Dendritic cells and their potential importance for immunotherapy of atherosclerosis

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) are immune sensors and a key element of the interconnecting links between the innate and adaptive immune system. The presence of DCs in the arteries was discovered in 1995 and during the subsequent years, it has been appreciated that DCs play an important role in maintaining the homeostasis in the arterial intima as well as in the development of atherosclerosis. In this review, we briefly describe the properties of the family of DCs and provide information indicating the importance of DC in atherogenesis. The key importance of DCs in the regulation of immune processes requires the evaluation of possibilities of using this cell type for immunotherapy of atherosclerosis.