Skin microbes trigger specific immune responses

The immune system in the skin develops distinct responses to the various microbes that naturally colonize the skin, referred to as commensals, new research in mice shows. A research team found that each type of microbe triggers unique aspects of the immune system, suggesting that immune cells found in the skin can rapidly sense and respond to changes in microbial communities.

The research showed that colonizing the skin of mice with S. epidermidis increased the number of CD8+ T immune cells, which produced the chemical messenger IL-17A. Dendritic cells, another type of immune cell, played a key role in generating this specific, non-inflammatory response.

For further details, see:

Shruti Naik, Nicolas Bouladoux, Jonathan L. Linehan, Seong-Ji Han, Oliver J. Harrison, Christoph Wilhelm, Sean Conlan, Sarah Himmelfarb, Allyson L. Byrd, Clayton Deming, Mariam Quinones, Jason M. Brenchley, Heidi H. Kong, Roxanne Tussiwand, Kenneth M. Murphy, Miriam Merad, Julia A. Segre, Yasmine Belkaid. Commensal%u2013dendritic-cell interaction specifies a unique protective skin immune signature. Nature, 2015; DOI: 10.1038/nature14052

Posted by Tim Sandle