Langerhans cells and other skin-resident dendritic cells (DC) are required for the development of cutaneous adaptive immune responses. In vivo experiments using mice with selective DC-subset deficiencies and ex vivo experiments using isolated DC suggests that each subset makes a unique contribution to the adaptive response. This review focuses on the functional outcome of antigen presentation by Langerhans cells. Special attention is given to their ability to promote CD4 T cell differentiation in a variety of inflammatory contexts and whether this subset has the capacity to cross-prime CD8 T cells.
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