Surfactant protein A modulates the differentiation of murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells.

Surfactant protein A (SP-A) is an innate immune molecule that regulates pathogen clearance and lung inflammation. SP-A modulates innate immune functions such as phagocytosis, cytokine production, and chemotaxis; however, little is known about regulation of adaptive immunity by SP-A. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cell with the unique capacity to activate naive T cells and initiate adaptive immunity.