Development of novel immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting human dendritic cells

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K07703
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 50020:Tumor diagnostics and therapeutics-related
• Research Institution: University of Miyazaki
• Principal Investigator: Uto Tomofumi 宮崎大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10624653)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 腫瘍治療学 / 免疫抑制 / 樹状細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we aim to prove the concept of the effectiveness of tumor immunotherapy with antagonistic anti-human CLEC4A monoclonal antibody (mAb) as a novel immune checkpoint inhibitor for the development of the tumor immunotherapy targeting human CLEC4A. Human type 2 dendritic cells and monocytes displayed the higher expression of CLEC4A than B cells. Antagonistic mAb to human CLEC4A exerts the protection against the established tumor without any apparent signs of immune-related adverse events in hCLEC4A-transgenic mice.

Free Research Field

免疫学分野

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現在、T細胞関連免疫チェックポイント分子阻害剤が臨床応用されているが、主としてT細胞発現分子であり、樹状細胞に発現する分子の作用機序に着目した報告は皆無であることから、新規樹状細胞発現免疫チェックポイント分子の発見は学術的にも社会的にも大きな意義がある。抗ヒトCLEC4A機能阻害抗体の研究開発は、新たながん免疫治療戦略を導き将来的な医療応用に展開されることが強く期待される。