A novel dendritic cell type has been identified within bone marrow, termed myelos interferon dendritic cells (miDC). These novel cells possess the high IFN-alpha producing activity of pDC, but they also display a wide TLR responsiveness along with T-cell stimulation capacities that more closely resemble the conventional DC populations. Moreover, these cells appear less prone to apoptosis upon activation stimuli, including viruses. These cells constitute a novel bone marrow innate immune cell type, ideally geared to linking innate and adaptive immune responses via their potent IFN-alpha production and high T-cell stimulatory capacity.
