Key roles of dendritic cells in lung infection and improving anthrax vaccines

Lung immune responses control pathogens while avoiding detrimental inflammation. The dynamics of lung homeostasis are not fully understood. Primary antimicrobial defenses are orchestrated by epithelial cells (ECs), interacting in close association with dendritic cells (DCs) and other innate immune cells. However, microbes, such as Bacillus anthracis use host cellular machinery, including DC-migratory capacity to reach the draining lymph nodes where they germinate and produce toxins that disrupt protective immunity leading to death. Here, we describe the immunobiology of major lung cell subsets and their cellular synapses, to reveal the dynamics of B. anthracis infection and its effects on lung immune mechanisms. Vaccines strategies that mobilize protective mucosal and systemic immunity against this deadly microbe are highlighted.