title: Dendritic cell biology.
abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) are a special type of leukocytes able to alert the immune system to the presence of infections. They play a central role in the initiation of both innate and adaptive immune responses. This particular DC feature is regulated by the activation of specific receptors at the cell surface called Toll-like receptors (TLRs) that bind a number of microbial products collectively referred to as microbial-associated molecular patterns (MAMP). TLRs initiate a cascade of events, which together define the process of DC maturation. This phenomenon allows DCs to progressively acquire varying specific functions. DC maturation depends on the nature of the perturbation and permits unique and efficient immune responses for each pathogen. In this review the discussion is focused on DCs in the context of interactions with pathogens and DC-specific functions are highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Granucci
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foti
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ricciardi-Castagnoli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007109:Immunity; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors