Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (668 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Recirculating, dendritic, antigen-presenting cells containing characteristic racket-shaped granules (Birbeck granules). They are found principally in the stratum spinosum of the epidermis and are rich in Class II major histocompatibility complex molecules. Langerhans cells were the first dendritic cell to be described and have been a model of study for other dendritic cells (DCs), especially other migrating DCs such as dermal DCs and interstitial dendritic cells.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Langerhans Cell; Cell, Langerhans; Cells, Langerhans; Epidermal Dendritic Cells; Cell, Epidermal Dendritic; Cells, Epidermal Dendritic; Dendritic Cell, Epidermal; Epidermal Dendritic Cell.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Dendritic Cells
Related concepts
- Epidermis
- Major Histocompatibility Complex
- Interstitial Dendritic Cells
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 5,982 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Langerhans Cells” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 333 of them (5.6%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 3,344 records.
Reviews account for 771 records (12.9%) and meta-analyses for 3. Randomized controlled trials number 37 (0.6%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 3,344 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,247 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,058 |
| 2020 onward | 333 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 771 | 12.9% |
| Meta-analyses | 3 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 37 | 0.6% |
Method: PubMed query "Langerhans Cells"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Langerhans Cells: Sensing the Environment in Health and Disease | 2018 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 152 | cc by PMID 29449841 · DOI · PMC5799717 |
| Monocyte-derived inflammatory Langerhans cells and dermal dendritic cells mediate psoriasis-like inflammation | 2016 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 149 | cc by PMID 27982014 · DOI · PMC5171657 |
| Human skin dendritic cells in health and disease | 2015 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 121 | cc by PMID 25301671 · DOI · PMC4728191 |
| Skin-resident Langerhans cells drive neuropathic pain via chemokine-dependent neuron-immune communication | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42060359 · DOI · PMC13262737 |
Langerhans Cells: Sensing the Environment in Health and Disease [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- In the last few decades, our understanding of Langerhans cells (LCs) has drastically changed based on novel findings regarding the developmental origin and biological functions of these epidermis-specific resident immune cells.
- Closing excerpt
- This review focuses on what mouse models that have been developed in order to enable the study of murine LCs and other Langerin-expressing DCs have taught us about LC development and function.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (186 words)
In the last few decades, our understanding of Langerhans cells (LCs) has drastically changed based on novel findings regarding the developmental origin and biological functions of these epidermis-specific resident immune cells. It has become clear that LCs not only exert pivotal roles in immune surveillance and homeostasis but also impact on pathology by either inducing tolerance or mediating inflammation. Their unique capabilities to self-renew within the epidermis, while also being able to migrate to lymph nodes in order to present antigen, place LCs in a key position to sample the local environment and decide on the appropriate cutaneous immune response. Exciting new data distinguishing LCs from Langerin+ dermal dendritic cells (DCs) on a functional and ontogenic level reveal crucial roles for LCs in trauma and various skin pathologies, which will be thoroughly discussed here. However, despite rapid progress in the field, the exact role of LCs during immune responses has not been completely elucidated. This review focuses on what mouse models that have been developed in order to enable the study of murine LCs and other Langerin-expressing DCs have taught us about LC development and function.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 29449841 · DOI · PMC5799717
Monocyte-derived inflammatory Langerhans cells and dermal dendritic cells mediate psoriasis-like inflammation [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Dendritic cells (DCs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis but the roles for specific DC subsets are not well defined.
- Closing excerpt
- Collectively, our results imply that monocyte-derived cells are critical contributors to psoriasis through production of inflammatory cytokines that augment the activation of skin T cells.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (147 words)
Dendritic cells (DCs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis but the roles for specific DC subsets are not well defined. Here we show that DCs are required for psoriasis-like changes in mouse skin induced by the local injection of IL-23. However, Flt3L-dependent DCs and resident Langerhans cells are dispensable for the inflammation. In epidermis and dermis, the critical DCs are TNF-producing and IL-1β-producing monocyte-derived DCs, including a population of inflammatory Langerhans cells. Depleting Ly6Chi blood monocytes reduces DC accumulation and the skin changes induced either by injecting IL-23 or by application of the TLR7 agonist imiquimod. Moreover, we find that IL-23-induced inflammation requires expression of CCR6 by DCs or their precursors, and that CCR6 mediates monocyte trafficking into inflamed skin. Collectively, our results imply that monocyte-derived cells are critical contributors to psoriasis through production of inflammatory cytokines that augment the activation of skin T cells.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 27982014 · DOI · PMC5171657
Human skin dendritic cells in health and disease [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized antigen presenting cells abundant in peripheral tissues such as skin where they function as immune sentinels.
