Malignant T Cell Activation by a Bacillus Species Isolated from Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Lesions

Malignant T Cell Activation by a Bacillus Species Isolated from Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Lesions

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Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a life-debilitating malignancy of lymphocytes homing to the skin.Although CTCL is thought to arise from a combination of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors, specific triggers are unclear.The skin is colonized by a unique microbiota and is heavily influenced by its interactions.

We hypothesized that adaptive immune responses to skin commensals kaiser copy stands lead to clonal T-cell proliferation and transformation in the appropriate genetic background.We therefore collected lesional lycogel and nonlesional skin microbiota from patients with CTCL to study T cell interactions using skin T cell explants and peripheral, skin-homing CD4+ T cells.By various methods, we identified Bacillus safensis in CTCL lesions, a rare human commensal in healthy skin, and showed that it can induce malignant T cell activation and cytokine secretion.

Taken together, our data suggest microbial triggers in the skin microbiota of patients with CTCL as potential instigators of tumorigenesis.