Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
09:09
An Efficient and High Yield Method for Isolation of Mouse Dendritic Cell Subsets
Published on: April 18, 2016
Dendritic cells and the control of immunity
1Baylor Institute for Immunology, Research, Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, Texas 75246, USA.
Nature
|April 1, 1998
Summary
Dendritic cells control B and T lymphocyte immunity by processing antigens and initiating responses. These powerful immune cells also induce tolerance to self-antigens, preventing autoimmune reactions.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- B and T lymphocytes are key immune mediators.
- Dendritic cells (DCs) regulate lymphocyte function.
- DCs capture antigens, express co-stimulatory molecules, and secrete cytokines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical role of dendritic cells in initiating and regulating immune responses.
- To emphasize the function of DCs in inducing self-tolerance.
- To underscore the potential of DCs as tools for immune system manipulation.
Main Methods:
- Antigen capture and processing by peripheral DCs.
- Expression of lymphocyte co-stimulatory molecules.
- Migration of DCs to lymphoid organs.
- Secretion of cytokines by DCs.
Main Results:
- DCs initiate immune responses by activating lymphocytes.
- DCs induce tolerance to self-antigens, preventing autoimmunity.
- Advances in cell culture allow for detailed molecular and cell biological analysis of DCs.
Conclusions:
- Dendritic cells are crucial regulators of adaptive immunity.
- DCs play a dual role in immunity: activation and tolerance.
- The accessibility of dendritic cells facilitates their use in immune manipulation strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:40Cell-mediated Immune Responses
Overview
01:26Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity
An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.
01:22Antigen Presenting Cells
The immune system is a complex network of cells and molecules that protects the body from foreign invaders. T cells, a type of white blood cell, play a crucial role in this process. They recognize and attack foreign substances, such as pathogens, that enter the body.
T cells require the help of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which process foreign antigens into smaller fragments that can be recognized by T cells. These APCs are highly specialized cells that efficiently internalize antigens...
T cells require the help of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which process foreign antigens into smaller fragments that can be recognized by T cells. These APCs are highly specialized cells that efficiently internalize antigens...
01:22T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection
T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
01:24T Cell Types and Functions
When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
01:24B Cell Activation and Differentiation
The adaptive immune response, a sophisticated defense mechanism, relies on the activation and differentiation of B lymphocytes, or B cells. These processes enable our bodies to mount a tailored response against specific pathogens such as bacteria, free virus particles, toxins, and parasites.
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...