Identification of M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor reactive Th17 cells in peripheral blood of primary Sjogren's syndrome.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K17880
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 54020:Connective tissue disease and allergy-related
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Abe Saori 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 助教 (00830093)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: T細胞 / 自己免疫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have reported the identification of circulating M3R-reactive Th17 cells in treatment-naive pSS patients, and the identical TCR repertoire was also detected in LSG of the same patient. The presence of these cells tended to correlate with a higher disease activity score and significantly higher titers of functional anti-M3R antibodies. These results suggest that screening for M3R-specific Th17 cells and targeting them therapeutically is a potentially effective treatment strategy for pSS.

Free Research Field

自己免疫疾患

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

シェーグレン症候群（SS:Sjogren’s syndrome）は慢性外分泌腺炎を主徴とする原因不明の自己免疫疾患 の一つであり、国の難病に指定されている。その効果的な治療方法は未確立であり、根治的治療法の確立が本疾患における最大の課題である。本研究はSSにおける病態解明を目的としており、本研究結果からSSに対して唾液腺局所と重複して存在する末梢血中の自己抗原特異的T細胞が新たな治療標的となる可能性が示唆された。