Adaptive immune responses are orchestrated by specialized professional antigen-
presenting cells (APCs), the dendritic cells (DCs), which play crucial roles as initiators and
modulators of adaptive immune responses. A main feature of DCs is their phenotypic and
functional plasticity. In the absence of any inflammation or pathogenic elements, most DCs
in peripheral tissues and lymphoid organs have a resting, immature phenotype
characterized by high endocytic capacity and low surface expression of MHC-and …