Death, destruction, danger and dendritic cells.
Austyn JM.
Dendritic cells are known to be involved in recognition of foreign antigens and initiation of specific T-cell responses. The 'danger hypothesis' suggests that the immune system can also respond to endogenous signals of distress. New data indicate that dendritic cells are the first to respond to these signals, although the mechanisms involved in their activation are unclear (pages 1249-1255).