[Cover Caption]　

  Volume 2 Number 6   December 17, 2006

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most important antigen-presenting cells in the body.  DCs participate in the innate immune responses against microbial pathogens and are capable of delivering pathogen antigen to local lymphoid tissue for the induction of adaptive immune responses.  Immature DCs can efficiently phagocytose and process exogenous antigens whereas mature DCs express a higher level of surface molecules to promote interaction with T cells.  DCs pulsed with tumor antigens were used as a cell-based vaccine to generate anti-tumor immune responses and suppress the growth of tumor cells.  The picture shown on the cover foreground is an immature human DC labeled with phycoerythrin-conjugated anti-CD11c antibody engulfs debris of an irradiated tumor cells labeled with a green fluorescent dye, PKH67, after 40 hours of co-culture at 37^°C.  The background shows the dendritic morphology of DCs.  

For more, please see the review papers [2(6): 213-215 & 217-220] published in this issue.