Acquisition of antigens by airway dendritic cells. Do we know enough?
Abstract
The respiratory system is endowed with a number of structural and functional barriers that
protect it against harmful and innocuous material from taking advantage of its vast surface
area to gain access into the organism. These barriers include; 1) the surfactant system 2) a
highly efficient mucociliary escalator system 3) a population of highly phagocytic
macrophages and 4) an epithelium endowed with tight junctions. However, despite these
barriers, pulmonary immune responses are easily generated by introduction of antigens into
the airways. These responses are thought to be mediated via dendritic cells, which are
located in the basal aspect of the epithelium,and the most potent antigen presenting cells in
the lung. Although there is substantial information on the nature of interaction between
dendritic cell and particles from in vitro experiments, there is little information on how the
particles breach the barrier to reach the immunocompetent cells. An understanding of how
these particles pass the epithelial barrier to reach the immunocompetent cells is important in
the development of mucosal vaccines. Insights into how this may happen are discussed.
Citation
Kiama, S. G. "ACQUISITION OF ANTIGENS BY AIRWAY DENDRITIC CELLS. DO WE KNOW ENOUGH?."Publisher
University of Nairobi