title: Defining dendritic cells.
abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) are versatile controllers of the immune system, best known for their potent ability to initiate adaptive immunity. Traditionally, DCs have been defined on the basis of cell morphology, expression of specific markers and select functional attributes such as the ability to migrate to T cell areas of secondary lymphoid organs and activate T lymphocytes. However, such properties are not qualitative and often change in conditions of inflammation or infection. Phenotypic-based and function-based definitions can therefore lead to difficulties in cell identification. Here we review other approaches to try and solve questions of DC lineage attribution with an emphasis on recent insights arising from our increased understanding of DC ontogeny and differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Trogerstr. 30, 81675 Munich, Germany. Electronic address: barbara.schraml@tum.de.
authors.forename: Barbara U
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Schraml
authors.affiliation: Immunobiology Laboratory, Cancer Research UK, London Research Institute, Lincoln's Inn Fields Laboratories, 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LY, United Kingdom. Electronic address: caetano@cancer.org.uk.
authors.forename: Caetano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reis e Sousa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors