A systems immunology approach to GVHD defines skin-autonomous control of donor T cells

We have adopted a systems immunology approach to address the hypothesis that cellular interactions within tissues drive the differentiation of GVHD effector T cells (Teff). We exploited transplantation models in which CD8 T cells are transferred to minor H antigen-mismatched recipients. Teff were purified from lymphoid organs and peripheral tissues and their gene expression compared by microarray. Computational analyses of these data demonstrate that Teff from lymphoid organs are transcriptionally distinct from those in peripheral tissues. In the skin, transition of T cells from the dermis to the epidermis is associated with up-regulation of a unique gene signature.