Tracking the 'general': tagging skin-derived dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the sentinels of the immune system; their migration, maturation and mobilization are fundamental to immunity and tolerance. The recent tracking of DCs from the skin to lymph node (LN) and their enumeration using a Cre/loxP system demonstrate the recruitment of a higher than expected number of DCs to the draining LN after cutaneous administration of DNA-coated gold particles. The longevity of the migrated DCs was also longer than previously reported.