Aligning bona fide dendritic cell populations across species

Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen sensing and presenting cells that link innate and adaptive immunity. Consisting of functionally specialized subsets, they form a complex cellular network capable of integrating multiple environmental signals leading to immunity or tolerance. Much of DC research so far has been carried out in mice and increasing efforts are now being devoted to translating the findings into humans and other species. Recent studies have aligned these cellular networks across species at multiple levels from phenotype, gene expression program, ontogeny and functional specializations. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the definition of bona fide DC subsets across species. The understanding of functional similarities and differences of specific DC subsets in different animals not only brings light in the field of DC biology, but also paves the way for the design of future effective therapeutic strategies targeting these cells.