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Langerhans cells: an update
Author(s) -
Sparber Florian
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
jddg: journal der deutschen dermatologischen gesellschaft
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.463
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1610-0387
pISSN - 1610-0379
DOI - 10.1111/ddg.12506
Subject(s) - langerhans cell , immune system , biology , antigen presentation , dendritic cell , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , homeostasis , population , antigen , antigen presenting cell , acquired immune system , cross presentation , immunity , t cell , medicine , environmental health
Summary Langerhans cells belong to the family of dendritic cells, professional antigen‐presenting cells, and populate the skin and epithelia of mammals. It was the extensive investigation of this particular dendritic cell subpopulation in earlier days, which contributed crucially to the current understanding of the regulation of antigen processing and presentation, a concept, which was termed “ the Langerhans cell paradigm ”. Extensive research during the last decades has revealed that Langerhans cells might not only be involved in the induction of adaptive immune responses but also in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance in order to prevent auto‐immunity. In addition it appeared that Langerhans cells represent a rather extravagant dendritic cell population with a unique origin and homeostatic regulation. This review highlights the most important findings about Langerhans cell ontogeny and homeostasis as well as their function in the immune system.