Identification of nutrient-sensing system that promotes host defense responses

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22808
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 59:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Saitoh Tatsuya 大阪大学, 薬学研究科, 教授 (60456936)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 免疫 / 感染症 / 栄養

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been well known for a long time that lack of nutrition makes us susceptible to pathogens. We have all had the common experience of recovering from a cold by consuming adequate nutrition. However, there are still many unanswered questions as to why adequate nutritional intake is essential for the induction of defense responses. In this study, we focused on the innate immune system and cytokines, which play important roles in the defense response against pathogens, and aimed to elucidate the mechanism of defense response failure caused by nutritional deficiency. As a result of our analysis, we found that specific nutrients are required for the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1beta through the innate immune system.

Free Research Field

免疫学・薬学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、「なぜ栄養を十分に取らないと感染に弱くなるのか？」という古くから知られている、しかし回答することが難しい、栄養学および健康科学研究分野における根源的な謎に対する答えを導き出すための分子基盤を整えるものでる。本研究によりアミノ酸がTLRを介したIL-1betaの発現を増強する機序が明らかになれば、感染症を予防するために栄養素の摂取が必須である理由の一端を説明することが出来るようになる。