Contextual functions of antigen-presenting cells in the gastrointestinal tract

Abstract

The immune system of the gastrointestinal tract must be tightly regulated to limit pathologic responses toward innocuous antigens while simultaneously allowing for rapid development of effector responses against invading pathogens. Highly specialized antigen-presenting cell (APC) subsets present in the gut play a dominant role in balancing these seemingly disparate functions. In this review, we discuss new findings associated with the function of gut APCs and particularly the contextual role of these cells in both establishing tolerance to orally acquired antigens in the steady state and regulating acute inflammation during infection.

Keywords: Treg; antigen-presenting cell; commensal; dendritic cell; immune regulation; macrophage; monocyte; mucosal; pathogen.