The dendritic cell

摘要

"Immunity's chain of command begins with antigen-presenting cells."-Website describing the work of Ralph M. Steinman, MD.The dendritic cell (DC) is the key antigen-presenting cell that has the unique capacity to stimulate naive T cells. The central importance of DCs in orchestrating the adaptive immune response was not always fully appreciated. In the late 1960s and 1970s, the lymphocyte was king. Indeed, most immunology laboratories focused on the role of lymphocytes and their role in health and disease. Antigen-presenting cells including macrophages were simply tools to stimulate lymphocytes into action.