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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

An Efficient and High Yield Method for Isolation of Mouse Dendritic Cell Subsets
Published on: April 18, 2016
A novel cell subset: interferon-producing killer dendritic cells
1Institute of Tissue Transplantation and Immunology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Recent reports introduce a novel cell subset of DCs with antigenic phenotypes shared by both NK cells and B cells, but without surface markers of pDCs and T cells, appearing to be a chimera of NK cells and DCs, namely interferon-producing killer dendritic cells (IKDCs). IKDCs not only secret type I and type II interferons to recognize and kill tumor cells effectively, but also express MHC-II molecules to present antigens. Thus, IKDCs are considered as important immunosurveilance cells for tumors, providing a link between innate and adaptive immunity.
Recent reports introduce a novel cell subset of DCs with antigenic phenotypes shared by both NK cells and B cells, but without surface markers of pDCs and T cells, appearing to be a chimera of NK cells and DCs, namely interferon-producing killer dendritic cells (IKDCs). IKDCs not only secret type I and type II interferons to recognize and kill tumor cells effectively, but also express MHC-II molecules to present antigens. Thus, IKDCs are considered as important immunosurveilance cells for tumors, providing a link between innate and adaptive immunity.
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