Abstract
The field of immune therapy is currently undergoing a shift in focus, from non antigen-specific immune modulator-based immune therapy to antigen-based vaccine therapy to more sophisticated cell-based vaccine applications. Dendritic cells (DCs) are rare leukocytes that are uniquely potent in their ability to capture, process and present antigens to T cells. By culturing DCs with viral antigens or tumor-associated antigens or different cellular products, immunogenic or tolerogenic DCs can be produced. When antigen-pulsed DCs are administered, an increase in the functional capacities of cells of innate immune system is observed. Also, patients administered with antigen-loaded DCs exhibit an augmentation of helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells, and plasma cells activities. Patients with liver diseases exhibit distorted immune responses to invading pathogens or cancer cells or autoantigens. On the other hand, recovery from liver diseases is usually associated with restoration of host immunity. In this review, we would discuss about rationale and strategies of immune therapy including DC-based therapy in liver diseases.
Keywords: Antigen-pulsed dendritic cells, antigen-specific immunity, dendritic cells, immune therapy, liver diseases, non antigen-specific immunity, modulator-based immune therapy, antigen-based vaccine therapy, DC-based therapy, Chronic liver diseases
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