- Closing excerpt
- A comprehensive understanding of the dynamic changes in DC subsets in health and disease will form a strong foundation to facilitate the clinical translation of DC-based therapeutic and vaccination strategies.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (122 words)
Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized antigen presenting cells abundant in peripheral tissues such as skin where they function as immune sentinels. Skin DCs migrate to draining lymph node where they interact with naïve T cells to induce immune responses to microorganisms, vaccines, tumours and self-antigens. In this review, we present the key historical developments and recent advances in human skin DC research. We also integrate the current understanding on the origin and functional specializations of DC subsets in healthy skin with findings in inflammatory skin diseases focusing on psoriasis and atopic eczema. A comprehensive understanding of the dynamic changes in DC subsets in health and disease will form a strong foundation to facilitate the clinical translation of DC-based therapeutic and vaccination strategies.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 25301671 · DOI · PMC4728191
Skin-resident Langerhans cells drive neuropathic pain via chemokine-dependent neuron-immune communication [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Neuropathic pain affects over 20 million people in the United States, and painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN), a common complication of diabetes, is among its most prevalent and treatment-resistant forms.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings identify epidermal LCs as peripheral regulators of PDN pain and highlight sex-dependent chemokine-mediated neuron-immune communication at the skin-nerve interface.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (213 words)
Neuropathic pain affects over 20 million people in the United States, and painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN), a common complication of diabetes, is among its most prevalent and treatment-resistant forms. Although PDN is characterized by nociceptor dysfunction, the upstream peripheral mechanisms remain incompletely understood. While dorsal root ganglion (DRG) nociceptor hyperexcitability is a hallmark of PDN, emerging evidence suggests that nonneuronal skin cells may modulate nociceptor function. Here, we investigated whether epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) contribute to neuropathic pain in PDN through neuroimmune signaling. Using a clinically relevant high-fat diet (HFD) mouse model, transgenic LC ablation, behavioral assays, human skin biopsies, and single-cell RNA seq of epidermis and DRG, we found that LC density increased in male diabetic mice in parallel with mechanical allodynia. In skin samples of people with PDN, LCs exhibited increased volume and dendritic complexity correlating with diabetes duration. Genetic depletion of LCs prevented mechanical allodynia and spontaneous pain-like behavior in male, but not female, HFD mice, revealing a sex-dependent contribution. Single-cell and interactome analyses identified male-specific inflammatory LC programs, including upregulation of chemokine signaling pathways. Consistently, LC secretome profiling showed increased CCL2 release, and local CCR2 blockade reversed allodynia. These findings identify epidermal LCs as peripheral regulators of PDN pain and highlight sex-dependent chemokine-mediated neuron-immune communication at the skin-nerve interface.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42060359 · DOI · PMC13262737
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Origin, homeostasis and function of Langerhans cells and other langerin-expressing dendritic cells [5]
- Research article C-type lectin receptors on dendritic cells and Langerhans cells [6]
- Research article The origins and functions of dendritic cells and macrophages in the skin [7]
- Research article Langerhans cells and more: langerin-expressing dendritic cell subsets in the skin [8]
- Research article Anatomy, histology and immunohistochemistry of normal human skin [9]
- Research article Antigen-Presenting Cells in the Skin [10]
References
- Deckers J, Hammad H, Hoste E. Langerhans Cells: Sensing the Environment in Health and Disease. . 2018. PMID 29449841 · DOI · PMC5799717
- Singh TP, Zhang HH, Borek I, Wolf P, Hedrick MN, Singh SP, et al.. Monocyte-derived inflammatory Langerhans cells and dermal dendritic cells mediate psoriasis-like inflammation. . 2016. PMID 27982014 · DOI · PMC5171657
- Haniffa M, Gunawan M, Jardine L. Human skin dendritic cells in health and disease. . 2015. PMID 25301671 · DOI · PMC4728191
- Pacifico P, George D, Jayaraj ND, Ren D, Coy-Dibley JS, Belmadani AA, et al.. Skin-resident Langerhans cells drive neuropathic pain via chemokine-dependent neuron-immune communication. . 2026. PMID 42060359 · DOI · PMC13262737
- Merad M, Ginhoux F, Collin M. Origin, homeostasis and function of Langerhans cells and other langerin-expressing dendritic cells. Nat Rev Immunol. 2008. PMID 19029989 · DOI
- Figdor CG, van Kooyk Y, Adema GJ. C-type lectin receptors on dendritic cells and Langerhans cells. Nat Rev Immunol. 2002. PMID 11910898 · DOI
- Malissen B, Tamoutounour S, Henri S. The origins and functions of dendritic cells and macrophages in the skin. Nat Rev Immunol. 2014. PMID 24854591 · DOI
- Romani N, Clausen BE, Stoitzner P. Langerhans cells and more: langerin-expressing dendritic cell subsets in the skin. Immunol Rev. 2010. PMID 20193016 · DOI · PMC2907488
- Kanitakis J. Anatomy, histology and immunohistochemistry of normal human skin. Eur J Dermatol. 2002. PMID 12095893
- Kashem SW, Haniffa M, Kaplan DH. Antigen-Presenting Cells in the Skin. Annu Rev Immunol. 2017. PMID 28226228 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.