Cytokines and their effects on maturation, differentiation and migration of dendritic cells

Abstract

In this review the role of cytokines in the maturation and migration of phenotypically and functionally diverse dendritic cell (DC) subpopulations is discussed and their role in the progress of differentiation from bone marrow progenitors to lymphoid DC is described. GMCSF is the most important cytokine for the development of functional DC and acts in concert with a varying mixture of other cytokines such as IL-4, IL-1 and TNF-α to direct the development of individual DC subpopulations.