Analyses of human skin resident memory T cells

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26893055
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Dermatology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Hosokawa Rei (渡辺玲) 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (60463866)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-08-29 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 皮膚T細胞 / resident memory T細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Expression process of CD69 and CD103, which are known as skin-resident memory T cell markers, were investigated. When circulating T cells, which do not express CD69 or CD103, were co-cultured with keratinocyte sheets or fibroblast sheet, it turned out that T cells express CD69 and CD103 when co-cultured with keratinocytes (epidermal condition) and express CD69 when co-cultured with fibroblasts (dermal condition). Thus, it was assumed that T cells express CD69 when they enter into dermis and further express CD103 after entering into epidermis. In human T-cell trafficking mouse model, when circulating T cells were eliminated by alemtuzumab, CD69+CD103+ T cells and CD69+CD103- T cells were left intact in the grafted skin. This result indicates that these two fractions function as resident memory T cells in human skin.

Free Research Field

皮膚免疫