Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are rare cells in tissues that form a semicontinuous network that allows for the surveillance of a large surface area of all our tissues. These cells sense incoming threats through the expression of a vast array of pattern (pathogen and damage) recognition receptors, the engagement of which results in their activation. Following activation, cDCs transport threatening material (in the form of antigens) from the peripheral tissue under attack to the T cells residing in the draining lymph nodes, allowing for the initiation of the adaptive immune response.

cDCs prime different types of adaptive immune responses against different types of threats to the tissues. These cells for instance prime and amplify cytotoxic T cell responses against viruses or induce T cells that promote tissue repair during parasite infections. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that allow cDCs to achieve such functional versatility are not completely understood.

It is well established that cDCs are a diverse group of cells encompassing many phenotypically distinct populations. The work in our lab departs from my recent findings showing that distinct ontogenetic lineages dictate cDC heterogeneity in tissues, and from the “division of labour” hypothesis assuming that cDC diversity is what accounts for the functional versatility in this family of cells.