Dendritic cells as a tool to combat infectious diseases.

Dendritic cells (DCs) form a network of potent antigen-presenting cells that initiate and amplify immune responses. The detection and capture of microorganisms by DCs trigger stimulus-specific maturation programs that enable DCs to convey pathogen-associated signals to the adaptive branch of the immune system. The appropriate activation of DCs is critical for their ability to direct the development of either a Th1 or a Th2 response, thereby determining the outcome of microbial infections. Advances in the understanding of DC interactions with microbes provide new concepts for immune interventions. In different models of infectious disease, it has been demonstrated that DCs can serve as vaccine carriers, mediating protection against various types of pathogens. The studies of the requirements of ex vivo manipulations of DCs may lead to the design of vaccines that induce protective immunity to infections by appropriate targeting of DCs in vivo.