{
  "abstract": "Neuroimmune interactions in the skin coordinate immune defense and somatosensory perception, yet how immune cells shape sensory signaling remains poorly defined. Here, we show that Langerhans cells (LCs), epidermal antigen-presenting cells, function as local immune-derived amplifiers of cutaneous sensory signaling. Anatomical and transcriptomic analyses reveal preferential LC association with non-peptidergic sensory neurons. LC activation increases neuronal and behavioral responses to thermal, mechanical, and pruritic stimuli without directly exciting sensory neurons, whereas LC inhibition or ablation selectively reduces pruritogen-evoked itch. We identified semaphorin 7A as a candidate LC-expressed mediator. Semaphorin 7A sensitized cultured sensory neurons to chloroquine and histamine, and neutralizing semaphorin 7A abolished the increase in chloroquine-evoked scratching produced by LC activation. Its receptor PlexinC1 was expressed by most MrgprA3 pruriceptors and blocking PlexinC1 reduced semaphorin 7A-evoked neuronal responses. Together, these findings identify epidermal LCs as local immune-derived amplifiers that regulate the responsiveness of cutaneous sensory circuits and identify semaphorin 7A as a mediator of LC-induced itch potentiation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "University of Miami Miller School of Medicine"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 13,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "K. Sakai"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Ishida"
    },
    {
      "name": "D. Pavlenko"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Suehiro"
    },
    {
      "name": "T. Oshea"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Dorning"
    },
    {
      "name": "K. Sanders"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Sanchez"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Lopez"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Talamas"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Boulina"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. J. Griswold"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "T. Akiyama"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7fp2trtfc8pyf.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.11.06.756111",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.06.756111v1.full",
  "id": "7fp2trtfc8pyf",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.06.756111v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "neuroscience"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.06.756111v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-06",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7fp2trtfc8pyf.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-08T00:21:14Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.11.06.756111",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.06.756111v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:neuroscience",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Epidermal Langerhans Cells Act as Neuroimmune Regulators of Pain and Itch",
  "title_text": "Epidermal Langerhans Cells Act as Neuroimmune Regulators of Pain and Itch",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T00:20:53Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7fp2trtfc8pyf",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}