Immunomodulatory effect of human dental pulp cells in autoimmune disease

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K15724
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Dental engineering/Regenerative dentistry
• Research Institution: Aichi Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Honda Masaki 愛知学院大学, 歯学部, 教授 (70361623)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): Watanabe Nobukazu 東京大学, 医科学研究・FACSコアラボラトリー, 特任准教授 (10334278)
• Research Collaborator: Saito Kouichi アイル再生医療研究センター
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 歯髄幹細胞 / 自己免疫疾患 / 免疫寛容能 / 制御性T細胞 / ヘルパーT細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent progenitors that can be isolated from the connective tissues of most organs. In addition, they exert powerful immunomodulatory effects, including inhibition of proliferation and function of Th17 cells and promotion of Treg differentiation. The objective of this study was to identify immune cell populations that participate in the mechanisms to prevent and reverse type 1 diabetes in the Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mouse strain. Co-culture experiments using human dental pulp cells and spleen cells from NOD. These results showed that Treg cells increased the frequency and numbers of interleukin-10 in vitro. The expansion of these cells was a consequence of the proliferation. In contrast, the number of Th17 cells was deceased by co-culture. This study showed that human dental pulp stem cells have a potential to regulate the differentiation into regulatory T cells and Helper T cells.

Free Research Field

幹細胞生物学