Sampling of Blood-Borne Allergens by Perivascular Dendritic Cells (IMAGE)

Duke University Medical Center

Sampling of Blood-Borne Allergens by Perivascular Dendritic Cells

Caption

A newly identified subset of dendritic cells on the exterior of blood vessels use dendrites to drill into the blood vessels and continuously sample for foreign invaders. When allergens are sensed, the dendritic cells alert the neighboring mast cells by handing over the allergen through micro-vesicles that bud off from the surface of the dendritic cells.

Credit

Hae Woong Choi for Duke Health

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