antigen-presenting cell
noun
an·ti·gen-pre·sent·ing cell
ˈan-ti-jən-pri-ˈzen-tiŋ-
-ˌjen-
plural antigen-presenting cells
: any of various cells (such as a dendritic cell, macrophage, or B cell) that take up and process an antigen into a peptide fragment which when displayed at the cell surface in combination with a molecule of the major histocompatibility complex is recognized by and serves to activate cells of the immune system (such as helper T cells or cytotoxic T cells)
His images showed interactions between immune cells called antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that specialize in breaking up proteins belonging to an invader, such as a virus, and displaying the protein fragments to T cells, which become activated when they recognize one of the antigens.—Daniel M. Davis
… antigen-presenting cells also display fragments of proteins derived from the body's own cells. In this case, the antigen-presenting cells train the T cells to ignore healthy cells that are part of the body.—Denise Faustman
—abbreviation APC
Cite this Entry
“Antigen-presenting cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antigen-presenting%20cell. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
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