Plasmacytoid dendritic cells--virus experts of innate immunity.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) have emerged as a principal subset of dendritic cells in both human and mouse. PDC morphology, surface markers, their migration in vivo and the ability to rapidly produce large amounts of type I interferons (IFN-alpha/beta) in response to toll like receptor (TLR) triggering sets them apart from other dendritic cell subsets. This review highlights the features that make pDC uniquely able to sense and respond to viral infection.
Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8118, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. barchet@pathology.wustl.edu
Winfried
W
Barchet
Marina
M
Cella
Marco
M
Colonna
D000818:Animals; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*