Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Learning About Dendritic Cells

By Armand Zeiders


It is by far common knowledge that the human body is comprised of cells just like all the other organisms. And since there are several different types of cells in the human body, it is expected that each one comes with its specific function too. Note that there are hundreds of different types of cells existing within our body. Dendritic cells are one specific cell type that has garnered a great deal of attention from medical researchers. In order to be informed more about this particular cell, read on for some facts.

Dendritic cells are known as accessory cells or antigen-presenting cells. These cells are part of our immune system. Their primary function is to pass information on to other cells in our body. For instance, the dendritic cells will come into contact with our skin or nose and encounter a foreign substance. The dendritic cells will then pass on the information to the white blood cells which can then create a response to this foreign entity.

While dendritic cells can help the body fight diseases, you also sometimes dendritic cells being used by some diseases as a means to transport it's self in order to infect the immune system of the body. One virus which uses this tactic is the HIV wherein it attaches itself to dendritic cells and then began an attack on the cells which it ends up transported into. Although dendritic cells are known to aid diseases in attacking the body it has also been known to have the ability to fight other types of diseases.

Let us take a look at multiple sclerosis otherwise known as MS which is a highly debilitating disorder that attacks cells in our brain or spinal cord. It has been found by some scientists that the dendritic cells of those with MS are quite abnormal. This abnormality seems to make it easy for them to pass on the disease to the T cells. The T cells are part of our immune system.

Successfully creating a treatment which could target the dendritic cells comes part of the main goals of both scientists and researchers. It is because their ability to find a treatment which can alter the cells' ability in carrying the disease into the immune system is likely to help in slowing down, preventing or even stopping the progression of the disease.

Scientists studying these cells often recruit services from biotechnology firms, such as Primm Biotech. These firms can not only help advance dendritic cells studies, but they also offer services such as custom monoclonal antibody service, custom polyclonal antibody service, n-terminal sequencing services and much more.




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