Question

When clearance fails to happen, what do dendritic cells do that sets the immune system down the path toward autoimmunity?

Answer 1

Dendritic cells are antigen presenting cells that present the antigens to lymphocytes. These cells secrete tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) and nitric oxide (NO) and helps in phagocytosis. The dendritic cells also activate natural killer cells in fight against the invading pathogens. These dendritic cells are also involved in immune tolerance by their ability to link both innate and adaptive immunity.

Dendritic cells because of its antigen presentation capacity promote the priming and differentiation of self-reactive T cells. This can occur either due to inappropriate activation signals or may also be due to of a cell-intrinsic breakdown of negative regulation.