Dendritic cells and immunity to Listeria: TipDCs are a new recruit

Dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial in the immune response during infection. Recent studies have identified a cell population with features of DCs that are recruited to the spleen of Listeria-infected mice in a CCR2-dependent fashion. These cells, which produce tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and nitric oxide, are named TipDCs. The adaptor for Toll-like receptor signaling, MyD88, is not required for TipDC appearance in the spleen during infection but is required for development of TipDC effector functions. These studies also provide insight into the complexity of the innate immune response to bacteria.