Dendritic cell-based immunoregulatory strategies.

Dendritic cells (DC) are special subsets of professional antigen-presenting cells that play a dual role in initiating and silencing acquired immune responses. Thus, it should be feasible to control the magnitude and direction of immune responses by experimental manipulation of DC function. We will provide an overview of the recent progress in the development of DC-based immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive strategies, which are potentially applicable to the treatment of cancer, allergy, autoimmune disease, allograft rejection and graft versus host disease. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel