DENDRITIC CELLS AND THEIR ROLE IN IMMUNE REACTIONS OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS
Yu.V. Bobryshev,1,2,3 V.P. Karagodin,1,* À.N. Îrekhov 1,2
1 Institute for Atherosclerosis Research, 2 Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia, and
3 University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;
* e-mail: vpka@mail.ru
Dendritic cells were discovered and recognized as antigen-presenting cells in 1973. Since then, large volume of information has accumulated showing role of dendritic cells as a key
element connecting the innate and adaptive immunity. Nowadays, dendritic cells are considered to be professional sensors of the immune system, capable of recognizing both antigen
amounts and antigen persistence via complex mechanisms that involve decoding and integration of various signals received in a receptor-dependant manner. Tissue microenvironment
plays an important role in the modulation of effector functions of dendritic cells, leading either to activation or to suppression of immune reactions. Dendritic cells maintain the homeostasis
and are involved in a number of diseases, including infection diseases and cancer. The presence of dendritic cells in arteries has been reported in 1995 and since then, the importance of
dendritic cells in atherogenesis has been evaluated. This review briefly describes current knowledge on dendritic cells and their role in atherogenesis.
Key words: dendritic cells, atherosclerosis, immune reactions
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