Study on oral mucosal immune regulation on the axis of activated vitamin D3

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H03823
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57020:Oral pathobiological science-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Sugawara Shunji 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 教授 (10241639)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 黒石 智誠 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 講師 (30400261) ; 多田 浩之 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 講師 (70431632)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ビタミンD3 / 口腔免疫 / 粘膜免疫 / 免疫応答

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study was aimed to elucidate effects of activated vitamin D3 (VD3) on oral mucosal immune system. We first address the outcome of VD3 supplementation of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in a murine delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) model. SLIT with VD3 significantly inhibited DTH response after the second challenge. Adoptive transfer of regulatory T (Treg) cells from mice treated with SLIT with VD3 exhibited therapeutic effects on OVA-DTH. Transcriptome analysis of Treg cells revealed that SLIT with VD3 generated functionally different Treg cells with altered gene expression profile. In the vitamin D3 deficient mice, expression of genes which are essential for IgA class switch from IgM, was markedly down-regulated. Taken together, these results suggest that VD3 play as important role for control of oral mucosal immune responses.

Free Research Field

口腔免疫

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、“口腔（舌下）粘膜の免疫学的特性”を世界に先駆けて明らかにするという学術的基盤を構築するだけでなく、患者に負担をかけずに行えるSLITの効果を格段に向上させる基礎的研究基盤を提示するという点で、社会的にも大きな意義のある研究である。