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DENDRITIC CELLS AS REGULATORS OF IMMUNE RESPONSE AND THEIR APPLICATION IN THERAPY

Dendritic cells are one of the major populations of immune cells. Due to the presence of specific receptors dendritic cells (DCs) are able to respond to both intra- and extracellular antigens. The diversity of this cell population is a result of differences in localization, stage of maturation, phenotype and function. In recent years there has been a shift in perception of DCs not only as inducers of immune reactivity but also as crucial regulators of immunity, which include ability to induce and maintain tolerance and also as effector cells, which are capable to kill tumor cells (NKDCs).

FETOMATERNAL MICROCHIMERISM AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Analysis of fetal cells and cell-free fetal DNA in maternal peripheral blood raises hopes for development of new non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. Many different cell types were considered as possible targets for prenatal diagnosis. Probably, fetal cells and cell-free fetal DNA enter the maternal circulation during all pregnancies. They may persist for years in maternal blood and tissues, resulting in a physiological microchimerism. It has been shown that changes in these two parameters may accompany some pregnancy-related disorders.

The Editorial Board
Andrzej Łukaszyk - przewodniczący, Zofia Bielańska-Osuchowska, Szczepan Biliński, Mieczysław Chorąży, Aleksander Koj, Włodzimierz Korochoda, Leszek Kuźnicki, Aleksandra Stojałowska, Lech Wojtczak

Editorial address:
Katedra i Zakład Histologii i Embriologii Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Poznaniu, ul. Święcickiego 6, 60-781 Poznań, tel. +48 61 8546453, fax. +48 61 8546440, email: mnowicki@ump.edu.pl

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