Dangerous allergens: innate immunity, dendritic cells and allergic asthma

摘要

Immune responses can be compartmentalized into innate versus adaptive components. Thisnrelatively recent dichotomy positioned the innate immune system at the interface between thenhost and the external environment, and provided a new conceptual framework with which tonview allergic diseases, including asthma. Among the cells of the innate immune system, antigenpresentingndendritic cells are now thought to be intimately involved in allergen recognition, asnwell as modulating allergic immune responses. This review summarizes current thinking regardingnthe role of dendritic cells in allergic asthma and concludes with a summary of emerging conceptsnin the field.