Publications by authors named "Wendy L Havran"

Previous studies have demonstrated the role of γ-aminobutyric acid type B (GABA) receptors in skin-related conditions and pain. However, most studies have focused on the main effects of GABA on the central nervous system. Therefore, this study has aimed to determine the potential topical anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects of baclofen cream in an inflammatory skin disease model.

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T cells are critical mediators of antitumor immunity and a major target for cancer immunotherapy. Antibody blockade of inhibitory receptors such as PD-1 can partially restore the activity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). However, the activation signals required to promote TIL responses are less well characterized.

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UVR and immunosuppression are major risk factors for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Regulatory T cells promote cSCC carcinogenesis, and in other solid tumors, infiltrating regulatory T cells and CD8 T cells express ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 (ENTPD1) (also known as CD39), an ectoenzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in converting extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to extracellular adenosine (ADO). We previously showed that extracellular purine nucleotides influence DNA damage repair.

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Tissue-resident γδ T cells form the first line of defense at barrier surfaces where they survey host tissue for signs of stress or damage. Following recognition of injury, γδ T cells play a crucial role in the wound-healing response through the production of growth factors and cytokines that promote proliferation in surrounding epithelial cells. To initiate this response, γδ T cells require interactions with a variety of epithelial-expressed costimulatory molecules in addition to primary signaling through their TCR.

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Chronic wounds represent a growing clinical problem for which limited treatment strategies exist. Defects in immune cell-mediated healing play an important role in chronic wound development, presenting an attractive clinical target in the treatment of chronic wounds. However, efforts to improve healing through the application of growth factors and cytokines have been limited by the rapid degradation and diffusion of these molecules in the wound environment.

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Background And Purpose: The entire kallikrein-kinin system is present in the skin, and it is thought to exert a relevant role in cutaneous diseases, including psoriasis. The present study was designed to evaluate the relevance of kinin receptors in the development and progression of a model of psoriasis in mice.

Experimental Approach: The effects of kinin B and B receptor knockout and of kinin receptor antagonists (SSR240612C or FR173657) were assessed in a model of psoriasis induced by imiquimod in C57BL/6 mice.

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While forming a minor population in the blood and lymphoid compartments, T cells are significantly enriched within barrier tissues. In addition to providing protection against infection, these tissue-resident T cells play critical roles in tissue homeostasis and repair. T cells in the epidermis and intestinal epithelium produce growth factors and cytokines that are important for the normal turnover and maintenance of surrounding epithelial cells and are additionally required for the efficient recognition of, and response to, tissue damage.

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Epithelial tissues line the body providing a protective barrier from the external environment. Maintenance of these epithelial barrier tissues critically relies on the presence of a functional resident T cell population. In some tissues, the resident T cell population is exclusively comprised of γδ T cells, while in others γδ T cells are found together with αβ T cells and other lymphocyte populations.

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The cutaneous wound-healing program is a product of a complex interplay among diverse cell types within the skin. One fundamental process that is mediated by these reciprocal interactions is the mobilization of local stem cell pools to promote tissue regeneration and repair. Using the ablation of epidermal caspase-8 as a model of wound healing in , we analyzed the signaling components responsible for epithelial stem cell proliferation.

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Epithelial surfaces line the body and provide a crucial interface between the body and the external environment. Tissue-resident epithelial γδ T cells represent a major T cell population in the epithelial tissues and are ideally positioned to carry out barrier surveillance and aid in tissue homeostasis and repair. In this Review, we focus on the intraepithelial γδ T cell compartment of the two largest epithelial tissues in the body - namely, the epidermis and the intestine - and provide a comprehensive overview of the crucial contributions of intraepithelial γδ T cells to tissue integrity and repair, host homeostasis and protection in the context of the symbiotic relationship with the microbiome and during pathogen clearance.

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Immunology has traditionally focused on the lymphocytes circulating among primary lymphoid organs while the large reservoir of tissue-resident T cells have received relatively less attention. In epithelia, these populations are comprised of significant, and sometimes exclusive, subsets of γδ T cells that are highly specialized in promoting tissue homeostasis. As the epithelial layers of the skin and gut are permanently exposed to the environment, they are continually subject to injury and therefore require highly efficient repair processes to maintain barrier functions.

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The interaction between keratinocytes (KCs) and skin-resident immune cells has an important role in induction of contact hypersensitivity. A specific subset of γδ T cells termed dendritic epidermal T cells (DETCs) are located in mouse epidermis, and we have recently shown that DETCs become activated and produce IL-17 in an IL-1β-dependent manner during contact hypersensitivity. Various receptors on DETCs, including NKG2D, are involved in DETC responses against tumors and during wound healing.

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γδ T cells represent a major T cell population in epithelial tissues, such as skin, intestine, and lung, where they function in maintenance of the epithelium and provide a crucial first line defense against environmental and pathogenic insults. Despite their importance, the molecular mechanisms directing their activation and function have remained elusive. Epithelial-resident γδ T cells function through constant communication with neighboring cells, either via direct cell-to-cell contact or cell-to-matrix interactions.

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Skin-resident T cells have been shown to play important roles in tissue homeostasis and wound repair, but their role in UV radiation (UVR)-mediated skin injury and subsequent tissue regeneration is less clear. In this study, we demonstrate that acute UVR rapidly activates skin-resident T cells in humans and dendritic epidermal γδ T cells (DETCs) in mice through mechanisms involving the release of ATP from keratinocytes. Following UVR, extracellular ATP leads to an increase in CD69 expression, proliferation, and IL-17 production, and to changes in DETC morphology.

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Substances that penetrate the skin surface can act as allergens and induce a T cell-mediated inflammatory skin disease called contact hypersensitivity (CHS). IL-17 is a key cytokine in CHS and was originally thought to be produced solely by CD4(+) T cells. However, it is now known that several cell types, including γδ T cells, can produce IL-17.

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The epidermis, the outer layer of the skin, forms a physical and antimicrobial shield to protect the body from environmental threats. Skin injury severely compromises the epidermal barrier and requires immediate repair. Dendritic epidermal T cells (DETC) reside in the murine epidermis where they sense skin injury and serve as regulators and orchestrators of immune responses.

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Intraepithelial γδ T cells play pivotal roles in homeostasis, tissue repair, inflammation, and protection from malignancy. In some tissues, γδ T cells are the only resident T cell population, whereas in others, they coexist with αβ T cells and other lymphocyte populations. γδ T cell function in the epithelium requires constant communication between cells in the form of cell-to-cell contacts and cell-to-matrix interactions.

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γδ T cells respond rapidly to keratinocyte damage, providing essential contributions to the skin wound healing process. The molecular interactions regulating their response are unknown. Here, we identify a role for interaction of plexin B2 with the CD100 receptor in epithelial repair.

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TCR-specific activation is pivotal to dendritic epidermal T cell (DETC) function during cutaneous wound repair. However, DETC TCR ligands are uncharacterized, and little is known about their expression patterns and kinetics. Using soluble DETC TCR tetramers, we demonstrate that DETC TCR ligands are not constitutively expressed in healthy tissue but are rapidly upregulated following wounding on keratinocytes bordering wound edges.

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Activin is an important orchestrator of wound repair, but its potential role in skin carcinogenesis has not been addressed. Here we show using different types of genetically modified mice that enhanced levels of activin in the skin promote skin tumour formation and their malignant progression through induction of a pro-tumourigenic microenvironment. This includes accumulation of tumour-promoting Langerhans cells and regulatory T cells in the epidermis.

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