Choosing and preparing antigen-presenting cells.
The first issue in selecting a system for antigen-presentation experiments is to define the appropriate type of antigen-presenting cell (APC) to study. For some experiments, crude preparations such as splenocytes or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) may suffice to provide APC function for stimulating T cells. This unit develops approaches for preparation of more defined APC populations, including dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and B lymphocytes, the three types of "professional" APC. Each of these cell types exists in different stages of differentiation, maturation, and activation, or in some cases different lineages. For example, dendritic cells may be divided into subsets, including myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs). Each APC type has an important antigen-presentation function, although they contribute to different aspects of the immune response. Therefore, selection of an APC type for study must include consideration of the stage or aspect of immune response that is to be modeled in the experiment.
Harding
Clifford V
CV
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Canaday
David
D
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Ramachandra
Lakshmi
L
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D012107:Research Design