Abstract
Evaluation of: Hatton JL, Parent A, Tober KL et al. Depletion of CD4+ cells exacerbates the cutaneous response to acute and chronic UVB exposure. J. Invest. Dermatol. 127, 1507–1515 (2007).
And: Loser K, Apelt J, Voskort M et al. IL-10 controls ultraviolet-induced carcinogenesis in mice. J. Immunol. 179, 365–371 (2007).
Skin cancer represents the commonest form of human cancer in fair-skinned people, with the most important risk factors being life-time exposure to sunlight and episodes of severe sunburning. The two papers discussed here examine critical immunological parameters that protect against skin cancer development in mice chronically exposed to UV radiation. CD4+ T cells were shown to limit the cutaneous inflammatory response to acute UV exposure, and these cells protected against photocarcinogenesis by regulating inflammation in the skin. IL-10, presumably produced by CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells, was revealed to be a crucial immunosuppressive agent in photocarcinogenesis. Based on these results, strategies to prevent or lessen the risk of skin cancer development are suggested.