Page 102 - Binder2

What sets dendritic cells apart isn’t just their ability to
present antigen.
It’s how, when, and where they do it.

Unlike macrophages or B cells, which are often reactive
and limited in their communication range, dendritic cells
function as environmental interpreters. They don’t just
display foreign proteins—they contextualize them. They
integrate signals from the local tissue environment—
cytokines, microbial metabolites, dietary antigens,
epithelial stress—and determine whether the immune
system should respond with aggression or restraint.

In the gut, under non-inflammatory conditions, certain
subsets of dendritic cells—especially CD103⁺ dendritic
cells—are predisposed to promote tolerance. When they
encounter a new protein in the presence of commensal
microbes, healthy epithelial signals, and low inflammatory
noise, they migrate to nearby lymph nodes and induce
naïve T cells to become regulatory T cells (Tregs). These
Tregs then circulate back into the tissue and actively

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