Dendritic cells: their significance in health and disease

Dendritic cells (DCs) represent a heterogenous population of professional a ntigen-presenting cells. Precursor cells move via the blood to peripheral t issues. These immature DCs can take up invading pathogens and then rapidly migrate to the draining secondary lymphoid organs. Converted into antigen-p resenting mature DCs, these cells are able to prime naive T cells and to in itiate an adoptive immune response. The extraordinary functional profile su ggests that, under certain preconditions, DCs may represent an ideal vector in the immunotherapy of cancer and infectious diseases (C) 2001 Elsevier S cience BN. All rights reserved.