Development of new strategies to enhance the efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy by targeting oral dendritic cells

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K09837
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57020:Oral pathobiological science-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Yukinori 東北大学, 大学病院, 講師 (60637958)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 水田 健太郎 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 教授 (40455796)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 舌下免疫療法 / 樹状細胞 / 制御性T細胞 / 免疫寛容

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to develop a method to enhance the efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy using a mouse allergy model with ovalbumin as a model antigen. Toward this goal, retinoic acid, niacin, butyrate, and rapamycin were examined as candidate adjuvants that are able to increase the induction efficiency of regulatory T cells, which are an important cellular mediator of sublingual immunotherapy. The administration of rapamycin increased the induction efficiency of regulatory T cells by sublingual immunotherapy. It took 10 weeks for sublingual immunotherapy to exert its therapeutic effect for established food allergy. Therefore, above candidate adjuvants were combined with sublingual immunotherapy to shorten the treatment period to 3 weeks. However, favorable results were not obtained.

Free Research Field

免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

舌下免疫療法は抗原（アレルゲン）を舌下粘膜から吸収させ、体質の改善を図る根本的なアレルギー治療法である。花粉症などアレルギー性鼻炎の治療法として普及しているが、現行のプロトコールでは数年に渡り毎日の舌下投与が必要である。舌下免疫療法の治療効果を増強する免疫賦活剤を発見できれば、治療期間の短縮や、食物アレルギーなど適応症の拡大につながる可能性があり、社会的意義は大きい。ラパマイシンは舌下免疫療法による食物アレルギー治療モデルでの有効性は示されなかったが、制御性 T 細胞誘導効率は明確に向上させたため、有望な候補物質として今後さらなる研究が期待される。