Targeting Skin-Resident Memory T Cells via Vaccination to Combat Staphylococcus aureus Infections

Tissue-resident memory T cells are important in adaptive immunity against many infections, rendering these cells attractive potential targets in vaccine development. Genetic and experimental evidence highlights the importance of cellular immunity in protection from Staphylococcus aureus skin infections, yet skin-resident memory T cells are, thus far, an untested component of immunity during such infections. Novel methods of generating and sampling vaccine-induced skin memory T cells are paralleled by discoveries of global, skin-wide immunosurveillance. We propose skin-resident memory CD4+ T cells as a potential missing link in the search for correlates of protection during S. aureus infections. A better appreciation of their phenotypes and functions could accelerate the development of preventive vaccines against this highly virulent and antibiotic-resistant pathogen. Mammalian tissue-resident memory T cells are a relatively recently identified population added to the arsenal of adaptive immune cells. These cells are thoroughly being investigated in the study of many tissue-specific diseases.Novel vaccination strategies and biotechnological devices are facilitating the harnessing and sampling of tissue-specific immunity in the skin. In addition, the dynamics of skin-wide immunosurveillance are beginning to be understood.While the importance of T cell immunity during Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft-tissue infections is established, determining the correlates of immunity to develop candidate vaccines remains elusive.Skin-resident memory T cells are a possible missing piece in the immunity puzzle of S. aureus infections. Targeting this population may prove to be significant for the development of a putative successful vaccine against skin and soft tissue S. aureus infections.