Abstract
γδ T lymphocytes maintain skin homeostasis by balancing keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation with the destruction of infected or malignant cells. An imbalance in skin-resident T cell function can aggravate skin-related autoimmune diseases, impede tumor eradication, or disrupt proper wound healing. Much of the published work on human skin T cells attributes T cell function in the skin to αβ T cells, while γδ T cells are an often overlooked participant. This review details the roles played by both αβ and γδ T cells in healthy human skin and then focuses on their roles in skin diseases, such as psoriasis and alopecia areata. Understanding the contribution of skin-resident and skin-infiltrating T cell populations and cross-talk with other immune cells is leading to the development of novel therapeutics for patients. However, there is still much to be learned in order to effectively modulate T cell function and maintain healthy skin homeostasis.
Highlights
CD103 plays key roles in the establishment of γδ epidermal T cell populations as CD103-deficient mice show a significant reduction of γδ epidermal T cells and an impairment in morphology compared to controls [44]
Th17 cells are elevated in the scalp lesions of patients with alopecia areata, while FOXP3+ T regulatory cells are reduced [137]
Alopecia areata lesions exhibit upregulated expression of genes, such as CCL19, IL-2, IL-15/IL-15RA, IL-2RA/IL-2RB, and Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) responsible for T cell migration and activation compared to regions with normal hair growth in alopecia areata patients (Table 2) [136]
Summary
An imbalance in skin-resident T cell function can aggravate skin-related autoimmune diseases, impede tumor eradication, or disrupt proper wound healing. Much of the published work on human skin T cells attributes T cell function in the skin to αβ T cells, while γδ T cells are an often overlooked participant. This review details the roles played by both αβ and γδ T cells in healthy human skin and focuses on their roles in skin diseases, such as psoriasis and alopecia areata. There is still much to be learned in order to effectively modulate T cell function and maintain healthy skin homeostasis
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