Dendritic cells (DC) are rare hematopoietic-derived cells that are predominantly found in the T-cell-dependent areas of lymphoid tissue, as well as other tissues of the body¹. These cells express high levels of class I and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins, CD11c², the mannose-receptor like protein DEC205^3,4 and adhesion and costimulatory molecules¹. A substantial proportion of DC express CD8α as a homodimer⁵. DC specialize in processing and presenting foreign and self antigens to induce immunity¹ or tolerance^6,7. The lineage derivation of DC remains controversial, but there is growing evidence that DC can be subdivided into myeloid-derived^8–17 and lymphoid-derived populations^17–19.