Double duty: Versatile immune cells play dual roles in human skin
Thursday, May 3, 2012 - 20:30
in Health & Medicine
A new study helps to resolve an ongoing controversy about whether Langerhans cells (LCs) in human skin function to suppress the immune response and promote tolerance to normal human skin and its "friendly" microbial flora or mobilize a lethal attack against harmful foreign invaders. The research reveals that, depending on the situation, these versatile immune cells can perform either function.