title: Mycobacteria and dendritic cell differentiation: escape or control of immunity.
abstract: Human monocytes can differentiate into dendritic cells (DC) according to the nature of environmental signals. Pathogenic mycobacteria have been demonstrated interfere with this process to generate a not fully competent DC population. This mechanism is not common to non-pathogenic mycobacteria and could be correlated with bacterial virulence. However, it could represents a new mechanism of immune escape by persistent pathogens or a control mechanism of immune system to preserve the life of the organ against persistent infections.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Cellular Immunology, Padiglione Del Vecchio, National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Lazzaro Spallanzani, IRCCS, Via Portuense 292, 00149 Rome, Italy. martino@inmi.it
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sacchi
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colizzi
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vendetti
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000276:immunology*