Moreover, Swiecki et al. demonstrated that specific pDC depletion in blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (BDCA2)-diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) transgenic mice (where ablation of pDCs is mediated by diphtheria toxin) at 36 h post infection (p.i.)resulted in impaired MCMV clearance with unhindered NK cell expansion and function at later timepoints during infection [13]. Here, HBEGF is linked to infection.