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Death-defying immunity: do apoptotic cells influence antigen processing and presentation?

Nature Reviews Immunology volume 4, pages 223–231 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

The clearance of apoptotic cells has been paid much attention for its role not only in tissue homeostasis, but also as a source of antigen for immune tolerance and activation. The complexity of this process has been borne out by the many receptor families and signalling pathways involved; however, an important aspect of the biology has so far been overlooked. This article explores the possible immunological instructions that are delivered by dying cells, as influenced by the specific execution pathways that are active during programmed cell death.

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Figure 1: Indirect and direct effects of dying cells on the phagocytes that engulf them.
Figure 2: Apoptotic cells captured in the periphery by dendritic cells serve as a source of antigen for the tolerization and activation of CD8+ T-cell responses.
Figure 3: An active role for apoptotic cells in the transfer of antigen to dendritic cells.

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Acknowledgements

I apologize to those whose work I have failed to cite. Special thanks to J. C. Ameisen, S. Amigorena, N. Blachère, R. Darnell, N. Hacohen, R. Longman, M. Lotze, C. Maliszewski, P. Matzinger, G. Milon, D. Philpott, P. Srivastava and B. van Steensel for their insights on death, and for the late night dinners and missed trains.

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  1. INSERM AVEN0201, Laboratoire d' Immunobiologie des Cellules Dendritiques, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Dr. Roux, Paris, 75724 Cedex 15, France

    Matthew L. Albert

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DATABASES

LocusLink

α2-M

calreticulin

caspase-1

caspase-3

CD36

CD91

CD95

EDG1

granzyme B

GP96

HMGB1

IL-1β

IL-12

IL-18

NALP1

RAGE

TGF-β1

TLR4

TNF

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Albert, M. Death-defying immunity: do apoptotic cells influence antigen processing and presentation?. Nat Rev Immunol 4, 223–231 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri11308

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