Study on CMV antigen-specific immune response and homeostatic maintenance of retinal pigmented epithelial cells using iPS cells

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K20271
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University
• Principal Investigator: KOBAYASHI Takahiro 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (00708745)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: サイトメガロウイルス / 網膜色素上皮細胞 / 恒常性 / 造血幹細胞 / 潜伏感染

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in healthy individuals is asymptomatic and results in latent infection, but it causes severe disease in infected fetuses and premature infants or in immunocompromised patients. Thus, we studied CMV-specific immune response and mechanism of homeostatic maintenance using the infection model of retinal pigment epithelial cells or hematopoietic stem cells which are infection targets of CMV. This study suggest that CMV-infected retinal pigment epithelial cells migrate T cells to eliminate infected cells and induce inflammatory reactions, while maintaining homeostasis by inducing differentiation of regulatory T cells and suppressing inflammatory reactions.

Free Research Field

免疫学・ウイスル学