Investigation of pathogenetic role of IL-17 family in HTLV-1-associated myelopathy

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K15456
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 49060:Virology-related
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University (2023); Kawasaki Medical School (2021-2022)
• Principal Investigator: Wada Yuji 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (60825248)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: HTLV-1 / ウイルス学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

At the beginning, this study had been started to investigate playing roles of IL-17 family in pathogenesis of HTLV-1-assosiated myelopathy. However, a serious problem was recognized in a key material which was essential for this research project, and an alternative project was launched from necessity. A research object of the alternative project was that exploring novel pathogenetic mechanisms of HTLV-1-associated diseases relating to Tax and/or HTLV-1 bZIP factor (HBZ), which could effectively utilize obtained samples and knowledge in the original project. As a result, a novel host-derived factor was discovered, whose gene expression was significantly decreased in asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers but reverted in patients with acute-type ATL depending on HBZ mRNA expression. In conclusion, this study provides novel insights into the roles of HBZ in HTLV-1 infection.

Free Research Field

ウイルス学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

HTLV-1はATLやHAM等のHTLV-1関連疾患を引き起こし、発病者の生命及び健康に重大な被害を及ぼすが、その発病機序は依然解明されていない。HTLV-1関連疾患の病態形成機序の詳細を明らかにする事は、早期診断マーカーの発見や新規創薬標的の探索等の開発・発展に大きく貢献し、延いてはHTLV-1関連疾患による被害の抑制に資する事となる。本研究成果において、ATLの病態形成機序と関連する可能性のある新規因子の発見に成功した。本成果により、HLTV-1関連疾患病態形成機序の解明に向けて新たな視点からアプローチする事が可能となる為、本研究の学術的意義は大きいと考える。