Dendritic Cell

Dendritic Cells are a special type of immune cell that is found in tissues, such as the skin, and boosts immune responses by showing antigens on its surface to other cells of the immune system. A dendritic cell is a type of phagocyte and a type of antigen-presenting cell (APC).

What are Dendritic Cells?

Dendritic cells are a type of antigen-presenting cell (APC) that form an important role in the adaptive immune system.

Dendritic Cell Life Cycle

Dendritic Cells and Cytokines

Dendritic Cells and HIV

Types of Dendritic Cells

Latest Dendritic Cell News and Research

New immune mapping tool reveals how lung cancer reshapes immune cells

Researchers at VIB and VUB have developed a powerful new way to study how the immune system behaves inside lung tumors.

27 Apr 2026

Scientists find unexpected immune pathways for mRNA cancer vaccines

The advent of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

17 Apr 2026

Donor-derived dendritic cells teach the immune system to accept new livers

UPMC and University of Pittsburgh clinician-scientists have weaned and kept multiple liver transplantation patients off of all immunosuppressant drugs for more than three years through a first-in-human clinical trial of a unique "immune priming" therapy.

17 Apr 2026

Mitochondrial activity keeps dendritic cells ready to fight disease

Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) show that active mitochondria maintain dendritic cells, the immune system's sentinels, in a "ready-to-respond" state, linking cellular metabolism to gene regulation and T-cell activation.

15 Apr 2026

Boosting mitochondrial function in dendritic cells can improve cancer immunotherapy

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered how tumors disable immune "gatekeeper" cells that alert the rest of the immune system to the presence of cancer - and how restoring their energy production can improve immunotherapy. Dendritic cells activate the cytotoxic immune cells that destroy cancer.

2 Apr 2026

Gut-derived metabolites regulate immune cells in complex ways

Published on March 23, 2026, in Volume 2, article number 18 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation, the review begins by systematically outlining the sources and synthetic pathways of immune-relevant microbial metabolites, including bile acids, short-chain fatty acids, amino acid derivatives, vitamins, trimethylamine/trimethylamine N-oxide, and odd-chain fatty acids.

31 Mar 2026

Immune cells use neurotransmitters to regulate health and disease

The article, titled "Emerging roles of immune cell-derived neurotransmitters in immunity and disease," published on March 17, 2026, in Immunity & Inflammation, provides a timely and authoritative review of how innate and adaptive immune cells-including macrophages, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, T cells, and B cells-produce and respond to classic neurotransmitters.

25 Mar 2026

Modified lipid nanoparticles boost mRNA vaccines while reducing side effects

The most common side effects of mRNA vaccines like the COVID-19 shot are well known: soreness, mild fever and general malaise.

17 Mar 2026

New insights highlight multifaceted roles of CD4+ T cells in tumor immunity

For decades, cancer immunotherapy has focused primarily on CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes as the main executors of tumor cell killing.

13 Mar 2026

Early-life immune system differences drive childhood eczema risk

A team of researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Weill Cornell Medicine, and other institutions have uncovered a key biological explanation for why eczema so often starts in childhood.

25 Feb 2026

Trial highlights promising frontline therapy for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm

Seventy-five percent of patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) who were treated with the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) pivekimab sunirine (PVEK) had a complete response, according to new data from the Phase I/II multicenter international CADENZA trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

11 Feb 2026

Influenza viruses can directly impair heart function

Mount Sinai researchers have identified a cellular mechanism linking infections from influenza A viruses (IAVs) to cardiovascular disease, providing critical insights on how influenza can damage the heart and increase the risk of a heart attack or other major cardiovascular event.

9 Feb 2026

Ultrasound-responsive nanocatchers enable precise in-situ tumor antigen capture

Professor Zhaohui Tang and Associate Professor Zhilin Liu from the team of Professor Xuesi Chen at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed ultrasound-responsive in-situ antigen nanocatchers (S-nanocatchers), achieving precise spatiotemporal capture of tumor antigens and controllable acquisition of in-situ vaccines.

9 Jan 2026

Vitamin A derivative suppresses immune response and cancer vaccine efficacy

Scientists at the Princeton University Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have identified novel mechanisms by which a metabolic derivative of vitamin A-all-trans retinoic acid-compromises both the body's normal anti-cancer immune response and, in a different context, the efficacy of a promising type of cancer vaccine.

5 Jan 2026

New findings show why the human intestine uniquely presents gluten to T cells

Human intestinal M cells function as dendritic cell-like antigen-presenting cells, displaying constitutive MHC-II activity and specialized machinery for processing gluten. Their ability to deamidate and present gliadin peptides positions them as key initiators of immune responses relevant to coeliac disease.

11 Dec 2025

Two ongoing studies show promise of pivekimab sunirine in treating aggressive blood cancers

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center presented promising new data from two ongoing studies of pivekimab sunirine (PVEK), an antibody-drug conjugate targeting CD123, in treating two aggressive blood cancers at the 67th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition.

10 Dec 2025

Tattoo ink alters immune cells and weakens some vaccine responses

New research shows tattoo pigments migrate to lymph nodes, causing inflammation and altering immune responses to vaccines, with potential health risks.

27 Nov 2025

Neoantigens-loaded DC vaccines show strong potential to overcome tumor resistance

Despite the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors in revolutionizing oncology, their benefits remain limited to a small fraction of patients.

19 Nov 2025

Enhancing the cancer-immunity cycle through innovative vaccines

Therapeutic cancer vaccines have experienced a remarkable resurgence over the past decade, representing a paradigm shift in oncology toward harnessing the immune system's intrinsic ability to combat malignancies.

14 Nov 2025

Urolithin A recharges aging immune cells and boosts mitochondrial fitness in midlife adults

Urolithin A, a natural postbiotic known to trigger mitophagy, rejuvenated key immune cell functions in healthy middle-aged adults after 28 days. The trial showed a shift toward a youthful, energy-efficient CD8⁺ T-cell profile and enhanced bacterial clearance without inflammatory side effects.

3 Nov 2025