How do DCs interact with intestinal antigens?

Recent evidence demonstrates that dendritic cells (DCs) can insert dendrites between the epithelial cells that form the barrier protecting the body from the gut contents. Although first observed almost a decade ago, this is a controversial area of DC biology and the physiological importance of this phenomenon is only now being clarified. A recent study by Niess and colleagues shows that this behaviour enables efficient sampling of both invasive and non-invasive bacteria and might enhance the ability of an organism to resist infections by a pathogenic strain of Salmonella.