Dendritic cells, or CDs, are cells produced in the bone marrow that can be found in the blood, skin and digestive and respiratory tracts, for example, and are part of the immune system, being responsible for identifying the infection and developing the immune response.
Thus, when the immune system feels threatened, these cells are activated to identify the infectious agent and promote its elimination, so if the dendritic cells do not function properly, the immune system has more difficulty defending the body, with an increased risk of developing a disease.disease or even cancer.
- Dendritic cells are responsible for capturing the invading microorganism and presenting the antigens.
- Available on their surface.
- For T cells.
- Initiating the immune response to the infectious agent.
- Fighting the disease.
Because they capture and present antigens on their surface, which are part of the infectious agent, dendritic cells are called antigen-presenting cells or PCA.
In addition to promoting the first immune response to a particular invasive agent and ensuring innate immunity, dendritic cells are critical to the development of adaptive immunity, which is the one in which memory cells are generated, preventing it from reproducing or more smoothly.infection by the same organism.
Understand how the immune system works
Dendritic cells can be classified according to their migration characteristics, the expression of markers on their surface, their location and their function, so dendritic cells can be classified mainly into two types:
The origin of dendritic cells is still widely studied, but it is believed to have its origins in both a lymphoid lineage and a myeloid.In addition, there are two theories that attempt to explain the origin of these cells:
It is thought that both theories have a basis and that in the body it is likely that both theories will occur simultaneously.
Due to its fundamental role in the immune system and its ability to regulate all immunity-related processes, studies have been conducted to verify its effectiveness in the treatment of cancer, mainly in the form of a vaccine.
In the lab, dendritic cells come into contact with tumor cell samples and their ability to remove cancer cells is verified. If test results in experimental and animal models are found to be effective, tests can be made available for the cancer vaccine with dendritic cells Although promising, more studies are needed for the development of this vaccine, as well as for the type of cancer this vaccine could fight.
In addition to being able to be used against cancer, the application of dendritic cells in the treatment of AIDS and systemic sporotricosis, which are serious diseases and lead to a decrease in the immune system, has also been studied.Here are some ways to improve and strengthen your immune system.