Dendritic cell surface antigens

Dendritic cell surface antigens are a heterogeneous collection of proteins expressed on the surface of dendritic cells (DCs), which serve as the primary professional antigen-presenting cells of the immune system. These antigens encompass a wide range of functional molecules, including lineage-specific markers such as CD11c and CD123, costimulatory receptors like CD40, CD80, and CD86, and specialized endocytic receptors involved in antigen uptake such as DEC-205 (CD205), DC-SIGN (CD209), and CLEC9A (NIH, 2024; MDPI, 2020). In clinical development, these antigens are utilized as therapeutic targets to either activate DCs to stimulate a robust T-cell response against tumors and pathogens or to deplete specific DC subsets involved in autoimmune pathologies (AACR, 2014). For instance, CD123 is targeted by the cytotoxin tagraxofusp to treat blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, while CD40 agonists like selicrelumab are investigated for their ability to license DCs for enhanced cancer immunotherapy (NIH, 2024; Slideshare, 2010). The diversity of these antigens allows for the precise targeting of distinct DC subpopulations, such as plasmacytoid DCs or conventional DCs, to tailor the resulting immune response for specific therapeutic needs.

Other names

Dendritic cell markersDC surface markersDC antigensDendritic cell surface proteins

Targeting of dendritic cell surface proteins to modulate antigen presentation, induce maturation, or deplete specific dendritic cell subsets.