Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent professional antigen presenting cells and are therefore indispensable for the control of immunity. The technique of antibody mediated antigen targeting to DC subsets has been the basis of intense research for more than a decade. Many murine studies have utilized this approach of antigen delivery to various kinds of endocytic receptors of DCs both in vit...

The operation of both central and peripheral tolerance ensures the prevention of autoimmune diseases. The maintenance of peripheral tolerance requires self-antigen presentation by professional antigen presenting cells (APCs). Dendritic cells (DCs) are considered as major APCs involved in this process. The current review discusses the role of DCs in autoimmune diseases, the various factors invol...

The mesoporous silicon microparticles (MSMPs) are excellent vehicles for releasing molecules inside the cell. The aim of this work was to use MSMPs to deliver viral specific MHC class I restricted epitopes into human antigen presenting cells (monocyte derived dendritic cells, MDDCs) to facilitate their capture, processing, and presentation to CD8+ (cytotoxic) T lymphocytes. We show for the firs...

background: falciparum malaria is a severe health burden worldwide. antigen presenting cells are reported to be affected by erythrocytic stage of the parasite. malarial hemozoin (hz), a metabolite of malaria parasite, has adjuvant properties and may play a role in the induction of immune response against the parasite. objective: to determine the immunological impact of hemozoin on the capacity ...

The induction of peripheral immune tolerance in the liver is a well-known phenomenon that is operative in different situations, such as tolerance to organ transplants and tolerance to oral antigens. The mechanisms leading to peripheral immune tolerance in the liver are still incompletely understood. While different cell populations of the liver have been implicated in and probably contribute in...

Neutrophils are critical cells of the innate immune system and rapidly respond to tissue injury and infection. Increasing evidence also indicates that neutrophils have versatile functions in contributing to adaptive immunity by internalizing and transporting antigen and influencing antigen-specific responses. Here, we demonstrate that freshly isolated human neutrophils can function as antigen-p...

The role of class II major histocompatibility antigens in classical antigen-presenting cells has been described (Unanue (1984) Annu. Rev. Immunol. 2, 395-428; Watts and McConnell (1987) Rev. Immunol. 5, 461-475). Whether enterocytes, which also express class II antigens, can act as antigen-presenting cells in vivo is not known. One pre-requisite for a role for enterocytes in antigen presentatio...