UC Davis

Psoriasis vulgaris is a common inflammatory disease affecting 7.5 million adults just in the US. Previously, psoriasis immunopathogenesis has been viewed as the imbalance between CD4⁺ T-helper 17 (Th17) cells and regulatory T-cells (Tregs). However, current paradigms are rapidly evolving as new technologies to study immune cell subsets in the skin have been advanced. For example, recently minted single-cell RNA sequencing technology has provided the opportunity to compare highly differing transcriptomes of Type 17 T-cell (T17 cell) subsets depending on IL-17A vs. IL-17F expression. The expression of regulatory cytokines in T17 cell subsets provided evidence of T-cell plasticity between T17 cells and regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in humans. In addition to Tregs, other types of regulatory cells in the skin have been elucidated, including type 1 regulatory T-cells (Tr1 cells) and regulatory dendritic cells. More recently, investigators are attempting to apply single-cell technologies to clinical trials of biologics to test if monoclonal blockade of pathogenic T-cells will induce expansion of regulatory immune cell subsets involved in skin homeostasis.