Ontogenetic Diversification of Type 2 Conventional Dendritic Cells in the Bone Marrow: A Central Logic for Peripheral Immunity.

ABSTRACT: Type 2 conventional dendritic cells (cDC2s) are central orchestrators of adaptive immunity. While historically considered a single population shaped by local microenvironments, recent evidence indicates that cDC2s comprise developmentally distinct subsets-cDC2As and cDC2Bs-with divergent ontogeny, tissue distribution, and immune functions. This review synthesizes current advances in the identification, differentiation, and functional characterization of these cDC2 subsets, with a focus on data supporting an early bifurcation at the level of bone marrow progenitors. We highlight how transcription factors such as TCF4 (and RBPJ) and KLF4 delineate cDC2A and cDC2B fates, respectively, and how subset-specific localization within tissues may amplify their distinct roles in immunity. We propose

SUBMITTER: Baber RW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12628738 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature