identification of autoantigens of autoimmune pancreatitis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21H02901
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53010:Gastroenterology-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Shiokawa Masahiro 京都大学, 医学研究科, 助教 (50737880)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 桑田 威 神戸大学, 医学研究科, 特別研究員(PD) (10879084)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 自己免疫性膵炎 / 自己抗体 / 自己抗原 / IgＧ４関連疾患 / IgＧ４

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We were the first in the world to discover that the causative autoantigen in autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), a pancreatic lesion of IgG4-related disease, is laminin 511 (Sci Transl Med. 2018;10:453). However, laminin 511 autoantibodies are only positive in about half of autoimmune pancreatitis patients, and the identification of the remaining autoantibodies remains a challenge. In this study, autoantibodies against integrin α6β1, a protein that binds to laminin, were positive in about 20% of laminin 511 autoantibody-negative cases, and other studies have revealed that they are true autoantigens. Identification of the remaining 30% of autoantibodies remains a future challenge.

Free Research Field

消化器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

世界中でAIPを含めたIgG4関連疾患の病態と関連する自己抗原を同定しているグループは申請者のグループ以外には認めず、同研究は学術的独自性、重要性が非常に高い。今回新たに抗インテグリンα6β1自己抗体が病因抗体として検証できたことは、学術的に独創的かつ創造性に富む研究と言える。また、本抗体は診断・病勢評価にも使用し、将来的には治療ターゲットにもなると考えられ、実臨床への応用も十分に期待でき、社会的意義も大きいと考えられる。