Regulatory T Cells in Skin Mediate Immune Privilege of the Hair Follicle Stem Cell Niche

January 2024 in “ Science Immunology ”

Jarish N. Cohen, Victoire Gouirand, Courtney E. Macon, Margaret M. Lowe, Ian C. Boothby, J. Moreau, Iris K. Gratz, Angelika Stoecklinger, Casey T. Weaver, Arlene H. Sharpe, Roberto R. Ricardo-González, Michael D. Rosenblum

regulatory T cells immune privilege hair follicle stem cell niche self-tolerance non-lymphoid organs immune tolerance hair follicle stem cells

TLDR Regulatory T cells protect hair follicle stem cells by maintaining immune privilege in the skin.

Cohen et al. demonstrated that regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the skin are essential for protecting hair follicle stem cells from inflammation and autoimmune attacks, which is crucial for hair growth and regeneration. The study used a mouse model to show that skin Tregs suppress hair follicle inflammation through the high-affinity interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor. In patients with autoimmune alopecia, an enhanced IL-2/STAT5 gene signature was observed around hair follicles, indicating that dysregulation of Treg-mediated immunosuppression may contribute to autoimmune skin diseases. These findings suggest that enhancing Treg function could be a potential therapeutic strategy for treating hair loss conditions like alopecia.

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