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Skin‐resident memory T cells as a potential new therapeutic target in vitiligo and melanoma
Author(s) -
Willemsen Marcella,
Linkutė Rugile,
Luiten Rosalie M.,
Matos Tiago R.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
pigment cell and melanoma research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1755-148X
pISSN - 1755-1471
DOI - 10.1111/pcmr.12803
Subject(s) - vitiligo , cytotoxic t cell , melanoma , context (archaeology) , immunology , medicine , cancer research , biology , in vitro , genetics , paleontology
Tissue‐resident memory T (T RM ) cells are abundant in the memory T cell pool and remain resident in peripheral tissues, such as the skin, where they act as alarm sensors or cytotoxic killers. T RM cells persist long after the pathogen is eliminated and can respond rapidly upon reinfection with the same antigen. When aberrantly activated, skin‐located T RM cells have a profound role in various skin disorders, including vitiligo and melanoma. Autoreactive T RM cells are present in human lesional vitiligo skin and mouse models of vitiligo, which suggests that targeting these cells could be effective as a durable treatment strategy for vitiligo. Furthermore, emerging evidence indicates that induction of melanoma‐reactive T RM cells is needed to achieve effective protection against tumor growth. This review highlights seminal reports about skin‐resident T cells, focusing mainly on their role in the context of vitiligo and melanoma, as well as their potential as therapeutic targets in both diseases.