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Review
. 2023 Jul:159:38-45.
doi: 10.1016/j.molimm.2023.05.007. Epub 2023 Jun 1.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells: A dendritic cell in disguise

Rebeca Arroyo Hornero  1 , Juliana Idoyaga  2
Affiliations
Review

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells: A dendritic cell in disguise

Rebeca Arroyo Hornero et al. Mol Immunol. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Since their discovery, the identity of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) has been at the center of a continuous dispute in the field, and their classification as dendritic cells (DCs) has been recently re-challenged. pDCs are different enough from the rest of the DC family members to be considered a lineage of cells on their own. Unlike the exclusive myeloid ontogeny of cDCs, pDCs may have dual origin developing from myeloid and lymphoid progenitors. Moreover, pDCs have the unique ability to quickly secrete abundant levels of type I interferon (IFN-I) in response to viral infections. In addition, pDCs undergo a differentiation process after pathogen recognition that allows them to activate T cells, a feature that has been shown to be independent of presumed contaminating cells. Here, we aim to provide an overview of the historic and current understanding of pDCs and argue that their classification as either lymphoid or myeloid may be an oversimplification. Instead, we propose that the capacity of pDCs to link the innate and adaptive immune response by directly sensing pathogens and activating adaptive immune responses justify their inclusion within the DC network.

Keywords: Antigen presentation; Plasmacytoid dendritic cells; Transitional dendritic cells; Type I interferon.

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Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Historic perspective of plasmacytoid dendritic cells
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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