Of interest, a recent study has demonstrated the ectopic expression of TLR8 in SSc pDCs, and a pivotal role of TLR8-expressing pDCs in experimental skin fibrosis, suggesting that TLR8 is the key RNA-sensing TLR, and that the overproduction of IFN-α is involved in the establishment of SSc-associated tissue fibrosis [90]. Here, TLR8 is linked to systemic sclerosis.