Monitoring dendritic cell activation and maturation

Since the 1997 discovery that the first identified human homologue of Drosophila Toll could activate the innate immune system, the innate arm of immunity has rapidly taken on a new light as an important player in the recognition of pathogens and damaged self. The recognition of danger by dendritic cells (DC) is a crucial step in activating the adaptive immune system. Different DC express varied subsets of pattern recognition receptors (PRR), enabling both overlap and exclusivity in the recognition of danger signals by DC. PRR-mediated DC maturation and activation can be measured by changes in the surface expression of costimulatory molecules and changes in size and shape of the DC and by their production of different cytokines.