THE EFFECTS OF CUTANEOUS ULTRAVIOLET SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE ON T CELL-MEDIATED NEUROINFLAMMATION

Abstract

Neuroinflammatory disease is becoming increasingly common in our society--affecting individuals of all ages,causing cognitive deficits, motor decline, and even propagating anxiety and depression. As the field of neuroimmunology continues to develop, there is increasing evidence of the implication of T cells in inflammation of the central nervous system. At the same time, in the field of photobiology, advances are being made to detail the absorption of photons by chromophores in the human body--a process rooted in quantum physics--and the downstream effects that this has on homeostasis. Humans have evolved with a strong dependence on sunlight as it regulates our physiology through both the eye and skin, not only dictating circadian rhythms but also driving immune cell differentiation. Upon intertwining discoveries in each of these fields, I propose that moderate doses of cutaneous sunlight exposure may help ameliorate T cell-mediated neuroinflammation through mechanisms involving upregulated tolerogenic dendritic cells and a shift in the balance of regulatory and effector T cells, which are capableof crossing the blood brain barrier and dictating inflammatory responses.