Immunotherapy Offers Hope for Autoimmune Skin Diseases
Scientists have found a method to specifically remove the ‘detrimental‘ immune cells responsible for autoimmune skin diseases, preserving the ‘beneficial’ cells. This breakthrough may pave the way for more precise and enduring treatments for conditions such as psoriasis and vitiligo.
In our skin, there are specialized immune cells designed to safeguard against infections, combat cancer, and facilitate healing. These unique tissue-resident memory (TRM) T cells earn their name because, unlike other immune cells, they remain localized in the skin tissue and do not circulate in the bloodstream. However, when not regulated appropriately, TRM cells may play a role in autoimmune skin conditions such as psoriasis and vitiligo.
Unveiling Unique Control Mechanisms of Skin TRM Cells
A recent study, spearheaded by researchers from the University of Melbourne and the Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity, has unraveled the distinctive factors governing various types of skin tissue-resident memory (TRM) cells in animal models. This breakthrough equips them with the capability to selectively eliminate problematic cells.
Simone Park, the lead and co-corresponding author of the study, explained, “Specialized immune cells in our skin are diverse: many are critical to prevent infection and cancer, but others play a big role in mediating autoimmunity. We discovered key differences in how distinct skin T cells are regulated, allowing us to precisely edit the skin’s immune landscape in a targeted way.”
Insights into Signaling Pathways and Selective Elimination in Mice
In human skin, there are two crucial subsets of tissue-resident memory (TRM) cells: interferon-gamma-producing CD8+ (TRM1) cells, with antiviral and anticancer roles, and interleukin-17-secreting CD8+ (TRM17) cells. While both can contribute to skin pathologies, the researchers observed that in mice, TRM1 and TRM17 cells follow distinct signaling pathways that determine their residency in skin tissue. Moreover, they found that selectively eliminating TRM17 cells is achievable by targeting components of their signaling pathway without affecting their TRM1 counterparts.
Co-author Susan Christo highlighted, “Most autoimmune therapies treat the symptoms of the disease rather than addressing the cause. Conventional treatments for skin disorders often impact all immune cells indiscriminately, meaning that we could also be wiping out our protective T cells. Until now, we didn’t know how to pick apart ‘bad’ T cells in the skin from the ‘good’ protective ones. Through this research, we discovered new molecules that allow us to selectively remove disease-causing T cells in the skin.”
The researchers believe that their findings have the potential to pave the way for more precise and enduring therapies for skin diseases.
Read the original article on: New Atlas
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