Analysis of the development and function of IL-27-producing T cells

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K08842
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Immunology
• Research Institution: Saga University
• Principal Investigator: Yoshida Hiroki 佐賀大学, 医学部, 教授 (40260715)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 三宅 靖延 佐賀大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10392143)
• Research Collaborator: YUI Katsuyuki
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: IL-27 / 免疫抑制 / サイトカイン / 感染

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our purpose was to establish IL-27-Venus reporter mice, in which the development of IL-27-producing T cells (Tr27) was to be examined. The reporter mice functioned as designed and we finished backcrossing of the mice into C57BL/6 background.
We previously reported the development of Tr27 in malaria-infected mice. In our preliminary study, we identified IL-27-producing T cell population in the infected mice, albeit at a very low percentage. We thus need to examine the development of Tr27 and its condition by looking at the time course, with enough numbers of fully-backcrossed mice. Although IL-27-producing T cell population in Tuberculosis patients was reported, Tr27 has not been identified in BCG-infected mice. T cells stimulated in vitro by a conventional way did not exhibit IL-27-Venus signal, either. We are planning to further examine the development of Tr27 in various infection models as well as in autoimmune and in inflammatory disease models in fully-backcrossed mice.

Free Research Field

免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

IL-27は免疫抑制作用を持つサイトカインである。IL-27は刺激を受けたマクロファージなどから産生されるとされていたが、我々はマラリア原虫感染マウスにおいてT細胞がIL-27を産生することを報告した。このことは、免疫抑制が生じるべき部位や時間経過を考えるとき、細胞の増殖や遊走の観点から興味深い知見である。また、IL-27の免疫抑制作用は、新規免疫抑制薬・免疫抑制療法の標的として有望であることに加え、新しいチェックポイント分子としての治療応用も注目されており、その作用の詳細の解析は、さまざまな免疫疾患や癌治療を考える上で重要なテーマである。