Analysis of dendritic cell functions in peripheral tissues

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08431
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Experimental pathology
• Research Institution: Wakayama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Hemmi Hiroaki 和歌山県立医科大学, 先端医学研究所, 准教授 (20451924)
• Research Collaborator: FUKUDA Yuri ; HATTORI Ikuko ; NISHIYAMA Naoko
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 樹状細部 / 免疫応答 / 免疫寛容

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Dendritic cells (DCs), professional antigen presenting cells, consist of several subsets with specialized functions. However, it is still largely unclear how DC subsets regulate immunological homeostasis in peripheral tissues. In this study, functions of a DC subset expressing a chemokine receptor, XCR1, were analyzed. This subset has a high ability to cross-present antigens to naive CD8 T cells. In XCR1+ DC constitutively ablated mice, intestinal T cells including intraepithelial lymphocytes were deceased as compared with control mice, while splenic T cells were not affected. In control mice given antigens orally, antigen-specific antibody responses were suppressed (oral tolerance). However, if XCR1+ DC was inducibly and transiently ablated when the antigen was orally administered, antigen-specific antibody responses were not suppressed, suggesting that XCR1+ DC is crucial for induction of oral tolerance. Thus, XCR1+ DC plays important role in the intestine on immune environments.

Free Research Field

免疫学