Chinese Journal of Dermatology ›› 2026, e20240319.doi: 10.35541/cjd.20240319

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The role of tissue-resident memory T cells in the recurrence of autoimmune skin diseases

Tang Dongmei1, Yan Yurou2, Xu Yinde2, Li Xiaolan2   

  1. 1Department of Dermatology, Children′s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Children and Adolescents' Health and Diseases, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Rare Diseases in Infection and Immunity, Chongqing 400000, China; 2Department of Dermatology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650000, China
  • Received:2024-06-18 Revised:2026-06-07 Online:2026-02-09 Published:2026-09-22
  • Contact: 冬梅 唐

Abstract: 【Abstract】 Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRMs) permanently reside in the skin without recirculating through the blood or lymphatic system and provide rapid, antigen-specific immune protection upon pathogen re-exposure. Aberrant activation of TRMs has been implicated in the recurrence of autoimmune skin diseases. This review summarizes the mechanisms underlying the generation, homing, and tissue residency of TRMs and further discusses the evidence supporting their role in the recurrence of psoriasis, vitiligo, lupus erythematosus, pemphigus, and alopecia areata.

Key words: T-lymphocyte subsets, Tissue-resident memory T cells, Autoimmune diseases, Psoriasis, Vitiligo, Pemphigus, Lupus erythematosus, Alopecia areata