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
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 Denise Faustman
Word History
First Known Use
1975, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
antigen-presenting cell
noun
: any of various cells (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 histocompatibility antigen is recognized by and serves to activate cells of the immune system (as helper T cells or cytotoxic T cells)
In contrast to antibody molecules, which can bind to antigens in solution, T cell receptors recognize antigen only when it is displayed on the surface of an antigen-presenting cell in association with a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen. Scientific American Medicine Bulletin
—abbreviation APC Scientific American Medicine Bulletin