Elucidation of systemic control mechanism in mucosal immunity responded to human oral microbiota

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K11033
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Morphological basic dentistry
• Research Institution: Fukuoka Dental College
• Principal Investigator: Cho Tamaki 福岡歯科大学, 口腔歯学部, 教授 (90131870)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 稲井 哲一朗 福岡歯科大学, 口腔歯学部, 教授 (00264044) ; 田中 芳彦 福岡歯科大学, 口腔歯学部, 教授 (00398083) ; 成田 由香 福岡歯科大学, 口腔歯学部, 助教 (50758050)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 粘膜免疫 / カンジダ常在マウス / 口腔カンジダ症マウス / 樹状細胞 / T細胞 / IL-17

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Candida albicans is a human commensal that causes opportunistic infections. Th17 cells provide resistance against mucosal infection with C. albicans; however, the T cell antigens remains little known. Our final goal is to find effective T cell antigens of C. albicans that are responsible for immunotherapy against candidiasis. Here, we prepared fractions including cytosol, membrane and cell wall from yeast and mycelial cells of C. albicans. Proteins derived from a membrane fraction of mycelial cells effectively induced differentiation of CD4+ T cells into IL-17A-producing Th17 cells. Moreover, mycelial membrane-differentiated CD4+ Th17 cells from donor mice adoptively transferred intravenously prevented oral candidiasis by oral infection of C. albicans in recipient mice. The design of novel vaccination strategies against candidiasis will be our next step.

Free Research Field

微生物学