The role of immune cells in the developing brain

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K14841
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 46020:Anatomy and histopathology of nervous system-related
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Morimoto Keiko 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 特任助教 (40815429)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 神経 / 免疫 / 発生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The central nervous system and the immune system are special mechanism with extraordinary specificity and diversity, and their crosstalk has attracted much attention.
In this study, we found that not only microglia, but also acquired-immune cells such as B cells and T cells and innate immune cells such as granulocytes, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells were also invaded into the relatively early stage of the developing brain. We also examined the cortical layer formation using B and T lymphocytes deficient mice, however, we could not find significant difference between wild type and mutant mice.

Free Research Field

神経発生

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

成体脳だけでなく、発生期の脳においても種々の免疫細胞が存在しており、これらが協調して働き我々の精巧な中枢神経系の構築に関与している可能性が示された。今後、免疫細胞と神経細胞、グリア細胞との関係の観点からも脳発生の仕組みに迫っていくことで、将来的には自閉症や注意欠陥・多動性障害(ADHD)などのneurodevelopmental disorderやアルツハイマー病やパーキンソン病などの神経変性疾患、脳外傷などの治療法解明につながることが期待される。