Characterization of Pathogenic CD8+ T Cells in an Adoptive Transfer Mouse Model of Alopecia Areata in C3H/HeJ Mice

    November 2025 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”
    Elena Calama, Sergio Lavilla-Alonso, Javier Gómez‐Román, M Puigivila, A Ezzaanouni, Amadeu Gavaldà
    TLDR Certain CD8+ T cells attack hair follicles in alopecia areata, suggesting they could be targeted for treatment.
    This study investigates the characteristics of pathogenic CD8+ T cells in a mouse model of alopecia areata (AA) using C3H/HeJ mice. The research identifies a distinct population of CD44s-hi CD49lo CD8+ T cells, which are phenotypically different from virtual memory T cells and are implicated in the autoimmune attack on hair follicles. These cells, found in the draining lymph nodes of alopecic areas, exhibit an effector memory phenotype and express the activator ligand NKG2D, crucial for the autoimmune response in AA. The study confirms that these activated T cells are absent in the blood and non-alopecic mice, highlighting their potential as targets for developing immune-modulatory drugs for AA.
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