Mechanism of mucosal immune system in human pediatric pharyngeal tonsils

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K09381
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56050:Otorhinolaryngology-related
• Research Institution: Sapporo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Ogasawara Noriko 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (00438061)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 山本 聡 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (10588479) ; 佐藤 豊孝 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (30756474)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: RSウイルス / 小児咽頭扁桃 / M細胞 / 上皮細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We succeeded in isolating 14 primary cultured human pediatric nasopharyngeal tonsil epithelial cells (HNTE).
HNTEs were infected GFP recombinant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The GFP-negative and positive cells were collected and will be analyzed by RNA sequence. We are planning to analyze what factors are expressed in HNTEs susceptible to RSV. In addition, A549, BEAS-2B and HNTEs were cultured under submerge and air-liquid interface (ALI) conditions. Following RSV infection, we treated Streptococcus pneumoniae on upper chamber. After 96 hours RSV infection, we measured barrier function and the number of viable S. pneumoniae in epithelial cell. As a result, we found that in the ALI state, unlike the submerge state, RSV infection reduces the epithelial barrier function, and S. pneumoniae infection after RSV infection further reduces the barrier function. From the above results, it suggests that the functions of epithelial cells differed under submerge and ALI conditions.

Free Research Field

粘膜免疫

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

呼吸器に感染する微生物は人類の生活環に密接に関わり、小さなきっかけで大流行に至る潜在的脅威を持った病原体である。しかしながら多くの呼吸器感染性病原体は、予防・治療法が未確立である。本研究で示した呼吸器感染性病原体に対する対する生体の初期応答から防御に至る過程および組織・宿主特異的免疫反応の一部は将来的に、宿主独自の反応を示す作用点として、治療の標的となる可能性があり、新たな治療戦略確立に寄与する重要な意義がある。特に上皮細胞の状態が免疫応答に関わるとする成果は、咽頭扁桃焼灼・切除による免疫機能のリセットの可能性を示唆する重要な成果である。