Why do immunity-related molecules exist in developing brains?

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21467
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 46:Neuroscience and related fields
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Nakajima Kazunori 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 教授 (90280734)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 神経科学 / 発生・分化 / 脳・神経 / 大脳皮質 / 免疫系

Outline of Final Research Achievements

During the embryonic period, there is a continuous supply of mother-derived immunoglobulins from the mother via the placenta. Until the blood-brain barrier is formed, it is assumed that these mother-derived immunoglobulins are transferred from the fetal body circulation further into the brain parenchyma, but the risk of reacting with brain antigens can also be assumed. In this study, we examined whether the mother-derived immunoglobulins penetrate into the brain parenchyma of the fetus, and found that they do indeed penetrate, that they are taken up by microglia and macrophages, and that some immunoglobulin genes are expressed in brain cells.

Free Research Field

発生神経生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

神経系と免疫系はともに多様性・特異性を最大の特徴としているが、免疫系のうち特に多様性・特異性に関わる獲得免疫系の分子群が脳の発生過程に何らかの役割を有しているのかについては、未だよくわかっていない。本研究では、獲得免疫系の分子群が発生期の脳の実質に侵入したり、脳細胞自身がその一部の遺伝子を発現していることを示し、脳発生において何らかの未知の機能を有している可能性を示唆した。