Role of scavenger receptors in dendritic cell function

Dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent of the antigen-presenting cells, are crucial in initiating and shaping innate and adaptive immune responses. DCs discriminate unmodified self antigens from non-self and altered/modified self antigens via a large family of receptors called pattern-recognition receptors, which include Toll-like receptors and scavenger receptors (SRs). Recent findings underscore the critical role of SRs on DCs in pathogen clearance, atherosclerosis, apoptotic cell recognition, diesel exhaust particle recognition, etc. These new findings present SRs as an unexplored therapeutic target that warrants further basic and applied research, and have implications for vaccine development. This review highlights recent insights into the emerging role of these receptors in DC-mediated immune responses.