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Although eczema is not a life threatening disease, it is a skin condition that can be very hard to live with. Eczema, which is also known as atopic dermatitis, is a condition in which the skin suffers from extreme dryness that often leads to recurring skin rashes, endless itchiness and blisters. Not only does eczema affect the skin, it can also take a mental toll on people who suffer from this condition due to the outward appearance of the afflicted skin. Although researchers have known eczema to be linked to a skin allergy, many still do not know what causes the condition. A research team from the University of Sydney stated that in its latest study, they have found a new type of immune cell that might be responsible for eczema and other skin allergies.

The international team, which was composed of researchers from the Immune Imaging and T cell Laboratories at the Centenary Institute affiliated with the University, researchers from SA Pathology in Adelaide, scientists from Malaghan Institute in New Zealand, and scientists from the United States, looked into a particular cell type that was discovered nearly five years ago. The cell type comes from a part of a family group known as group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2), which is found in the lung and gut, and has been linked to asthma.

The research team discovered that this set of cells exist in the skin as well, which suggests that these cells might also be responsible for skin allergies, such as eczema.

"Our data show that these skin ILC2 cells can likely suppress or stimulate inflammation under different conditions," Dr. Ben Roediger said. "They also suggest a potential link to allergic skin diseases."

"There is a great deal we don't understand about the debilitating skin conditions of allergies and eczema, but they affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Dermal ILC2 cells could be the clue we need to start unraveling the causes of these diseases," The head of the laboratory, professor Wolfgang Weninger added. The researchers continued their experiment by observing how ILC2 cells work. They discovered that ILC2 cells in the skin contributes to the growth of interleukin 13, which is a molecule linked to numerous allergic diseases, such as eczema. Furthermore, when the researchers stimulated the movement of ILC2 cells in mice models, they found that they were able to generate skin inflammation often linked to skin diseases.

Although research is still very new, if scientists can discover the underlying mechanisms that lead to skin allergies, people suffering from these conditions might be able to seek a more permanent treatment option.

"We now have experiments underway in which we are actively looking for the direct involvement of these cells in the sort of skin disease you would predict based on these findings," Roediger stated.

The study was published in Nature Immunology.