The role of skin resident memory T cells in the aging alteration of skin immunity

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K08291
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53050:Dermatology-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University (2020); University of Tsukuba (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: Hosokawa Rei (渡辺玲) 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 寄附講座准教授 (60463866)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 皮膚resident memory T細胞 / 加齢

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research, we investigated the aging alteration of human skin T cells. We collected the blood and extra skin specimens from the individuals of various ages. The diversity of skin T cells in the elderly subjects were approximately twice well-maintained compared to that of blood T cells in the eldery, under our expreimental procedure. Skin T cells in the elderly subjects also turned out to produce the comparable amount of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17 with those from younger subjects in reaction with heat-killed Staphyrococcus aureus and Candida albicans, while blood T cells reduced the production of IL-17 in reaction with these pathogens accordinbg to aging. These results suggest taht skin T cells can maintain their diversity and functionality compared to blood T cells in the elderly.

Free Research Field

皮膚免疫

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本は未曽有の高齢化社会を迎え、高齢化に伴い生じる重篤な感染症の頻度が上がり、医療資源の圧迫につながっている。本研究で得られた成果から、皮膚Ｔ細胞が特に感染症に対する正常な応答を行うポテンシャルを保ち、また、血中Ｔ細胞より様々な抗原に応答できる多様性を維持し続けていることが分かり、これらのＴ細胞の正常な機能発揮を促す手法を確立することで、皮膚を介した感染症の予防に役立てることができる他、肺、腸といった他の感染を生じやすい組織にその手法を応用できる可能性がある。