E-box protein E2-2 is a crucial regulator of plasmacytoid DC development

DC play central roles in priming both innate and adaptive immune responses. Multiple DC subsets have been identified on the basis of their phenotype and function. Plasmacytoid DC (pDC) are professional IFN-producing cells that play an essential role in anti-viral immunity. A series of recent studies demonstrates that the regulation of pDC development is different from other types of DC. In this issue of the European Journal of immunology, new insight is provided into how human pDC development is regulated by various transcription factors, in particular by the Ets family protein Spi-B and E-box protein E2-2.