Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Merad M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2668851 | biostudies-other | 2009 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
Dendritic cells (DCs) are a heterogeneous fraction of rare hematopoietic cells that coevolved with the formation of the adaptive immune system. DCs efficiently process and present antigen, move from sites of antigen uptake to sites of cellular interactions, and are critical in the initiation of immune responses as well as in the maintenance of self-tolerance. DCs are distributed throughout the body and are enriched in lymphoid organs and environmental contact sites. Steady-state DC half-lives ac ...[more]