Classical dendritic cells as a unique immune cell lineage

Despite the critical role of classical dendritic cells (cDCs) in the initiation of adaptive immune responses, the genetic and phenotypic definition of cDCs remains moot. Two new studies designate Zbtb46 as a novel transcription factor that is specifically expressed in all cDCs in both humans and mice. Although Zbtb46 appears dispensable for cDC development, its specific pattern of expression supports the notion that cDCs constitute a unique immune cell lineage. Furthermore, these two studies provide novel tools that will aid in the study of cDC progenitors, visualization of cDCs in vivo, and depletion of cDCs for functional analysis.