Elucidating the mechanism of barrier function construction by coordination of epithelium and immune cells of periodontal tissue

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K24128
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0907:Oral science and related fields
• Research Institution: Iwate Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Ikezaki Shojiro 岩手医科大学, 歯学部, 助教 (00849276)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 付着上皮 / セマフォリン / 上皮細胞 / 免疫細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The junctional epithelium is a structure that adheres to the enamel and separates the external and internal environment of the periodontal tissue.　Semaphorins are known to be expressed in epithelial cells and immune cells as well as in nerve axon guidance factors. Since we have shown that semaphorin-mediated signaling plays a role in the differentiation of ameloblasts, the origin of the junctional epithelium, we hypothesized that semaphorin expressed by junctional epithelium and immune cells may cooperate to establish a barrier mechanism in the junctional epithelium.
In this study, we confirmed the expression of Semaphorin4A and its receptor PlexinB2, in the junctional epithelium. Semaphorin4A was also expressed in dendritic cells derived from mouse bone marrow cells, suggesting that semaphorins expressed by epithelial cells and immune cells act in an autocrine manner to construct the epithelial barrier.

Free Research Field

口腔組織・発生学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

歯周組織において外界とのバリアを構成する付着上皮と免疫細胞の関係性について不明な点は多い。本研究で得られた結果では、付着上皮および免疫細胞が共通の分子を介して歯周組織の構造を維持している可能性を示唆した。また、作成を行った付着上皮細胞株はin vitroで歯周病病態形成の解析、治療法を開発するためのツールになると期待される。