# EPITHELIAL DIFFERENTIATION COMPARISON OF SKIN & THYMUS

> **NIH NIH R01** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 1991 · $125,639

## Abstract

Interactions between maturing T lymphocytes and the thymic
microenvironment are critical for the development of functionally
mature T lymphocytes.  Aberrant T cell maturation can result in
immunodeficiency, autoimmunity and T cell leukemias and
lymphomas.  The epidermis has been implicated as another tissue
that might serve as an inductive environment for maturing T
lymphocytes and many similarities between epidermis and thymic
epithelial cells have been documented.  The general goal of this
proposal is to evaluate epidermal - T lymphocyte interactions.
The ability of epidermal keratinocytes (EK) to serve as accessory
cells for T lymphocytes including resting T cells, activated T cells
and T cell clones will be investigated.  If EK serve as accessory
cells or antigen presenting cells, particularly to activated T cells
then EK may play a significant role in vivo in amplifying an
ongoing immune response and particularly in chronic
inflammatory responses.  The ability of EK to bind to and
stimulate proliferation of immature cells of the T lymphocyte
lineage will be examined using T cell-epithelial binding assays and
standard assays of T cell proliferation.  The results of these
studies should provide information regarding the ability of
epidermis to serve as a site of extrathymic T cell maturation in
normal and aberrant situations.  The state of T cell maturation
and expression of T cell receptor genes in T cells that home to the
skin in inflammatory skin disease and cutaneous T cell
malignancies will be determined using immunofluorescence, in
situ hybridization and Northern blot techniques to identify mRNA
transcripts from T cell receptor genes (alpha, beta, gamma).  The
effects of T lymphocytes on epidermal cells will be investigated.
These studies will include T cell regulation of IL 1 production by
epidermal cells as well as T cell-mediated regulation of cell
surface markers (HLA-DR, ICAM-1) on epidermal cells.  The
effects of T cell derived IL 2 on epidermal cell proliferation will
be investigated.  A cytotoxic anti-fibroblast and macrophage
antibody produced in the original funding period will be
characterized including biochemical identification of target
molecules and possible inhibition of functional assays.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3156959
- **Project number:** 5R01AR034808-07
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** TP7EK8DZV6N5
- **Principal Investigator:** PHONG T LE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $125,639
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1988-02-01 → 1991-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3156959

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3156959, EPITHELIAL DIFFERENTIATION COMPARISON OF SKIN & THYMUS (5R01AR034808-07). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3156959. Licensed CC0.

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