Oct. 18, 2010 A protein called PU.1 is essential for the
development of dendritic cells, the sentinels of the immune
system, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers in
Melbourne, Australia, have shown. Dendritic cells (DC) are
immune cells that present proteins from foreign invaders, such
as viruses, to the killer T cells of the immune system, allowing
a full immune response to be mounted against the invaders.
Researchers from the Immunology division have been studying
dendritic cells and how different molecules regulate their
development. Dr Li Wu said one of the molecules that is known to
be important to this development is a protein called Flt3 which
is a cytokine receptor found on the surface of blood stem cells
and the parent cells that give rise to DC. "Despite its
importance in early blood cell development and dendritic cell
development, there is surprisingly little known about how Flt3
expression is controlled," Dr Wu said. The team of Dr Sebastian
Carotta, Dr Aleksandar Dakic, Ms Angela D'Amico,