Pulmonary Dendritic Cells

• Published in: American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine Vol. 172; no. 5; pp. 530 - 551
• Main Authors: Vermaelen, Karim, Pauwels, Romain
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Am Thoracic Soc 01.09.2005; American Lung Association; American Thoracic Society
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Antigens; Biological and medical sciences; Biology; Blood. Blood and plasma substitutes. Blood products. Blood cells. Blood typing. Plasmapheresis. Apheresis; Chemokines; Chemokines - immunology; Dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Humans; Intensive care medicine; Lung - immunology; Lung Diseases - immunology; Lymphatic system; Lymphocytes; Medical sciences; Pathogens; Pneumology; Pulmonary hypertension. Acute cor pulmonale. Pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary vascular diseases; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Chemokine; Lung disease; Intensive care; Lymph node; Respiratory disease; Chronic disease; airway; Bronchus disease; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Resuscitation; dendritic cell; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• ISSN: 1073-449X; 1535-4970
• DOI: 10.1164/rccm.200410-1384SO

Dendritic cells (DCs) are leukocytes that are emerging as chief orchestrators of immune responses. The crucial task of DCs is the continuous surveillance of antigen-exposed sites throughout the body, and their unique responsibility is to decide whether to present sampled antigen in an immunogenic or tolerogenic way. Any misstep can either lead to a flawed immune defense or to allergy, even autoimmunity. It comes as no surprise that the lungs become increasingly the subject of DC-related investigations, as they represent a vast interface between the body and the outer world. This constitutes an enormous challenge for the immune system: "firing up" immune responses inappropriately could have devastating results for the fragile gas exchange structures. Evidence accumulates that DCs play a pivotal role in maintaining the delicate balance between tolerance and active immune response in our respiratory system. The exponentially growing body of DC-related publications is a big challenge. This article aims to provide researchers and clinicians with an up-to-date view on DC biology and its relevance to pulmonary medicine. A developing trend in the field of DCs is the shift from fundamental immunologic research toward exciting clinical insights and applications. For the pulmonary clinician, this heralds the dawn of promising therapies in various domains such as infections, allergy, and cancer.