Function of CD40-CD40L interaction between periodontal ligament cells and cementoblasts

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K21062
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0907:Oral science and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Yamamoto Yu 大阪大学, 歯学部附属病院, 医員 (80912211)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: CD40 / CD40L / 歯周組織 / リモデリング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

CD40 is constantly expressed on periodontal ligament cells, and its ligand, CD40L is expressed on cementoblasts. We investigated whether CD40-CD40L interaction played an important role in transducing mechanical stress between periodontal ligament cells and cementoblasts and remodeling the periodontal tissue for its homeostasis.
Human cementoblasts transfected with GFP-CD40L expression vector or control vector were co-cultured with CD40 positive periodontal ligament cells. The results showed that CD40-CD40L interaction enhances cell viability, proliferation, differentiation, and extracellular matrix production in the periodontal ligament during mechanical stress, and is involved in the maintenance of periodontal tissue homeostasis.

Free Research Field

歯学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの研究では、咬合力などのメカニカルストレスが歯周組織に負荷された際、どのような分子機構の働きにより歯周組織の恒常性が維持されているのかは十分に解明されていませんでした。
今回の研究においては、CD40-CD40Lの相互作用に着目し、模擬的にメカニカルストレスを付加した細胞を作成、実験に使用することで、同相互作用がメカニカルストレス負荷時に歯周組織において果たす役割について、その一端が明らかとなりました。