| abstract |
Dendritic cells (DCs) for research and clinical applications are typically derived from purified blood monocytes that are cultured in a cocktail of cytokines for a week or more. Because it has been suggested that these cytokine-derived DCs may be deficient in some important immunological functions and might not accurately represent antigen-presenting cell (APC) populations found under physiologic conditions, there is a need for methods that allow the generation of DCs in a more physiologically relevant manner. The present invention comprises a simple and reliable technique for generating large numbers of highly purified DCs, based on a single migration of blood monocytes through endothelial cells that are cultured in, for example, a Transwell® device. The resultant APCs, harvested from the lower Transwell® chamber, resemble other in vitro-generated DC populations in their expression of major histocompatibility (MHC) and costimulatory molecules, ability to phagocytose foreign antigens, and capacity to trigger antigen-specific T cell responses. |