Abstract
The skin immune system comprises a complex network of cells, functioning both in immunity against invading pathogens but also tolerogenic mechanisms to ensure maintenance of immune homeostasis. The nature of antigens present and interplay between the cutaneous innate and adaptive immune systems determine the type of immune response generated. Dendritic cells are the key players in bridging innate and adaptive immune responses due to their inherent plasticity, direct roles in both type of immune responses, and cross-talk with other immune cells. This review dissects the functional roles of components of both innate and adaptive immune systems in the skin, with a special focus on cutaneous dendritic cells as the only cells capable of inducing primary immune responses, their ability to generate either immunogenic or tolerogenic immune responses, and ability to direct effector cells back to the skin via imprinting of skin-homing properties on T-cells. Finally the reciprocal interactions between the skin microbiota and immune system and their role in host defence and disease have been discussed.
Highlights
The skin is the largest organ in the body
Two distinct natural killer (NK) cell populations exist in the human skin which have the capacity to produce either IL-22 or both IL-22 and IL-17; these cutaneous NK cells are likely to play a role in skin-mediated inflammatory diseases mediated by these cytokines, including atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis
The skin immune system comprises a complex network of cells that all contribute to immunity against invading pathogens and to homeostasis in the skin
Summary
Its primary function is to serve as a barrier protecting the internal organs from physical and chemical attack, invasion of pathogens and excessive water loss. As the primary immunological barrier to the external environment, the skin is rich in immune cells, forming a complex network called the “skin immune system” [1] comprising both innate and adaptive immune cells [2]. The skin is colonized by a diverse milieu of microorganisms [3,4]; reciprocal interactions between the skin microbiota and immune system play a role in determining the nature of immune responses generated in the skin [5,6,7,8]. This review highlights recent insights into cells of the skin immune system and interplay between the skin microbiome, the immune system, and cutaneous inflammatory disease
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