2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Basic research for new immunological therapies based on a pathological mechanism of periodontal disease

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	20H00555
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Review Section	Medium-sized Section 57:Oral science and related fields
Research Institution	Fukuoka Dental College
Principal Investigator	Tanaka Yoshihiko 福岡歯科大学, 口腔歯学部, 教授 (00398083)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	小笠原康悦東北大学, 加齢医学研究所, 教授 (30323603) 中山二郎九州大学, 農学研究院, 教授 (40217930) 神沼修広島大学, 原爆放射線医科学研究所, 教授 (80342921) 永尾潤一福岡歯科大学, 口腔歯学部, 講師 (30509047) 岸川咲吏福岡歯科大学, 口腔歯学部, 助教 (50781358) 有田健一福岡歯科大学, 口腔歯学部, 助教 (90780205) 成田由香福岡歯科大学, 口腔歯学部, 助教 (50758050)
Project Period (FY)	2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
Keywords	口腔感染症 / 免疫応答 / 歯周病 / ヘルパーT細胞 / 免疫療法
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Periodontal disease is an infection caused by periodontal pathogenic bacteria and has attracted attention as being caused by the helper T cell Th17, but the detailed mechanism of immune response was unknown. When periodontal pathogenic bacteria were introduced into the intestines of mice at the amount that periodontal disease patients swallow daily, it was found that periodontal pathogenic bacteria were taken up from the Peyer's patches of the intestines and that Th17 cells that respond to periodontal pathogenic bacteria (responsible Th17 cells) were activated in the intestines. Subsequently, we elucidated that the responsible Th17 cells migrate from the gut to the mouth, which is infected with periodontal pathogenic bacteria, causing severe periodontal disease. Meanwhile, in mice without intestinal bacteria, the responsible Th17 cells were not activated and periodontal disease did not occur, indicating that intestinal bacteria were involved in the development of periodontal disease.
Free Research Field	口腔科学およびその関連分野
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	歯周病は我が国で約400万人が罹患している国民病といえる疾患です。高齢化が進む中、歯周病の重症化は歯を失う最大の原因であることから、歯周病の発症と重症化のメカニズムの解明が待たれています。歯周病の原因として歯周病原細菌に応答するヘルパーT細胞が注目されていましたが、その免疫応答の詳細なメカニズムは不明でした。口から流れ込んだ歯周病原細菌が腸で取り込まれ、腸内細菌の影響を受けて活性化したヘルパーT細胞が口へ移動して歯周病の発症と重症化を引き起こすことを発見しました。腸内細菌をターゲットとした薬剤や整腸剤による新しい予防法と治療法の開発が期待されます。