The role of innate lymphoid cell in autoimmune uveitis

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K16928
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56060:Ophthalmology-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Hasegawa Eiichi 九州大学, 大学病院, 助教 (70636521)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: ぶどう膜炎 / MAIT細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the role of mucosal associated invariant T(MAIT) cell, which was an innate lymphoid cell, in autoimmune uveitis using experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). FACS analysis revealed that the infiltration of MAIT cells into the eye was increased when EAU was induced. The severity of intraocular inflammation was significantly deteriorated in MAIT cell-deficient mice compared to wild-type mice. PCR analysis revealed that the expression of inflammatory cytokines was elevated in the eyes of MAIT cell-deficient mice. These results suggested that MAIT cell played a crucial role in suppressing autoimmune uveitis by regulation of inflammatory cytokine expression.

Free Research Field

眼科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

非感染性ぶどう膜炎の原因・詳細な発症機序については未だ解明されておらず、現在標準的に行われている治療は炎症を抑制するための対症的な治療のみであり、効果不十分や副作用出現など克服しなければならない課題も多い。本研究ではこれまで多く研究されているT細胞を主体とした獲得免疫系ではなく、自然リンパ球を対象としたぶどう膜炎の発症機序についての解析を行ない、その重要性を示した。