Immune checkpoint molecules: “new” kids on the block of skin photoimmunology

Abstract

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a prominent etiological factor of the pathogenesis of skin diseases such as squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Excessive exposure to the natural sources of UVR such as sunlight or artificially from tanning lamps has been linked to the increasing incidence of skin cancers in the United States. Besides the skin inflammation, DNA damage and oncogenic mutation caused by UVR, UV exposure also plays a critical role in suppressing local and systemic immune responses which enable premalignant and cancer cells to escape immune surveillance. A variety of mechanisms have been reported to regulate the immune-suppressive effects of UVR. Here we discuss the current understanding of how UV modulates the local and systemic immunity, the recent progress in roles of immune checkpoint molecules in UVR-induced immune suppression, and how the crosstalk between the immune cells may shape the immune landscape of the skin upon UVR.