Establishing a Novel Mouse Model of Reactive Arthritis and Investigating Its Pathomechanisms

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K15411
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 49030:Experimental pathology-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Ota Mitsutoshi 北海道大学, 医学研究院, 客員研究員 (60849149)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 反応性関節炎 / エクソソーム / 炎症 / 免疫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Reactive arthritis (ReA) is known as a sterile arthritis that occurs following gastrointestinal infections such as those caused by Salmonella, yet its pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear, there are no definitive diagnostic criteria, and treatments are not well established. The purpose of this study was to create a novel ReA mouse model and elucidate its disease mechanisms, as well as identify biomarkers useful for diagnosis.
The specific outcomes of this study were: (1) the successful creation of a novel ReA model using the chronic inflammation model mouse (F759 mouse), (2) demonstrating that serum exosomes following oral Salmonella infection can induce ReA, and (3) analyzing these exosomes to approach the identification of biomarkers that are useful for the diagnosis of ReA.

Free Research Field

免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

反応性関節炎（ReA）は，サルモネラなど特定の感染症後に発症する関節の炎症で，その原因や治療法は明確にされていませんでした．本研究では新しいモデルマウスを開発し，ReAがどのようにして発症するのかを科学的に解明しました．特に，感染後の体の変化を追跡し，病気の発症に関わる重要な因子を特定したことにより，ReAの診断が容易になり，早期に適切な治療を開始できるようになることが期待されます．この成果は，国内外の多くのReA患者にとって，生活の質を大きく改善する手助けになるものです．