conventional dendritic cell

Originally described in the dendritic cell ontology (DC_CL:0000003)(PMID:19243617) These cells are also CD20-negative, MHCII-positive.

conventional dendritic cell

Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are primarily responsible for processing antigens and presenting them to T cells to initiate an immune response. Also known as classical dendritic cells, cDCs originate from hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, maturing in peripheral tissues. They are characterized by their distinct morphology, which features a central body with numerous branching extensions known as dendrites. These cells have a pivotal role in adaptive immunity, bridging the gap between the innate and adaptive immune responses. They achieve this by capturing, processing, and presenting antigens to naive T-cells in the secondary lymphoid organs. This antigen presentation, in conjunction with co-stimulatory signals provided by the cDCs, instructs the T cells whether to mount an immune response against the antigen. cDCs are also very effective in the cross-presentation of antigens in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I, thereby activating CD8+ T cells an initiating a cytotoxic T cell response. In addition to their role in antigen presentation, cDCs have other important functions in maintaining immune homeostasis. They can perceive signals from the surrounding tissue microenvironment, responding to inflammation, and influencing or even polarizing T cell differentiation into various effector subtypes. Importantly, while cDCs are often associated with immunogenic responses, they also play a crucial role in immune tolerance, particularly towards self-antigens, thereby preventing autoimmune reactions. In conclusion, conventional dendritic cells serve as the sentinels of the immune system, monitoring for threat signals and coordinating the appropriate immune response. (This extended description was generated by ChatGPT and reviewed by the CellGuide team, who added references, and by the CL editors, who approved it for inclusion in CL. It may contain information that applies only to some subtypes and species, and so should not be considered definitional.)

FMA:84191

CL:0000990