Project A06 - Dendritic Cell Precursor Fate and Function in Steady State and Viral Infection
The subpopulations of dendritic cells (DC) are characterized by functional specialization: Conventional DC 1 (cDC1) efficiently promote cytotoxic T cell or Th1 responses, and cDC2 are superior in inducing T helper cell responses, while plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) are unique, as they participate in the antiviral defense by rapid and massive production of type I interferons (IFNs) and by promoting natural killer (NK) cell and T cell responses. In previous funding periods we have elucidated the sequential steps of pDC versus cDC differentiation, and have identified pDC-committed precursors that we distinguished from pDC-like precursors, which are related to the recently described transitional DCs (tDCs). In the next funding period we want to define the developmental origin of tDCs and their plasticity in the murine and human system. Furthermore, we will investigate the functional properties of human tDCs and related cDC2 subpopulations by focusing on T helper cell responses relevant for the adaptive immune response to viral infection and vaccination.
