Flow cytometry is a powerful tool for surveying the cellular landscape during preclinical development of drugs and biologics. But flow cytometry can go beyond immunophenotyping to actual functional measurements that can contribute to understanding the true potential of a therapeutic candidate. To make the most of your flow cytometry studies, consider these other assays as you plan the next phase of preclinical development.

The term 'Dendritic Cells' (DCs) represents a family of immune cells derived from CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, with various functions that provide a key link between the innate and adaptive immune responses. The most widely described function of DCs is to capture, process, and present antigens to adaptive immune cells and mediate their transition to effector functions. In fact, DCs are the only antigen-presenting cells capable of stimulating naïve T-cells. In recent years, DCs have become the focus of translational research efforts to describe the role these cells play in allergies, autoimmunity, and cancer as well as their role in vaccine responses. In this blog, we explore the flow cytometry approaches used to examine DCs and their potential as therapeutic targets.