title: Dendritic cells: nature and classification.
abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen (Ag)-presenting cells (APCs) characterized by a unique capacity to stimulate naive T cells and initiate primary immune responses. Recent studies suggest that DCs also play critical roles in the induction of central and peripheral immunological tolerance, regulate the types of T cell immune responses, and function as sentinels in innate immunity against microbes. The diverse functions of DCs in immune regulation depend on the heterogeneity of DC subsets and their functional plasticity. Here we review recent progress in our understanding of the nature and classification of DCs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Dendritic Cell Immunobiology, Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, RIKEN Yokohama Institute, Kanagawa, Japan. katsuaki@rcai.riken.jp
authors.forename: Katsuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Shigeharu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice