Skin on Alert: Skin-Resident CD8+ T Cells Drive Broad Innate Antipathogen Responses

Findings from two studies suggest new approaches to enhancing protective responses.

The recent discovery and characterization of skin-resident CD8⁺ T cells revealed fascinating biological mechanisms showing how they enforce tissue-specific antiviral immunity. For example, a previous study (NEJM JW Dermatol May 18 2012) showed that local skin vaccination resulted in global specific immunity in skin conferred by skin-resident memory T cells (T_RM). Two new studies shed more light on the mechanism behind this effect.

Ariotti and colleagues examined transcriptional changes in skin following intradermal DNA vaccination of mice against herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1. A broad antipathogen response occurred when the animals were challenged with the virus or cognate peptide. This broad response was driven by interferon (IFN)-γ producti…

Reviewing Author

Kenneth Y. Tsai, MD, PhD

Disclosures

Grant / Research support American Association for Cancer Research – Landon Foundation; National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute; Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas

Editorial BoardsJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology

Kenneth Y. Tsai, MD, PhD

Disclosures

Grant / Research support American Association for Cancer Research – Landon Foundation; National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute; Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas

Editorial BoardsJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology

Skin on Alert: Skin-Resident CD8⁺ T Cells Drive Broad Innate Antipathogen Responses

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Reviewing Author