Are Langerhans cells dendritic or macrophages?
Our assumptions on the identity and functions of Langerhans cells (LCs) of the epidermis have undergone considerable changes. Once thought to be prototypic representatives of the dendritic cell (DC) lineage, they are now considered to be a specialized subset of tissue-resident macrophages.
What type of barrier is Langerhans cells and macrophages?
Langerhans cells are identical to tissue macrophages and present antigens to lymphocytes, with which they interact through specific surface receptors. As such, Langerhans cells are important components of the immunologic barrier of the skin. Langerhans cells are the first line of immunologic defense in the skin.
What do Langerhan cells contribute to?
They are involved in antimicrobial immunity, skin immunosurveillance, induction phase of the contact hypersensitivity and in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases of the skin or mucosa. We present the current knowledge of Langerhans cells’ role in the skin immune system.
Are Langerhan cells macrophages?
Langerhans cells (LC) are a unique population of tissue-resident macrophages that form a network of cells across the epidermis of the skin, but which have the ability to migrate from the epidermis to draining lymph nodes (LN). Their location at the skin barrier suggests a key role as immune sentinels.
What type of cells are Langerhan cells?
Langerhans cells (LC) are tissue-resident macrophages of the skin, and contain organelles called Birbeck granules. They are present in all layers of the epidermis and are most prominent in the stratum spinosum.
What are macrophages function?
Macrophages are tissue-resident or infiltrated immune cells critical for innate immunity, normal tissue development, homeostasis, and repair of damaged tissue. Macrophage function is a sum of their ontogeny, the local environment in which they reside, and the type of injuries or pathogen to which they are exposed.
How are dendritic cells related to macrophages?
The mononuclear phagocytes (dendritic cells and macrophages) are closely related immune cells with central roles in anti-infectious defense and maintenance of organ integrity. The canonical function of dendritic cells is the activation of T cells, whereas macrophages remove apoptotic cells and microbes by phagocytosis.