title: Dendritic cells in hematological malignancies.
abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) are bone-marrow-derived immune cells accounted for a crucial role in initiating and modulating the adaptive immune response and supporting the innate immune response independently from T cells. While functioning as the most effective antigen-presenting cells within the immune system, DCs can otherwise induce tolerance in central and peripheral lymphoid organs acting therefore as suppressors rather than stimulators of the immune response. Within mechanisms regulating antitumor immunity, DCs can capture antigens from viable or damaged tumor cells and present the processed peptides to T-cells to prompt the generation and maintenance of an effective tumor-specific T-cell response. Upon a complex cross-talk with other cellular components of the tumor microenvironment, DCs can, on the other hand, exert a potent antigen-dependent and -independent tolerogenic function by favoring the process of tumor immune evasion. Due to this dual-role in balancing antitumor immunity and tolerance, possibly linked to distinct developmental stages and functional subsets, several studies have addressed the regulatory significance of DCs in different types of malignancies. This review summarizes the most significant pieces of evidence highlighting the critical relevance of bone marrow-derived DCs within the immune pathways regulating pathogenesis and progression of hemopoietic tumors.
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem-Cell Transplantation Unit, Department of Hematology, National Cancer Institute, Fondazione 'G. Pascale', IRCCS, Via Mariano Semmola 49, 80131 Naples, Italy. Electronic address: d.galati@istitutotumori.na.it.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galati
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem-Cell Transplantation Unit, Department of Hematology, National Cancer Institute, Fondazione 'G. Pascale', IRCCS, Via Mariano Semmola 49, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corazzelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Filippi
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology and Stem-Cell Transplantation Unit, Department of Hematology, National Cancer Institute, Fondazione 'G. Pascale', IRCCS, Via Mariano Semmola 49, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
keywords: Dendritic cells; Hematological malignancies; Leukemia; Lymphomas; Myeloid neoplasms; Plasma cell neoplasms