in the Human Immune System
Dr Carolyn Dean is a medical doctor and naturopath. She has authored and co-authored over 35 books
Dr. Carolyn Dean
The Role of Skin in the Human Immune System
Skin is an important immune organ that serves as a protective interface, shielding organs and tissue from the environment. Skin provides a physical barrier from the pathogenic organisms, toxins, and physical stresses encountered in everyday life.
Skin protects the body from infection, toxins, and cancer. Sometimes referred to as ‘skin-associated lymphoid tissue’, the skin immune system includes the lymph nodes, as well as peripheral lymphoid organs such as the spleen.
Key immune cells in the epidermis are skin cells known as ‘keratinocytes’, and epi -
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dermal dendritic cells called ‘Langerhans cells’. In addition to lymph and blood vessels, the dermis contains numerous immune cells, including mast cells, dermal dendric cells, B cells, T cells and natural killer cells.
Immune cells are continuously trafficked between the blood circulation, the skin and draining lymph nodes. The skin microbiome is an important contributor to homeostasis of the skin immune system.
In terms of protecting the body from infection, the skin is the first line of defense. Langerhans cells in particular are thought to play a pivotal role in detecting and transporting antigens to lymph nodes and other immune cells to initiate an immune response.
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Dr. Carolyne Dean