dendritic cell

noun

: any of various antigen-presenting cells with long irregular processes

Examples of dendritic cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
There are dendritic cell vaccines, such as DC Vax, that stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells. Ourbrainbank, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN): Formerly called natural killer cell leukemia/lymphoma, per the LLS, BPDCN is a rare combination of leukemia and lymphoma. Barbara Brody, Health.com, 30 Sep. 2021 At the age of 12, she was diagnosed with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) and had to be in isolation for 100 days in her hospital room to receive a stem cell transplant. Heran Mamo, Billboard, 13 Nov. 2020 The human dermis is awash with dendritic cells that act like scouts, moving around the skin and searching for foreign pathogens. Andrew Zaleski, Popular Mechanics, 29 Apr. 2020 Ongoing projects include a clinical trial to infuse regulatory dendritic cells in liver transplant patients prior to surgery, with the hope of putting an end to toxic immunosuppression regimens. Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2020 Pegtel and colleagues started with two types of immune cells; B cells, a type of white blood cell, infected with the virus, and dendritic cells, which sense viral invaders and alert other immune cells. Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2013 The dendritic cells were genetically engineered to glow until microRNAs that the virus had forced the B cells to produce traveled across the barrier and quieted the glowing genes. Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2013 Analyzing patterns of gene expression in individual human immune system cells, the researchers refined the definitions of the types known as dendritic cells and monocytes and identified a novel type that had been overlooked. Quanta Magazine, 12 July 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dendritic cell was in 1934

Dictionary Entries Near dendritic cell

Cite this Entry

“Dendritic cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dendritic%20cell. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

dendritic cell

noun
: any of various antigen-presenting cells with long irregular processes
Dendritic cells play a key role in activating an immune response—whether against a foreign microbe or a damaged body cell …Patrick Barry, Science News
Dendritic cells' key role in priming the immune system gives them formidable potential as therapeutic vaccines for fighting cancers and viruses such as HIV.Scientific American
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!