Published online June 23, 2008
doi:10.1084/jem.20072594
The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol. 205, No. 7, 1559-1565
The Rockefeller University Press, 0022-1007 $30.00
© 2008 Dudda et al.
Foxp3+ regulatory T cells maintain immune homeostasis in the skin
Jan C. Dudda1,2,
Nikole Perdue1,
Eva Bachtanian1, and
Daniel J. Campbell1,2
1 Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101
2 Department of Immunology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195
CORRESPONDENCE Daniel J. Campbell: campbell{at}benaroyaresearch.org
Cutaneous immune responses must be tightly controlled to prevent unwanted inflammation in response to innocuous antigens, while maintaining the ability to combat skin-tropic pathogens. Foxp3+ regulatory T (T reg) cells are potent immune regulators and are found at high frequency in both human and mouse skin. Although T reg cells migrate to the skin and can dampen immune responses during experimentally induced inflammation or infection, the importance of cutaneous T reg cells for maintaining normal immune homeostasis in the skin has not been addressed. To selectively block T reg cell function in the skin, we restored the T reg cell compartment in Foxp3-deficient scurfy mice with cells whose ability to migrate to the skin was impaired because of targeted mutation of 
-1,3-fucosyltransferase VII (Fut7). Although Fut7-deficient T reg cells were present at normal frequency and could function in all other tissues examined, these animals rapidly developed severe cutaneous inflammation. Thus, skin-resident T reg cell are essential for maintaining normal immune homeostasis at this site.
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