Genetic models of human and mouse dendritic cell development and function

• Published in: Nature reviews. Immunology Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 101 - 115
• Main Authors: Anderson, David A., Dutertre, Charles-Antoine, Ginhoux, Florent, Murphy, Kenneth M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.02.2021; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/250/2504/133; 631/250/2504/133/2505; Animal models; Animals; Antigens; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Bone marrow; CD4 antigen; CD8 antigen; Cell culture; Cell development (Biology); Cell Differentiation - genetics; Cell Lineage; Dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - physiology; Genetic aspects; Humans; Immunology; Interferon; Lymphocytes T; Mice; Models, Genetic; Monocytes - physiology; Ontogeny; Osteoprogenitor cells; Physiological aspects; Review Article; Transcription; United States
• ISSN: 1474-1733; 1474-1741
• DOI: 10.1038/s41577-020-00413-x

Dendritic cells (DCs) develop in the bone marrow from haematopoietic progenitors that have numerous shared characteristics between mice and humans. Human counterparts of mouse DC progenitors have been identified by their shared transcriptional signatures and developmental potential. New findings continue to revise models of DC ontogeny but it is well accepted that DCs can be divided into two main functional groups. Classical DCs include type 1 and type 2 subsets, which can detect different pathogens, produce specific cytokines and present antigens to polarize mainly naive CD8 + or CD4 + T cells, respectively. By contrast, the function of plasmacytoid DCs is largely innate and restricted to the detection of viral infections and the production of type I interferon. Here, we discuss genetic models of mouse DC development and function that have aided in correlating ontogeny with function, as well as how these findings can be translated to human DCs and their progenitors. Genetic models of dendritic cell (DC) development in mice have aided our understanding of the redundant and non-redundant functions of DC subsets and enabled translation of these findings to human DCs.