The skin, as a primary barrier and immune organ, is governed by a complex interplay of innate and adaptive immune mechanisms whose dysregulation is implicated in diverse dermatological disorders. Representing the interface between the body and the external environment and the first line of defense against pathogens, toxins and environmental insults, the skin is characterized by a constant state of immune reactivity. It is permanently scrutinized by both innate and adaptive immune cells responsible for immune surveillance and home to memory dendritic cells, macrophages, and T cells. The skin’s innate immune cells are promptly activated by danger signals, ensuring immediate, non-specific defense against environmental harmful exposures. The adaptive immune responses are also highly effective, providing specific and long-lasting immunity. Dysregulation of skin immunology, manifesting as excessive, deficient, or inadequate immune responses may generate autoimmune or chronic inflammatory cutaneous disorders, impair wound healing, and increase the susceptibility to skin cancer.
Tremendous progress has been made during the last decades in our understanding of the causes of skin immune dysregulation. As a consequence, the dermatologists’ therapeutic armamentarium has greatly expanded and currently includes a wide range of targeted immunotherapies and immune modulators. However, numerous uncertainties await clarification, from the genetic background of cutaneous immune-mediated conditions and the defective regulatory pathways involved in their occurrence to epigenetic changes that contribute to the development of dermatological disorders and the complex interplay between the skin microbiome and skin immune system. Further investigation of such unsolved issues may lead to novel therapeutic approaches to correct immune dysregulation and restore skin health.
This collection aims to shed light on emerging insights into immunological pathways, cellular interactions, and molecular drivers within the cutaneous microenvironment that influence both local and systemic immune responses. These include novel perspectives on innate immune signaling, pattern recognition and inflammasome activation, breakthrough findings in adaptive immune regulation in the skin and immune cells cross-talk, latest advancements in our understanding of the complex interplay between the skin microbiome and the immune system, the neuroimmune interactions and the influence of epigenetic changes on skin immunology. These recent developments have significant implications for autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders, infection control, and cancer immunotherapy, leading to novel therapies and deeper knowledge of the skin’s role in systemic immune regulation.
This Research Topic invites cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews that unravel the intricate immune regulatory networks orchestrating skin homeostasis and driving pathology. Key areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Immune landscape of chronic inflammatory skin diseases: Detailed investigations into the cytokine networks, T-cell subsets, and antigen-presenting cells involved in chronic inflammatory disorders, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa.
• Pathophysiology of cutaneous autoimmunity and autoinflammation: Mechanistic insights into immune dysregulation in autoimmune and autoinflammatory skin conditions, including the roles of autoreactive B cells, regulatory T cells, and molecular mimicry in diseases like lupus erythematosus, vitiligo, and bullous disorders.
• Microbiota-immune crosstalk in skin homeostasis and disease: Exploration of host-microbiota interactions influencing cutaneous immunity, with a focus on microbial metabolites, immune tolerance, and dysbiosis in conditions like acne, seborrheic dermatitis, and other microbiome-related pathologies.
Associate Professor Dr. Laura Andreoli is a Consultant to UCB, all other Topic Editors declared no Conflicts of Interest.
Keywords: innate and adaptive immune mechanisms, immunological pathways, chronic inflammatory skin diseases, cutaneous autoimmunity, cutaneous autoinflammation, microbiota-immune crosstalk, skin cancer immunology, immunotherapy, targeted therapies
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
