establish prolonged effective interactions with naïve CD4+ T cells and do not induce T cell activation. It was also found that effective T cell activation of naïve CD4+ T cells is impaired during late Plasmodium yoelii infection.
Conclusion:
These data may provide a mechanism for the lack of effective adaptive immune responses induced by the Plasmodium parasite.
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