The dendritic cell (DC), first identified in the early 1970s by Ralph Steinman, M.D, were long thought to be too rare to play a significant role in the immune response. Thanks to decades of work by Dr. Steinman, it is now known that dendritic cells are exceptionally powerful initiators of immunity, with the ability to activate an immune response up to 100 times more potent than any other cell in the immune repertoire. Because of this unique talent these dendritic cells are now a major focus of laboratory and clinical study across the globe, and are critical targets in cancer vaccine development.