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Updated: Sep 3, 2025
Generation of Human Monocyte-derived Dendritic Cells from Whole Blood
Published on: December 24, 2016
Whole Blood Dendritic Cell Cytokine Production Assay
Tonia Woodberry1, Jessica Rita Loughland1,2, Gabriela Minigo3,4
1Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.
Insights
This study presents a method to detect intracellular cytokines in human dendritic cells (DCs), measuring immune responses. This helps understand DC function in various health and disease states.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial immune regulators.
- Assessing DC function is vital for understanding immune responses in health and disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a protocol for detecting intracellular cytokines in human whole blood.
- To quantify dendritic cell (DC) immune responsiveness.
Main Methods:
- Detection of intracellular cytokines produced by activated DCs in human whole blood.
- Quantification of cytokine production in response to stimuli like toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands and parasite-infected erythrocytes.
- Analysis of specific DC subsets (plasmacytoid DC, CD1c+, CD141+, CD16+) within their native blood environment.
Main Results:
- The protocol enables timely detection of cytokine production.
- Allows measurement of DC immune responsiveness, including breadth, strength, and responding DC subtypes.
- Facilitates examination of various DC subsets.
Conclusions:
- This method provides a comprehensive approach to assess DC function in human whole blood.
- Enables investigation of DC responses in diverse conditions including disease, aging, and in response to medications or nutritional factors.
- Supports research in vaccine studies and understanding immune status in health and disease.
Abstract:
This protocol outlines a method for the timely detection of intracellular cytokines produced by activated dendritic cells (DC) in human whole blood. The quantification of cytokines is used to measure DC immune responsiveness, providing information on the breadth, strength, and DC subtypes responding spontaneously and to specific stimulation with toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands or parasite-infected erythrocytes. DC subsets, plasmacytoid DC, CD1c+ DC, CD141+ DC, and CD16+ DC, are examined in their natural environment of plasma and blood cells (erythrocytes, neutrophils, platelets, and leukocytes) enabling disease, medication, nutritional, and hematological effects on DC function to be examined in vaccine studies, ageing, health, and disease.
