Figure 1.

DC‐based targeting approaches leading to immunity or tolerance. Antigens can be delivered to DC in multiple ways as illustrated here. Antigens can be chemically or genetically conjugated to DC‐specific antibodies expressed on the surface of DC subsets, see Tables 1 and 2 for an overview on potential target receptors. Alternatively, glycosylated antigens can bind to and be taken up by C‐type lectin receptors which is a less specific targeting approach as these receptors can bind multiple sugar moieties. The development of nanocarriers, such as lipid‐based nanoparticles (LNPs), coated with either ligands or antibodies against DC‐specific receptors allows the encapsulation of antigens together with adjuvant for efficient delivery and routing inside the cells. The optimal formulation and delivery routes for nanovaccines need to be studied in the future to optimize DC‐based therapy to induce either tolerance (in the absence of adjuvants) or immunity (in the presence of adjuvants) for the treatment of autoimmunity or infectious diseases as well as cancer. Created with Biorender.com.