title: Tumoricidal activity of human dendritic cells.
abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) are a family of professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that are able to initiate innate and adaptive immune responses against pathogens and tumor cells. The DC family is heterogeneous and is classically divided into two main subsets, each with its unique phenotypic and functional characteristics: myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs). Recent results have provided intriguing evidence that both DC subsets can also function as direct cytotoxic effector cells; in particular, against cancer cells. In this review, we delve into this understudied function of human DCs and discuss why these so-called killer DCs might become important tools in future cancer immunotherapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jurjen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tel
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anguille
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Claire E J
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Waterborg
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Center for Oncological Research, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Evelien L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Smits
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carl G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Figdor
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: J.deVries@ncmls.ru.nl.
authors.forename: I Jolanda M
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: de Vries
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: TRAIL; antitumor therapy; cytotoxicity; granzyme B; myeloid dendritic cells; plasmacytoid dendritic cells