Analysis for skin microenvironmental change and character of melanocyte-specific resident T cells

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K08670
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53050:Dermatology-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Tanemura Atsushi 大阪大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 准教授 (50457016)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: vitiligo / resident T cell

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Vitiligo does not occur randomly over the entire body, but has a very specific distribution, such as symmetrical or limited to the face and extremities, and the reasons for this are not clear. In this study, we asked "why melanocytes are attacked locally and selectively with a specific distribution, resulting in vitiligo and its maintenance?" The main objective of this study is to elucidate the local immune environment surrounding melanocytes, and we would like to elucidate the pathogenesis of autoimmune vitiligo by comprehensively analyzing the dynamics, functions, and intracellular metabolism of immune cells localized in the skin, and by studying their relationship with the innervation of the skin.

Free Research Field

白斑

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

白斑が顔面・手など整容部位に生じた場合QOLに大きな支障をきたすため、病態に応じたより効率的で有効な治療開発が急務である。その病態には皮膚に局在する免疫担当細胞が関与していることが最近明らかになったが、なぜ左右対称性に生じるか？いったん色素脱失した部位に色素再生がみられないか？単細胞レベルでの解析はまだなく、本研究で「実際の白斑皮膚リンパ球がメラノサイトを攻撃すること」「ステロイド全身療法後にもメラノサイト特異的リンパ球が白斑皮膚内に残存すること」を明らかにした。これらの結果は今後のより選択的な白斑免疫調整薬の開発につながる成果である。