Heterogeneity, functional specialization and differentiation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells that consist of functionally and phenotypically heterogeneous populations. Monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs) are a DC subset that have been attracting increasing interest owing to their potent influence on adaptive immune function and their rapid accumulation upon an inflammatory stimulus. Although early studies on moDCs mainly addressed infection, their emergence and function in other settings such as autoimmunity and allogeneic organ transplantation are now being increasingly appreciated. In this review, the relationship between murine monocyte subsets and the moDCs that arise from them is discussed. Their role in initiating and mo..