Migration of Dendritic Cells from Blood to Tissues. A fundamental aspect of dendritic cell (DC) function is their capacity to migrate. It allows them to exert a continuous surveillance for incoming antigens in almost all body tissues and a prompt report to T cells in secondary lymphoid organs. Under steady state conditions, the rate of DC migration from blood to tissues and from tissues to lymph nodes is probably very low, and most of these DCs reside in the tissues in a dormant state ready to be activated by pathogens. However, in inflammatory conditions the rate of DC migration can be considerably increased to meet the increased requirement for antigen presentation. Several recent papers shed new light into the mechanisms that control the various steps that DCs have to undergo to perform their function in the induction of tolerance, priming, and chronic inflammation.
To exit from the blood...
