Choosing the Right Path

Abstract

Dendritic cells of the immune system present antigen to T cells in the context of either class I or class II molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) as a means of generating two distinct arms of T cell immunity: Class I-restricted CD8 + T cell responses and CD4 + T cell help. Dudziak et al . present evidence that each pathway dominates in distinct subsets of dendritic cells. Using chimeric antibodies specific for cell surface markers present on each specific subtype of dendritic cell, it was possible to target antigens to the class I or class II MHC pathways and so elicit CD8 or CD4 responses, respectively. D. Dudziak, A. O. Kamphorst, G. F. Heidkamp, V. R. Buchholz, C. Trumpfheller, S. Yamazaki, C. Cheong, K. Liu, H.-W. Lee, C. G. Park, R. M. Steinman, M. C. Nussenzweig, Differential antigen processing by dendritic cell subsets in vivo. Science 315 , 107-111 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text]