Epidermal resident Î³Î´ T cells, or dendritic epidermal T cells (DETCs) in mice, are a unique and conserved population of Î³Î´ T cells enriched in the epidermis, where they serve as the regulators of immune responses and sense skin injury. Despite the great advances in the understanding of the development, homeostasis, and function of DETCs in the past decades, the origin and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we reviewed the recent research progress on DETCs, including their origin and homeostasis in the skin, especially at transcriptional and epigenetic levels, and discuss the involvement of DETCs in skin diseases.
Epidermal resident Î³Î´ T cell development and function in skin