A complex and heterogeneous network of subsets with remarkable plasticity - dendritic cells play a role in immunity, cancer, metabolic diseases, and more. In FEBS Letters' newest Special Issue "Dendritic cells in health and disease", guest-edited by Francesco Andreata,  Francesca Granucci and Laura Marongiu, the different aspects of dendritic cell biology are investigated closely. One Review presents them as key regulators of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease [2], two articles focus on methodologies (sincle-cell RNA-seq [3] and multiplexed imaging [5]), an "In a Nutshell" article discusses the special T-cell related T(DC) subset [4], one Review analyzes IL-10-producing dendritic cells in immunotherapy [6], one "In a Nutshell" showcases dendritic cells in antigen and leukocyte traffic in immunity [7], and the final Review unveils their central role in cancer [8]. 

"Since their initial identification by Ralph Steinman and Zanvil Cohn in the 1970s [[1]], dendritic cells (DCs) have been established as critical regulators of immune responses. While initially characterized as a relatively homogeneous population of potent antigen-presenting cells responsible for priming naïve T lymphocytes, it is now recognized that DCs comprise a complex and heterogeneous network of subsets. DCs are not only initiators of immunity but also  dynamic modulators of immune homeostasis, tolerance, and inflammation." 

Read more of the Editorial here: https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1873-3468.70109 

Or check out the full Special Issue: https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/18733468/2025/599/14 

1. Steinman, R. M. & Cohn, Z. A. (1973) Identification of a novel cell type in peripheral lymphoid organs of mice. I. Morphology, quantitation, tissue distribution, J Exp Med. 137, 1142-62. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.137.5.1142
2. Klaimi, C., Kong, W., Bleriot, C. & Haas, J. T. (2024) The immunological interface: dendritic cells as key regulators in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, FEBS Lett. https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.15072 
3. Protti, G. & Spreafico, R. (2024) A primer on single-cell RNA-seq analysis using dendritic cells as a case study, FEBS Lett. https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.15009 
4. Nelli, M. & Kuka, M. (2024) The dual nature of T(DC) - bridging dendritic and T cells in immunity, FEBS Lett. https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.14998 
5. Rocca, G., Galli, M., Celant, A., Stucchi, G., Marongiu, L., Cozzi, S., Innocenti, M. & Granucci, F. (2024) Multiplexed imaging to reveal tissue dendritic cell spatial localisation and function, FEBS Lett. https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.14962   
6. Morali, K., Giacomello, G., Vuono, M. & Gregori, S. (2024) Leveraging current insights on IL-10-producing dendritic cells for developing effective immunotherapeutic approaches, FEBS Lett. https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.15017 
7. Dotta, E., Maciola, A. K., Baccega, T. & Pasqual, G. (2024) Dendritic cells steering antigen and leukocyte traffic in lymph nodes, FEBS Lett. https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.14982 
8. Silva Barcelos, E.C., Riccuti, D., Mondanelli, G., Gargaro, M. (2025). Rewriting the Dendritic Cell Code in Cancer: From Subset Identity to Immunotherapeutic Design, FEBS Lett. https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70108