In vivo migration of rat dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) comprise a dynamic cellular system with a continuous traffic throughout the body. DCs connect nonlymphoid and lymphoid tissues via the lymph and blood, and transport antigenic information from most parts of the body to the immune system (1). To understand the migratory behavior of DCs in vivo is very important, because in different immunological situations, this behavior could change easily and, in turn, greatly affect immune responses (2). Factors that determine the behavior of DCs, such as adhesion molecules, could potentially be the targets for manipulating and regulating immune responses. The study of DC migration, therefore, should provide useful information for understanding the role of DCs not only in local but also in systemic host-defense mechanisms (3). The aim of this chapter is to introduce several useful methods that help to examine DC migration in vivo.