A scoping review on the importance of vaccination strategies targeting skin imprinting for arthropod-borne diseases

Abstract Tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells in the skin play a critical role in early immune defense against pathogens entering via breaches such as arthropod bites. However, their specific induction through immunization strategies remains underexplored. We performed a scoping review following PRI...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Janne Wouters, Aliana Saenz de la Torre Leal, Wim Adriaensen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:npj Vaccines
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01189-8
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Summary:Abstract Tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells in the skin play a critical role in early immune defense against pathogens entering via breaches such as arthropod bites. However, their specific induction through immunization strategies remains underexplored. We performed a scoping review following PRISMA guidelines to assess vaccination strategies capable of inducing skin TRM cells. Intradermal and skin scarification routes consistently induced skin TRM cells with 94–100% success rates, while viral vector, DNA-based, and live-attenuated vaccines were the most effective platforms, particularly when combined with adjuvants promoting local inflammation. CD69 and CD103 were the most frequently employed markers, despite significant methodological heterogeneity. Vaccine-induced TRM cells were shown to disseminate throughout the skin and confer durable protection, independent of circulating T cells. However, evidence is largely restricted to preclinical studies, underscoring the need for standardization of TRM cell identification and expanded human studies to translate these findings into clinical practice.
ISSN:2059-0105