a type of cell in the immune system. It presents antigen to lymphocytes, e.g. T cells. Antigen presenting cells include macrophages and dendritic cells.
A group of cells which can alert the immune system which includes dendritic cells (see below)
A specialized cell that sticks pieces of antigen combined with self 'display' molecules on its surface for passing immune cells to survey. Dendritic cells, macrophages and B cells are the main antigen-presenting cells.
A white blood cell that devours foreign bodies, breaks them down, and carries characteristic antigen peptides to it's surface. The foreign antigen, complexed with MHC I or II is presented to CD4 or CD8 to initiate an immune response specific to that peptide.
Cell that displays on its surface peptides that can be recognized by T cell antigen receptor. "Professional" antigen presenting cells with the capacity to elicit T cell responses are limited in origin (dendritic cells and macrophages) and also display costimulatory ligands (B7). Other antigen presenting cells (normal epithelial, endothelial and tumor cells) do not co-express costimulatory ligand and have only limited ability to activate naive T cells.
a cell capable of generating peptides bound to MHC molecules that can be recognised by T cells
a cell, such as a macrophage or dendritic cell, that digests foreign bodies and exhibits the resulting pieces of the protein (antigen) on its surface in an effort to find and activate the CD4+ T-helper cells responsive to that antigen.