Quiescent immature DCs can mature and become activated in local tissues in the presence of pathogen-associated molecular patterns or DAMPs in the context of sterile injury (e.g., autoimmunity or ischemia/reperfusion) and local inflammatory mediators (IFN-α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, or CD40L/CD154). Here, CD40LG is linked to Autoimmunity.