Elucidation of the mechanism of regulatory T cell differentiation in the tumor microenvironment

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K15542
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 50010:Tumor biology-related
• Research Institution: National Cancer Center Japan
• Principal Investigator: Itahashi Kota 国立研究開発法人国立がん研究センター, 先端医療開発センター, 研究員 (10828990)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 腫瘍免疫 / 制御性T細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are required for maintaining self-tolerance and preventing the development of autoimmune diseases. However, in tumor immunity, Treg cells abundantly infiltrate the tumor microenvironment (TME) and promote tumor progression by suppressing effective anti-tumor immune responses. Although the differentiation process of CD8+ T cells toward the exhausted state in the TME has been well investigated, Treg cell differentiation in the TME is still an active area of investigation. Multi-omics analysis of lung tumor-infiltrating Treg cells have clarified the chromatin landscape and the core network of transcription factors that contribute to the differentiation process of human Treg cells in the TME.

Free Research Field

腫瘍

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

血液、正常組織、がん組織内の制御性T細胞を詳細に解析して得られた結果は、がん組織内の制御性T細胞を標的とする免疫治療開発のみならず、制御性T細胞が発症に関わる自己免疫性疾患の理解などを始めとして、様々な医学研究に応用されることが期待される。