Roles of monocytes and macrophages in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K24003
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0904:Internal medicine of the bio-information integration and related fields
• Research Institution: Juntendo University
• Principal Investigator: Nomura Atsushi 順天堂大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 非常勤助教 (60851201)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 全身性エリテマトーデス / TLR7 / イミキモド / 単球 / マクロファージ / ループス腎炎

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although mounting evidence indicate the importance of aberrant toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) signal in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the mechanism of disease progression is still to be clarified.
Imiquimod (IMQ) -induced lupus model was used to analyze the lupus mechanism related to monocytes. Ly6Chi monocytes responded at the local stimulated site and had higher expression of IFNα upon stimulation. Ly6Clo monocytes had tendency to infiltrate to the kidneys. Thus, we clarified the different features of Ly6Chi and Ly6Clo monocytes in IMQ-induced lupus mice.

Free Research Field

免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によりSLE病態において単球のもつ異なる役割を明らかにした。古典的単球と非古典的単球のそれぞれが病期や臓器ごとで異なる働きをしていることの理解は病態の理解を促進する。これまでにSLEの治療薬としては単球を標的にしたものはなく、単球が関与した病態を考慮した治療法の開発へとつながることが期待される。