Multi-Modal Skin Atlas Identifies a Multicellular Immune-Stromal Community Associated with Disrupted Cornification and Specific T Cell Expansion in Atopic Dermatitis

    February 2026 in “ Nature Communications ”
    Evgenij Fiškin, Gökcen Eraslan, Maria B. Alora-Palli, Tanvi Jain, Juan Manuel Leyva-Castillo, Sean Kim, Heather Choe, Caleb A. Lareau, Helena Lau, Emily P. Finan, Isabella Teixeira-Soldano, Brenna LaBere, Anne Chu, Brian Woods, Janet Chou, Michal Slyper, Julia Waldman, Sabina A. Islam, Lynda C. Schneider, Wanda Phipatanakul, Craig Platt, Orit Rozenblatt-Rosen, Toni Delorey, Orr Ashenberg, Jacques Deguine, Gideon P. Smith, Raif S. Geha, Aviv Regev, Ramnik J. Xavier
    TLDR A specific group of immune and skin cells may cause chronic inflammation in atopic dermatitis.
    This study investigates the cellular ecosystem in atopic dermatitis (AD) by analyzing 280,518 cells from skin samples of 17 adults, including 11 with AD, and integrating data from 430,186 cell profiles from previous studies. The research identifies a multicellular immune-stromal community linked to disrupted cornification in AD, involving MMP12<sup>+</sup> and migratory dendritic cells, cycling innate lymphoid cells, natural killer cells, inflammatory fibroblasts, and clonally expanded T cells. These cells are connected by intercellular feedback loops that may influence community assembly and contribute to AD. The findings suggest that dysfunction in this network could initiate AD, highlighting specific cell subsets and interactions associated with chronic skin inflammation.
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