The effect of Immune checkpoints in myasthenia gravis and application of its to new therapeutic medications

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07494
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52020:Neurology-related
• Research Institution: Ishikawa Prefectural Nursing University (2020-2021); Kanazawa University (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: Iwasa Kazuo 石川県立看護大学, 看護学部, 教授 (10345613)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 重症筋無力症 / 骨格筋 / 免疫チェックポイント分子 / PD-L1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We clarified that the muscle expression of PD-L1 was involved in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG).
The association between PD-L1 expression and clinical parameter was analyzed in a generalized additive model. It showed that MG symptoms were more severe when PD-L1 expression was inadequate. Consequently, we concluded that PD-L1 expression of MG muscle may be important factor for the pathogenesis of MG. In addition, we focused on the concentration of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) in serum of MG and indicated that MG symptoms may be improved in cases with higher sPD-L1 concentrations.
These results were suggested that PD-L1 may have the possibility of a new therapeutic agent in the future.

Free Research Field

神経免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

免疫チェックポイント分子（PD-L1）は免疫機能を調整する重要な因子であるが、重症筋無力症（MG）の病態における関与は明らかでなかった。
今回、MGの骨格筋におけるPD-L1の発現がMGの病態に関与するのみでなく、血液中の可溶化PD-L1も病態に関与することが明らかとなった。このことは、PD-L1を利用したMGの新たな治療薬の可能性が示されたと考えることができる。