A new type I IFN-mediated pathway for the rapid differentiation of monocytes into highly active dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are a unique leukocyte type consisting of different subsets of professional antigen-presenting cells. Since DCs initiate and govern the immune response, they represent an ideal target for intervention aimed at modulating and potentiating immune responses against cancer and infectious diseases. We recently described and characterized, at a functional level, a novel DC subset, interferon (IFN)-DCs, derived from blood monocytes after a short exposure to type I IFN and GM-CSF. Here, we review our recent studies on IFN-DCs and discuss their possible use in clinical immunotherapeutic strategies.