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Review
. 2011 Jul 22;11(8):558-65.
doi: 10.1038/nri3027.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells: one-trick ponies or workhorses of the immune system?

Affiliations
Review

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells: one-trick ponies or workhorses of the immune system?

Boris Reizis et al. Nat Rev Immunol. .

Abstract

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) were first described as interferon-producing cells and, for many years, their overlapping characteristics with both lymphocytes and classical dendritic cells (cDCs) created confusion over their exact ontogeny. In this Viewpoint article, Nature Reviews Immunology asks five leaders in the field to discuss their thoughts on the development and functions of pDCs--do these cells serve mainly as a major source of type I interferons or do they also make other important contributions to immune responses?

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Conflict of interest statement

Franck Barrat is a full-time employee of Dynavax Technologies.

References

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