Definition
Dendritic cells are a special subset of leukocytes that form a complex network of antigen-presenting cells (APC) throughout the body. They play a principal role in the initiation of immune responses to invading microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses), malignant cells, and allografts by activating naïve lymphocytes, by interaction with innate cells, and by the secretion of cytokines. At certain developmental stages they grow branched projections, the dendrites, hence the cell’s name.
Characteristics
Origin and Function
Dendritic cells (DC) were characterized for the first time by Steinman in 1973 based on their distinct morphology with different cytoplasmic extensions, such as dendrites, pseudopodia, and lamellipodia, which give the cell its star-shaped feature. Due to their pronounced morphology, DC have a large surface, ensuring close contact with neighboring cells.
Variations among the tissue distribution of DC and differences in their phenotype and function indicate...
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References
Banchereau J, Steinman RM (1998) Dendritic cells and the control of immunity. Nature 392:245–252
Gilboa E (2007) DC-based cancer vaccines. J Clin Invest 117:1195–1203
Lotze MT, Thomson AW (2001) Dendritic cells, 2nd edn. Academic, London
Ponsaerts P, Van Tendeloo VF, Berneman ZN (2003) Cancer immunotherapy using RNA-loaded dendritic cells. Clin Exp Immunol 134:378–384
Van Tendeloo VF, Van Broeckhoven C, Berneman ZW (2001) Gene-based cancer vaccines: an ex vivo approach. Leukemia 15:545–558
See Also
(2012) Adhesion molecules. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 66. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_96
(2012) Antigen-presenting cells. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, pp 209–210. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_321
(2012) Cadherins. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p pp 581–582. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_770
(2012) Delayed type hypersensitivity reaction. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 1073. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_1550
(2012) ELISPOT. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 1217. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_1850
(2012) Lamellipodia. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 1971. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_3267
(2012) Langerhans cell. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 1975. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_3272
(2012) Leukocytes. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 2028. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_3330
(2012) Major histocompatibility complex. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 2137. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_3500
(2012) Treg. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 3782. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_5967
(2012) Tumor-associated antigen. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, pp 3807–3808. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_6017
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Cools, N., Van Tendeloo, V., Berneman, Z. (2015). Dendritic Cells. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_1556-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_1556-2
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