05 Jan Scientists Discover Another Pathway of Allergic Contact Dermatitis

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Moody

Dr. D. Branch Moody, MD
Principal Investigator
Associate Physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Is the CD1a molecule found on the skin’s Langerhans cells?

Response: With increasing industrialization worldwide, people apply cosmetics and other consumer products to the skin, leading to contact dermatitis, which is becoming increasingly common. Immunologists know that T cells participate in dermatitis reactions. However, T cells usually recognize and respond to antigens that are peptides rather than the non-peptide antigens that cause contact dermatitis.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response: In our study, we show that T cells can directly respond to non-peptidic antigens that cause contact dermatitis. We found that the response requires that the antigens bind to a protein called CD1a.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Understanding how antigens lead to immune response is the first step towards designing strategies to detect and block the response, which will likely be done in the future.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work? 

Response: We have recently started research with investigators in Oxford, UK, and Melbourne, Australia, to design blockers for the antigens that bind to CD1a. 

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Last Updated on January 5, 2020 by Marie Benz MD FAAD