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Understanding Dendritic Cells

Friday, February 28, 2014

By Armand Zeiders


It is by far common knowledge that the human body is comprised of cells just like all the other organisms. And since there are several different types of cells in the human body, it is expected that each one comes with its specific function too. Note that there are hundreds of different types of cells existing within our body. Dendritic cells are one specific cell type that has garnered a great deal of attention from medical researchers. In order to be informed more about this particular cell, read on for some facts.

Dendritic cells are known as accessory cells or antigen-presenting cells. These cells are part of our immune system. Their primary function is to pass information on to other cells in our body. For instance, the dendritic cells will come into contact with our skin or nose and encounter a foreign substance. The dendritic cells will then pass on the information to the white blood cells which can then create a response to this foreign entity.

While this can help the immune system work up a plan to fight off a virus or other invader, there are diseases which utilize dendritic cells in order to transport and then infect the body's immune system. HIV is a good example of a virus that attaches to the dendritic cells then consequently attacking the immune cells upon its transfer to these other cells. Nevertheless, even when dendritic cells have the potential to help a disease in its aim to attack the body; it also comes with the potential to fight several different diseases.

For example, multiple sclerosis or MS is a highly debilitating disorder that some scientists believe is caused when these dendritic cells pass on the disease's information to our T cells. These T cells are part of our immune system. Scientists studying MS have found that the dendritic cells in MS patients to be abnormally functioning.

Successfully creating a treatment which could target the dendritic cells comes part of the main goals of both scientists and researchers. It is because their ability to find a treatment which can alter the cells' ability in carrying the disease into the immune system is likely to help in slowing down, preventing or even stopping the progression of the disease.

Biotechnology firms like Primm Biotech are often being sought by scientists in order to aid them in their studies on these cells. It is because of these firms that services like advance dendritic cells studies are made possible, as well as n-terminal sequencing, custom monoclonal antibody, polyclonal antibody and so much more like these.




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