Generation of mouse and human dendritic cells in vitro.

Dendritic cells (DC) that can orchestrate immune responses and maintain host homeostasis, are indispensable components of the immune system. Although distributed widely in many lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues, their rarity in number has become a limiting factor for DC related research and therapies. Therefore, methods for efficiently generating large numbers of DC resembling their in vivo counterparts are urgently needed for DC related research and therapies. Herein we summarize the current methods for generating mouse and human DC in vitro and hope that these will facilitate both studies of DC biology and their clinical applications.